In the past week, from top selling Speak-to-Sell coaches to speaking tele-summits, everybody is out telling you to use speaking to grow your business! (and they are right!)
But some are telling you….
• you don’t need “those fancy presentation skills”.
• just channel a higher power and let it “flow” through you.
• Forget about memorizing your talk!
And today, I’m calling everyone on their B.S. because it doesn’t serve you.
1. You don’t need fancy presentation skills, that’s true, but you will be more comfortable and confident, and you’ll appear more comfortable and confident when you have a little strategy behind what you do so well naturally.
A super, simple strategy for eye contact for instance, can help you connect faster, break down barriers, and close more of the room.
It will also make you appear more professional and more relaxed.
For instance scanning the room with your eyes, will make you look nervous and novice– even if you feel relaxed.
Whereas looking at one person at a time, talking to one person at any given moment, will give you a calm, confident, more trustworthy look and feel.
Which person do you think will close more business?
2. You can let a higher power flow through you if you want to, but winging it will NOT win you more clients. Any speaker who’s closing lots of business at the back of the room, and says they just wing it, simply isn’t telling you the truth.
Why? Creating a talk that builds momentum and creates a craving for people to want more of what you offer, isn’t an accident, or a miracle, or magic.
Its structure.
Structure sells. So be sure you know how to package your talk in way that really sets up the sale and leads people to the next step with you.
Within that structure you can totally let it rip! Be yourself, let your energy and personality shine, let spontaneous moments, happen, all of that is great!
However that spontaneity and “flow” needs to happen in way that still supports your greater goal of profitability and purpose!
3. Don’t memorize your talk, just be natural! Well I’m straddling the middle road here because I don’t suggest you memorize every word of your talk. I don’t think its necessary and it can bog you down.
However memorizing the roadmap of your talk will help you:
• stay on time (critical to making money by the way)
• build momentum (also super important to your profitability)
• & lead you into your close properly (a must!)
When you know that you know your talk, you can relax, you can focus on connecting, and you can focus on the energy in the room. Its hard to give on a high level, when you’re distracted by trying to remember what you’re supposed to cover next!
I love that so many people want you to start speaking, and obviously my name is at the top of that list too! But you also know I will always tell it like it really is, from real-life experience selling one-on-one, and from the stage.
When is your next speaking gig? Remember you don’t have to do it perfectly— at all! But you will want to do a little planning first!
Let me know how I can help!
Until we meet again…
Remember to speak your message and your mission in a way that converts more paying clients.
Serve your purpose in a bigger, brighter way.
Grow your business, do what you love ,and make more money!
Be well!
Kristin Thompson
Founder – Speaker – Coach