7 Speaking Opportunities to Market Your Holistic Business

How do you feel about speaking to promote your holistic business?

Speaking is one of the best ways to find clients, but many practitioners avoid public speaking at all costs. Whilst it may take you out of your comfort zone, it’s certainly a skill that can be developed.

I was always the ‘shy one’ – put the spotlight on me and I’d freeze. I’d go bright red and even remembering my name was challenging, let alone sharing anything of interest.

As an introvert, I believed to my core that I wasn’t good at speaking. But I also knew if I wanted to succeed with my plans, I had to find the confidence and get started. It’s taken a lot of work, and more than a few tears but I’m constantly improving and now I actively look for opportunities to speak.

The different platforms available to speak from have dramatically increased since the opening up of online opportunities during lockdown. Now things have opened back up, there are more opportunities than ever to share your knowledge from in-person to online all available locally, nationally, and internationally. Travel no longer has to be a barrier if you want to reach larger and different audiences.

For me living in mid-Wales and being able to move my speaking activities online have been a game changer. I can reach a much larger audience and save a huge amount of time and money which I used to have to factor into every session.

Start Small

If the idea of public speaking doesn’t fill you with joy, start small and grow from there. You’ll build confidence as you go, and you’ll start to develop your own style. You’ll get a deeper understanding of your topic, the type of information your audience relates to, and the questions they have. Practice will help you to communicate what you do effectively and build better relationships in the process.

When I started out speaking, I held small in-person talks for groups of up to 10 people. As I grew in confidence, these increased in size and went online and I now talk at events and conferences and offer my talks to relevant community groups, most of which are online which suits me perfectly!

Pick One Topic

When you start on your speaking journey, pick one topic that relates to your favourite client and your approach. Make sure it’s something that adds value, and that people would want to make the time for. You’ll find the more you do a talk, the more you will perfect it and the better it will be. Starting with one topic will help you to really hone your message, and your delivery – the aim is to get known as the expert on that topic.

7 Speaking opportunities to market yourself:

Free Talks

This can be something you organise yourself or opportunities within your community. They’re a great way to demonstrate your expertise for people to get to know you. Places you can run talks include community groups, networking groups, professional associations, local businesses, and exhibitions – basically, anywhere your ideal clients can be found.

Your talks need to be useful and informative to the people attending rather than a sales pitch on your services and products.

Social Media Lives

Social media allows us to run live sessions and talks. They can be on an ad-hoc basis but if you can, run them regularly at a consistent time. That way, your audience will begin to learn when you’ll be speaking and can join you.

The major social media platforms encourage their users to do live videos. These reach a much wider audience than static posts or pre-recorded videos.

Run Workshops

Workshops are a great option for practitioners and provide a taster of what you do. It’s a great way to introduce your approach to clients who aren’t ready to commit to working fully with you.

They can be run to peer groups such as friends who are interested in learning kitchen remedies. They can also be created for a group of individuals with a common problem such as ways to stop insomnia.
Workshops can also be an additional income stream for your business.

Speak at Conferences

Conferences are a great way to raise your profile within your area of expertise. They’re also a great way to get in front of large groups of people at once who have a common interest. Whilst you’re there to provide value to the members, many organisers will allow you to promote your business to their members too.

Webinars

Technology has allowed small businesses to easily host and manage webinars as part of their marketing. Platforms like Zoom are a great way to run talks and classes online easily and with a limited budget. They’re also a great way to reach a much wider audience than your local area.

Podcasts

Podcasting is huge now and is accessible to listeners on the go. Whilst you can create your own podcast (which will help you develop as a speaker), it does take a lot of work and commitment. If you’re not quite ready for that right now, you could be a guest on appropriate podcasts. Being interviewed is a great way to share your experience and promote your business.

If you decide to approach a podcast, ensure you listen to a couple of episodes first, so you know it’s a good fit. When you approach the host, let them know how you can help them and the value you’ll provide their audience.

Join a Speaking Group

There are groups such as Toastmasters who help members hone their speaking skills and confidence. Many also provide a platform for you to speak to where you can share your expertise. Check out what's available in your local area and give it a go as it will boost your confidence and you'll get expert feedback which will help you to create better experiences for your audiences.

Speaking is one of the ways my clients are successfully finding clients for their holistic businesses. It's a great way to build their profile and find clients faster than many other marketing activities. If you haven’t tried this as part of your marketing strategy, it is a good one to consider.

If you're struggling with marketing and making the impact you want, let's have a chat and I will help you get a clear plan of action to succeed on your terms.