Speaking before a group about your business is definitely the lowest cost and best way to market your product or service and expand your customer base. From first hand experience I learned this important marketing lesson. I started talking about my hair styling business at local service organizations, such as Rotary, Kiwanis, Optimists. At the time I didn’t have much public speaking experience beyond Dale Carnegie courses and Toastmasters. Little did I know it would lead to a rewarding career as an executive speech coach and keynote speaker. Here are some key points I learned that helped me build my business.
Expressing yourself with flair will increase the speed with which you succeed.
Peter Butler is an excellent example of how to increase your reputation and visibility by speaking. Peter was in the insurance and financial services industry. When he passed his fiftieth birthday, he decided to start running in Iron Man triathlons and other athletic events around the country.
He gave lively talks at service clubs about his experiences. Peter starts by saying, “Running a marathon is like planning for your future.” Then he told colorful stories about the different events he had participated in. Finally he said, “For my last few minutes, here are four ideas you should know about planning for your long-term future.”
Salespeople are incredible. Like Hollywood actors, whenever they open their mouths, they are putting themselves and their company on the line, taking a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome. Just like actors, even the best, most experienced salesperson can use some coaching and polishing now and then.
If your goal is to become more effective in your presentation skills value your own opinion. Although we are amused with expressions such as “Make my day”, “Read my lips”, “Think outside of the box”, “I’ll be back” after a while they are so overused they go from “classic” to “cliché.”
How to Add Value as a Speaker: Make Meetings Fun and Exciting
Executive Speech Coach Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE
Business leaders: If you want your associates to be creative, innovative, and flexible, make your meetings fun. Here are three examples.
Professional speakers: Learn from the creativity of your clients and get involved.
A QUIZ SHOW – Before I spoke at a small meeting for USA Today, the organizers conducted a “quiz show.” This was a great icebreaker and also served to educate their employees, using questions like: “Who writes the editorial column on page 3?” “What is our distribution in Cleveland?” “What was the headline on the Life Syle Section last Tuesday?” Small prizes like USA Today pens and notepads were awarded. This got the audience laughing while learning (and had the audience fully warmed up when I came on).
THE PRIORITIES GAME – Another time I was speaking at Levi Strauss. There were six tables, each with eight sales people. Each table received copies of the same thirteen examples of typical paperwork that crosses a salesperson’s desk each day. They then debated the priority for handling them. This was a great way to find out how the salespeople thought and for management to teach them priorities. I was as amazed as management was at how many different opinions there were on handling the same thirteen items.
“OSCARS” – A PacBell meeting was held around the time of the Academy Awards. The creative meeting planner set up an awards ceremony and asked the managers to wear formal evening dress. This sounded so creative to me that, even though my speech was later in the day, I wanted to be part of it (at no extra cost to the client). “Oscars” were given out in categories like customer service, sales, and money-making ideas. Wearing an evening gown, I sashayed across the stage to deliver the envelopes containing the names of the winners. As the nominees in each category were announced, a giant video screen showed their photos. The first two were always famous movie stars, the third an employee. Would you believe it? Pacific Bell employees beat out the movie stars every time! Everyone who accepted an Academy Award had to give a short speech. It was innovative, memorable, and fun.
This gave me the idea for my fifteenth speech for the Continental Breakfast Club (CBC). The year before, my talk had been “Wonder Woman: A Mythical Character or State of Mind?” which I delivered wearing my Wonder Woman costume.
One of my more creative clients, Dan Maddux, Executive Director of the American Payroll Association, heard about my Wonder Woman performance and booked me to do a similar presentation at his next conference, called “Are You a Wonder Woman or a Superman in Payroll?”
Executive Communication: Three Ways to Be an Inclusionist Leader
By Simma Lieberman
Simma is one of my friends from the National Speakers Association and one of Alan Weiss’s Hall of Fame mentees and consultants. Simma is known as the Inclusionist and she creates inclusive organizations where employees love to do their best work and customers love to do business.
I have attended many screen writing classes for fun. Not because I want to be a screen writer, but rather to give me insights and ideas for helping my executive clients deliver better presentations. After all Hollywood knows how to emotionally connect with their audience in a way most executives do not.
An interview between Bob Chesney and Patricia Fripp
Professional speakers, business coaches, presentation skills coaches, seminar leaders, consultants, and entreneurs all have something in common! How do we position ourselves ahead of the competition. We do that when we can help our prospects get to know us in advance of their emails or calls. If you have been to my website fripp.com you know that whatever service you click on small “mini fripps” talk to you one on one about the reason you are searching for a speech coach, keynote speaker, or sales presentation skills trainer. Assuming this is something you would like to investigate for your own business here is an interview with my secret weapon and business adviser Bob Chesney.
Throughout the business community, ambitious individuals who work in highly competitive environments know the impression they give in their business communications often makes the difference between career failure and success.
Throughout the business community, ambitious individuals who work in highly competitive environments know the impression they give in their business communications often makes the difference between career failure and success.
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How to Present and Teach in the Virtual World…and More
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