At some point in our careers as Internet marketers, we may reach a level of excellence that will command the trust and respect of people in our industry. Some of us will be good enough to be invited as resource speakers for conferences and seminars from time to time. For some Internet marketers, this can be a drag since it involves slithering out of our lairs and having to meet people face to face.
Egads!
What do you do when you suddenly find yourself in a bind where you have to speak and share your knowledge in front of hundreds of people? Not all of us are born with silver tongues and for an average Internet marketer, speaking in a huge function hall is a big departure from a small office where you only have to write copy and send out emails.
It’s a challenge, Cuz, but that doesn’t mean you should just drown in the moment and never realize your full potential. Internet marketers who have the ability to create relationships in and out of the Internet are usually the ones who rake in the leads and cash in on the benefits. If speaking in front of a crowd gives you the jitters, I’ve got some tips that can help you overcome your anxiety. Here goes:
- Know the composition of the crowd – It’s very important that you know in advance what demographic you’ll be speaking in front of. This allows you to predict the level of knowledge that your audience will have – an essential element in determining whether you should talk about the basics of Internet marketing or get down to the nitty gritty of hardcore business practices in the Interwebs.
- Think of a topic that has value – When choosing a topic to talk about, deliver something that will leave your audience with a sense of empowerment after you’re done. This could be something as simple as introducing upstart marketers to the power of Google Adwords Keyword tool to something as complex as using canonical tags in unconventional ways to help your pages get indexed faster and rank better. Whatever the topic is, make sure that the audience actually learns something out of it.
- Prepare lots of visual aids – Thanks to PowerPoint and other presentation software out there, showing and telling new concepts to people is easy and entertaining. Make full use of the technology by preparing lots of pictures or videos that will illustrate your points. Be minimalist with text and let your speech drive the flow of your presentation.
- Dress for style AND comfort – Let’s face it: how a speaker looks ultimately becomes a significant portion of the impression that you leave to a crowd. Dress appropriately for the event by following the designated dress code. Don’t be reckless with what you wear but don’t try too hard either. If you’re uncomfortable with a certain type of attire, don’t force the issue because the discomfort might affect how you look and how you talk on stage. Try different outfits in advance and settle with one that provides a good balance between comfort and style.
- Do a pre-talk routine – On your big day, you might feel the butterflies stirring up your stomach, leaving you looking stressed and anxious as you speak. I know it’s not easy but you have to relax and keep your cool. I’ve learned over the years that even some big time celebrities feel nervous before taking the stage. They calm their nerves by doing some relaxing routines. Some people play video games, some people read books, and some people go around and start goofing with other people backstage. Find what can relieve the tension and do it.
- Enjoy the moment – The most important thing to remember when delivering a talk is that you’re a person of authority and you’ve earned the right to speak because you’re great at what you do. Keep in mind that you know something that most of the crowd doesn’t know yet and they’re rooting for you to share it with them. Finally, you should realize that the speaking engagement is not about you – it’s about the audience and how you can help them. When you deliver great value without expecting to be compensated for it, it’s very hard to really go wrong.
I hope these tips help you in your preparation for a talk you’ll deliver in the future. View it as both a privilege and an opportunity: it’s a privilege because you get the chance to help people with what you know and it’s an opportunity to widen your business and social circles, which should yield awesome stuff down the road in your career.
Until then,
Andy
