One of the best ways we small business owners can attract new customers is by sharing our expertise with audiences—whether the topic is graphic design, employee "upskilling" or how to bake a perfect cake. And it's not hard to find places to speak, because everyone from the Chamber of Commerce to your local garden club needs exciting content for their meetings.
Yet many small business owners rule out this strategy, thinking that only the already-great need apply. And that's too bad, because the truth is...
Truth #1: You don't need to be Tony Robbins or Oprah Winfrey to be a successful public speaker. All you need is passion for your topic, respect for your audience and a willingness to do the work. Good speakers are made, not born! And you've already started developing your "public speaking" skills.
Truth #2: Every time you network, talk to prospects or take a client to lunch, you're building the same skill set that speakers use to talk to larger audiences. In each case, you're forming a bond with your listener, identifying his or her needs, and showing how your business will meet them. Believe it or not, these are the same steps that noted public speakers take to motivate, inform and inspire people. They form a bond with the audience, discuss the audience's needs, and explore ways to meet them. Of course there's more to it than that—and if you've never done it before, the idea of speaking to larger groups can seem daunting. But you CAN learn to do it. These tips will get you started.
1. Investigate the Audience
You wouldn't pitch a new client without trying to learn her likes and dislikes, who she's worked with before, etc. The same holds true for an audience: The more you know, the better. So talk to whoever organized the speech. Eyeball the organization's annual report. Ask around. Google them. You know what to do!
2. Find Your Best Message
Now that you know who you're talking to, what is the most important thing you want them to take away from your speech? Assume that you only get one thing, and make it count! Finding the right "key message" is 80% of the work of speechwriting. Once you know what the big point is, everything else will fall into place—from the smaller ideas that support your message to the way you open and close your speech. Just remember, a big point should feel BIG. Look at the difference between "Let's take a booth at the trade show" and "Taking a booth at the trade show will raise our profile and expose thousands of new customers to our products." They're both key messages, but only one has heft.
3. Write Out Your Remarks
There's no other way to make sure that you're saying what you mean. I know that sounds strange: Why can't you just jot down a few bullet points that say what you mean? Probably because bullet points are not sufficiently precise—and if you write your first draft in bullet points, you won't sound precise either. So start with full sentences. You can always migrate to bullet points later.
4. Use the Magic Pronoun ("You")
Your actions and accomplishments aren't the point here; it's what you can do for the people in your audience. So talk about their needs, their struggles, their solutions. Every time you replace the words I, me or my with you and your, you're demonstrating that they can benefit from doing business with you.
5. Practice Like a Demon
It's probably possible to practice too much—but try telling that to Michael Phelps (11-12 training sessions per week)! Usually when a speaker says, "I'm afraid if I practice I'll get stale," what they really mean is, "I'm afraid to practice because I don't do this well." Well of course you don't do it well—you haven't PRACTICED yet! Come on, let's get going here!
6. Use the "Starbucks Strategy"
Once you're up in front of an audience, practice time is over! Now it's time to forget about what you're trying to accomplish, and focus on connecting with them. Pick someone who looks friendly and make eye contact. Share your first point with them. Pick someone else and tell them your next thought. Pretend you're hanging out at the local coffee shop, just talking to some people. Just talk to them.
7. Ask Them to Do Something!
I ask all my clients what they want the audience to do differently, and they often say, "Oh, I just want them to listen." This is almost never true. Unless you are the Dalai Lama, you have an agenda. (Hey, even he has one...) Do you want them to sign up for a free consult? Contribute to a charity walk? Refer their friends and colleagues to you? Whatever you want, ASK for it! Asking greatly increases the chances of getting!
My Key Message: Public speaking is the ultimate "on the job training" experience—you just can't learn it without doing it. So stop avoiding this powerful way to attract new customers and promote your small business. Instead, use these 2 Truths and 7 Tips to start becoming a GREAT public speaker—today!
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