Whenever I work with a new client, one of the first things we discuss is what their goals are. There are the obvious goals, such as “I want to grow my business” and “I want to share my expertise.” And, of course, there’s the very important goal of making sure your audience walks away with something valuable and/or actionable.
But we dig deeper than that, down to the specifics of what to include in your signature talk that’s going to inspire people to reach out to you when you’re done speaking. The best and most memorable way to accomplish this goal is with stories.
Story: an account of past events in someone’s life or in the evolution of something. ~ Oxford Dictionary
One of the stories I sometimes share is about the importance of having an “after the podium” plan for connecting and getting those important conversations started… after you leave the stage. It’s about a speaker who wasn’t getting any responses from the people she was speaking to. When we talked, I realized why. First, she wasn’t sticking around long enough after she left the stage to talk to people—she didn’t even realize this could be part of the problem! Second, she wasn’t providing her audiences with information about how to reach her. She just finished speaking and was out the door. Bottom line: she didn’t have an “after the podium” strategy in place.
I could share more stories like this, but this is about YOU and how your stories can help you reach someone in your audience, so much so that they say to themselves, “Wow…. Are you in my head?”
Audiences need multiple opportunities to connect with you and your content, so you’ll want to choose stories that provide a variety of examples around the specific problems this audience is dealing with. The right stories will resonate with them and set the stage for them to see themselves successfully dealing with their problem, in the same way the people you’re telling them about did.
The better job you do of choosing stories that will inspire and empower your audience, the more likely they are to reach out to you to learn more about what you have to offer.
The best signature talks include a select group of stories chosen to illustrate the potential of what’s possible. Relevant and relatable stories help people recognize themselves, and make it easier for them to believe that they too, can achieve similar results—which is what increases the chances of them reaching out to you after you’re done speaking.
An audience that comes together to hear you speak is already interested in your topic. Skillfully sharing your well-chosen stories is another powerful way to relate to them the value of what you’re sharing. Do this right, and you’ll have inspired and empowered your future peeps with a great reason to take action—starting with choosing you to work with!
‘Til we speak again,
~Beth