Do you have to present at meetings at work?

Or perhaps you are building your personal brand and platform as a professional speaker?

Maybe you have a desire to get in front of the media on TV or radio?

One of the great ways that I’ve developed my skills in presenting and in speaking to the media is not through attending courses but by two other approaches:

• watching other presenters
• speaking and presenting often - not always to groups of 200 or more people, but often to small groups of less than 40 people.

Yes I have attended programmes in presentation skills and media skills and they have been invaluable, but in relation to continued professional development as a speaker and presenter, then I can not recommend too highly watching others and speaking and presenting yourself.

And even though I speak at events 3-4 times a month for live in person events, and speak at virtual events, training programmes and recording podcasts no less than 20 times a month, I still practice my presentation skills.

Social media is a great tool to help you practice your effectiveness as an engaging presenter. Here are five ways you can put social media to work to enhance your presentation skills:

1. Be a guest on a podcast - by being an invited guest or even hosting your own podcast such as with platforms like Utterz, where you can create a podcast with just your phone, and then being disciplined in listening to yourself, you will find out all the words and phrases that you use too frequently. You can also hear how effective you are in answering the questions you are asked in an engaging and succinct way
2. Deliver a webinar - webinar services are very inexpensive in fact there are some platforms such as Powownow that allow you to screen share your presentation, deliver the presentation by phone. You could then record and distribute the presentation through some of the video and presentation sharing sites such as YouTube or Slideshare. By preparing to deliver a webinar, you’ll be able to hone your ability in creating presentation materials that are simple but connect your verbal presentation to your slides
3. Host a webcast - social media platforms such as Oovoo allow you to present using your webcam to up to 5 other attendees and you can record the presentation. By presenting in front of camera you can watch out for any speacifc mannerisms that you are using that get in the way of your message
4. Listen to podcasts - I’ve found that listening to podcasts hosted by experts and leaders in their field have been a great way for me not only to become more informed and are a great source of research
5. Watch online video’s - with the accessibility of online video’s they are a great source of content and research - again you can watch others present and get ideas for your presentations - and from time to time you’ll also get ideas of what does not work!

Remember that social media platforms are inexpensive, usually free to access and often free to deploy - with the most intensive resource being your time. And they have the two further added benefits:

1. You can reach people outside of your local vicinity and expand your reach nationally and even globally
2. By hosting the presentations on a site which allow others to comment (be that on your own business blog or one of the sites I’ve mentioned), you’ve the opportunity to access  the invaluable feedback from others. I’ve found the feedback I’ve received after my presentations invaluable in both implacting what I say and how I present.

Social media offers us an opportunity to develop our communication skills that we use every day - speaking, writing, watching and listening. It’s not an end in itself - social media is a platform or tool we can use to enhance our effectiveness in communications.

And if you are looking for some expert guidance on presentation skills, then I’d encourage you to watch the following video which provides a great opportunity to see the master of presentations in action - Garr Reynolds, author of Presentation Zen. Get ready to take notes on how you can enhance your presentation skills.

Did you find this article helpful? Then please share it!

If you are growing your professional services practice, one of the top three strategies for building your personal brand and attracting more of your ideal clients is through public speaking.

If you have a business blog, there are a number of ways that you can integrate your on-line presence with your professional speaking that will not only build your credibility and reputation but also ensure that you get approached as a speaker by event organisers.

Here are three actions you can take today to power up your professional speaking though your business blog:

1. Provide valuable resources – Event organisers want to hire people who are considered experts in their field. Make sure that you have content rich articles on your business blog that provide not just that “what to do” but also “how to do it” in your field of expertise. If you provide such great information at no cost, you can be sure that event organisers will be curious as to just what you will share for a paid speaking gig and will be more likely to call you.

Adding new articles on a regular basis will help you come up in the search engines for key words that event organisers are searching on. My business blog articles act as my unpaid sales force 27/7 and 365 days a year.

2. Create your speaker showcase – Make it easy for event organisers to get a sense of you and your ability as a speaker. Hiring you sight unseen is a high risk for them even if you were referred to them.

I recommend that you have a section of your website specifically dedicated to event organisers which includes elements such as the details of key note addresses you have given, access to testimonials from event organisers you have worked with, access to audio files and video files so that event organisers can see and hear you in action and a calendar of your forthcoming events so that event organisers get a sense of the kind of organisations you are already working with.

