How
to Get Started in Public Speaking
It’s
easy for you to say; you know what your company does
best and you can discuss it with enthusiasm. But that
is no guarantee that prospective customers will get
the whole picture. They don’t have your experience
with the product, and they might not even have your
awareness of how the product could benefit them. Our
Sales
Presentation Training classes will guide through
a detailed analysis of the nature of your audience,
and help you design a sales
presentation that will not only make sense to them
but get them as excited as you are.
Want
to promote your business through public speaking? Start
with these steps.
When
you're starting out in business, the most effective
and least expensive way to market yourself is by word
of mouth—your mouth.
"Even
if you can't afford to do any marketing," says
Pamela Truax, co-author of Market Smarter, Not Harder,
"you can promote your business by getting out and
talking to people."
For
Truax, the most important speaking opportunity is the
"elevator speech"—what you say at mixers
and networking opportunities when people ask what you
do. Like any good speech, it requires preparation.
A
successful self-introduction follows these steps:
Let the other person talk first. If you express interest
in others, they'll be more receptive to what you say.
You can then tailor your comments to their concerns.
Cite the benefits—to the listener—of your
product or service. The most appealing benefits are
saving time, money or effort.
Hand out your business card.
Prove your claim with statistics or a testimonial. "My
product saved ABC Co. $25,000 in six months." "The
director of sales at XYZ Co. credits my training program
with improving her department's performance by 10 percent
over a two-year period." Be specific, concrete
and honest.
From
start to finish, your self-introduction should last
no more than a minute. Your goal is to inform and arouse
interest, not to give an exhaustive (and exhausting)
infomercial. Be prepared to say more if someone expresses
interest.
Speaking
Out
Speaking to clubs, civic groups and nonprofit organizations
is another way to promote your business. Each time you
speak, you meet potential customers, network with professionals,
establish credibility and gain free publicity. (Clubs
such as the Kiwanis, Rotary and Lions are always looking
for good speakers.)
Rich Manuccia had been a personal fitness trainer for
13 years when his business coach convinced him to give
public presentations to attract new clients. In the
past two years, he has spoken to several different groups:
Kiwanis clubs, weight-management groups at community
hospitals, a health fair and even a gathering of nuns.
"Few
of the speaking engagements paid me anything,"
Manuccia says, "but they put me in front of potential
clients and referral sources. People are still contacting
me as a result of those talks."
At
a speaking engagement, follow these steps:
Be focused. Tell people how to do something—one
thing.
Slant your subject toward your audience. Keep the basic
content the same, but tweak it 10 percent (usually by
adapting your examples and stories to your audience).
Examples: "How to Lose Weight and Keep it Off—A
Program for Professionals Who Travel" (or "for
the Confirmed Couch Potato," etc.).
Be brief. Stay within the time limits your host suggests.
If possible, speak for 15 to 20 minutes, then take questions
from the floor.
Be simple and direct without being simplistic. Tell
stories and give examples.
To get your speeches noticed, send press releases to
local newspapers, trade journals and business publications.
Spread
the Word
Once you feel confident about your presentation skills
and your expertise in a particular field, consider speaking
to professional organizations. Doing so has all the
benefits of speaking to clubs and nonprofit organizations--and
then some. It connects you with professionals in your
field, establishes your credentials as an expert and
generates free publicity.
When
you address a professional organization, you can speak
longer--from 45 minutes to an hour--and in greater detail.
Distribute handouts that highlight your central points,
and be sure to include your name and phone number so
people can contact you later. The same rules apply:
Be focused, slant your talk to your audience and send
out press releases.
You
may not be able to afford a major marketing campaign,
but you can't afford not to promote yourself and your
business by speaking on your own behalf.
By
Christopher Witt
Sales
Presentation Training - Get Your Audience Excited
Sales
Presentation Quote
"What
the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve."
Napoleon Hill
Suggested
Reading:
Power
Sales
Presentations: Complete Sales Dialogues for Each
Critical Step of the Sales Cycle
by Stephan Schiffman
Presentation
Jazz: How to Make Your Sales
Presentations $Ing!
by Anne Miller
Developing
and Role Playing Effective Sales
Presentations
by David Sellars
The
Perfect
Sales Presentation
by ROBERT L. SHOOK
Winning
Group Sales
Presentations: A Guide to Closing the Deal
by Linda Richardson
The
Complete Guide to
Business and Sales Presentation
by Malcolm Bird
The
Sales
Presentation Manual: Role Playing for Sales Effectiveness
by David A. Reid
Winning
New
Business: A Practical Guide to Successful Sales
Presentations
by David Lewis MD
Making
Successful
Sales Presentations
by Tessa Scott-Thomas
Effective
Sales
Presentations Guidebook
by Michael Anthony
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