Powerful Presentations Make a Mighty Marketing Tool!
Ten Tips for Speaking Like a Pro
One of the best methods to market your business and/or yourself is to give pro-bono talks to targeted audiences. There are hundreds of organizations that need speakers every week to fill their line-up, and they’re hungry to hear interesting speakers on virtually any topic.
Why is this such a powerful marketing tool? Several reasons: One, your credibility is very high; you are perceived as an expert. Two, when someone needs a service or product such as yours, they’ll remember you (assuming you gave a good presentation), and three, it costs nothing except your time (and you’ll usually get a free meal for doing it!)
Before you start calling, however, you’ve got to come up with an angle; something unusual, fascinating, or different about your business that people will want to listen to. For example, if you’re an insurance broker, perhaps finding some little known law that can seriously affect someone without adequate insurance might be an interesting hook. Or, if you’re a bank manager, what could you say that would entice people to change banks and move their accounts or to come to your first for a loan? (It’s not necessarily just interest rates.)
Any topic can be made exciting with logical organization, attention-grabbing stories, and a stimulating presenter who knows what to do and how to do it. There’s a saying in the professional speaking world that goes, “There are no boring presentations, only boring presenters!”
Here are ten tips to help you succeed at marketing your business by standing out, standing up, and speaking up!
- DO: Only memorize (and not verbatim) your opening and closing stories/statements. Let the rest flow naturally. (Use 3x5 cards with bullet points—not full sentences—to help keep you on track.)
- DON’T: Talk too fast. Remember that a ‘period’ at the end of a sentence means pause. Take a few moments before you begin speaking to acknowledge the audience, and remember to breathe deeply. Breathing deeply will help you slow down.
- DO: Smile, but not too much. If you’re usually serious, then lighten up your face. People will connect much more readily with you if they believe you’re approachable and friendly. If you tend to smile a lot already, practice in front of the mirror. You may find that you are smiling after every sentence. That’s a sign of nervousness and you may need to practice having a “straight” face!
- DON’T: Keep your hands in your pockets, behind your back, or crossed in front of you. Use them naturally. How big was that fish? Show it using your hands. When you are waiting to be introduced keep your hands comfortably by your sides or holding your hands in an open position, with fingers spread and only the tips touching.
- DO: Look at everyone in the eyes. Making eye contact, in our culture, is a sign of confidence, authority, and comfort. People will believe you more if you look them in their eyes. Scan the audience slowly, not like a lawn sprinkler. Even if your crowd is large, scan the group as if you can see everyone clearly.
- DON’T: Start the presentation like everyone and their brother. (Eg: “Hello, my name is… and today I am going to talk about…”) Start with something unusual—a story, anecdote, shocking statistic, or humor that directly ties into your topic. (Using humor that does not relate to your subject matter is the sign of a poor presenter.)
- DO: Greet and meet as many people in your audience as possible—before you speak. This helps in two ways: One, you’ll feel better because you will know something about the members. Two, your audience will also more easily connect with you (and therefore see you as the expert that you are.) If you are aloof and unavailable, you’ll be losing a great opportunity to promote yourself—simply by being friendly.
- DON’T: Let technology be the star—you are. If you choose to use slides or a computer program, make sure it is only to enhance what you have to say. So many presenters have allowed their technology to outshine them. They lose the connection with their audience, which, of course, is crucial to building rapport (and therefore buyers.)
- DO: Use vocal variety. A monotone will kill any presentation. Read through your presentation first and note the parts that are more exciting. Raise your voice to illuminate a point. Sometimes talk a little softer than usual; sometimes a little louder. Vary the rate as well. If you’re telling a story, give different voices to the characters involved. People will be more tuned in when you use inflection in your voice.
- DON’T: Assume they know why this is important for them to know. Make sure you tell them the benefits of whatever you’re speaking about. Remember in sales, you sell the benefits, not the features. Do the same with your presentation. The audience needs to know why they should be listening to you in the first place. If they don’t believe it’s important for them to know, you’ve lost them immediately. Right after you’ve grabbed them with an interesting opening, tell them the benefits of listening to the rest of the presentation.
There are many nuances to each of these points, and a variety of other important aspects to creating winning presentations. However, if you follow these ten tips, you’ll be well on your way to giving a worthy presentation.
