President of 11outof11| Angela PointonWhen you’re blessed with the opportunity to speak in front of a room of prospective customers, it’s truly a gift. Unlike most other marketing activities, speaking is a wonderful way to gain exposure and almost ensure you’ll walk away from it with leads and opportunities for your business. So when you do obtain your next speaking opportunity, how do you get the most out of it? Follow these tips. Study The Audience Before Arriving Most speakers have a “canned” presentation that can be used over and over again. Sure you might think about updating a slide or two here and there, but have you truly studied the audience of your next talk before you attend?
Consider A Case Study Or Audience Example For a fun, interactive talk, consider including a case study from a past client and have that client co-present with you. Looking for an even more dynamic talk? Invite an audience member up to the stage to participate in a part of your talk.
Prepare A Feedback Questionnaire In Advance At the end of your talk, you’re going to be wondering how well you did. You’ll also wish you had a way to connect with everyone in the audience. Creating a questionnaire in advance of your talk helps you achieve both objectives.
Ask For Referrals To Other Events Be sure to ask the event coordinator that booked you if they can make other introductions once your talk is over. You might want to consider including that as part of your contract/agreement, especially if you’re speaking for free or at a discount. Keep a long-term perspective here and don’t get frustrated if they don’t refer you right away. Many of the referrals I get come months and often years later. For example, yesterday I got a booking request for an event. On our booking form, we ask how they heard about me. Their reply? “I saw you speak 3 years ago at a conference.” Hire A Videographer And Photographer If you want to get paid to speak (versus paying the conference for a speaking slot), it’s absolutely essential that you have footage and photographs of your past talks. Before anyone will hire you to speak, they’ve got to know that you’re capable of taking command of an audience and provide the expertise you say you do. Anyone can write up a speaking topic, but not everyone can deliver it. The next time you’re hired to speak, be sure to write into the contract that you’re able to hire a professional photographer and videographer to document the event. If they absolutely refuse, offer to share the resources with the event. They may value them for their own marketing purposes. When the event is over and you’ve obtained the photographs and footage, do the following:
By adopting all of the suggestions above, you’ll gain more from your time, hard work and efforts speaking at various events. About The Author Angela Pointon is an author, speaker and authority marketing expert. She helps thought leaders, authors, and subject matter experts like you brand your ideas and spread your message. She also serves as president of the digital marketing agency | 11outof11. Learn more about Angela.
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