Handling Questions

You’ve given the best talk of your life, but if you’re not in control of handling questions, all credibility is lost! The final impression audience members remember is the way you handle questions.

After you’ve finished your talk, raise your hand and say, “Are there any questions?” When speaking to a large group, repeat or rephrase the question to the audience. The reason you do that in a large group is to make sure everyone in the room has heard the question.

When repeating or rephrasing a question, avoid saying, “The question is,” or “That’s a good question.” If you credit one person with asking a question, you have to credit EVERYONE for asking a question. You don't want people to feel their question was not as important. It’s best to avoid getting yourself into this situation so you don’t sound repetitious.

Finding Places to Speak

Looking for places to speak? If you want to share your message with the masses, you have to get out there and speak. There’s many places to speak. Here are some places where you can find speaking engagements.

Business Networking Groups

There are many business networking groups always looking for speakers. Some well-known groups are Business International Network (BNI), Le Tip and Meetup groups. Also, do an Internet search for “business networking groups” in your city to find when they meet and visit them to see if they bring in speakers.

Local Service Clubs

These service clubs are in every city and meet on a regular basis. They are the Kiwanis Club, Rotary Club, Lions Club, and local Chamber of Commerce. The Rotary Club is always looking to fill their meetings with content. This is a great way to get out there and present your message.

Special Interest Groups

There are many different interest groups out there. Whatever your interest is, there’s probably a group for you to speak at. If you go online and check out Meetup.com, you’ll find a variety of special interest groups.

Social Media Groups

Everyone’s on social media these days. Check out Facebook, LinkedIn, and Eventbrite.com for events that are happening. You can search online by topic and geographic location. I suggest you visit these events to see if it’s a good fit for you.

You Gotta Grab Their Attention From The Start

 

Welcome to our March Blog Hop!

This month we want to help you experience success in your business and life, featuring articles, how-to’s and resources for you today that have helped each consultant, blogger and business owner on the hop in their own lives and businesses. Get ready to be inspired for a fabulous year ahead of you as you move along through the blog hop.

You may just be starting the blog hop or may have come from #4 Vicki Heise at Live Your Healthy Life, on Natalie Bradley’s Blog Hop. If you get off track at any time, the full lineup below will help you move along from blog to blog so you make sure to see and learn from all of the articles featured here today.

Today I am going to talk to you about how to grab your audiences attention from the start.

I'm sure you'd agree we are inundated with many e-mails inviting us to sign up for a teleclass, webinar, or workshop. We don't have the time to read all the way through the description. Unless the title grabs our attention in the first few moments, we hit the delete button. The same happens when you give a talk. The audience makes a decision as to whether they're interested in what you have to say within the first three minutes of your talk, so it's important to keep in mind you only have a few moments to grab their attention.
Here are four steps to grab the audience's attention easily and quickly right from the start:

1. Create a catchy title that addresses their pain. With all the information we receive, people may not read further than your title, so make the title of your talk quickly grab their attention. As you think about what to say in your title, think about what matters most to your audience. What's their pain? What will they gain from your talk? Be clear and descriptive in your title. Instead of "Learn How to Become a Speaker," a more exciting title would be "The 9 Best-Kept Secrets to Exploding Your Business as a Speaker."
2. Tell your personal story. Begin your talk by telling your personal story of how you got to be who you are today. The fastest way to draw the audience to you is being authentic. When you share something personal about yourself, the audience feels more connected to you. They can relate to you more through your story and that will draw them to you. The speakers who leave the strongest impression on you are the ones who share something personal about themselves. We quickly get engaged when a person shares their humanity as we can all relate to that.
3. Describe your story vividly and specifically. As you tell your story, speak in the present tense. Share your story as if it's happening right now and describe it with excitement and energy. I remember seeing Suze Orman, the financial expert, speak at a conference. As soon as she walked on stage, she connected with everyone in the audience. She was down to earth, funny, and knowledgeable. She shared how she had grown up on the poor side of Chicago, working as a waitress, making only a few hundred dollars a month. She had her ups and downs just like us but because she shared authentically from her heart, she had us all sitting on the edge of our seats listening to every word she said.
4. Other ways to start off your talk. The point is you're engaging the audience right from the start. Some other ways to quickly grab the audience's attention is by sharing a story about a client, or asking a question to engage the audience, or sharing some current news story, or some startling statistic that relates to your talk. I've started off a talk about speaking by saying, "Did you know most people would rather be the person being eulogized than the person giving the eulogy?" I always hear a few chuckles and people nodding their heads in agreement. These short factual statements quickly grab the audience's attention.

The next stop is my good friend, #6 Robin Hardy on Natalie Bradley’s Blog Hop! Thanks for visiting and I hope to see you again next month!

