How speaking engagements can capture more business for consultants

Less is more. How does the audience feel about marketing through speeches? They are turning cynical and highly sensitive to "pitching from the platform." They expect specific take-home value and will not tolerate boredom. Some consultants overcompensate by filling the program with too much content. They cram their speeches with so much data that listeners leave overwhelmed with information. Their logic: If I show the audience how smart I am, they will hire me. However, including too much material for the time allotted has the opposite effect. What the listener really thinks is, "I have now learned everything this person does. I can reinvent my entire organization on my own."

Worse yet, these consultants leave audiences brain-dead. With so much energy sapped from the deluge of data, many attendees think, "As soon as I implement some of these suggestions, I'll hire this consultant." The problem is that implementation never actually occurs since there is too much data to process. That makes them excellent prospects for the next consultant they meet. This strategy might have worked when knowledge equaled power, but since the advent of the Internet and its free access to information, audiences now demand high-quality data, but in manageable amounts. Therefore, decisions must be strategic when it comes to what is included in speeches, special reports, and articles.

Make even more marketing speeches. The frequency with which speaking is used as an experiential business card will only increase because it works well when managed skillfully. Today, a wide variety of professional services firms--such as coaches, trainers, and even accountants--are overcoming their fears of speaking to market their companies. Even Corporate America eyes "speaking" as a brand extension tool. Public relations finns are turning into agents, pushing their clients' CEOs out on the circuit to generate media buzz. As a result, program planners strategically look at who the speaker is as well as the message offered.

Information alone no longer is enough to attract clients. Because audience members want to have an "experience," tools and exercises for learning have become the norm. Applicability is king, which is good news for consultants who use a facilitative approach.

"Inside workings" are needed for success. Consultants will have to work smarter to capture the potential clients that attend their speeches. Further, the speech itself cannot be the sole vehicle that drives lead generation and sales. Like the face on a watch, public speaking is the element of "show" in the marketing effort. It needs the "inside workings" of the marketing mix to succeed.

Vickie K. Sullivan is president, Sullivan Speaker Services, Tempe, Ariz.

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