Speak Up! Public speaking techniques for promoting your business

When you're starting out in business, the most effective andleast expensive way to market yourself is by word ofmouth--your mouth.

"Even if you can't afford to do any marketing,"says Pamela Truax, co-author of Market Smarter, Not Harder(Kendall/Hunt Publishing, $29.95, 800-228-0810), "you canpromote your business by getting out and talking topeople."

For Truax, the most important speaking opportunity is the"elevator speech"--what you say at mixers and networkingopportunities when people ask what you do. Like any good speech, itrequires preparation.

A successful self-introduction follows these steps:

• Let the other person talk first. If you express interest inothers, they'll be more receptive to what you say. You can thentailor your comments to their concerns.

• Cite the benefits--to the listener--of your product or service.The most appealing benefits are saving time, money or effort.

• Hand out your business card.

• Prove your claim with statistics or a testimonial. "Myproduct saved ABC Co. $25,000 in six months." "Thedirector of sales at XYZ Co. credits my training program withimproving her department's performance by 10 percent over atwo-year period." Be specific, concrete and honest.

From start to finish, your self-introduction should last no morethan a minute. Your goal is to inform and arouse interest, not togive an exhaustive (and exhausting) infomercial. Be prepared to saymore if someone expresses interest.

Join The Club

Speaking to clubs, civic groups and nonprofit organizations isanother way to promote your business. Each time you speak, you meetpotential customers, network with professionals, establishcredibility and gain free publicity. (Clubs such as the Kiwanis,Rotary and Lions are always looking for good speakers.)

Rich Manuccia had been a personal fitness trainer for 13 yearswhen his business coach convinced him to give public presentationsto attract new clients. In the past two years, he has spoken toseveral different groups: Kiwanis clubs, weight-management groupsat community hospitals, a health fair and even a gathering ofnuns.

"Few of the speaking engagements paid me anything,"Manuccia says, "but they put me in front of potential clientsand referral sources. People are still contacting me as a result ofthose talks."

At a speaking engagement, follow these steps:

• Be focused. Tell people how to do something--one thing.

• Slant your subject toward your audience. Keep the basic contentthe same, but tweak it 10 percent (usually by adapting yourexamples and stories to your audience). Examples: "How to LoseWeight and Keep it Off--A Program for Professionals WhoTravel" (or "for the Confirmed Couch Potato,"etc.).

• Be brief. Stay within the time limits your host suggests. Ifpossible, speak for 15 to 20 minutes, then take questions from thefloor.

• Be simple and direct without being simplistic. Tell stories andgive examples.

• To get your speeches noticed, send press releases to localnewspapers, trade journals and business publications.

Spread The Word

Once you feel confident about your presentation skills and yourexpertise in a particular field, consider speaking to professionalorganizations. Doing so has all the benefits of speaking to clubsand nonprofit organizations--and then some. It connects you withprofessionals in your field, establishes your credentials as anexpert and generates free publicity.

Nancy Jensen, president of Medical Care Connections Inc. in SanDiego, has built her medical public-relations company on theeffectiveness of professional presentations in two ways.

First, she promotes the services of physicians and chiropractorsby helping them give presentations to professionals in theworkers' compensation field. "Insurance adjusters attendthe seminars to keep up to date," says Jensen, "and inthe process, become personally acquainted with the health-careprovider who's giving the talk. These seminars are one of ourmost effective marketing tools."

Jensen also promotes her own business by speaking toprofessional organizations. As a result of a speech she made to astatewide convention of ambulatory-care-center administrators, shepicked up a major new client. "It also gave me credibility andrecognition as an expert," she says. "Now I getappointments with people who otherwise might not normally return mycalls."

When you address a professional organization, you can speaklonger--from 45 minutes to an hour--and in greater detail.Distribute handouts that highlight your central points, and be sureto include your name and phone number so people can contact youlater. The same rules apply: Be focused, slant your talk to youraudience and send out press releases.

You may not be able to afford a major marketing campaign, butyou can't afford not to promote yourself and your business byspeaking on your own behalf.

Vocal Exercises

Here are some great places to practice your presentationskills:

• Join Toastmasters. Weekly meetings will get you on your feetand speaking in no time. With a mentor, a manual and a supportiveenvironment, you will learn how to overcome anxiety, structure aspeech, use gestures and vocal variety and speak persuasively.Toastmasters dues are $36 annually and $5 to $10 per meeting. Call(800) 993-7732 for the club nearest you.