1. Natalie Bradley a Natalie Bradley Consulting
2. Debra Burdick at The Brain Lady
3. Deb Brown at Touch Your Client’s Heart
4. Vicki Heise at Live Your Healthy Life 
5. Rochelle Togo-Figa at Speaking Breakthrough Strategist <<– you are here!
6. Robin Hardy at Integrity Virtual Services
7. Chérie Ronning at Chérie Ronning, Consultant-Mentor-Speaker
8. Kim McDaniels at iBiz Design Duchess

Here’s to your breakthroughs…

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Terrified of Speaking?

Studies have shown that one of the top fears people have is speaking to groups. For some people, when it comes to speaking, they'd rather be the one being eulogized than the person giving the eulogy!

Even well-known celebrities have admitted fears of speaking in public. Barbra Streisand stopped singing for 20 years due to her anxiety about performing in front of an audience.

How many times have you watched a speaker and thought, "I can do that!" And then that little inner critic in your head starts making noise and tells you, "Who am I kidding! I'm not a speaker... I can't do this." The more you think these thoughts, the more you believe it's true. The truth is none of us was born a natural speaker.

When the little inner critic starts making noise, what you should be saying to that voice is, "Thanks for sharing!" Don't let your inner critic sway you from staying in action.

There's nothing wrong with being a little nervous before you speak. In fact, a little bit of adrenalin is good because it keeps you alert, focused, and energized as you speak.

Authentically Share Yourself

The easiest and fastest way to draw the audience to you is when you authentically share yourself. Start your talk by sharing a personal story of how you became who you are today. When you share something personal about yourself, the audience feels more connected to you. You’re showing them you’re no different than they are. They can relate to you more quickly through your story and that’s going to draw them to you.

Show your vulnerability by speaking about your struggles, how you overcame your challenges, and the life lessons you learned. We’ve all had to deal with personal and professional challenges in the course of our lives. When we hear true stories of courage and victory, we’re inspired and believe we can go after the things we want too. This is both inspirational and motivational. People will think, “If she or he did that, so can I!”

Start Your Talk by Telling Your Personal Story

One of the most powerful assets you can use when speaking to attract more clients is sharing your personal story. It's so simple, yet most speakers have no idea how to use this valuable asset to attract more clients and give incredible value at the same time.

When you share something personal about yourself, they feel more connected to you. You’re showing them you’re no different than they are. They can relate to you more quickly through your story and that’s going to draw them to you.

Your personal story has made you who you are today.

4 Tips to Sell Your Product or Service When Giving Your Presentation

Have you ever given a presentation hoping to sell your product or service at the end, yet sadly, you leave empty handed?

Leaving without having sold any of your products at the end of your presentation can be so disappointing. I understand because I’ve been there too.

In today’s video I’ll share with you (4) tips to selling your products and services at the end of your presentation that will put more money in your pocket.

Click here to view video.

Get Contact Information For Following Up

You’ve just delivered a great presentation, yet sadly you only have a few business cards. To ensure you collect your audience’s business cards, so you can follow up with them, you can do several things:

• Pass around a signup sheet to receive your free newsletter or report.
• Invite them to drop their business cards in a bowl for a free gift.
• Offer to send your PowerPoint presentation to those who are interested and ask for their business cards.

Once you have their business cards, follow-up within 24-48 hours with a thank you e-mail, card, or a quick phone call, and set up at time to meet.

Make The Call to Action

Many speakers end their talk with just, "Thank you for coming." This is a big mistake. Besides giving lots of value in your talk, the most important part is letting the audience know what "the next steps" are. We call those next steps the "call to action." If you’ve delivered value to your audience, they’re interested in what your offerings are. At the end of your talk is a huge opportunity to present other offerings such as a program or product. Be sure you let the audience know what the “call to action” is before your talk ends.

Keep on Time

Let the audience know at the beginning of your presentation how long you’ll be speaking and when the presentation will be ending. This shows that you respect their time and in return you’ll have their full attention. Often times new nervous speakers don't watch the clock, then end up rushing as they finish, trying to wrap up and answer questions. Not only does this look unprofessional but you will lose the respect of people in the audience who have their own schedules to keep. When you don’t end on time, no matter how great your presentation was, it doesn’t matter… you’ve lost their trust. Always remember to keep on time!

Don’t Just Read

Once you’re up on stage, if all you do is read from your notes, you’ll quickly lose your audience. It’s common for new speakers to attach themselves to their notes because it feels safe; however, people have come to hear what you have to say and they want to see you looking at them when you speak. They want to connect with you, so give them every opportunity to do that.

Your notes are there to guide you through your presentation. Remember to stay out there with the audience and not buried in your notes.

Maintain Structure and Flow

If you don’t have an organized flow to your talk, it will be confusing to follow, and you will lose the audience. As you write your talk, ask yourself these questions: What is the objective of my talk? What points do I want to make? What do I want my audience to walk away with?

