Marketing Talk - Speaking

You're not a public speaker, you say?  May I (strongly) suggest that you become one? 

In today's marketing world, there are two things you must do that you probably haven't done before, and maybe don't think you're good at, or qualified to, or want to, or whatever.

They are: Speaking and Publishing

As I continually point out in my teachings, you must be visible!

I'm not saying you should become a "professional speaker" - but you do need to develop basic speaking and presentation skills, and if you have fears or anxieties about being up in front of a group, you need to work on those and get past them.

There are lots of opportunties to speak for free and make yourself visible - business groups, service clubs, etc.

If you need ideas about speaking opportunities, or think you may need coaching, give me a call at 877-901-9977.

You've got 60 seconds


60 seconds

If you’ve been to a typical networking event, you’ve had to present an “elevator pitch”, or a “60-second commercial”, or whatever that group might call it.

If you find yourself needing to write one of these, I suggest first of all that you make it only 30 seconds.  You can say a lot in 30 seconds if you don’t waste words.

Here are the basics to include:
•    What do you do? (What are your products or services?)
•    Why do you do it? (What is the need or demand that you satisfy?)
•    Who do you do it for? (Who is your ideal or target customer?)
•    What are the benefits to them? (self-explanatory)

Above all, make it short, concise, and quickly and easily understood. 

Your audience should know what you do 5 seconds into your presentation.

Why only 30 seconds?  I use this rule -- if you can't say it in 30 seconds, then you can't say it in 60 seconds either.

Tips for making PowerPoint presentations be not awful


Tips for making PowerPoint presentations be not awful:

•    Less text, not more
•    Fewer slides, not more
•    Never read your slides
•    Don’t have your logo or company name on every slide
•    Don’t use any slide template other than the Blank one
•    The optimum number of slides is 10
•    The optimum length of a presentation is 20 minutes
•    Don’t use a font smaller than 30 points

Effective Communications means...


Effective Communication = cramming a maximum amount of information, insight and meaning into a minimum amount of space and time.

This applies to both the written and spoken word.

It means:
•    keep it short
•    keep it simple
•    keep it concise
•    don’t use unnecessary words
•    make every word count

What seminar attendees want


When delivering a seminar or workshop, keep in mind what learners want:

•    a comfortable environment
•    information they can apply immediately
•    to be able to use their own experience as a resource
•    information specifically targeted to them
•    variety and active involvement in the learning process
•    to have their personal concerns and issues acknowledged

What do you want your audience to do?


Decide what it is you want your audience to:

•    Think (or question)
•    Feel
•    Learn (models, methods, concepts)
•    Retain (summary phrases)
•    Change (as a result of your presentation)

Speakers speak to be...


Per international speaker Patricia Fripp:

Speakers speak to be:
•    remembered, and
•    repeated

What can you say in your presentation that people will remember? 

What can you say that people will remember so well that they will repeat it to others?

Things to remember about public speaking # 1


Things to remember about public speaking:

•    Don’t worry that there are better speakers than you; there are also worse ones.
•    All good speakers used to be not-so-good speakers.
•    Never worry about being “as good as” someone else.
•    You are only competing with yourself, not with anyone else.
•    Your only goal should be to perform better each time than you did the previous time.
•    You cannot become a worse speaker; you can only become a better one.
•    When you are up in front, you own that space.  It’s your space, your place, and you’re there because you’re supposed to be there!

Stories told well, stories told badly


Audiences would rather hear a trivial story well-told than a brilliant story badly told.

Thanks to Patricia Fripp for this thought.

What impacts your audience the most?


  • When you’re trying to impact your audience (which of course is why you’re speaking in the first place), remember that what you say is not as important as the way you say it. Your words are not as important as your delivery.
  • “What?” you say.  “How could that be?  My words are my message; my words are the reason I’m giving this speech!”
  • A number of studies have shown the following:
  • 10% of effective communication is words.
  • 40% of effective communication is vocal variety (how you use your voice to express meaning)
  • 50% of effective communication is body language (how you use movement and gestures to express meaning)
  • Of course your words are important, and, yes, they are your message.  But your message can be completely lost if it’s delivered in a boring or uninspiring way.
  • And this is true not just for “giving speeches”, but for any kind of interpersonal communication.
  • How well can you use your voice and body to express yourself?

How to be a better speaker


  • Don’t look for hot speaking topics – make your topic hot!
  • To be a good speaker, you must speak well.  To be known as a good speaker, you must market well.
  • To get over your anxiety about speaking, get your mind off yourself and put it on your audience.
  • If speaking scares you, do more of it.

Things to remember about public speaking # 2


Things to remember about public speaking:

•    When your audience says “Wow!”, it’s probably not because of what you said, but rather the way you said it.
•    Good delivery is not about technical skills; it’s about feeling.
•    Ask not if your speech is interesting; ask if you are interesting.
•    Wonderfully written content delivered in a boring way is boring.
•    Ask yourself, What is the gift I wish to give my audience?

Raw Basics Guide to Speaking and Presenting (Free eBook)

 

Raw Basics Guide to Speaking and Presenting

Free PDF eBook

Includes all of these articles in a single, short, quick-to-read PDF file.

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