Use Speaking Engagements to Market
Your Business
One way of promoting your business is to become a
recognized expert in your field, and a good way of doing that is to
regularly speak to groups of people, such as meetings of
professional organizations.
These steps will get you started.
- Start Small, Then Think Big. Offer to speak at a
club where you are already a member. Or join a club that
coincides with one of your hobbies or interests, and offer to join
the "Speakers Bureau" committee. This group
schedules speakers for the organization's meetings. This
experience will give you a feel for how groups find speakers (in a
word, referrals), and you'll have a chance to talk with the
scheduled speakers to find out what other groups have engaged them
as speakers.
- Join the Chamber and Other Groups.
When you're ready to move up, join the local
Chamber of Commerce, if you haven't already, and add your name to
their speaker list. Use the Internet to find a list of local
organizations, and call or e-mail to find out how to get on their
list of potential meeting speakers. Stick with clubs that are
most likely to contain potential customers of your company.
For example, if you own a computer or insurance business, look for
professional organizations and groups of business owners. If
you're a veterinarian or sell pet products or services, it pays to
have relationships with as many area animal shelters and rescue
groups as
possible. Even though they probably don't have regular
meetings with speakers, you can put on your own presentations of
interest to them, and invite the shelters' volunteers (all of whom
likely have pets) to attend.
- Try
Toastmasters. The venerable, international
organization is open to anyone and has helped people become
expert public speakers for over 60 years.
- Create Dynamic Presentations.
There's no more speedy way of shortening your speaking career than
to gain a reputation as a bore. If you want to put the
audience to sleep in a hurry, turn down the lights and break out a
PowerPoint presentation. Don't use handouts or presentations
as a crutch. They will only distract from your message.
People can't follow your speech and read something else at the same
time. If you must provide a handout, offer it at the end of
your speech, or else your audience will be looking at it rather than
listening to you. Make sure you present material that you know
a lot about and/or have thoroughly researched. Put your own
fascinating spin on the subject; give people something to think
about. Consider offering a door
prize to spice things up a little and add a reason for people to
attend your event.
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- Put Your Marketing House in
Order. Spruce up your Web site and have snazzy business
cards made with your name, company name, address, phone number, fax
number, e-mail address, and Web site address. Make sure your
business cards express your company's mission statement or USP
(Unique Selling Proposition). Rather than say "Smith's
Pet Hospital - Exceptional Veterinary Care," say "Smith's
Pet Hospital - Helping your furry family members live longer,
healthier lives."
- Publicize, Publicize, Publicize. Ask the hosting organization if they will be publicizing your
speaking event. Offer to assist by sending out media releases
and/or adding yourself to the business events calendars of the local
newspapers. These usually happen once a week on a certain day,
and are free listings. You will also want to send a copy of
the media release to your local Chamber of Commerce; they may have a
calendar of community business events.
- Prepare Two Bios, With Photos.
If you are planning to do more than a few speeches, invest in a good
photographer for a headshot you can use in your bios. Make
sure you are buying the negative or high-quality digital picture so
that you can repeatedly use the photo rather than having to pay the
photographer each time. Keep calling around until you find a
photographer willing to go this route. It's worth paying extra
for now, if you have an attractive picture to use for years to
come. You'll want a nice, professional-looking headshot, not a
"Glamour Shot." Write one short bio piece for use on
meeting programs, and another for use in marketing yourself as a
speaker (including on your Web site).
- Be Available, and Get the Referral
Machine Rolling. Make yourself available for questions
after the meetings at which you speak. If you can't answer a
question, collect a business card and promise to get back to that
person later - and keep your promise. The more you can do for
other people, the more that will come back to you. Concentrate
on providing useful information and going out of your way to be
helpful, without expecting anything in return. You won't
regret it.
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- Evaluate Your Results. Ask
the committee members who brought you in as a speaker for feedback
on your presentation. Also, let them know that you would
appreciate their referring you to others who may be looking for a
speaker for their events. Many times, people are involved in
more than one organization, and would love to have you speak for
their other groups. Give business cards to everyone you can,
and ask them to call if you can ever help them with
anything.
You don't have to look like a movie star or have a
dynamic personality to give great speeches. You can be a very
soft-spoken person and still give an interesting talk. Just be
knowledgeable, be conversational, and be yourself. As a
business owner, you are part of the product you sell. A
fantastic product helps make a successful business.
RELATED E-BOOKS
The Art of Public Speaking by J. BERG
ESENWEIN & DALE CARNAGEY - This timeless 1915 book is as
profound and useful today as it doubtless was in the early 1900's.
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