3. Provide bespoke resources – So you have delivered your presentation but how do you ensure that you can provide additional information and valuable resources to people who attend your event? This is something that event organisers will really thank you for as this is perceived as added value.

When I speak to large groups I create a special page on my business blog which I include in the handouts I give attendees to my events. This page is created specifically for them and lists additional resources and tools that they can implement and is highly specific and relevant for the community I am speaking with and is considered to be a valuable resource by event attendees and event organisers alike.

YOUR ’BIZ GROWTH’ ACTION STEPS

If you are looking to build your brand and want to explore the marketing strategy of professional speaking, or you want to take your professional speaking up to the next level, I recommend that you review your on-line marketing and communications plan to support your professional speaking career against these three action points.

What other ways do you integrate your business blog into your role as a professional speaker?

© Krishna De, 2007. All rights reserved. This article is extracted from Krishna’s home study programme “Marketing On A Shoestring Budget”.

Update 27 August 2007 - this article was included in a compilation of ”72 More Blog Tips From The Blogging Community” by Darren Rowse of Problogger in his “31 Days to Building a Better Blog” series which you can access here.

Did you find this article helpful? Then please share it!

One of the most important skills that we can develop to enhance our business success and our personal success is that of being able to speak and present in from of others.

However, few of us ever get assistance and guidance in presenting and speaking in public.

Being able to connect with an audience, no matter if there are 3 people or 3000 people in a room or at a virtual event such as a webinar or teleconference and being able to deliver a clear and inspiring message is a sure fire way to build your reputation and personal brand.

Whether we speak for a fee or for a free, speaking and presenting can support our goal of positioning ourselves as an expert in our field and can lead to new clients and potential joint ventures.

So here are ten steps for building your personal brand as an inspiring and confident speaker:

1. Understand Your Audience - Make sure that you research who will be listening to you speaking or presenting. What is their previous experience of your subject matter? What are the areas that they are going to be most interested to hear about? Being able to address their key areas of concern and offer a clear and compelling answer to their problem will ensure that you get remembered after the live event.
2. Develop Relevant Content - Very often as experts in our subject matter, it can be easy to be over zealous and wanting to deliver too much content that we leave our audience confused and ourselves under time pressure. If you are speaking for only 30 minutes, then identify the three key messages you want to deliver.
3. Become a Great Storyteller - Take the time to research stories and content that reflect your audience and use the language that they are familiar with. Your efforts in customising content will enhance your standing and reputation in the eyes of your audience. Using stories to bring to life your presentation will help your audience connect to the content.
4. Create an On-line Resource Centre - Ideally you will provide a handout or materials to support your presentation. This is often required by an event organiser or circulated as pre-read well before the event. I recommend that you create a unique page on your website or business blog with references to key materials and additional resources specifically for the presentation. This will certainly be perceived as value adding by event organisers and attendees at your presentation.
5. Keep the Technology Simple - I recently attended an event where a speaker used 116 slides for a speech of 60 minutes - yes they were flicking through one slide every 30 seconds. Your ultimate goal is to be able to speak without the aid of PowerPoint slides. You can be sure that too many slides and speaking directly from them will not present you as a confident and capable speaker and presenter. If you do need slides or plan to include other audio or video materials to support your presentation, make sure that these do add value to the presentation.
6. Practise Before You Speak - Make sure that you feel confident and comfortable with your content. Ideally practice in front of others and record yourself on audio so that you can listen to how you sound and where you need to enhance the delivery of your presentation. Ask for feedback from your colleagues on how compelling and clear your message is.
7. Get There Early - On the day of the presentation, make sure that you arrive in plenty of time to reduce the stress of the event. It’s healthy to be a little nervous before you present as that keeps you on your toes. Arriving early enables you to check the layout of the land, ensure that the room is set up as you want it to be and that the organiser of the event is ready with the information they need to introduce you to the audience.
8. Linger Afterwards - Unless you are presenting to a board meeting and you are asked to come into the meeting just to deliver your content, wherever possible, make sure that you clear your diary to be available to stay at the event after you have spoken. This provides you with an opportunity to further connect with your audience and other speakers and access feedback about your presentation.
9. Follow Up - If you make a promise to send the attendees information after the event, make sure that you do so within 48 hours. Don’t forget to follow up with the event organiser thanking them for the opportunity to collaborate. Be sure to also ask for a testimonial that you can then add to your marketing materials and website.
10. Take Time to Reflect - after the event, do evaluate what you learned. What worked well with the audience? What can you learn from other speakers that you saw present at the same event? How can you enhance your presentation in the future? Keep notes on file or on index cards of your key learnings so that you can refer to them for your next presentation or speech.

