Extend your Brand with Public Speaking ? Brand Constructors

A picture of me speaking at SMPS SERC 2012 in Charlotte.

One of my favorite things to do is to share and educate. (I?ve always said marketing is just educating anyway.) At times I think I should have been a teacher, but I couldn?t imagine not doing design & marketing. I?ve gotten my share of teaching being a Boy Scout leader & trainer, volunteering at the local zoo with the education department, and regularly speaking at conferences, workshops & career days to share my knowledge of design & brand marketing.

I?ve found speaking a great way to position myself and my company?s brand as the expert in the industry, in my case construction brand marketing & construction websites. Why does this work? First off, most people are humble and do not brag about themselves. My team regularly has to announce my personal accomplishments because I am not comfortable doing so for myself. Secondly, knowledge is generally shared on a one-to-one basis or in small groups, such as with your clients. Public speaking provides you a mechanism to share your expertise with dozens and even hundreds of people. Also, when you do a good job presenting and educating your audience, they view you as the expert and as the industry leader. Another nice side effect is all of the free advertising you get as your presentation is promoted.

If you?re not completely comfortable speaking in front of audiences, you are not alone and I can give you a few tips:

1. Talk about what you know ? Don?t set yourself up for failure by discussing something you do not know well because you will lack the confidence needed to present and the first question could trip you up causing you to lose credibility. When I first got into business development a couple of months out of college, I started to do training with the Boy Scouts. This gave me a low-pressure venue to practice talking to people older then me (like my potential clients) and talk about things I knew well such as backpacking, camping, and scouting.
2. Be prepared - It is more than the Boy Scout motto, it is a time tested way to reduce anxiety when speaking. Create your own presentations and know them well. Also, keep in mind that you do not need to memorize and perfectly recite your presentation, some changes are to be expected and your audience won?t know the difference.
3. Practice - As part of your preparation, you should practice your presentation until you are comfortable with the flow and order of it. Another great way to practice is to speak at non-professional events such as church groups, clubs, and even being the leader of your fantasy football league just like I did speaking to scouters.
4. Expect anxiety - Professional speakers still get nervous, but they use that adrenaline rush to create excitement in their presentations. It is proven that the adrenaline wears off after a minute or two. Expect it and embrace it.

These are just a few basics tips that I have learned myself through trial-and-error and from my wife who is a presentation coach (check out her company ? Speak Simple).

Think about what knowledge you have and who would want to learn from you. Do you have a co-worker or principal that can extend your brand through public speaking if they just had a little nudge? Here is your nudge.

Source: http://brandsunderconstruction.com/blog/extend-your-brand-with-public-speaking

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