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Speaking Events

Be Choosy about Your Speaking Events

Natasha had been running her digital business for five years. When she was attending a business conference, she shared her story with the audience in a brief feedback session. She received a warm response from the audience and from that day forward, she was hooked. She started looking for more events to speak at and within a year, she was speaking regularly.

But the more she spoke, the more opportunities that came her way. She loved that she had her pick of events to speak at but she also knew she had to guard against burnout. So, Natasha became more selective about conferences she said, “yes!” to.

Like Natasha, you can’t agree to every event that comes your way. Not only will you never have time for your business or personal life, you’ll also lose your effectiveness as you become tired and overwhelmed from the constant travel. Here’s how to pick and choose which events you agree to…

Does It Align with Your Goals?

Think about what is that you’re looking for from your speaking. Are you trying to get clients through in-person meetings? Do you want to connect with others in your industry and grow your list of connections? Are your promoting your own product line?

When you know what your goals are, it makes it easier to pick the best conferences for your needs. If a particular conference won’t bring you closer to reaching your goals, you likely need to turn it down.

Will It Broaden Your Network?

The wonderful thing about speaking is that it gives you the chance to befriend other speakers, industry leaders, and event hosts. These friendships can be valuable to you and may even be worth attending the conference.

Is It a Good Fit for Your Niche?

Making connections is a fantastic reason to attend events. But you want to build your network by filling it with people who are in your niche. If you speak on topics like investing in stocks and the conference is for knitters, then you aren’t likely to make valuable contacts there.

However, you can speak to a group when there’s overlap potential. Using the example above, investing in stocks won’t be interesting to knitters. But you may find an event for established entrepreneurs that would be a good fit for you.

Does It Excite You?

If you’ve already answered the first three questions with a resounding “yes”, then you need to consider this final one. Is it something that you think would be fun and enjoyable or personally enriching?

It’s hard to attend an event if you’re not excited to be there. That’s why it’s smart to stop and check-in with yourself before you agree to travel to a conference or location. Pay attention to how you feel about saying “yes”.

Does the idea make you want to start packing right now or does it fill you with dread? Do you instantly want to calculate how many days until the event or are you thinking about how good you’ll feel once the pressure of the event is gone?

Don’t feel like you have to say “yes” to every event you’re invited to. Being selective about your speaking opportunities means that you can give the best of your time and energy to the people you’re with.

Fran Watson

 

What if you could boost the visibility of your business? What if you could easily connect with potential clients in person? What if you got clarity around your message and influenced even more people with it?

With the So, You Want to Get Speaking Gigs? Workbook, you’ll discover how speaking benefits your business, what you need to get started, and how you can begin finding speaking events today. Here’s a peek at what you’ll see in your workbook…

  • The 4 Big Benefits of Becoming a Speaker
  • Create a Message You’re Proud to Share
  • Talking Money: What to Expect as a First-Time Speaker
  • Speaking Gigs Are Right Under Your Nose! Here’s How to Find Them…
  • Why Every Speaker Needs a Media Page (& What to Put on Yours!)

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