5 Tips From My Public Speaking Courses
How to Generate Leads from Public Speaking
In my public speaking courses, I teach you how to make public speaking a successful element of your business’s lead generation strategy. In addition to generating leads, public speaking helps build your reputation. By getting your name and brand out there, you build awareness while at the same time building your reputation as an expert in your industry.
Yes, public speaking can really have a positive impact – if it’s done well.
And we immediately get to the heart of the matter. The vast majority of business owners would view themselves as being far from polished public speakers. They would have serious doubts about their ability to stand in front of a room full of strangers and speak coherently, let alone convincingly.
Yet with the right level of support and training, even the most inexperienced of orators can end up sounding like career professionals. Here are some great tips I talk about in my public speaking courses on how you can generate qualified leads from your speaking engagement audiences.
5 Tips from My Public Speaking Courses
1. Where to start – what to speak about
There are probably a million things you could talk about. But it’s important to remember that most public speaking engagement blocks of time are around 30 minutes. So, think about how to make the best use of the time you have.
It’s good to start with the maxim WIIFM (What’s in it for me?). Figure out what topic you could focus on that would appeal to your target audience and offer a benefit to them.
But be sure to tell them what to do, not how to do it. By building curiosity in your audience, there will be people that will be eager to come to you after the meeting to learn more about the solution they’re looking for.
2. Structuring ideas – keeping things on track
Once you’ve decided on your topic, it’s important to put a structure in place that will keep you laser- focused on what’s important to get across and will prevent you from rambling.
Divide your talk into sections: introduction, body and conclusion. For the body, engage in some critical thinking about what details are going to have the best impact. I ask my workshop participants to use the KEV formula when adding details.
KEV stands for Key Point, Example and Visual. The key point can be a short statement, a fact, or a principle. By giving an example, you’re providing evidence for what you’re asserting. A visual is a way to engage your audience’s senses more completely and brings what you’re saying to life.
3. Fear – overcoming nerves and anxiety
Stagecraft is anything to do with what happens once you come into the line of vision of an audience. And the number one issue that public speakers face is stage fright.
As soon as you start to talk, you have their attention. It’s also true that soon as you start to talk, you can lose it – if you look unsure of yourself and lack conviction. It can take time to get over your nerves, but there are tried and true strategies that always work.
One is to learn. Go onto YouTube and watch some famous presenters. Check out the most popular TED talks. Get a coach or mentor to watch you – to point out quirks or mannerisms that don’t come across well.
Another strategy is to practice, practice, practice. Give your talk in front of a mirror or record it so you can watch it back and look for what to improve on. Over time, the nervousness may still be there, but it becomes manageable and you can look 100% confident even if you’re not.
4. Engaging the audience – be authentically persuasive
Let’s face it, people rarely do business with someone they don’t like. And the number one thing savvy business people can spot a mile away is a phoney. Don’t try to be someone you’re not, just to try to impress. You’ll be much more likeable if you’re the best version of your authentic self.
Try to meet every attendee before you stand up to speak. Walk up and cultivate connections right away. Showing an interest in people before you talk will create bucketloads more interest and rapport when you talk.
Remember to smile – that shows you’re friendly and you want to be there. Don’t read from notes – nothing is more boring than watching someone with their eyes glued to a piece of paper. Speak clearly and project your voice without mumbling – you can’t be persuasive if people can’t hear you.
5. Opportunities to speak – getting a booking
Of course, all this preparation and effort will be for nothing if you can’t get an audience. You can identify events your prospective clients attend – franchise meetings, industry meetings, and conferences – and ask to be given a speaking spot on the program.
You can also contact your local chamber of commerce, meetup or networking group. These organisations are often looking for guest speakers and would love to hear from you.
Public speaking can open up a whole range of possibilities for your business. Don’t wait any longer – start speaking out now.
If you’d like to know more about my public speaking courses, click here. You’ll find public speaking course information as well as more useful free resources. You can also contact me at – james@jamesmcnamara.com.au.
