I’m not one for simple lists of tips. The Devil’s in the details, generally, and just saying ‘do this, do that’ doesn’t really help anyone. We’re trying to be a bit more useful on this blog… but for what it’s worth, here are five simple, straight-forward ‘do this’ type tips for people wanting to speak to garner themselves some PR and marketing…
Talk from the heart
Talk about topics which mean something to you. Although you’re welcome to talk about any topic you can imagine, you have better chances of making an impact if you talk about topics which are close to your heart. Do not talk about global warming if you’re actually a qualified life coach. (Seriously, I’ve seen this!) Don’t talk about Life Coaching if you are a PhD is astrophysics… (Yep, seen this one too!) Topics which are not your speciality won’t allow you to showcase the authority so won’t help in attracting those people who may be interested on what you provide.
Besides, if you’re not helping people, you’re hindering them. As the old adage goes, of you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem!
And while I’m ranting about this, don’t talk to people who don’t want to hear. If you’re in front of a group of accountants, talk about something you think (hope?) will interest accountants. They might be interested in climatology or life coaching but they might not, okay?
Use ultra powerful titles (no, really?) Okay, don’t
You can improve your presentation’s impact by making use of expertly written slides to grab the attention of your target audience. The best way I’ve ever come across is to think of the titles as being akin to headlines in a newspaper article. Instead of talking about ‘five main fears’ mention the ‘five greatest nightmares’. No one is suggesting that you don’t back it up with hard-core facts and figures but if you don’t grab people’s attention, no amount of worth data is worth the electrons it’s stored as. Serious – don’t forget to add something extra to rouse their curiosity, and think about how you can target their emotional hot buttons.
People don’t respond to facts too well. If they did, we’d all eat less and exercise more. Give them something they can respond to.
Make your data count
Data is valuable. It costs a lot to collect and it’s not to be given away lightly… unless you want to do something useful with your presentation…!
Offer your audience something they can make use of; something that will help them do things on their own or help them solve their problems. This approach generates much more interest than telling them the history of the things they may not even find interesting. If your audience is interested in your data, they’re likely to want to learn more about you and the product or service you offer.
But – and it’s a big but – don’t be temped to put your data into your presentation (unless it’s a workshop scenario) because people can’t learn facts that way – get them interested in the real data in your presentation and then have the hard-data-document available as a PDF download.
Share a slice of your expertise
As a presenter, it’s crucial to convince possible clients you’re very expert. A few gems of in-depth knowledge through your presentations and a start. A torrent of good stuff is better! :)
There’s no point in presenting if you don’t have anything to say – you’ll just look a bit silly!
You’ll only get one chance at this, one chance at making a good enough impression for people to want to hire you, so I’d say it’s better to miss the chance until you’re ready than it is to take that chance before you’re ready. Blow it, and you’ve blown it – few second chances exist in this game!
Seriously – consider not making a presentation unless you’re good at it. If you’re presentation sucks, people will think your content does too.
Present like a professional
Even if you’re nervous, it’s important not to let your nerves show. Smile, be confident, venture out from behind your podium, and dont be afraid of being animated. Relax, take time to look your audience in the eye, take a deep breath and enjoy the results of your preparation. (You did prepare, didn’t you..?)
… and yes, I know that’s easier said than done: why not get some training? ;)
So there you have it… like I said, we’re not up much here for simply nieve lists. But just for once they can’t hurt, right? :)
