In today’s world you only have eight seconds to make an impression.
July 23 through July 26 the National Speakers Association hosted Influence 2016, their annual convention, with over 1,400 attendees from around the world.
NSA, located in Tempe, was created for speakers to support each other in a noncompetitive way.
The association offers conferences and online programs for professionals, and runs an academy for aspiring speakers, teaching them how to design, develop and build their business.
There are also 34 chapters around the U.S. offering monthly meetings, speaker labs and other services.
I was fortunate to attend the NSA convention and podcast breakfast hosted by Jeffrey Hayzlett, founder and host of the C-Suite Network and C-Suite with Jeffrey Hayzlett.
During the breakfast Hayzlett gave tips and advice for reaching your desired audience and effectively delivering your product to them.
1. Podcast Setup – Identify your topic, message, target audience, time, length and frequency of the show.
2. Marketing Strategy – Pick a name and set up a website or web page for podcast notes. Use a calendar to plan out topics, and be sure that you always have 3 or 4 shows in reserve. Promote and build your audience.
3. Tech Setup – Get a good microphone. Pick a recording platform like Skype or Free Conference Call. Get a podcast editing software like Audacity or GarageBand and a storage or host program for MP3s like SoundCloud or Libsyn.
4. Populate – Send out your completed podcast to iTunes, Stitcher and SoundCloud. Be sure to promote yourself and your podcast on all platforms of social media.
Keeping your customers’ interest is essential online and off. When branding your business to build your community or customer base, your message must be congruent across all different formats.
The strongest connection you can make with your audience is through live speaking.
Identify your topic and your target audience, and begin by speaking to local communities, chambers of commerce and business groups. It’s a great way to share information about your business and invite people to be part of your community.
Websites, blogs and social media are great ways to express the written word, but other channels such as speaking engagements, podcasts and video streaming are more interactive. They make for powerful avenues to deliver content and make an impact.
There are different platforms for speaking, including online programs for webinars, video training or teleseries, but no matter what platform you choose, it’s important to develop your stage skills and know how to properly craft your speeches. Entrepreneur on fire and Podcast Answer man both offer free online tutorials.
While speaking at events you can even sell your products, programs or books. When you position yourself as an expert you can take your speaking to the next level and become a paid speaker.
Whether online or off, podcast or speaking, be sure to provide value and be authentic!