• Take a Dale Carnegie course. The 12-session program teachescommunication and human-relations skills. It can help you gainconfidence before an audience and master the basics of effectivespeaking. The instructors and training are excellent, but the pricetag is high ($1,075). Call (800) 231-5800 for moreinformation.

For more help, check out these books:

• The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking, by DaleCarnegie (Pocketbooks, $6.99, 800-223-2348).

• How to Prepare, Stage, and Deliver WinningPresentations, by Thomas Leech (Amacom, $27.95,800-262-9699).

• Would You Really Rather Die Than Give a Talk?, byMichael Egan (Amacom Books, $12.95, 800-262-9699).

• Secrets of Power Presentations, by William Hendricks,Micki Holliday, Recie Mobley and Kristy Steinbrecher (Career Press,$16.99, 800-CAREER-1).

Just For You:

Rest for success.

By Sean M. Lynden

Sleep: Everyone needs it, but most don't get it--untilit's too late. By that time, you're beaten down by thelatest virus traveling through the air, leaving you unproductive inyour business and ornery at home.

"You can't ignore your sleep," warns Roger S.Smith, a sleep disorders specialist and consultant with theStanford University Sleep Disorders Clinic in Palo Alto,California. "You need to put sleep somewhere in your strategicplanning list."

But if you're wearing all the hats, working without a steadypaycheck or pushing to meet deadlines, it's difficult to findthe time to sleep more.

What often happens is this: The more stress you feel, the lessyou sleep. But the less you sleep, the more stress you feel. Whatcan you do to break this vicious cycle?

1. Think long-term. Burning the midnight oil onoccasion is fine, but if you consistently skimp on sleep, beware.You're racing on the fast track to burnout.

2. Make sleep a priority. Remember, good health andvitality--byproducts of a good sleep regimen--will give you an edgein the marketplace.

3. Determine your sleep needs. Smith advises thatmost people need seven to eight hours of sleep each night toperform their best.

4. Manage your time. Take care of crisis situationsbefore they happen. This way, you cut down on the various"surprise" activities that deprive you of sleep.

5. Focus on the benefits of a good night's rest.Having the energy to accomplish tasks efficiently and theenthusiasm to go the extra mile for your clients will help you takeyour business to the next level.

Remember, your sleep--or lack thereof--will either positively ornegatively impact your bottom line. If you don't snooze,you'll inevitably lose.

Can You Manage?

Wage Discrimination.

By Patricia G. Pollack

Employers spent millions of dollars last year making restitutionfor violating wage and hour laws. Are you at risk? Maybe it'stime to review how you pay your employees.

Confusion over employee compensation requirements can result incostly legal fiascoes. Here are answers to some of the most commoncompensation questions:

• If I pay an employee a salary, do I have to pay him or herovertime? Maybe. Executive, administrative and professionalemployees, including outside salespeople, are exempt from overtimepay requirements if they meet the qualifying factors set for eachcategory by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). If youremployee's duties and responsibilities don't meet the FLSArequirements, the employee is not exempt and must be paid overtimewages.

• Do I have to pay my employees minimum wage? Notnecessarily. With permission from the Department of Labor, thereare several scenarios in which you may pay employees less thanminimum wage. Retail, school or agricultural employers, forexample, may pay full-time students 85 percent of the minimum wage;you can pay vocational education students, learners or apprentices75 percent of the minimum wage. Employees with disabilities may bepaid a subminimum wage based on their productivity and consistentwith the prevailing wage in the local area. Finally, new employeesyounger than 20 years old may be paid an "opportunitywage" that's less than the minimum wage for the first 90days of employment.

• Can I "round" my employee's time card?Rounding the minutes on an employee's time card to the nearestfractional hour is a common practice that makes it easier tocalculate the total hours worked. For example, seven hours and 50minutes may be rounded down to 7.75 hours, and seven hours and 55minutes may be rounded up to eight hours. You may round the timesas long as you're consistent and round equally at both thebeginning and the end of shifts. Still, rounding down must notresult in the nonexempt employee working more than oneuncompensated hour per week.

The FLSA regulations are available from the U.S. Department ofLabor. Call (202) 219-8743 or visit the Department ofLabor's Web site at http://www.dol.gov for moreinformation.

Contact Sources

Rich Manuccia, 4489 North Ave., San Diego, CA 92116,(619) 295-6988

Medical Care Connections Inc., P.O. Box 60193, San Diego,CA 92166, mccjensen@aol.com

Roger S. Smith,rssmith@hooked.net

Pamela Traux, http://www.marketsmarter.com