2 Reasons Public Speaking is the Best Marketing Strategy for Coaches

My favorite marketing strategy for my own business by far is public speaking. It’s what helped me take my business from zero to a full practice in less than 6 months, and it’s something I model and teach for my clients as part of a simple formula to grow your coaching or consulting business. Here are two of the many reasons why I love it, and why it works.

Show, Don’t Tell.

We are bombarded with marketing messages every day, all the time. Everyone wants to tell us why we should buy their product, enroll in their program, or try their service. The thing is, even if you have a great message, it’s hard to be heard amidst so much marketing noise.

One of the beautiful things about speaking is that it helps you transcend your marketing message. Your message is limited to describing the value you provide. Speaking allows your potential clients to experience the value you provide. That’s a world of difference right there.

I could describe to you all day the amazing flavor, texture and joy of eating my favorite banana cake (from New Seasons Market here in Portland, Oregon!) I could tell you that it’s sweet but not overly so. I could tell you how it smoothly and slowly melts in your mouth as you savor it. I could tell you that it might just be the best frosting I’ve ever had in my life. But none of that compares to actually taking a bite of the banana cake and experiencing it for yourself. Mmmmm!

That’s the power of public speaking in contrast to any kind of marketing message where you rely on words to translate value. Words matter, but providing an experience of value is what will separate you from the herd.

Shorten the Sales Cycle

One huge benefit of public speaking is that it can reduce the number of touchpoints you need with a potential client before they make a purchasing decision. With online marketing, it often takes at least a dozen (and up to one hundred) touchpoints before a client trusts you enough to invest in you.

In addition, conversion rates for online marketing hover at between 1-5%. That means you need to reach a thousand people with your message multiple times to enroll 10 clients. There’s nothing wrong with that, but if you don’t have a large list and a solid online marketing strategy, it could be a while before you enroll enough clients to meet your financial goals.

In contrast, public speaking (when done well) has a conversation rate at the low end of about 20% and goes up to 50% or more. This higher conversion rate can be achieved in as few as three simple touchpoints.

Attend an event.
Book a follow-up consultation. (Or buy services directly at the event.)
Make an investment.

Providing value and demonstrating your expertise at a live event builds relationships more quickly than any other type of marketing. More specifically, it builds trust. And that is why it is so effective at minimizing the number of customer touchpoints needed to close the sale.

Speaking is a great strategy to use when you’re starting your business because it allows you to get in front of clients and start creating cash flow in your business sooner than later. And even if you’re also investing in an online marketing strategy, speaking is something you can always fall back on, especially at times when you may need to create short-term revenue.

If you know you provide great value to your clients and you’re not already using public speaking to grow your business, I urge you to consider it. It’s easier than you think to serve up a slice of value through a well crafted and strategic presentation, talk or workshop. And contrary to what you might think, even speaking to small local groups can generate great results.