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NetFaqs in This Article
• You CAN Do It
• Speakers Needed
• Help Then Sell
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Get Set and Go
Public Speaking: How
to Talk Your
Way to an Endless Stream of New
Customers.
...and
talk your way to sales for your site from
TheWebsiteDistrict!
by Dr. Kevin Nunley
Public speaking is one of
the oldest and most effective ways to market your small
business. You can connect with hundreds of prospects
in a very personal way. It's extremely cheap to do.
And YOU will be good at it when you follow these easy
tips!
"Me? Speak to a crowd?" I
hear you say. Consider this...
There are a great many groups
in your area who have meetings and need
speakers. If you have something of value to tell their
members, they'll appreciate your offer to speak to them.
Check your local library
for lists of organizations in your city. I was amazed
to find over 100 such groups in my mid-sized town. Everything
from an association of insurance adjusters to a monthly
meeting of hamster growers.
All you need is some kind
of helpful information you can share with others. Think
of the special skills and information that you use to
help customers in your business. Is there a way to share
that knowledge with a group? All kinds of specialties
make for a good speaking engagement: money-saving tips,
auto repair, political lobbying, arts, personal advice,
how-to lessons, sports, gardening.
My specialty is media and
marketing. Groups love it when I give them a few pointers
on how to publicize their businesses and organizations
with the media. Limit your talk to 20 minutes. Keep
your message simple. Public speaking is not a good way
to explain lots of detailed information (remember some
of those boring classes in high school that almost put
you to sleep?). Decide on two or three key points you
want the audience to remember. Bring your points to
life with stories about yourself and others.
Starting your talk with a
bit of humor can break the ice. A short, harmless quip
at the beginning can give the audience a good feeling
about you. Go for a smile rather than a "guffaw." It's
much safer.
To schedule a public speaking
engagement, contact the organization by phone. Explain
what you want to talk about. Follow up with a letter
and a flier or brochure about yourself. Call back in
a few days to schedule your talk.
Don't get discouraged by
the fear of stage fright. The key is not to focus on
individuals in the audience. Think of the audience as
an abstract whole. I've learned this technique from
professional performers who have had to overcome bad
cases of the jitters.
Speaking to an audience is
really no different than speaking to several customers
in your business.
Leave your sales pitch until
the end of the talk. People will be much more open to
you and your ideas if they feel you are there to help
and not to sell them something. After the talk is over,
provide everyone with a one-sheet explaining who you
are, what you do, how to contact you, and a summary
of what you've just told them.
Finally, don't give up if
your first public speaking engagement doesn't go exactly
as you planned. There's an old saying among comedians
that you always bomb on your first try. I doubt you'll
bomb on your first speaking engagement, but speaking
will get easier and better each time you present your
knowledge to an audience.
Kevin Nunley provides marketing
advice and copy writing for businesses and organizations.
He can be reached at www.DrNunley.com. Click
here to promote your business to thousands of Media!
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