speaking: how, where and getting leads from it

you might get video content as well.

by sandi leyva

speaking is a way to demonstrate your expertise to your audience without them having to hire you first. it’s perfect for accountants who are comfortable speaking in front of a room full of people.

more small firm growth strategies: build your community reputation | track your online reputation | partnering: referrals on steroids | measure client retention … against yourself | take your client’s pulse | how to determine your ideal client
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

when i first started accountant’s accelerator, speaking electrified my business. i can trace tens of thousands of dollars in revenue back to just one speech i gave a few years ago.

going back about 15 years, i remember thinking that speaking was one leg of a wonderfully effective triangle of non-marketing for me. the three legs at that time were writing, speaking and consulting. i was paid for all three at the time.

1. the speaking drove the consulting. people would come up after the speech and hire me.
2. the consulting brought me wonderful stories that fueled the writing.
3. the writing generated the speaking. when they saw my name in print, they had to have me speak at their event.

if you can set something up like that, you can become a rock star with very little marketing and selling. it just all falls into your lap.

what should you talk about

i recommend you follow a formula of sorts to create a compelling speech that demonstrates your expertise but does not give away your methods. my former coach ali brown suggests you talk about “what,” but not “how.” here are some example topics that will interest potential clients:

• obamacare: what should a small business know?
  • talk about the first deadline, potential tax savings or costs and penalties, but don’t talk about irs form numbers or exactly what you have to do to comply.
• five ways to save money in your small business
  • keep it general enough and mention things like “getting the right accounting system,” but don’t explain how you would figure out the right accounting system for their business.
• payroll demystified
  • this is for employers hiring their first employee and looking for a new system.
• how to get a loan
  • consider partnering with a banker on this one that will attract the mid-market clients.
• cash flow nirvana
  • provide three tips but let them know you have 20 or so so they will want to become a client.

when you think about what keeps your clients up at night, that topic will be a good topic to present. now, where should you present it? here are many places you can look for in your neighborhood.

where you should give your speech

it’s really easy to get on the agenda of these places:

• lions club
• rotary club
• elks lodge
• masons
• ambucs
• kiwanis
• soroptimists

these groups have frequent meetings and are constantly looking for speakers to fill their slots. if you are lucky, you will get a free lunch. the speaking slots will often only be 15-20 minutes.

you can also try to get on these agendas:

• your local chamber of commerce
• local women’s groups:
  • nawbo – national association of women business owners
  • ewomen
  • check around your town for groups unique to your area
• industry associations where you are targeting your ideal client

in all of these cases, look for the officer who is currently serving as the program chair. if that’s not listed, you can often email the president, and they will forward your information. please note that most of these officers are volunteer positions, so it could take a while to get a response.

handout

some groups do not allow you to sell from the platform. the best way to handle this is to prepare a one-page handout that lists your main tips from the speech. include a short bio, your logo and picture, a very short bullet list of services, and some testimonials. you can use the back and front, and if you do, be sure to put your contact info on both sides in case someone faxes only one side. people will throw away flyers but they will generally keep a tips sheet.

video

once you get good at speaking, you can record a video to post on youtube. this is easier than you might think. the video does not have to be polished; as a matter of fact, a video that’s not perfect sells more than one on which you’ve spent a lot of money in a studio. youtube has changed all of this. (the only exception is professional speakers are expected to have a demo reel that is professionally shot.)

a video gives your website visitors a chance to get to know you better than if you had left it up to a text format only.

speech delivery skills

if you have a desire to speak but need to build the skills, consider a group like toastmasters with which you can practice safely before you get out there among prospects. if you’re in a hurry and/or have more money than time, consider hiring a speaking coach.

marketing your speaking

professional speaking is an entire career. for those of you who really enjoy speaking and would like to get paid for it and add it as a new revenue stream, i recommend joining national speakers association. you will be able to see some successful speakers and get ideas about the business of speaking. you will probably get more advice than you ever thought possible (they are speakers, not listeners), so please be discerning about what advice you follow.

you’ll need a website that has a section for meeting planners. we’ve designed http://www.sandismith.com/ to market my speaking business, and if you click the “already booked sandi?” button, you will see the meeting planners’ page that you need to develop: http://www.sandismith.com/meeting-professionals/ you will need to give instruction on room setup, how the emcee should introduce you and the equipment you need to be successful. if you are giving a presentation to a large audience (over 500), you might need a script for the audiovisual people to follow. the script includes when the camera should be on the powerpoint, on you, sound effects, lighting changes and other actions, just like you were doing a stage act (which you are).

getting leads from speaking

get the most leads from speaking in two ways:

1. give something away in a drawing. pass a bowl around to collect business cards, and let people know they will also get your newsletter (otherwise it’s spamming). enter the business card emails into your constant contact list.
2. include a slide that has instructions on how to register for your free report. your free report should include additional information not covered in your speech. this method will get fewer people to sign up, but the ones who are really interested will.

in the past, i have tried using cell phone texting in which you instruct the audience to enter some items in their cell phone including their email address, and they receive an email response with the free report. (the company i used is no longer in business.)

you might also consider setting up a table in the back where you can place some brochures and business cards. many places will allow this, but first ask your program chair or meeting planner before you make assumptions.

finally, be sure to create a followup system so that you stay in touch with the leads you met at your speech. they may take warming up before they’re ready to say “yes,” or even to be pitched to in the first place.

posted on september 29, 2017