My Business Chronicles

You can create your own buzz about your product and services!

Low Cost Way to Market

The costs to advertise are high for most small business owners. Small business owners simply can’t be in all the places that the bigger players are due to the cost of being present on all media all the time. This limits the amount of exposure that you get about you and your product or service. And, puts your business at a competitive disadvantage. Lack of funds doesn’t mean lack of creativity. Public speaking at engagements can create a buzz about you and your product or service and create interest about doing business with you. And, if you find the right events, you can event reach out directly to your target market with your very specific targeted message.

Speaking in Places Video

Effective Way to Build Your Brand

While many are moving to social media, the value of being present personally to become known is a little used tool. Public speaking can give prospective clients insights into your brand. It has been said that public speaking about topics related to your brand is the new competitive advantage.

Gives a Preview of You and Your Work Style

People still like to do business with people. When you present your topics, you will connect with people and build a bond. Done well you will convey a lot about you and your work style and you will win fans in your audience.

Networking Tool to Build your Connections

Speaking in public will expose your ideas to a new audience. This will allow you to meet and connect with new people who could be like-minded and potential clients and customers.

Establishes you as an Authority

Presenting upon topics which you know will also bolster your authority in the marketplace on that particular topic. It will also show others a window into how you think and solve problems.

Allows you to (Lightly) Plug your Products and Services During your Presentation

Talking about you or your products and services is not to be done in a “me, me, me” sort of effort. But rather to pepper in messaging about you and what you can do for those who are listening to your presentation.

While giving a presentation you can plug your products and services. What better way to sell yourself? Especially if your crowd is receptive to your presentation, you can rock it and capture the interest of potential clients and customers. Talking about you or your products and services is not to be done in a “me, me, me” sort of effort. But rather to pepper in messaging about you and what you can do for those who are listening to your presentation.

How to Prepare for a Public Speaking Event

Have great content and practice it over and over again. If you have a fear of public speaking, join up with a local Toastmasters group and work on your public speaking skills. It is truly amazing how much progress can be made when you practice.

Gauging the Effort to Prepare for an Engagement

Plan to spend a considerable amount of time writing, re-writing, and practicing your presentation. Develop your slides AFTER your content and make sure the presentation is geared to the interest level of the audience you are presenting to. While this is time-consuming, it pays off in unexpected ways to assist to you solidify your position on a topic, and build your presentation skills so that you are ready to present off the cuff presentations which are a spin-off of your main topic. Stories are a powerful way to connect with people. Develop some stories that help you convey what you are trying to communicate, practice these and have them handy for your presentation. Best to prepare and have more stories than you need so you can mix and match these to suit the needs of the audience as you move through your presentation.   To fuel my argument in favor of public speaking, check out these additional reading resources about this topic from some very reliable publications and organizations.

Resource List

Huffington Post:  Speak Powerfully, Sell More: Grow Your Business With Public Speaking Entrepreneur.com:  Five Ways to Build Public Speaking into Your Marketing Plan SBA.GOV:  How to Market Your Business with Public Speaking Toastmasters International My Toastmaster Group: Guests are always welcome! Meetings are held every Thursday at 7pm sharp in the Community Room at the Southbridge Savings Bank on Charlton Road in Sturbridge, MA. Feel free to reach out to me for more information about my toastmaster group.