Public Speaking is definitely a skill that every entrepreneur should master.  However, many entrepreneurs never consider public speaking due to their fear and anxiety of talking and presenting in front of people. If you have a fear of speaking in public, first and foremost know that you are not alone. The technical term for having a fear of public speaking is glossophobia. Apparently 75% of people in America have a fear of public speaking which is considered the most feared experience in the country. Of course ,this is such an issue in our society that some companies like the Dale Carnegie Training Institute, have built big business on teaching professionals how to speak in public.

 

The funny part is, as a business owner, if you have a team or staff, you are undoubtedly already speaking (in public) and just don’t realize it. If you conduct staff meetings, sales training workshops or team project updates, you’re already doing a version of public speaking. Anytime you’re positioned in front of a group of people while speaking on any topic, you are speaking for business purposes and you’re in the public.

 

Let’s talk about the importance of public speaking to grow your business. There are several advantages to using speaking a business development tool to grow your business. Let’s dive into the top 5 ways I believe public speaking can help you, the small business owner.

 

Builds the know –like-trust factor

 

You’ve heard about the know-like-trust factor in business, I’m almost sure. It simply means that people like to do business with those they know, like and trust.  In today’s business world, trust is paramount in your success or failure. Steven M.R. Covey contends that trust is the one thing that changes everything, in his New York Times Bestseller book, The Speed of Trust.

 

Public speaking speeds up the ‘know, like and trust’ factor quicker than anything else because it allows for human interaction to begin in a comfortable, non intrusive as well as non threatening manner. If you’re speaking to  an audience, they get to experience your personality up close and personal. And, you as the speaker have the power to win them over with your message and delivery. Your job is to be your authentic self, deliver a great speech and add value to the audience. And just like that, the relationship begins.

 

Allows You to Position the Soft Sell

 

As a business owner, your main responsibility is to sell your products or services. One of the benefits of public speaking is that it allows you to position a future sell. One of the easiest ways to position a future sell is to highlight people who you’ve already worked with in your presentation or speech. The benefit of showcasing success stories to the audience you’re in front of, is simple, it shows them that your clients like you and are thankful for the solutions you’ve provided to them in business. When you are able to point to other people who have said nice things about you, it’s easier to invite new people to join the tribe of people who already think you and your business are awesome.

 

Provides Brand Building opportunities

 

Whenever a speaker is in front of an audience, nine times out of ten, they bring promotional items to giveaway and products to sell.  Whether you have brochures, flyers, E-books, business cards, any promotional material, it’s important to leave something behind. Whatever  you leave behind for the attendees becomes brand boosters for your business. Some of the people in the audience may decide to share your information with a friend or colleague. Some people in the audience might decide to share your materials on social media. Either way, you should only bring items that you want others to share. As a speaker, never pass out anything that you don’t want the mass public to know about or consume. However, when you share items that include your company logo and contact information, you’re giving yourself and your company a brand advantage with the possibility of future prospects down the line.

 

Offer Value to Seal the Deal

 

It is always a good idea to offer your audience value as a compliment to your presentation. When you offer information that your audience can use, you’ve given them something they didn’t have to pay for and if it  helped them; well that’s even better. The fact of the matter is, when you give something for free to an audience, they are more likely to want to do business with you later.  Whether you offer a hand out or a copy of the presentation itself, giving your audience materials that they can use to remember the highlights of the information you shared, is a great idea.

 

The process is simple:  know what you want to give away and make sure the audience can use it. Here’s the winning formula: give something away, get paid later.

Presents You as the Expert

 

As a business owner, it’s important that your target market views you as an authority in your industry or niche.  Speaking does that for you in a very simple way Becoming known as a public speaker or professional speaker is also advantageous in peer groups. If your peers view you as a thought leader and expert, your opportunities for collaborations and partnerships will go through the roof.  Business owners who are viewed as experts, get more opportunities than those who are not. Some of the opportunities include:

  • Press interviews
  • Guest blog posting
  • Guest speaker at virtual events
  • Guest speaker at live events
  • Invitations to moderate or host events
  • Opportunities to win awards and recognition
  • Opportunities to be paid as a professional speaker

The bottom-line is that speaking in public helps to position you,  as the expert and thought leader in your industry.

 

Finally, if you remember nothing else, remember that public speaking is very powerful. It has the power to change your business and add a new revenue stream in no time flat that can take you from where you are now, to where you want to be. Check out my “tweetable” quote below.

“Speaking can add a tremendously powerful new revenue stream to your business if leveraged in the right way.” Lori A. Manns (Tweet that!)

After all, having multiple streams of income is what every entrepreneur must have to become wildly successful.

I like to reflect on this quote about speech. “Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

When you use your ability to speak, to persuade your target audience to consider your brand, and convert prospects into customers, you will find that you’ll be compelled to continue speaking.

 

© 2017 Quality Media Consultant Group LLC – All Rights Reserved

This article was written by Lori A. Manns.  Want to use this article on your blog or website? Here’s the author credit you must include.

Lori A. Manns is an award-winning marketing expert, sales coach and trailblazing business strategist who works with small business owners to help them elevate their brand, get more dream clients and grow revenue. Lori is President of Quality Media Consultant Group and founder of the Trailblazer Business Mastermind and Trailblazer Business Academy and where advancing entrepreneurs go to learn growth strategies and how to run a profitable business the soulful way. Lori is the creator of the Sponsorship Sales Secrets System™, which shows clients how to get more sponsors and sales for their business, guaranteed. To learn more about the work Lori does to help business owners and entrepreneurs all across the U.S. to accelerate their revenue and succeed in business, visit www.qualitymediaconsultants.com