I came across an article today that discussed a marketing technique that I'm personally pretty fond of. It is called Speak marketing. It is one answer to the question of how do I get get in front of my potential customers. We all know advertising is costly, so for a relatively low cost way to get in the face of your potential customers, I encourage you to engage in public speaking.
The article is here: Diane DiResta: Speak Powerfully, Sell More: Grow Your Business With Public Speaking
According to the author public speaking is the new competitive advantage, your success depends on how well you present yourself, your business and your message to your market.
It is a way to build rapport, trust, to come out as an expert, and a great opportunity to network.
I'm an extremely shy person, so this works even for the introverts among us. A suggestion I have to get used to speaking is make videos about topics you enjoy, don't focus on making money, this is about getting comfortable presenting. I think posting videos on youtube is great practice for this.
We all have quirks that don't translate well on a platform, making video gives you opportunity to see how others see you and hear you.
The article goes on to discuss the things you need for this to be successful, I'm almost in full agreement with the author on all three points. First, you need a defined target audience, we probably all know what this means. I would offer that sometimes it is OK to go a bit broader than your exact targets, you never know what doors that can open. As an example we are speaking in July at an event that will be mostly state and federal officials from all over the country, we are not talking about our program, but are presenting on a topic they face in the course and scope of their jobs, we also happen to offer courses in the industry to high school students, which is our in the door, but ultimately this is for the opportunity to network. City Managers, council people, public safety officials, and mayors talk to school superintendents and school committee members...lesson: leave no potential stone unturned. Consider trade groups, conventions, meetings, and so on as potential avenues to engage and give freely to your customers.
Secondly, one needs compelling content and a great headline to draw people in. This is not a commercial for your product, this is about providing value for your audience. Teach them something, give them something new, leave them with lots to chew on and think about. We sell online education, well let me rephrase that, we sell tools that lead to improved relationships between parents and their children, decreased anxiety and more time for family fun. So when I go to talk to an audience of parents or other educators, I'm not hard selling our products or services, sometimes I'm talking about ways to engage boys, or ways to help children overcome math anxiety, or discussing schooling on the road/travel schooling or sharing why I believe encouraging online strategy gaming(like Starcraft) improves math aptitude, critical thinking skills and helps our students become politically aware global citizens (that is always gets people talking)or why your teen needs to start and run their own business. I'm giving to them, providing them answers that solve problems or provide them with new ideas, not chasing money.
Thirdly, good platform skills are a must. This is why I talked about doing videos, but the best teacher is to just get out there and present. I got my feet wet in my graduate program, I volunteered to speak all the time and lead as many groups as I could. I was painfully shy, so believe me if I can do this, and learn to present in a way that is engaging, humorous and beneficial to my audience so can you.
A couple other ideas, I believe in giving. I think you can't give enough, I think being completely unselfish leads to incredibly success and is rewarded, so I think it is fair to give something to your audience. I know the article talks about t-shirts, CDs and so on, but sometimes a simple month free no strings is just as effective. Do be sure to follow-up, even with a simple thank you for attending note.
If you are looking for places to practice your public speaking before you present with an eye on selling, look to colleges and libraries, they always have stuff going on and they generally love people to come present on things because it brings people in. If you are a college student, a great elective to take are courses in speech and public speaking, you can't go wrong. This great preparation for selling.
I hope this is helpful and it is just one more way to reach out to potential customers, I say take advantage of every opportunity you can.
Sue
The article is here: Diane DiResta: Speak Powerfully, Sell More: Grow Your Business With Public Speaking
According to the author public speaking is the new competitive advantage, your success depends on how well you present yourself, your business and your message to your market.
It is a way to build rapport, trust, to come out as an expert, and a great opportunity to network.
I'm an extremely shy person, so this works even for the introverts among us. A suggestion I have to get used to speaking is make videos about topics you enjoy, don't focus on making money, this is about getting comfortable presenting. I think posting videos on youtube is great practice for this.
We all have quirks that don't translate well on a platform, making video gives you opportunity to see how others see you and hear you.
The article goes on to discuss the things you need for this to be successful, I'm almost in full agreement with the author on all three points. First, you need a defined target audience, we probably all know what this means. I would offer that sometimes it is OK to go a bit broader than your exact targets, you never know what doors that can open. As an example we are speaking in July at an event that will be mostly state and federal officials from all over the country, we are not talking about our program, but are presenting on a topic they face in the course and scope of their jobs, we also happen to offer courses in the industry to high school students, which is our in the door, but ultimately this is for the opportunity to network. City Managers, council people, public safety officials, and mayors talk to school superintendents and school committee members...lesson: leave no potential stone unturned. Consider trade groups, conventions, meetings, and so on as potential avenues to engage and give freely to your customers.
Secondly, one needs compelling content and a great headline to draw people in. This is not a commercial for your product, this is about providing value for your audience. Teach them something, give them something new, leave them with lots to chew on and think about. We sell online education, well let me rephrase that, we sell tools that lead to improved relationships between parents and their children, decreased anxiety and more time for family fun. So when I go to talk to an audience of parents or other educators, I'm not hard selling our products or services, sometimes I'm talking about ways to engage boys, or ways to help children overcome math anxiety, or discussing schooling on the road/travel schooling or sharing why I believe encouraging online strategy gaming(like Starcraft) improves math aptitude, critical thinking skills and helps our students become politically aware global citizens (that is always gets people talking)or why your teen needs to start and run their own business. I'm giving to them, providing them answers that solve problems or provide them with new ideas, not chasing money.
Thirdly, good platform skills are a must. This is why I talked about doing videos, but the best teacher is to just get out there and present. I got my feet wet in my graduate program, I volunteered to speak all the time and lead as many groups as I could. I was painfully shy, so believe me if I can do this, and learn to present in a way that is engaging, humorous and beneficial to my audience so can you.
A couple other ideas, I believe in giving. I think you can't give enough, I think being completely unselfish leads to incredibly success and is rewarded, so I think it is fair to give something to your audience. I know the article talks about t-shirts, CDs and so on, but sometimes a simple month free no strings is just as effective. Do be sure to follow-up, even with a simple thank you for attending note.
If you are looking for places to practice your public speaking before you present with an eye on selling, look to colleges and libraries, they always have stuff going on and they generally love people to come present on things because it brings people in. If you are a college student, a great elective to take are courses in speech and public speaking, you can't go wrong. This great preparation for selling.
I hope this is helpful and it is just one more way to reach out to potential customers, I say take advantage of every opportunity you can.
Sue
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