Speakers: Social media turns audiences into clients
You have been invited to speak, paid in advance, the limo waited for you at the airport. You found a welcome note, a basket of teas, chocolate, cheese, smoked salmon and fruit at the hotel. None of it you arranged. Your presentation you did arrange, you read, plotted the flow, and wrote. You rewrote, discarded it and began again, handouts, accompanying videos and slide show. It is brilliant.
Question: Is it going to be a ‘one of’ experience with this audience? It will be if you do not put as much effort into turning your audience into clients or future speaking engagements?
Your presentation can be just the beginning of your contact and connection with your audience. You can continue and develop it in many ways.
How? Before the presentation: Get a list of attendees.
After the presentation: Send emails, tweets, or posts to their facebook page and say "I was delighted to see you at my seminar at ____. I hope you found the experience to be helpful. Do you know others who would find my material to beneficial? If so, can you provide details or arrange for me to be invited? I invite you to visit my blog (address) and read posts on my topic. 'Like' my face book page (address) and follow me on twitter (address) for daily helps and tips, sign up for my monthly newsletter. Can I help you further?
During the presentation: Ask them to leave their phones or PED’s switched ‘on’. Ask them to tweet, text, or post anything you say to others so that they too can be helped. On twitter ask them to tweet out under a specified hash tag. That way you can see who they tweeted to (to build your contact list), what they said (to guide future presentations and publications). Advise them beforehand what you plan to do so if they prefer you not contact their friends without the friend’s prior permission they can tweet without the hash tag.
Not everyone will want to do this. It takes an ability to multi task while speaking. During the presentation ask them a questions and request that they email, tweet or text you the answer. Tweets are probably the easiest to read mid presentation. Read out and compliment the most helpful, answer the questions. This will acknowledge the audience and make the exchange a multi dimensional one rather than the one dimensional type with a speaker and bunch of listeners.
Ask them to note what is of particular interest or questions they may have and to send a copy to you too after the presentation. This allows you to gauge how clear your message was, if you communicated what you thought you said. It gives you fodder for future written or spoken presentations.
Using social media this way continues your conversation with your audience.
Asking the audience to follow your blogs or other social media sites, to sign up for newsletters or ezines , workshops, webinars or programs by handing out a sign up form is another way to "capture" their contacts details and interests.
Knowing their questions and interests guides your future blogs, tweets, or presentations and helps you add the value they are seeking to their lives.
Drop by my facebook page for further tips https://www.facebook.com/GaelMcCarte.author.speaker