3 Proven Marketing Techniques for Coaches (Part 2)

This is Part 2 of a 3-part series on my 3 favorite and most effective marketing methods. This month is about public speaking, THE way to attract new clients, invitations to new speaking opportunities, media placements, joint ventures, you name it! Click here to read Part 1 of this series about defining your WHO and WHAT. 

TECHNIQUE #2 – Public Speaking

This is the primary marketing method I use to get new clients, used in combination with an invitation to join me in a private complimentary telephone consultation. (This will be the subject of Part 3 of this series in July.)

By making it known who I work with and what results I deliver for them, I am invited to speak to rooms filled with my target audience. What could be better?! (See Part 1 of this article series on the importance of defining your WHO and WHAT.) 

Speaking to an audience of your target market on issues that are unique to them greatly increases the odds of attracting new clients that are a good fit. And the easy thing is you can select your topic from the issues your target audience faces, of which you are very familiar and have some real and perceived expertise, and for which you deliver solutions.

Speaking is the best marketing method because people experience you, learn to like and trust you and they get an idea of what to expect if they work with you. Speaking lets you reach more people with less effort.

• Is the thought of public speaking is a scary to you? A key to overcoming fear of public speaking, shared by many (second for some to the fear of death), is to find your natural speaking style and to leverage situations in which you already speak well and have fun, even if it’s one-to-one. For many of us, letting go of preconceived rules and ideas about what speaking means is easier if you replace the word and behavior of “speaking” with the mindset and action of teaching or coaching!
• Make your speaking coach-like, interactive and comfortable for you and your audience by using provocative questions, exercises, conversations in pairs, or whatever you might do if you were working with each person as a client.
• I encourage you to speak on a topic you know in your sleep; something that you typically teach almost every client that matches your audience.
• Leverage what you do well 1:1 with clients and simply do it in front of a group.
• It is critical to make an offer to your audience giving them a call to action before they leave the room. A clipboard with a sign up for 4-6 complimentary consultations is what brings me a new client nearly every time I speak. In addition, offer a free report or article or worksheet and gather their emails or business cards so you can grow your relationship with your audience. (We’ll discuss the complimentary consultation in Part 3 of this article series. Tune in at the end of July to learn what this critical meeting is, how to conduct it, and how it can lead to sales.)

Gail Sussman Miller of Inspired Choice, teaches women solopreneurs and small business owners how to love marketing obstacles and overcome them with ease. Gail offers a 6-week telephone workshop, “How to Love Speaking,” that helps you overcome discomfort or fear of speaking, find your best content, preparation, and delivery style, and design a flow from speaking to sales. Check out the next round starting September 11th at www.howtolovespeaking.com and get a free taste with the recording offered there on how to “Find Your Speaking Audience by Knowing Your WHO and WHAT.