YOUR ’BIZ GROWTH’ ACTION STEPS

1. Plan an Event - If you have not already got a speaking event or presentation planned in the next 90 days take time this week to reflect on who you would like to present to, on what subject and who can help you make such an event happen.
2. Review Your Performance - If you have recently spoken or presented to an audience, review that event against the 10 steps to building your personal brand as an inspiring and confident speaker. Are there areas that you could enhance your performance as a speaker or presenter and who could support you in taking action.
3. Invest In Your Development - If you are looking for additional guidance on enhancing your reputation and personal brand through speaking, make sure that you note in your diary to join the ‘Biz Growth Live’ seminar on Monday 20 August 2007, ‘Speak Your Way To Success’. I will be taking you through 5 biggest mistakes to avoid if you want to build your reputation as a compelling and magnetic speaker. I’ll also be sharing strategies you can employ so that you attract more clients and more business opportunities whether you speak for free or for a fee - guaranteed. This is a no-cost telecinference and you can join us from anywhere in the world so make sure that you register today.

Building your reputation as a compelling and inspiring speaker will build your reputation and lead to greater professional and personal success. But remember great speakers were not born; they nurtured and developed that skill and you can too.

TERMS OF REPRINT: You are welcome to publish this article in your own online ezine or news letter, providing the article is printed in its entirety and is left unedited and you include the copyright notice and the following statement:

©Krishna De, Oneocean Ltd 2007. All rights reserved. Reprinted from ‘Biz Growth Express’, a Oneocean Ltd publication for leaders in professional services practices, featuring inspiration, strategies and tips to build your brand, attract your ideal clients and enjoy greater success with less stress.  Subscribe today at http://www.bizgrowthlive.com and access no-cost teleconferences where we interview experts from across the globe on how to build your corporate brand, your employer brand and your personal brand and expand your professional and personal success.

Did you find this article helpful? Then please share it!

If you are looking for great prices for promotional banners, make sure you read on as I have negotiated a special rate with a supplier that you too can take advantage of as a reader of ”Biz Growth News”. 

Whether you are running a workshop, speaking at a conference or taking a stand at an ehibition, it’s important to ensure that your promotional and marketing materials are “on-brand” and consistent with your corporate identity.

However how can you do this on a shoe string budget?

I know I thought twice before investing my first event banner for a conference exhibition stand knowing it would stay in a cupboard for most of the year.

I recently came across a company that has incredible prices for producing stands and banners as I was looking for a banner for the Association for Coaching in Ireland which we are launching on the 19 June 2007.

As a not for profit professional association managing our overheads is especially important.

I met up with the Irish and UK distributor of the company RollUp4Pop, Tricia Waserman who is based in Gallway, to check out the promotional material and have to say that that are REALLY great value - in fact what I am paying for a banner is less than a third of what I paid for the Oneocean banner.

For example the price for a roll up banner 85cmx200cm is only €109 plus vat if you are based in Ireland and £67 plus vat if you are based in the UK - prices include distribution.

In fact I was so impressed, I volunteered to share the information about he product with all the networks I am a member of. You see the pricing is so tremendous, it’s something  think all small businesses can not afford to say no to.

Because I always want to provide additional value, I spoke to Tricia about if there was a special  price she could make the banners available at for members of the networks I am a member of and for people who ready my business blog and subscribe to my newsletter.

Here is what she kindly offered - a reduction of €10 per banner (for the rollup banner 85cmx200cm) if you buy between 1-5 banners BEFORE THE 30 SEPTEMBER 2007. Please be assured I am getting no affiliate or referral commision. My goal is just to bring you great resources to help you build your brand and grow your business.

That makes the price to you just €99 plus vat for a branded roll up banner.