1. Tell them what you’re going to tell them,
2. Tell them, and
3. Tell them what you just told them.

This translates into an opening, a body, and a closing.

Don’t Overwhelm

No matter how long your presentation is, be sure not to overwhelm your audience with too much information, however valuable. When they feel overwhelmed, they’ll tune out. As you design your 30-60 minute talk, cover no more than (3) or (4) points. At the start of your presentation let the audience know what the agenda is and how long you’ll be speaking. By doing this, you’re respecting the audience’s time and you’ll then have their full attention for the entire presentation.

It’s Time to Share Your Story

Do you know one of the fastest ways to draw the audience to you as a speaker is by sharing your personal story? When you’re willing to open up your heart and reveal who you really are, people instantly feel connected to you.

In this week’s video, I share with you five tips on how to share your story in a way that will grab your audience’s attention.

Sell to Your Warm Leads

Every person who comes to hear you speak can be considered a warm lead. Why? They came to you because they’re interested in what you have to say. You now have a captive audience eager to listen to what you have to say. And, if you provide value, they will be interested in hearing what else you have to offer. At the end of your talk, have a special offer ready for them take advantage of. This is a huge opportunity to sell them your products or services.

© 2013. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission from Rochelle Togo-Figa, Professional Speaking Coach, is prohibited.

What Makes a Great Speaker?

One of the fastest ways to attract clients is to become known as the expert by speaking to groups. Yet, most people would rather be pushed from an airplane than get up in front of a group and speak. No one was ever born a natural speaker. When you watch dynamic speakers, it may seem as if they deliver their speech effortlessly. The ease with which they deliver their speech is the result of many hours of preparing and rehearsing.

I love speaking to groups, sharing my sales and marketing strategies to help them grow their businesses. Believe me; it wasn't always this way for me. It wasn't too long ago that the thought of getting up in front of a group paralyzed me. I laid awake many nights worried about how I'd come across. What would they think of me? What if they're not interested in what I have to say? What if I forget what to say? After years of practice, preparation, and training, my confidence increased and I became an effective speaker.

Let's take a look at the world of speaking and what the benefits are to you.

• When you become a speaker, you immediately elevate yourself in the eyes of the audience. They see you as the expert and this establishes instant credibility.
• You're reaching more than one person and that increases the chances of more people interested in your service or product.
• Your confidence increases. As your speaking improves, the most powerful benefit is the improvement in your general confidence and self-image.
• Research shows that in selling, a speech demonstrating your services is 50% more effective than the most glowing testimonial. You're showing the audience first hand how you think and work.
• When you're speaking, the audience has come to you rather than you having to find them.

What makes a great speaker?

I saw Suze Orman, the financial guru, speak at a conference. As soon as she walked on stage, she connected with us. She was down-to-earth, funny, and knowledgeable. She shared her own personal story of growing up in Chicago, working as a waitress for several years making only $400 a month. Although she has achieved great success and fame, she had her ups and downs just like you and me. Because she shared authentically from her heart, she had us all sitting on the edge of our seats listening to every word she said.

Here's 10 valuable tips to draw the audience to you from the beginning to end of your talk.

1. Know who's in your audience before you speak. Call the event or program planner to find out the profile of the people attending.
2. Arrive early before you speak and walk around introducing yourself to some of the people. This helps to relax you and get you related to them.
3. If you're speaking for a half-hour to an hour, your talk should cover only 3-4 points. The audience can only retain a limited amount of information in a short period of time.
4. Let the audience know at the beginning what you'll be talking about and how long you'll be speaking.
5. Speak to only one person at a time for about 4-5 seconds. Don't look over their heads. Speak to them. This helps to reduce nervousness, increase confidence, and connect with the audience.
6. Create a compelling memorable story. People are interested in "you." By sharing a memorable story, you're connecting with the audience at a more personal level. They now will feel more related to you and what you have to say.
7. Engage the audience throughout your presentation and make it interactive. Check in with them by asking questions. It's much more fun when you include them.
8. Throughout your talk, share other stories about people who you helped and the results. People love to hear real-life stories of triumph and success.
9. End your talk with a "call to action." What do you want as an outcome for your talk? Do you want the audience to take an action step? Do you want them to buy your product or service?
10. Capture your audience. If you want to keep in touch with them, offer to send them notes from your talk or give a gift if they give you their business cards.

If you would like to use this article on your website, or for your own ezine, not a problem; however, there’s one thing you MUST include: Rochelle Togo-Figa, The Sales Breakthrough Expert, is the creator of the Sales Breakthrough System™, a proven step-by-step sales process that will help you close more sales, sign on more clients and make more money with ease and velocity. To sign up for her free sales articles and teleclasses on closing more sales, visit http://www.salesbreakthroughs.com/.