Wouldn’t it be great to begin 2018 knowing exactly what to do to grow your speaking platform?
As a heart centered visionary, I know you’re here to do big work in the world. And you feel called to speak to make a greater impact.
Speaking is a great way to connect with clients, establish your thought leadership and grow your business.
While there’s no formula for success, there are a few key ingredients that will build a foundation and make your visibility soar.
Find Your Voice
We all have a voice. Yet, finding your voice is one of the greatest struggles for many entrepreneurs. Once discovered, it can also be the key to standing out from the noise.
To help define your voice here are a few questions to get started:
What 3 words would you use to describe yourself? Is this how you would describe your speaking voice?
There are others who do the work that you do, but what do you do differently?
What are your strong opinions or beliefs?
A second way to define your voice is to think of a story you want to share with your audience. Now, pretend you are telling the same story to a friend. Do the styles match up? Do they sound the same?
Finding your voice is the first step to being visible. It’s also the way to engage your audience and developing a following.
Define Your Story
What is the message you were born to share? One of the concerns I hear most often from clients is that they don’t have a story to share. Or that their story isn’t compelling, special or unique.
Everyone has a story to tell – even YOU.
Like finding your voice, your story will take time to develop. Dig beneath the surface to uncover gems – the experiences, challenges and adventures you’ve forgotten about.
Here’s an exercise you can try: draw a line on a sheet of paper. The line represents your life with one end representing the day you were born; the other, the present day. Begin to fill in all the key milestones in between – graduations, marriage, moving, career changes, children, writing a book, traveling, and so on.
You’ll remember events and achievements you’ve forgotten about, which may spark your signature story.
Build a Platform
Your speaking platform is the foundation that will get you to the next level. That means, getting speaking experience under your belt. If you’re new to speaking, start small. There are numerous opportunities available in your local community from Meet Up groups to associations to the Chamber of Commerce. You can also be a guest for online podcasts, livestreams and webinars.
When you have a track record it makes it easier to book larger speaking opportunities.
In addition to your experience, building a foundation includes growing your community (online and off), perfecting your story, creating speaker materials and having a strategy to set you up for success..
When all of those pieces come together you’ve build a platform that will launch you to the next level. Continue to build the momentum and raise your visibility. Beforeyou know it you won’t have to seek out speaking opportunities. They will come to you!
Ready to take your speaking to the next level in 2018? Reserve your complimentary session and watch your visibility soar!