Save the date: Our next LI live audio event is on Monday 15th April at 12 noon.
Topic: BALANCE. We’ll send the link nearer the time.
The “Millennial Pause” at the start of this video is magnificent. At least I didn’t laugh though. Ben and I spoke about how and why some freelancers and small business owners might like to get their voices out there. As always, we’ve recorded a little recap.
The benefits of public speaking are:
affirmation and attention!
it positions you as an expert
maximises networking opportunities at real life events - as a speaker you tend to talk to more people during the breaks
other opportunities can follow, like podcast appearances, being invited to deliver training, etc.
when delivering live talks, the energy in the room is an excellent legal high
you shorten the gap between you and your potential clients and your network
it can increase your revenue streams e.g. being paid to speak and/or offering consultancy work on top of your “day job”
Things to be mindful of:
you don’t necessarily get instant ROI
maybe you don’t need slides?
likely you’ll have to do it free of charge to begin with
it takes brain space and takes time to create a decent talk
most people are rooting for you, but if you get the odd hater you’ve made it
the longer-term ROI isn’t just being paid to talk at stuff, it’s the broader rate increase, raised profile, wider audience, higher-quality clients, etc.
How to dip a toe in:
put it out there that you want to speak at events and on pods (if you don’t ask…)
listen to other people talking at events/podcasts/webinars (e.g. TMM) is a really useful way to learn how to do it well
use Canva to record yourself (might be a pro feature, not sure) - the benefit is you can re-record each slide if you fluff up
prep a short talk so if you get interest you have an oven-ready bio, talk description and theme
talk in front of the mirror to build confidence
get along to Keynote Club run by Max Hopkinson, Becca Lamb and Becki Wilson for a gentle, welcoming space
record some videos to put out on LinkedIn, doesn’t need to be long (literally 30 seconds is fine)
record your voice and listen back - get over that gross bit of hearing yourself
no need for special equipment - send yourself a WhatsApp voicenote and listen to it on repeat as exposure therapy
Who to follow:
Pascalle Bergmans for snackable videos about public speaking techniques
Jackie Goddard for her “Speak Like A Speaker” series
Bonnie Harrington for a 1:1 to improve your presentations
Shameless self-promo:
Ben spoke at Copy Cabana when he was a baby copywriter
Mel has a dedicated speaking page
And finally, a huge thank you to our paid supporters Ralph, Nikki, Lorna and Jen. It blows our minds a little and we’re so grateful.
Also, apologies for any nagging emails Substack sends about upgrading to paid - it has a mind of its own.
Speak soon,
Catch us in action…
Ben is speaking at Creator Day in Poole on 25th April
Mel is speaking at CopyCon in London on 8th November
PS: Mel wrote more speaker tips here.
Barfield & McKinney's Podcast Experiment