If you’re coming to the end of the year wondering why you’re still not making money and considering packing it in and getting a proper job, stop right there my friend. I’ve been in your shoes. Little over a year ago in fact.
I was fed up of trying to follow what all the so called marketing experts were telling me to do to grow my coaching business - and failing miserably because, well it wasn’t my style. So I decided to start focusing on what I do best - talking!
As a result my business has grown by 25% this year and my Speaking Academy members are growing their businesses too by following my lead.
If you’re avoiding public speaking, ask yourself what else are you avoiding in your business that involves speaking to people - networking, phone calls, sales meetings, podcasts. How many opportunities are you missing out on?
How does public speaking ignite business growth?
The great thing about speaking about your business is that you’re the expert, no one else knows it better than you.
Here’s how it ignites business growth:
Increasing leads - think about it, if you go to a networking event with 100 people with the best of intentions you’d get to speak to 10% of the room in an hour. However, if you’re the speaker, everyone in the room gets to hear your voice, it’s more likely the right people will hear your message and want to work with you.
Winning more clients - no matter if you’re speaking on the phone, Zoom or face to face your potential client will hear uncertainty in your voice and doubt your ability no matter what level of experience you have. When you learn to speak confidently, your voice has a huge impact in selling your services.
Reducing your marketing spend - imagine if you could become your best marketing tool, how much more powerful is your voice than a Facebook advert? If you’re speaking at an event the only cost you have is your travel and time - and as your skills improve you could even start to claim that back!
Raising your brand profile - being a speaker immediately elevates you as the expert in your field. Whether you’re speaking on a podcast or at an event, the organisers will be promoting it so you’re amplifying your brand to their listeners and followers too.
Case study: Shakeela joined my Speaking Academy 12 months ago as she was starting her business. She set a goal to get 10 clients and a financial goal she’d be happy with for the first year in her accountancy practice. A year later she has doubled the number of clients she expected and tripled her revenue goal! All down to networking, speaking to groups and building her confidence in her capability.
What are common fears holding women back from business growth?
Fear of failure: What if I mess it up?
Fear of rejection: What if no one likes me?
Fear of success: What if I grow too quickly and I can’t cope?
When you’re operating through fear it drives your anxiety, uncertainty and doubt. It feels uncomfortable and you want to retreat back into your shell. So you stop networking, stop posting on social media and hide. Then all your enquiries dry up, your bank balance decreases and you’re scared of failing again.
It can feel like an endless cycle and yes, I know it’s exhausting! I hear clients describe this in many different ways from feeling stuck, to being on a roundabout or at a crossroads. It’s all linked to fear and the good news is there is a simple solution - I said simple but not easy!
How does public speaking help you to overcome fear?
Now stick with me here, don’t give up now you’ve come this far! I know you’re going to think I’m bonkers when I tell you that public speaking is the answer to overcoming fear but it’s true, I’ve been trialling and testing this theory for over a decade and it works.
In 2010 after an earth shatteringly embarrassing incident at a networking event, I very nearly ended my coaching career before it had begun. Convinced I’d ruined my reputation, I was ready to run for the hills. But my northern grit (stubbornness!) kicked in and I decided instead of giving it up I’d give it my all.
From that day on public speaking has become my passion. It’s why I started my business and I’ve made it my mission to help women like you to overcome your fear of public speaking too.
Here are 4 ways that public speaking builds your confidence and breaks through fear:
1. Doing the thing you fear more than anything else makes everything else pale in comparison. That awkward conversation you need to have - can’t be as scary as that talk you gave last week, get on with it!
2. Speaking about your business more often builds your confidence in your message and your sales calls become more effective. Consequently your conversion rate goes up and so does your bank balance!
3. Engaging with an audience helps you to understand your customers better. You get to know their current challenges and you can tailor your message to their exact needs. Does this result in more sales? Damn right it does.
4. Sharing your story reminds you how much experience you have and the questions from your audience show you how much your help is needed - goodbye imposter syndrome!
If you’re in a service based business then confident communication is vital if you want to attract clients. Whether you’re in coaching, finance, IT, HR or insurance there are countless other companies selling the same thing so it’s not what you do but how you do it that makes people want to work with you.
When it comes to communication the same rule applies - it’s not what you say but how you say it. The sound of your voice, the strength of your message and the conviction in your diction all collaborate to create impact. You’re building belief that what you’re saying is true and developing the all important trust you need to get clients to sign on the dotted line (or in the digital signature box).
Case study: I first met Emma five years ago when she was starting her own business selling family insurance. She already had years of experience and a strong ethical reason for wanting to help clients but she lacked confidence in selling. Fast forward five years, with coaching from me and purposeful practice speaking on Lives, Videos and Podcasts, Emma has scaled her business, grown her team and developed an outstanding reputation in her industry which has her in demand to speak at events to share her knowledge and expertise.
The Bold Moves business growth strategy for success
If you want to have your best year ever, then follow the Bold Moves six key strategies for success:
Connection - engage with your clients, be fully present and listen to their needs so that you can keep your content relevant.
Clarity - be really clear on the purpose for your business, set bold goals to motivate you and work on delivering your message with conviction
Challenge - say yes to speaking opportunities and start seeing them as a positive to develop your potential through personal growth
Confidence - the more you speak the more you will feel confident in your ability and this will come across in your client meetings and sales calls
Commitment - to achieve serious growth you have to commit to continuous learning. If you stop stretching your comfort zone it will shrink and you’ll feel the fear again.
Celebrate - make time to reflect on your achievements and celebrate your success as you grow your business, your confidence will soar!
Can I really scale my business through public speaking?
Yes you can! If I can do it, anyone can you simply need to decide to get focused and fearless. To help you get started I’ve created a 90 day plan to get you focused on your goals with monthly and weekly planners to make it simple to take action.
Don’t wait, get started today CLICK HERE to download your copy. (Yes it will mean you join my mailing list but if you don’t want to receive more uniquely valuable content like this you can unsubscribe at any time.)
On the other hand if this has got you all fired up and you’re serious about starting speaking to sell your services you can book a breakthrough call with me to learn more. Book a call here.
In the business arena, confidence in public speaking isn't a luxury; it's your competitive edge. Fear may have held you back in the past, but with the right skills and mindset, you can break through your barriers and scale your business to new heights. Remember I’m here to help equip you with the tools to captivate audiences, win clients, and drive your business toward unprecedented growth.