Public Speaking Opportunities, How Effective Public Speaking Increases Business and Expands Reputations

[Scott]

Public Speaking holds the key to many opportunities professionally and
personally. Public speaking skills may seem to come naturally for some
people, but for most, these skills can be learned. The fear of public
speaking may keep some from making the effort to develop speeches and
opportunities to present views and information effectively. Why is it
beneficial to overcome public speaking phobias, to be able to deliver
quality presentations, seminars and speeches? First, every speech is
an opportunity to present information, product offerings, and
viewpoints to an audience. Second, Audience members are customers or
potential customers. Thirdly, Public speaking is a great method for
building a reputation and expanding reach. Lastly, Speaking
engagements can be used as continuing promotional material with little
additional effort or costs.


Every presentation should be focused on a key purpose. As a speaker,
are you looking to present information, offer product information and
samples or to shape viewpoints and persuade listeners to take a
particular action or point of view? When taking an opportunity for
speaking, it is important to consider your purpose, but also the
purposes of those in attendance. If there is little or no match, it
may not be worth the time, but there is an old adage, no exposure is
bad exposure. This boils down to what is your time worth to you, and
what is the long-term value of a public speaking engagement? If the
speaker's purpose is informational, make sure that there is
accompanying written copy for the audience members. Brochures,
presentation slides, speaker notes, and business cards can all assist
the speaker to ensure that the speech transfers sustained information
to the audience. These items, when properly designed also increase
exposure for the speaker and their business, by providing additional
sources of contact information and business offerings. Do not think
only on the large scale for public speaking/presentation
opportunities, the same tools work well in board room presentations,
one on one or small group sales presentations and on large, diverse
venues and audiences. A well laid out presentation should be
persuasive to the audience without being pushy or demanding of them.


The vast majority of participants at an event are looking for
something. Some are just looking for information, but others are
looking for guidance or for information which will allow them to meet
their needs effectively, be that purchasing a product or service or
learning how to move forward with a task on their own. Knowing what
the audience is looking for can help a speaker to tailor his/her
speech and supporting documents. The most productive speaking
engagements are likely to be ones where the speaker's goals and those
of the audience have synergy. In example, a sales seminar is best
suited to an audience that is looking to invest in the broad type of
product or service discussed in the seminar. Speaking to a PETA
convention about investing in genetically altered animal food products
would not be lucrative or likely good for your physical or mental
wellbeing either. On the other hand, the same presentation may be
extremely lucrative if given to an Agribusiness Conference. This is
not to say that appearing at opposition functions cannot serve a
purpose too. Relationship building and information sharing, especially
on new research promoting your side of an issue can be helpful in
limiting dissent or opposition or even in turning the tide to create a
friendlier environment for your business. Personal contacts and
relationships carry much greater weight in peoples minds and hearts
than a faceless, often nameless "other" as opposition groups are often
labeled. This is why it is important to know your audience's goals,
but also to focus on yours in developing a presentation.


Being asked to speak in front of an organization or event tacitly
implies endorsement of the speaker as a person with insight and
quality information, if not of the speaker's views or product
offerings themselves. While this is not universally true, in the
subconscious minds of many, a speaker being granted a podium by an
organization means that the organization values the input of that
individual. The truth of this lies in the fact that time is a valuable
commodity at any conference or gathering, as well as in business or
our personal lives. A speaker's information should be of great enough
value to warrant the time given. Be sure to include information in the
presentation which will justify your value in the mind of the
audience. It is better to over saturate with information than to leave
the audience feeling like their time was wasted. Do not take the
reputation boost of a conference or organizational "endorsement"
lightly; it can have great value in relationship building, brand
building and business metrics. On the flip side, failing to deliver
can cause harm in those areas which will be difficult to repair. Be
well prepared and well rehearsed well ahead of the presentation to be
sure that things go smoothly.


Speaking engagements can easily be converted in to promotional
material with the use of simple recording and presentation software.
This is one area which has become increasingly true in the age of new
media. PowerPoint presentations are easily converted to use on
websites and email marketing. They can also be readily converted to
YouTube videos. With the growing impact of social networking sites on
business, the use of i-commerce media such as these is even more
useful. Pushing links to videos and presentations through MySpace,
FaceBook and Twitter, or promoting them on StumbleUpon can offer great
low labor sources of business. These sites are also free sources,
meaning there is not the high cost of advertising often associate with
traditional media. Couple the presentations with videos of a speaker
and audience participation, an infomercial can be a short edit away.
Brochures, which can serve as informational aids in a presentation can
also be used as sales copy for direct sales forces or mailings. A
speaking engagement can also provide the opportunity to get
information from potential customers and existing customers to build a
better Customer Relations Database for marketing campaigns. Never fail
to take advantage of opportunities to further your marketing efforts.

The opportunity to speak is one that must be actively sought out, not
passively awaited. While well known speakers may be sought out and
able to rely on unsolicited requests, most speakers cannot. Speak with
trade show promoters, industry leaders, community organizations and
Chambers of Commerce; let them know of your interest in speaking, your
credentials and the areas which you are considered an expert speaker.
Submit papers for conferences and proposals for presentations. A
speaker will likely need to submit many times to many sources to get
one prime speaking opportunity. Work on the presentations with smaller
groups and hone speaking skills before looking for large venues. Good
sources for these public speaking engagements are Kiwanis Clubs,
Rotary Clubs, Lodges and other civic groups, as well as church and
school groups. They are often less critical and open to many different
types of presentations, although they are also likely to look for more
social interactions than strictly business speech. Every opportunity
to speak is also an opportunity to learn, grow and refine
presentations. Seek honest feedback from those who attend and use that
feedback to improve. If a formal survey is possible, use one, if not,
garner information through social interactions after the presentation.
The suggestions offered in this article on effective public speaking
skills will allow a speaker to increase business reach and reputation,
as well as personal reputation and value when coupled with refining
speaking skills overall.


Scott Schwartz - SDS Consulting Group - Greenwich, CT - 203-979-9822
http://www.ctoutsourceservices.com

Full service independent consultant. Services offered include website
maintenance, remote office management, marketing campaigns, database
design, document design, system designs and strategic planning at
costs that small businesses can afford. Local source for small
business outsourcing. MBA from American Intercontinental University.
BSHA from University of Nevada Las Vegas.

Check out Anchor Audio Portable PA Sound Systems at http://www.anchoraudiowarehouse.com
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