Speaking engagements: Boost your visibility-by Steve Markman - President & Founder of Markman
Make sure that the candidates are committed – some will resist the idea of taking time away from other business activities.
See more about Steve: www.markmanspeaker.com |
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This article originally appeared in PM magazine. For further details go to www.pmforum.co.uk
Given today’s competitive business climate and challenging economy, marketing and PR efforts should be front and center for any organisation. But how can marketers help their firms rise above the noise? One way to do this is through public speaking by the partners or principals. By speaking in public – at conferences, seminars and forums held by independent event organisations, associations, and professional and industry trade groups– enormous exposure is created and thought leadership is demonstrated. Many firms hold their own events at which their partners and principals make presentations, however, more often than not, the attendees are existing clients or individuals who are already familiar with the firm. Since firms need to expose their expertise to prospective clients, they need to look at outside events. Presentations about industry trends or ‘how-to’ talks can make a large impact on the audience. Speaking opportunities represent a strong marketing/public relations, business development, and thought leadership vehicle for the following reasons:
• Attendees get to learn about a firm’s expertise firsthand and can interact directly with the speaker immediately before or after the presentation. An attendee asking for a business card can be the first step to obtaining a client. The media in attendance also present opportunities for added exposure.
• Gaining increased visibility in vertical/industry sectors or broad-based areas that the firm has determined needs greater exposure.
• The firm attains ‘advertising’ by having its name and the speaker’s name published in the agenda, seen by hundreds or even thousands of people online. Eight steps to get your people out on the speaking circuit
1. Decide which service area(s) the firm should be targeting for increased visibility. This can be an established line of business where the firm speaks from a position of strength and is known as a ‘go-to’ firm. Conversely, presentations can cover an area that is just getting off the ground or at an early stage in its development.
2. Get the right speaker on board. Proposed speakers should be experienced in their area of expertise, which is more important than speaking experience in most instances. Make sure that the speaker candidates are committed – some will resist the idea of taking time away from other business
activities.
3. Speak to the right audience. Thoroughly research the events. There are so many taking place on so many topics, frequently simultaneously, that you’ll need to choose diligently in order to maximize the time and expense associated
with speaking. Identify speaking engagements whose audience represents
the clients and industries your firm wants to reach.
4. Develop a proactive speaker placement programe. It’s fine to evaluate unsolicited speaking opportunities. However, having someone dedicated to the task who will aggressively identify opportunities, develop relationships with event organizers and write and submit speaker proposals, should lead to an increase in the frequency of speaking engagements and thus increased visibility.
5. Decide on the geographic area to target for speaking engagements — locally, regionally, nationally or even internationally.
6. Create high-impact presentations. Audiences want to acquire actionable information they can take back to their organisations. They don’t want to hear that your firm is the leading firm in this or that subject area. A solid, informative presentation that is purely educational and does not promote a firm will create instant credibility and obviate the need for a ‘sales pitch’. A presentation that turns out to be a sales pitch will ensure low evaluations by the audience.
7. Learn the process for submitting a speaker proposal — follow the format established by the organizer for writing a presentation abstract, submitting bios and speaker expertise and, of course, meeting the proposal deadline date. Tailor the abstract and the bio to each speaking opportunity so that they fit the objectives of the audience.
8. Follow up continuously and persistently with the event organizer to help your firm stay above the noise, since you will often be competing with many other firms for the same speaking slot.
Once speaking engagements are successfully attained, be sure to maximize the engagement by ensuring that the presentation has a shelf life. Be armed with ‘takeaways’, including handouts, such as an article written by the speaker or a white paper from the firm. Press releases, either before or after a speaking engagement can attract potential clients, especially when the release contains information that demonstrates the firm’s expertise in a particular area.
Speaking engagements: Boost your visibility
• Attendees get to learn about a firm’s expertise firsthand and can interact directly with the speaker immediately before or after the presentation. An attendee asking for a business card can be the first step to obtaining a client. The media in attendance also present opportunities for added exposure.
• Gaining increased visibility in vertical/industry sectors or broad-based areas that the firm has determined needs greater exposure.
• The firm attains ‘advertising’ by having its name and the speaker’s name published in the agenda, seen by hundreds or even thousands of people online. Eight steps to get your people out on the speaking circuit
1. Decide which service area(s) the firm should be targeting for increased visibility. This can be an established line of business where the firm speaks from a position of strength and is known as a ‘go-to’ firm. Conversely, presentations can cover an area that is just getting off the ground or at an early stage in its development.
2. Get the right speaker on board. Proposed speakers should be experienced in their area of expertise, which is more important than speaking experience in most instances. Make sure that the speaker candidates are committed – some will resist the idea of taking time away from other business
activities.
3. Speak to the right audience. Thoroughly research the events. There are so many taking place on so many topics, frequently simultaneously, that you’ll need to choose diligently in order to maximize the time and expense associated
with speaking. Identify speaking engagements whose audience represents
the clients and industries your firm wants to reach.
4. Develop a proactive speaker placement programe. It’s fine to evaluate unsolicited speaking opportunities. However, having someone dedicated to the task who will aggressively identify opportunities, develop relationships with event organizers and write and submit speaker proposals, should lead to an increase in the frequency of speaking engagements and thus increased visibility.
5. Decide on the geographic area to target for speaking engagements — locally, regionally, nationally or even internationally.
6. Create high-impact presentations. Audiences want to acquire actionable information they can take back to their organisations. They don’t want to hear that your firm is the leading firm in this or that subject area. A solid, informative presentation that is purely educational and does not promote a firm will create instant credibility and obviate the need for a ‘sales pitch’. A presentation that turns out to be a sales pitch will ensure low evaluations by the audience.
7. Learn the process for submitting a speaker proposal — follow the format established by the organizer for writing a presentation abstract, submitting bios and speaker expertise and, of course, meeting the proposal deadline date. Tailor the abstract and the bio to each speaking opportunity so that they fit the objectives of the audience.
8. Follow up continuously and persistently with the event organizer to help your firm stay above the noise, since you will often be competing with many other firms for the same speaking slot.
Once speaking engagements are successfully attained, be sure to maximize the engagement by ensuring that the presentation has a shelf life. Be armed with ‘takeaways’, including handouts, such as an article written by the speaker or a white paper from the firm. Press releases, either before or after a speaking engagement can attract potential clients, especially when the release contains information that demonstrates the firm’s expertise in a particular area.
Speaking engagements: Boost your visibility
