One of the fastest ways you can grow your business is through speaking. It gives prospective clients a way to sample you before they work with you. It allows you to reach many people at one time.
At one time Tony Robbins was unknown. He was so committed to becoming successful that he would do three or more speaking sessions in a day until his business took off.
One of my friends, Patrick Schwerdtfeger, author of Webify Your Business, is using speaking as a platform, both live and via recorded presentations, to grow his visibility. It always helps to have a book as part of your credentials and to give you verified expert status. Many authors have created a book by taking their workshop materials and updating or upgrading them.
Finding your audience and getting in front of them can be a daunting task, but there are plenty of organizations who are looking for your expertise. Start with the obvious places like service groups, professional associations and schools. Think about who your audience is and where they are likely to be gathering. You can check your local newspaper for listing of events or go online to see what is happening in your area or region. The local library probably has a reference librarian who could help you start researching who and where to find speaking opportunities.
If you are serious about being a well known speaker, it could be time for you to look at joining a speakers bureau. One that I can recommend for emerging speakers is Speaker Match. Visit their website for resources and ideas you can use to build your speaking into a paying part of your business.
If you have a speaking success story, share it with us.
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