Speaking Helps Open Doors | Effective Communication Skills
A few years ago, I heard Brian Tracy say that people perceive how much you know on a subject by the way you communicate. If you write well on a subject, people infer that you know four times what you really may know, whereas if you speak to groups, people think that you know 10 times as much.
You Can Be a Communicator
The computer takes care of much of the mundane number and contract crunching. Lawyers are becoming contract communicators. Accountants are becoming number communicators rather than number crunchers. Clients want to know, “How does this affect me?”
Speaking to groups will hone your oral communication skills and will help position you as an expert on the topic. When you develop a reputation as an expert, you will be more welcome in the executive offices of many of your best prospects. Speaking will help open many doors for you.
Small meetings and seminars have proven over the years to be great venues for meeting and following up with decision makers and influencers in important prospects. It just makes good sense—a small meeting allows you to give more one-on- one time to a prospect and speak directly to her issues.
Getting prospects to your meeting starts with a good title. A topic like “the legal implications of labor contracts” is boring. Try a more interesting title like one of the following:
“Increase Your Profits NOW by Giving Your Employees a Raise”
“The Inland Revenue Wants Your Money: How the Self-Employed Can Keep Taxes Low”
“Raise Millions in New Capital: How to Attract Money in the Capital Markets”
“Right-Sizing Your Workforce Without Inviting Litigation”
Running the Seminar
Before giving a seminar, make sure the room is comfortable. You can have a stellar performance, but if your prospects are physically uncomfortable, it will negatively impact your response.
The best way to stimulate enthusiasm in the room is to create a dialogue among the participants. You should speak no longer than about 20 minutes, then ask for table discussions and feedback. Make certain that your associates are strategically placed at the participant’s tables, not standing in the back of the room like birds on a telephone wire.
Build in Follow-up
During your presentation, make references to materials you have available for those interested. Don’t pass the materials out at the meeting, ask people to give you their business cards and you will get the material to them. Your follow-up to these re- quests can vary. For example, you could mail the material re- quested to low-level prospects and hand deliver the material to top prospects.
