5 Ways to Blow a Business Speaking Opportunity

Table of contents

Speaking at events is a major opportunity to market your business and establish your expertise, thought leadership and credibility. It’s also a potentially huge revenue stream for your business. I make a sizable portion of my income getting paid to speak. When I first started, though, I was speaking to grow my business.

I see companies spending money to secure stage time at conferences and sending employees to advocate on their behalf in breakout sessions. I see entrepreneurs and business owners presenting at events, trying to grow their clientele. And, in more cases than not, I see most of these opportunities either blown, or not nearly as impactful and effective as they could be.

Related:

Speakers who really know their sh*t and who are willing to get out there, be vulnerable and make a true connection with their audience by providing real value, have a major opportunity to draw leads and convert them into paying clients — leaving the others in the dust.

When it comes down to driving action based on a speech or presentation, here’s the straight-to-the-point fact. If you don’t excite me when you’re on stage, I seriously doubt your ability to entice me off stage. Moreover, if you don’t make some sort of a mental or emotional connection with me on stage, there’s no way I’m wasting my time connecting with you offstage.

That may sound harsh, but it’s the truth. And it’s not just me.

Want to make that connection? I’m going to tell you what not to do. Here are five surefire ways to blow a speaking opportunity, and ways avoid them.

1. Trying to be someone else.

Thinking there’s one way to be a “professional speaker” is ridiculous. So many people, given speaking opportunities, put themselves into a box. They think that they have to speak a certain way, act a certain way, make slide decks, use a podium, be serious. It’s all BS. You need to figure out who you are as a speaker. Stop trying to be something else, and start focusing on bringing your own unique energy and approach to the presentation. If you’re hoping to gain connections and clients by speaking, you have to be yourself, and you have to find a way to connect with your audience. If there’s a disconnect between who you are on stage and who you are offstage, you’re going to run into problems.

2. Thinking you’re important.

The first thing you need to get in your head when you’re giving a presentation is that it is not about you. What matters is the value that you share with your audience and the impact you make on their lives. A mistake I often see people make is oversharing examples from their business. Business owners think if they share stories from their business that they’ll look smart and credible. That not a bad thought at all, but it can go wrong.

Related:

The speaker goes into so much detail that is in no way relevant to the major takeaway of the story. Nobody cares about the details of your story unless they have a direct connection to either their understanding of a concept or teaching a major takeaway. Stories are important, but inundating your audience with mundane details that you think make you look bigger, badder, busier or more important will backfire.

The audience doesn’t care that you flew in last night, that you’re in the middle of a six-city tour or that you ran across town because traffic was so bad. They care about getting value from your presentation. People want you to answer “what’s in it for me” and walk away with something that will improve their condition.

3. Hiding behind a podium or script.

A podium places a nonverbal barrier between you and your audience. It is communicating, “I am here, protected, separated. And you are there, in the audience, not here.” Even if you need to use notes — and I understand that — leave them on the podium, and walk away to engage with your audience.

If you’re speaking to try to position yourself as an expert — who wants to drive increased business through speaking — you can’t sequester yourself away from your audience. People do business with those they know and like. If you don’t open yourself up to your audience, they never have a chance to make a connection with you.

Same goes for having a script. Don’t mistake scripting for planning. Planning is essential. Scripting is your death. When you’re trying to remember words or you’re reading off of a script, you lack the full ability to connect with your audience as you’re more worried about the right words other than making the right impact. When you are less scripted and more real, your expertise is going to shine.

4. Arbitrary statistics and quotes.

Thinking that if you share statistics and quotes you’ll be perceived as more credible is simply inaccurate. Anyone can look up statistics online. Simply regurgitating them makes you a parrot. The magic comes in sharing statistics or a quote that strengthens your position and then provides context to draw them together and make them unique to your point of view or perspective. Presenting statistics and adding your own perspective, a case study that confirms or denies the number or adding a new way of framing an understanding that demonstrates your expertise — now that is a winning shift.

