Many of the top earning professionals and consultants know that promoting their business with public speaking is the best way to build credibility and keep their pipeline filled with qualified prospects. Here are 15 ways to woo and win clients with public speaking.
1. Few things make as much client seduction sense as speaking. Your prospects get to see you and hear you sharing expertise without any risk. Speeches are a perfect opportunity to be seen, heard, and most important, remembered.
2. Securing speaking engagements, however, is not as easy as throwing your name into a hat. You have to prove yourself and your credentials: A strong business track record, a unique message worth hearing, and compelling speaking skills.
3. If you need to learn how to speak, join Toastmasters. Not only is such a group likely to attract other success-oriented professionals, it's also a great, low-threat way to pick up practical pointers, watch other dynamic speakers in action, and begin to get used to the idea of speaking to groups.
4. Start with family, friends and colleagues. Just ask. As with other things in life, our circle of influence is often more connected to what we want than we might realize. Want to talk to local hiring managers at technology firms? Ask around and you might be surprised how many people in your network can suggest groups you might approach.
5. Package yourself. Write a one-page letter that explains who you are, what your background is, and three to five topics on which you are prepared to speak. Make this your standard "speech pitch." Also make sure you have a one-paragraph biography, introductory paragraphs for each speech, and a pre-written introduction (to YOU) available for the people who book you.
6. Prepare a 30-second commercial for your speaking. Condense what you have to offer to an audience as much as possible: "I'm Joann Blough, and I'm an expert on Tax Savings. I speak to more than twenty groups a year on unique tax strategies, leveraging international tax law, and expanding tax savings through an international approach." Use this "elevator speech" when you network and socialize.
7. Contact group staff and committee members, who can tell you about each group's procedures for selecting speakers.
8. Contact university extension instructors and offer to be a guest lecturer. Be sure to use handouts that are printed on your stationery that includes your phone number and Web address.
9. Or, get paid to speak-as a university extension instructor, or with such organizations as The Learning Annex.
10. Offer to do in-house training for corporations. It's a low-pressure way to hone your skills and really dig deeply into your subject of expertise. You'll also discover the need to make your speaking more interesting and animated when you're working with a group for a longer period of time
11. Approach conferences that are scheduled to take place in your area, or in your industry. Send them your speaker's introduction kit and topic list. Follow up with a phone call.
12. After a speech, offer to hold a small roundtable discussion for those who are interested. This can be later in the day, at a coffee break or over cocktails, and is a great way to solidify your position as a trustworthy expert, and to extend the impact and influence of what you've said to the larger group.
13. When trying to woo and win clients, professionals and consultants need to remember that nobody loves a salesman. Just ask Scott Love. "The problem with actively selling your professional services to prospective clients is that it screams, 'I have no business right now,'" says Love, an author and an expert on leadership. "And if you have no business, how good can you be?"
14. Love maintains that prospects only want to do business with the sought-after and busy consultants, not the ones scrambling for new projects. "Instead of selling, focus on bringing the business to you by creating the perception that you are the premier expert in your field," says Love.
15. When you do land a speaking engagement, you must give prospective clients in the audience as many ways as possible to contact you afterwards. Put your contact information on slides, handouts, and invitations to future events.
Finally, let's acknowledge a universal truth. Nobody likes public speaking. At least, not at first. Standing in front of a group of strangers can be nerve-wracking. Luckily, there's a cure, and it's simple: Practice, practice, practice.
Copyright: Copyright c 2006-2008 Henry DeVries, All Rights Reserved
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