When great talks don’t lead to clients – this may be what you missed!
When a talk they raved about doesn’t result in any sales, it’s not surprising if you feel deflated and bewildered. You might spend hours wondering what went wrong, because it just doesn’t make sense. This is something I’ve seen happen a lot and the fix is rarely what the speaker thinks it is.
You gave them a great speech – but you only got applause in return
I know it feels frustrating. You feel you did everything you could to prepare. You researched your topic, your slides were proofread within an inch of their lives and you practised long into the night. Perhaps you also sought help with your public speaking skills, whether reading books, joining a club or engaging a coach, so that your delivery was the best ever. It seems pointless when you’ve done all that and yet the results were not there. At this point some believe that they’re not good enough at public speaking or that their topic isn’t interesting. These things are rarely the issue. It can be even more confusing if audience members are telling you how much they loved the speech, perhaps even quoting things you’ve said – and still they don’t buy.
This experience is far from unique. It’s not because your hands looked awkward or because slide 6 had a spelling mistake, it’s because you only focused on giving a great talk, not on giving the right one.
Why great talks don’t sell
An audience loves listening to a great speaker – one that’s inspiring, engaging, humorous, eloquent and leaves them thinking. Being able to create a speech like this takes skill, but it’s not enough if you’re using speaking to grow your business. The good news is that your clients rarely buy based on your speaking skills. Your clients buy when your talk connects with them and their needs. Being eloquent and being relevant are not the same thing, and being entertaining will ensure you’re memorable but not that they’ll buy from you.
So if you’re not focusing on your skills for now, what should you focus on? I won’t patronise you by telling you to ‘just be yourself’. As much as I believe that the key to great speaking is being yourself on stage, I know that doing that can feel outside the realm of possibility for many. What you can do, however, is to be intentional. Being intentional for your business isn’t about being pushy or salesy, it’s about understanding what your audience needs from you in order to be ready to buy from you, or to recommend you to others
Before you start putting those slides together or asking ChatGPT for a script here are some ways you can be more intentional in your preparation.
Ways to be more intentional
Intentionally you
It’s hard to be yourself if your content isn’t really ‘you’. When you only say what you believe you are expected to say you become emotionally detached. If you’re not emotionally involved how you speak will lack connection too. Many speakers are tempted to teach what they’ve learnt themselves – but without their own perspective or added take on that content could be delivered by anyone. Consider what you have emotional connection to and why.
Basing your talk on what has emotional connection for you is what helps you stand out, This isn’t just because your content will be unique, but because that emotional connection will come through in your voice and all aspects of your delivery. A talk based on personal perspective doesn’t have to rely on a script. It’s what you love talking about every day. What you choose and how you speak about it will also convey naturally something of your personality and values
Intentionally connected
One thing you’ll learn from most speaker trainings is that the most important person in the room isn’t the speaker but their audience. Without the audience the speaker is speaking to an empty room. If the audience isn’t listening then the speaker might as well not be there. As a coach I help my clients explore the ways that they can engage and connect with the audience, yet not all connection is relevant. A talk about my schooldays may invoke many shared memories in the room but a trip down memory lane that doesn’t speak to their current needs is only a trip down memory lane – not an invitation to consider something more.
We can connect in many ways and at many points during a talk. Creating intentional connections that lead to sales means understanding your audience, their goals, needs and current perspective.
Intentionally directed
Understanding your audience and getting intentionally connected will get them on board, but if you’re going to sell your offer you also need to be intentional about where you are taking them. Some great talks are a bit like how some airlines sell you a ticket to a city. You choose your destination, only to find yourself at some cheaper airport some miles away. It’s a good talk, there’s value, connection and they love you – but your offer appears random and tagged on. It’s not what you got them fired up about and it’s unclear on how it fits with the person they’ve just been introduced to.
Be intentional on how your talk relates to the offer you share with your audience. The sale should be a natural progression for your ideal customer in the room.
Final thought
While improved speaking and presenting skills will help you feel more comfortable and get booked as a speaker, if you want your talks to lead to more business, you need to prepare intentionally. Focusing on unique content, your audience needs and relevance to your offer will have faster impact on results than perfecting your vocal variety ever will.
Chat about speaking issues without pressure
Twice a month I run The Speaking Space. A free 30 min open chat for women running their own businesses. Join to share celebrations, frustrations and what’s getting in our way when it comes to speaking about our business. Email me at julie@softlyinspired.co.uk if you’d like to know more
Ready to work on becoming a more engaging speaker to promote your business? Book a call to discover your next best step from my Contact page