5. Failing to plan your opening and closing.

Your first words set the stage for the entire presentation. The last words set the stage for the action that you want your audience to take. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve listened to speakers and the first word out of their mouth is “ummmm” or “uhhhh” or “so.” That does not make an impression.

Choose your first words wisely. Starting with a filler word tells the audience that you are unprepared, unpolished and unprofessional. And if you’re ending with a sales pitch, think again. You want to end with something profound and valuable that leaves people wanting to know more and continue the conversation. If you do find yourself needing to make a pitch from the stage, be transparent about it, and do it at about 70 to 80 percent of the way through your presentation, so you still have time to end with a bang.

Calculate the price
Make an order in advance and get the best price
Pages (550 words)
$0.00
*Price with a welcome 15% discount applied.
Pro tip: If you want to save more money and pay the lowest price, you need to set a more extended deadline.
We know how difficult it is to be a student these days. That's why our prices are one of the most affordable on the market, and there are no hidden fees.

Instead, we offer bonuses, discounts, and free services to make your experience outstanding.
How it works
Receive a 100% original paper that will pass Turnitin from a top essay writing service
step 1
Upload your instructions
Fill out the order form and provide paper details. You can even attach screenshots or add additional instructions later. If something is not clear or missing, the writer will contact you for clarification.
Pro service tips
How to get the most out of your experience with MyStudyWriters
One writer throughout the entire course
If you like the writer, you can hire them again. Just copy & paste their ID on the order form ("Preferred Writer's ID" field). This way, your vocabulary will be uniform, and the writer will be aware of your needs.
The same paper from different writers
You can order essay or any other work from two different writers to choose the best one or give another version to a friend. This can be done through the add-on "Same paper from another writer."
Copy of sources used by the writer
Our college essay writers work with ScienceDirect and other databases. They can send you articles or materials used in PDF or through screenshots. Just tick the "Copy of sources" field on the order form.
Testimonials
See why 20k+ students have chosen us as their sole writing assistance provider
Check out the latest reviews and opinions submitted by real customers worldwide and make an informed decision.
Business and administrative studies
great job as always
Customer 452773, February 26th, 2023
BUSINESSADMINECO535
excellent work
Customer 452773, October 6th, 2023
Marketing
excecllent
Customer 452773, October 22nd, 2024
Marketing
excellent work thank you
Customer 452773, October 15th, 2024
Social Work and Human Services
Great work I would love to continue working with this writer thought out the 11 week course.
Customer 452667, May 30th, 2021
See instructions
Paid for 3 days got it back in 5. That's my only complaint on this paper. Other then that paper was good just and the site been amazing on getting stuff out on time besides my last few orders
Customer 452771, October 23rd, 2024
Human Resources Management (HRM)
excellent, great job
Customer 452773, June 19th, 2023
FIN571
excellent
Customer 452773, March 15th, 2024
Business and administrative studies
Thanks
Customer 452773, March 3rd, 2023
Business and administrative studies
Excellent job
Customer 452773, March 17th, 2023
Human Resources Management (HRM)
excellent
Customer 452773, July 11th, 2023
Managerial Accounting & Legal Aspects of Business ACC/543
excellent work
Customer 452773, February 7th, 2024
11,595
Customer reviews in total
96%
Current satisfaction rate
3 pages
Average paper length
37%
Customers referred by a friend
OUR GIFT TO YOU
15% OFF your first order
Use a coupon FIRST15 and enjoy expert help with any task at the most affordable price.
Claim my 15% OFF Order in Chat
Close

Sometimes it is hard to do all the work on your own

Let us help you get a good grade on your paper. Get professional help and free up your time for more important courses. Let us handle your;

  • Dissertations and Thesis
  • Essays
  • All Assignments

  • Research papers
  • Terms Papers
  • Online Classes
Live ChatWhatsApp