NFIB

Make the Most Out of a Speaking Engagement
03/ 22/ 2002


If you've set up a talk to speak about your business or to discuss your industry, pull out all the stops and make the most out of the opportunity to promote your business. In today's Workshop, Jeff Moses offers some tips on how to accomplish this.

--Many service providers use talks as a way to attract potential new customers. Financial advisers or advertising professionals, for instance, may set up seminars or talks at libraries, hotels, banks, or community colleges. These talks inform attendees about specific financial services or concepts and give the speaker a chance to directly or indirectly solicit business. Of course, the number of attendees at such meetings will depend on the amount and quality of publicity generated.

--Set up talks at appropriate venues. A talk at a senior citizen's center will attract a different type of audience than a talk at an upscale hotel or bank. Determine your target customer and book your talk for the most appropriate setting.

--Decide on a topic for your talk well in advance, and give it a catchy title that you can promote in press releases. Don't wait until the last minute to begin planning your talk, and start early to promote attendance.

--The amount of publicity you can generate depends to some degree on the type of speaking engagement. If you'll be addressing a private club in a closed meeting, ask an official of the club if he/she would object to a press release in the papers about the event. You might not be able to invite the public to the event, but the press release would at least be an opportunity to get your company's name out.

--Some private clubs may not mind if the public is invited. In this case, use a press release to promote not only your own business, but to invite the public to attend. Don't forget to mention (and describe in brief) the club to whom you're speaking.

--If you yourself have set up the speaking engagement (say at a library or community college), you'll want to use every opportunity available to promote the event. Press releases, community service announcements on radio, posters, and perhaps even paid ads inappropriate newspapers can all combine to attract potential customers to your talk.

--It's usually best at the talk not to promote yourself too aggressively. People know that the reason you're giving the presentation is partly to solicit potential business, but they want to hear something instructive and useful, not just a sales pitch. Let your professionalism and expertise win over the audience. If you gather even one or two new clients from a talk, all the effort could be worthwhile.

--Prepare printed material that you can hand out to attendees: brochures (with your name and phone number on them, of course),photocopied newspaper or magazine articles about related subjects (with your name and phone number stamped on them), and lists of books related to your subject. Have plenty of business cards on hand. Make sure that everyone in attendance goes away with at least one of your cards. You never know, someone could tuck the card away and find it months later and give you a call for advice or to use your service.

--Always arrange a future event or talk that you can refer people to. Never just let them go out the door with no reason to meet with you in the future. You'll need to book this in advance, and to pick out a topic that will be of interest to attendees.

--Have a sign-in book available so that people can record their name and phone number, if they wish. This may be construed as being a little aggressive, because many people don't want salesmen calling.

--Remember, the more topical and exciting your talk is, the more enthusiastic people will be about contacting you afterward. Try to bring up vital, key points about your subject, so people will want to discuss these points in light of their own situation. That's the key to success: connecting with the people in attendance so that they feel you can help them with their own unique needs.

workshop.marketing.mon
Monday, may 24, 1999

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