Many businesses spend a considerable amount of time and money on various marketing and PR activities as well as pitching services to their prospective clients. But public speaking, a great way to induce more people to come to you and seek out your products or services, is often overlooked. That’s a shame because it’s a great way to get right in front of your target audience and create an interest in your business. Why that is, and how to best take advantage of the benefits of public speaking, is outlined in this week’s article.
Build Your Reputation as an Industry Expert
Speaking publicly about your topic immediately positions you as an expert. The fact that you have been vetted by the event organizer as someone who is qualified to speak at their function brings immense social proof and builds your credibility. This creates trust among your audience even if it’s the first time they are in contact with you.
By providing them something of value which they can use to move forward personally or in business, you further build confidence, lay a positive foundation for future relationships and increase chances of positive word of mouth.
Boost Your Knowledge About Your Topic and Industry
Preparing a speech or presentation requires research and revision no matter how good you are at what you do or how much experience you have in your line of work. Of course, that means you need to put in some time and effort, but it will pay off in many ways. You will be rewarded not only by having a great presentation to give but you will also have all the latest information about your industry, know about the breaking news, trends and issues and generally be up to date on what’s happening, which makes you even more of an expert in the long run.
Forge Important New Connections
If you deliver a good speech, your audience will participate. They will feel comfortable asking questions and maybe even challenging some of your viewpoints. That can lead to lively discussions which let you engage with your listeners and start building connections and relationships with them.
What’s great about interacting at speaking events is that you meet people and talk to them face-to-face. In a world in which almost everything happens online, this is special and creates lasting memories and a stronger sense of connection. Whether that’s with a potential customer or someone else in your industry, it’s a great start and can open doors to interesting new opportunities.
Increase Your Online and Offline Visibility
Visibility created by a speaking gig goes way beyond the event itself. For starters, the organizer is sure to promote it ahead of time, using all channels available. In most cases, speakers are featured to give potential attendees a better idea of what to expect at the event. That will help get your name out on social media, the event website and possibly even into industry publications and other news sources, both online and in print. The same thing goes for the time after your speaking engagement. Organizers use quotes, blurbs and images from successful events to promote upcoming ones, so you’ll be getting even more exposure.
You should also ask the organizer to provide you with a video of your presentation. Upload it to your website and social media channels and encourage people to share it. That way you are able to show your public speaking experience and link to it when you apply for the next one. It’s also a great way to build more credibility among your followers and people who come across your online presence for the first time.
If you think getting into public speaking is something you want to do to promote your brand and want a strong partner to help you start out, get in touch with us by e-mail or have a look around our website www.midas-pr.com to learn how we can help you find and master your next speaking gig.