Attracting New Clients
Why is public speaking becoming the next big thing to promote ideas and services? Because it’s one way to use that universal law of attraction to get new clients. But like any marketing tool, it won't work if you don't use it properly.
In speaking, the law of attraction can be turbo-charged in two ways: by proving you're different and continuing that proof by keeping in touch. The biggest benefit of speaking is cumulative: only a small portion of the audience is ready to commit immediately, so they put the speaker in their "mental Rolodex" to call when they need those services. In this competitive market, that mental Rolodex gets too full and the interest wanes.
There are two ways to make sure you stay in that mental Rolodex: use Critical Beliefs™ and follow-up consistently.
Critical Beliefs™
Critical Beliefs are those little nuggets of wisdom that show off your brilliance. They help people see for themselves how your solutions for specific challenges are different. If a speaker can change the perception of a problem, the audience will start creating new solutions automatically… and give the speaker the credit. There are many ways to create critical beliefs, and my clients spend a lot of time developing them. The following are examples for Critical Beliefs™:1) Redefine - When a speaker redefines the terms, they also redefine the perception of the problem. Pointing this out in a speech also stimulates new thinking with the audience. Example: many people see the term "abundance" as something good, like an overflowing of clients, friends, etc. In my speeches, I examine "the dark side of abundance" indicating that overstated messages are not as valuable. 2) Historical comparisons - Folks always say it’s been done like this before, but never question the why. Focus on how the current situation is different and you will not only acknowledge the correctness of the past, but also invite new thinking for the present.
3) Distinctions - . Pointing out false assumptions in a speech can help the audience reach different conclusions to current challenges. Use a current situation to show how this kind of confusion can happen. Example: President Clinton got in trouble when he assumed that telling the truth and telling the "technical truth" are the same thing.
Follow-up
It doesn't matter what follow-up systems you use to keep in touch - just use them! Here are two methods: Personal: sending items of personal interest with a short note or emails to select groups. Reserved this for your best prospects. Global: special reports, newsletters, e-zines etc.
Key strategy: make sure that both systems contain your Critical Beliefs™ to reinforce your expertise. Also, be sure to include special offers to provide action on your suggestions.
Untangling the Web
After a summer of toil and trouble, I can now sit back and laugh about the
lessons learned from revamping the web site. I came into this process a bit
naïve, but I am far wiser coming out of it. Below are some of the mistakes I made and what you can learn from them.
Lesson #1: A little bit of "heat" goes a long way. My initial web designer wanted to put a lot of graphics and animation on the site, making it "hot." Unfortunately, all that stuff only helped to clutter the site and make it "busy." After paying for "hot," I deleted a lot of it later. Key: Go for the clean look!
Lesson #2: All great ideas must be supported by the ISP Gods. My initial web developer had wonderful ideas for my site. Unknown to me however, no ISP would support those ideas. That made them nonexistent. Key question: Will the ISP support this function? Due diligence on this alone would have saved 30 days.
Lesson #3: When something isn't working, stop doing it. I was so desperate to get the site live that I was more willing to put up with unnecessary stress. My blood pressure went down considerably when I left the first designer and hired Mogenns Gilmour of WebCoach. Mogenns was fast, professional and gave me a heads up on possible delays. (a shameless plug: check out www.webcoach.com) Key: There are tons of web designers out there. If one isn’t working, check out the others. Again, due diligence is key.
Lesson #4: Speed is more important than looks. My vanity got the best of me several times when I insisted that my articles resemble their appearance in the publication. They looked great — but took days to upload and download. So, it was another do-over, creating more delays and more unnecessary fees. Key: Give up on how it looks and focus on the information.
Lesson #5: Host or not to host. Many web developers are starting to host their pages. At first, I thought this was for passive income. Now, I know that it’s rightly about control. My ISP made debugging almost impossible, creating two-week delays. (And I’m scared to death to move this site!) Key: The money you save on monthly fees will be made up in spades with delays and development charges. It’s six one way, half dozen of the other.
Lesson #6: It's never finished. The biggest delay I had was self-created. I was not willing to post the site until it was "perfect." The site has been up for two weeks now and I'm still making changes. That‘s okay though, because you want to keep your site fresh anyway. Key: Hundred’s of people will not go rushing to your site once it's finished, so you’ll have some time to fine-tune.
Lastly and most importantly, I learned that it is much better to pay for competence than for hand holding. Before beginning this adventure, I spent some time on self-education, but not nearly as much as I should have. An ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure!
I'm a principal in a professional services firm and want to do more speaking. Do I have to follow the route of professional speakers by developing a demo video and professionally produced material, etc?
If you want to consistently generate fees over a $1,000, then yes, you willneed to invest in the video and promotional materials. If you speak primarily to promote your business, you can get engagements without the high marketing costs. Key strategy: invite advocates to previews. Why? Most of your allies see you not as a speaker but as an expert. Show them you can speak and they will be more willing help you do more. Obvious avenue: industry associations. Less obvious avenue: their customer’s associations, where sponsoring you can help get them more visibility. Throw in some time and product at the trade booth for extra value.
How to approach your advocates? Say something like: "I'm looking to expand my business via public speaking. Do you have a moment for some brainstorming?" If you have served your allies well, they won't hesitate to return the favor.
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