If you’
ve been following all of the gurus, you know that one of the best ways to meet people and get business is by speaking. Frankly, I agree, unless of course you shouldn’t be speaking.
Let me tell you what I mean by that.
My client Steve knew he needed to be speaking from the stage. He had spent a year working on his “signature talk”. Only he never gave his talk to anyone.
He kept hearing, you need to speak, you need to speak and he knew everyone was right. He knew that it was a great strategy to use and yet he was absolutely terrified of public speaking.
So for a year he polished his speech, making sure it was perfect. He never booked a speaking engagement or told anyone he was available to do a talk.
It was incredibly frustrating, knowing what he was supposed to be doing and not doing it. His business stagnated because his marketing strategy focused on speaking and he wasn’t doing it.
Sure, speaking is a fabulous way to build your business but not for him.
This is just one example. There are a lot of “best practices” out there. For the most part, they make sense. However, it’s vital that you put those best practices through your own filter and ask “What’s right for me?”
For Steve speaking wasn’t right, he still needed to be in front of people so instead of focusing on a signature talk, he attended regular networking events so that he could get comfortable speaking to people. We also created a follow up strategy for him that included email and phone calls.
Steve started connecting with people and his business started to grow.
Steve could have gotten on a stage, but that “best practice” was the “worst practice” for him.
As you look at your options think about what you are forcing yourself to do and what might be a better option for you.
One word of caution … this is not an excuse meant to keep you within your comfort zone. My coach wanted me to host an event. I didn’t want to do it. It was way outside of my comfort zone. I had two choices. I could have chosen to say no, but instead I pushed myself and did it. It was the right thing for me.
So here’s the bottom line. Before you say no to a “best practice” take a moment to consider why you are saying no. Is it because it truly is not right for you or are you afraid or staying within your comfort zone.
Have you ever said no to a “best practice”? Tell me what happened in the comments section below.
Public speaking used to be my forte. Then I got older and developed spasmodic dysphonia, which causes my voice to quit at the most inopportune times. I can speak in short bursts, if I breathe frequently and stay really hydrated, but a long speech is out of the question. For one thing, it would cause real pain. I go to events and network like crazy, so that is now one of my best practices. That and continuing to do what I do well, attend the events/meetings and write up comprehensive reports on them for my local news site. I have found my strengths and promote them to an ever-increasing audience.
Carrie, I agree with you. I am a speaker trainer and completely disagree that everyone should be speaking. People should market themselves in the way that makes sense to their strengths. And I have seen so many entrepreneurs get on stage and deliver bad content or content not developed properly as well as present in a way that reads as insecure. Play to your strengths, not what the trends are!