** Announcement: Read the end of this post for a special announcement about mentoring! **

“Call for approach” means that you – during the speech, and preferably close to the end – give the audience a reason to come up to you after the speech.

You could say things like: “I am writing a book on xxx and would love to hear your examples, please approach me after my speech if you have a good story”, or “If you want more examples do not be afraid to approach me after the speech.”

The reason for the “call for approach” is that many audience members are afraid to approach a speaker. They might be shy, introverted, intimidated or even star struck. By giving them permission to approach you you encourage them to come up – giving you valuable opportunities to connect, network and research.

I promise you you will get more people coming up to you after your speech, and by people approaching you you will get more stories you can use, more connections you can nurture and more leads you can use.

** Special announcement: After 5 years of giving free advise on Professional Speaking but saying “no” to all requests for mentoring I have decided to take on a FEW mentees to help them build a global speaking career. If you are interested in knowing more send me an email [email protected] **

There are 3 kind of conferences a speaker can speak at:

Industry conferences
Internal events
Client events
Today let’s talk about Client events.

Remember:

a) You are talking to strangers

When you speak to an audience where not everyone knows everyone you have to pay more attention to build rapport with the group and within the group.

b) They are there as guests – treat them like guests

A client event is a gift. Clients are there to feel special. That means you need to have a more positive message, have to be more entertaining and have a less “teaching approach” than when you speak at an internal conference.

c) They are there for a purpose and that purpose is not you.

Remember companies invite clients to sell something. That means that clients will very much appreciate if you incorporate some of the sales pitch into your speech. It looks so credible if the external speaker – in a believable way – pushes the clients products to the audience. And they love that. Or, if you can not do that, help by expressing what an amazing company the company is. Anything to help sell the client to his client.

Remember: Your speech is there to sell the client.

This very first post of Professional Speaking for 2020 will have me focus on my own speaking year of 2019, and what you can learn about your own speaking year of 2020.

In 2019 I was invited to speak in 24 countries on 5 continents. From top Swiss bankers meeting in a private hotel in the Swiss alps (my first speech of 2019) to all the top leaders of the TATA companies in India (my last speech of the year). From speaking to business people in North Korea to an HR conference in the Maldives and so many more amazing speaking opportunities.

I envisioned a global speaking year 2019. And it happened.

In 2020 envision a year of learning more about human creativity on a both deeper and broader level.

I am telling you this for three reasons:

a) To exemplify that when I share on how to build a global speaking career on ProfessionalSpeaking.com I am actually “walking the talk” – ie you really do get to learn from a speaker who actually speaks globally. (In total I have spoken in 69 countries over a 20+ year speaking career.)

b) To remind you that what we envision will happen.

What do you envision for your professional speaking career for 2020? What are you going to do to make it happen?

c) To remember that as important vision boards are for the future, “hindsight boards” (ie stopping to evaluate your year in a visual way to remind you of all the things you have done is equally important. It builds confidence, appreciation and helps you see who you are.

So do not just do a vision board for 2020. Make a “hindsight board” for 2019 too.