Speakers Just Want to Sell, Sell, Sell

Over the past few years I have found speaking in public quite natural and it is something I do not struggle with. However over the past few months I have been exposed to a different side of the speaking industry. With Chantal doing more with the Professional Speaking Association and our new account manager, Nidhi – who brings a massive interest in PSA, it is safe to say I am a lot more exposed to this sector.  But what can public speaking actually do for you?

On Monday Dale posted about his experience about speaking in public. In the blog he mentioned that he will be starting to attend a group called Toastmasters. So if you’re like Dale and a little shy, or lack the confidence to give a talk in public, have a read of his blog!

So after gaining some confidence or tips on how to better present yourself and speak, what benefit can public speaking be to you? From my perspective the main benefits are:

Credibility. Speaking to an audience about your subject matter is not just a scary idea but a credible one. Giving a talk brings you credibility because it shows that you have knowledge and expertise in your field. It also shows that you are confident enough to share your ideas and thoughts of your chosen subject – which a lot of people would not feel comfortable doing.

Brand Awareness. Speaking gets your name out in the world and if you’re good at it, you’ll find that your name will spread far. This will help your brand in such a positive way because you bringing value. Your talk will give ideas to people or shed a different perspective on your subject matter, this will get people thinking. This will help to shine a light on your brand and show that it is a good one to be a part of.

Bring Networking Opportunities. Once you’ve given your talk are you just going to head back to the office? How many people are in the room listening to what you have to say? Go and talk to them. A lot of them will want to start a conversation with you about your talk. Not everyone in the room will be a potential client, but you won?t know that unless you start a conversation.

Learning. Whilst you may be there to give a talk on your chosen subject, you will always learn something.  If you talk to people and ask “How did you find my talk”? People will respond and give you some pointers (if any are needed). But what I find more important is that people will discuss with you the subject matter. If they do not agree with what you have said, you can both start a discussion and see the subject matter from a alternative angle. This does not mean to say that your talk was wrong, it means that someone saw the subject matter in a different light.

A final point I found about the speaking sector,

Money is rarely mentioned. Of course key note speakers get paid, but the fee of a speaker is something I have rarely come across. Everyone I have spoken to that is involved in the speaking sector always talks about the speaker’s subject matter. It’s all about the pleasure of speaking and not about the money.

There are of course far more benefits to speaking, however these are the 5 that I am fond of. Do you ever give talks about your industry? Does this help your business? If it does please leave a comment below and let me know how it has benefited your business.