As we’ve discussed over the previously, instant credibility and maximum exposure are two of the benefits you gain from public speaking. The final benefit we’ll explore will help make the most of your time while rapidly growing your business.
Effectively getting your message out will enable you to do just that.
Do you have a service, product or idea you’re passionate about and want to share with others? The trick is figuring out how you can share your message with as many people as possible and that means speaking to groups, not confining your presentations to one-on-one conversations. We wouldn’t be quoting “I had a dream” or “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country” had Martin Luther King, Jr. or John F. Kennedy kept them confined to personal conversations. I know, you’re thinking, “But they were famous!” Would they have been famous had they never taken the risk of speaking to increasingly larger groups?
How many hours of your life do you spend securing a client, customer or donor? Some experts say it takes 100 leads to get 10 prospect appointments to close 1 sale. Of course, that percentage lessens with the more qualified prospect. However, it still takes a significant amount of time to turn a lead into a prospect, and then, even more time to turn that prospect into a client. Begin by inviting 5-10 leads to an intimate presentation—make it comfortable and simple. If you engage them from the beginning with an interesting opening, make your points clear and concise and address their needs instead of your wants, you will increase your closing ratio significantly. Once you are comfortable in the group setting, begin addressing associations, putting on larger workshops and even serving as a keynote speaker.
Your success depends on you and the commitment you’re willing to make to self-development and improvement. What are you willing to do? Will you overcome your fear of public speaking? Will you say, “Yes!” to the next opportunity to address a group of potential clients? Will you take charge and lead your team to success?
Use public speaking as a tool to establish credibility, increase your visibility and effectively get your message out—speak UP and you’ll build UP your business in record time!