Speaking Wisdom for Soothing Nerves and Attracting Clients

Hands down, giving presentations to your chosen niche market is the FASTEST way to attract new clients - be in the form of tele-classes or in-person. There are other good ways to attract clients -- networking, article writing, video marketing, social networking and more  - but they take much longer to attract clients and frankly, nothing comes close to someone experiencing you LIVE  in a seminar to inspire someone to work with you privately. With each presentation, the key thing to remember is to plan to include a compelling offer (like a limited time free or low/cost breakthrough session with you) and can except 5% -20%  of the group to say YES (if done right) and the remaining 80% or so to join your emailing list (so you can begin connecting and marketing). 

Most wellness pros offer tons and tons of info in their talks and then wonder why no one asks to work with them. (I did this myself when I was a nutrition coach.) First, if you over teach and jam pack your talks with tons of tips, you'll turn people off by overwhelming them. And second, it's up to you to present your compelling offer effectively (HINT - Don't wait until the end!). Don't make people figure out what the next step is.

Typically, if you're just starting out, most wellness pros will give presentations where anyone will have them.

Yoga studios, gyms, doctor's offices, etc...

In one sense that's good. As it can be good practice.

However, your presentations become much more effective if you're standing in front of a new group of people that you KNOW are perfect for you. That is, they meet the four keys to a profitable wellness market. IE - if you specialize in working with entrepreneurs/business owners, then you would look for business owner groups online and take out your local business journal and find meetings and conferences and offer your presentations there. Or if you specialize in working women over 40, then you would find their networking groups, conferences, favorite hang outs and go there to speak.

And if you've never presented before, start off by doing 10 presentations for free.

However, beyond learning the right way to present your topic and make your offer, do you know what is the most commonly asked question I receive? 

"Do you get nervous?"

Well of course I do!

In fact this weekend, I'm speaking at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition at Lincoln Center in New York City. If I allow my mind to wander about getting on the big stage and presenting to nearly 1500 - 2000 people, then I want to hide under my desk.

Here is what I do to soothe my nerves...

Step 1: Know Your Topic

I could do this presentation in my sleep because I know the topic so well. It gives me comfort to know my stuff and helps a lot with the nerves. I energetically "lean into" what I know for sure versus all the "what if's" my mind can drum up.

Step 2: It's Not About Your Ego

As I prepare the presentation, I remind myself that people aren't necessarily there to see ME. They are there to learn and receive great information. And then I think about how I wish I knew this information when I first started out in private practice and this gives me courage to stand up, share what I know and not vomit.

Step 3: Be the Messenger

And finally, because I'm not a slick and smooth presenter (and few of us are!), I think about seeing myself as a messenger instead of trying to be a perfect speaker. What's most important, in my mind, is to get the information across in a memorable way and make a difference. And that means I don't have to be perfect and can focus on speaking from the heart.

Consider these steps before your next presentation to help soothe your nerves and remember, that while few us were born to be performers and have a craving forbeing on center stage (Those of you with a theatre background are lucky to have this calling!), speaking is such a powerful, effective way to reach your tribe of clients and attract new business that's it's well worth dealing with the nerves.

To your success,

Karin

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Next WellProNet Member Tele-Training is March 11th: What to Say to Decision Makers to Land Paid Speaking Engagements

About the Author: Karin Witzig Rozell has been teaching health and wellness professionals how to grow their business since 2003. She started as a nutrition counselor who knew a lot about nutrition, but not a whole lot about business and marketing. After learning some tough lessons she cracked the code and now her passion is transforming practitioners into profitable business owners using the power of authentic marketing strategies. In 2009, she expanded her private practice and launched The Wellness Professional Network as the go-to place for practitioners to learn about making more money doing what they love.  Karin lives in Upstate New York and works from home with her husband who also runs a successful coaching business.