How To Win A Client With A Speech

Posted on Sep 16 2014 - 9:00am by Davis Miller

Debate-Speech

If you want to make a sale, spending an hour talking to a group of prospective customers can be a great way to gather leads. This is the opportunity you have when you’re giving a speech. Are you making the most of it, or do you let those potential leads walk out the door? Here are some tips on using your public speaking to win new clients and boost your business success.

Think about the bigger picture

Rather than limiting your thinking to the speech you are going to give, it pays to see the entire event as a marketing opportunity. You will have an audience there full of people who want to hear about your topic. You have opportunities to meet and interact with these people both before and after your speech. You can also find ways to stay in touch with them after the event. Consider how you can use all of these opportunities.

Public speaking can be a cost effective path for business success, however, your audience must want to listen to what you have to say. To gauge attention and interest, leaders must think about the bigger picture, have a goal and use power words to motivate and entice.

Connect with people while planning your speech

The meeting organizer wants to create a successful meeting, by arranging for a useful and entertaining presentation. You can help them deliver this, and boost your own marketing efforts at the same time. As you are planning your speech, ask the meeting organizer if you can speak with some of the group’s leaders and key attendees. Talk with them about their goals, and how you can tailor your presentation to be most useful for them. You will end up with a better program, and these key people will remember the thorough job that you did. These could be valuable contact people for you.

Mingle at the meeting

If you don’t know people at the meeting, you may be tempted to sit at a table in the back until it’s your turn to speak. You miss out on a useful opportunity that way.  Instead, public speakers should mingle with the crowd, and talk to attendees one-on-one. It helps to get your name out there more, and those audience members will already feel some connection to you when you begin speaking. If you pick up on any group news or issues, you may be able to work in a reference to it in your speech.

The speech is not a sales pitch

Your speech must be full of information which is valuable for the audience. Don’t make it a long pitch for your product, or the audience will turn against you. Stay focused on what matters to them. They need to end up feeling that you are an expert in your field, and that you have knowledge that could be useful to them. Offer handouts of your slide presentation so people have something to take with them.

Stick around afterwards

Don’t rush out of the room when you are done. Stick around and talk to people. There may be someone who has a question for you, or you may just want to mingle and make some more one-on-one contacts. Collect business cards from everyone you meet, and stay in touch with them after the meeting. You want to make the most of this opportunity, so work it until the very end.

Ordinary public speakers convey information; leaders on the other hand, match information with the needs and wants of the listeners. Enlightenment, inspiration, and persuasion demand engaging not just the minds of the spectators, but also their hearts and souls. A fruitful company must have a competent leader, and a competent leader must be an excellent speaker.

Winning clients by speaking in public is easier said than done. Company owners, CEOs, entrepreneurs and managers should all have sound speaking abilities to lead their businesses to ultimate success. If you lack courage and can’t speak in front of your employees, listen to the live presentations of renowned conference speakers. These people have years of experience in the field and they will certainly help you master the art of public speaking.

About the Author

Davis Miller is an experienced writer with interest in small business, technology, and gadgets. He has written several high quality articles at many websites. He spends his free time in reading books and watching movies.