So here is the deal:

• Take a look at the attachment here for Irish pricing and for UK pricing
• The pricing reflects postal charges - yes they can deliver to you direct in Ireland or the UK
• You must produce print ready files
• Turnaround is usually 7-10 days
• You can place you orders or ask for further information by contacting Tricia at rollup4pop(at)yahoo.ie
• If you do not want to have the RollUp4Pop banding on the stand, be sure to advise tem as you place your order
• To avail of the discount and therefore the incredibly low price of the 85cmx200cm roll up banners if you are based in Ireland then you need to quote BG907 - remmeber this price of €99 plus vat for the banner is only valid until the 30 September 2007.

Do feel free to pass on the information to your friends and colleagues.

Here’s to building your brand with great display materials.

Did you find this article helpful? Then please share it!

Positioning yourself as a thought leader in your area of expertise through presenting and speaking is a tremendous way to enhance your profile, build your personal leadership brand, extend your reach and attract more clients .

Recent research by Wesley Hills and Deltek amongst professional services firms found that presenting and speaking was the second most successful method of generating new leads, building brand awareness and attracting more clients. The most successful lead generation strategy was networking and referrals.

But how can you ensure that you are effective in presenting? Here are 7 tips to enhance your professional presentations.

1. DO YOUR RESEARCH – If you have been approached to speak at an event, make sure that you check with the events organiser who has been the most recent speakers and what they talked about. You need to make sure that you provide value to the attendees and do not repeat what others have spoken about.
2. PREPARE FOR SUCCESS – As the group you are speaking with will probably have had other events, ask the event organiser what success will look like for their attendees. Make sure that you have an understanding of the details of the location and room layout. And check where your presentation will come in the running order of the event.
3. MAKE IT RELEVANT – Once you know who your attendees will be and the backgrounds they have, make sure that you customise your presentation with case studies that are relevant to their industry, geography and background. That way you will be more impactful and your audience will consider you more credible to listen to.
4. BE TECH SAVVY – Try not to rely on PowerPoint slides to keep your audience engaged through your presentation. As they say, “less is more” – so the fewer slides and the fewer words on the slides the better. If you plan to include video and audio clips in your presentation, make sure that these are of a high quality and that launching the audio or video clips runs smoothly – only use technology you are proficient in using.
5. SEEK SIGNALS – As you start your presentation, be aware of signals you are getting back from your audience. Different groups will react to your same materials in different ways. A truly successful speaker will be able to adapt their style on their feet – just because your style of engagement may work with one audience, you need to remain open and flexible if you find that your audience is not responding as you might expect.
6. ADD VALUE – Prepare some hand out materials that your attendees can use to write their notes on as you speak. This is a great opportunity to put documentation into their hands that not only is branded with your corporate identity, but also to have resources listed that they will find relevant ideally which they have to access through your website.
7. REVIEW AND REFINE – After the event, seek feedback from the event organisers on your presentation. Also take time out to review your own performance. You might consider recording the event with the event organisers permission so that you can review your own performance. Take the time to capture thoughts and amend your presentation to incorporate your learnings on what went well and what you would like to improve for your next speaking gig.

YOUR BIZ GROWTH ACTION STEPS:

• If you are not experienced in professional speaking, search on the Internet for your local branch of “Toast Masters”, a global not for profit organisation whose goal is to help their members become more proficient in public speaking.
• Review communities where you might be able to speak to reach more of your ideal clients and set yourself a goal of finding at least one speaking engagement to take place in the next 90 days.
• Use the tips above to help you prepare to wow your audience and power up your presentation.

Speaking and presenting is a great way to reach an extended audience and enhance your credibility as an expert in your field. Power up your presentations to build your brand and attract more of your ideal clients.

NOTE: If you enjoyed this article, you may be interested in accessing more articles about branding and business development strategies to grow your practice. If so you can register to join our weekly newsletter and weekly no-cost workshops at Biz Growth Live.

TERMS OF REPRINT: You are welcome to publish this article in your own online ezine or news letter, providing the article is printed in its entirety and is left unedited and you include the copyright notice and the following statement:

©Krishna De, Oneocean Ltd 2007. All rights reserved. Reprinted from ‘Biz Growth News’ (http://www.bizgrowthnews.com/), a Oneocean Ltd publication for leaders in professional services practices, featuring inspiration, strategies and tips to build your brand, attract your ideal clients and enjoy greater success with less stress.  Subscribe today at http://www.bizgrowthlive.com/ .

Did you find this article helpful? Then please share it!