Speaking Your Brand: Public Speaking Tips and Strategies

In the age of more & more content (whether human- or AI-created), your personal brand matters more than ever. Potential clients and event organizers can easily find lots of experts in what you do. What you want them to realize is what sets you apart and why they should pick you. That’s where your personal brand and thought leadership come in. I know you want to have a positive impact on the wo...

When you step on stage, I know you want to feel comfortable and confident, to project authenticity and energy. Developing your confidence and stage presence happens both externally and internally. When your content and your delivery are aligned, you can have a bigger impact on your audience with your message. This is what I talk about with my guest, Dr. Christina Madison. Christina has delivered a...

Registration is open for our in-person client retreat speaking intensive coming up February 26-28, 2024, in Orlando, Florida. We are already half-full (it's limited to 12 women). Get all the details and apply at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/retreat/ .   Our speaking workshop is for you if ANY  of these apply: You want to speak at conferences and events and increase lead generation at your pre...

We’re continuing our podcast series to help you up level your in-person speaking skills. Imagine you’re standing on stage, looking out at the audience, and feeling 100% confident in your content and delivery.  You’re moving fluidly, getting into your stories, engaging with your audience, and feeling connected to them. You can absolutely do this - but it takes the *right* kind of practice. Most spe...

Did you know that you will get *more* speaking gigs if you focus on your delivery as well as your content? Your body movement, use of the stage, and vocal variation are all essential to become a compelling and in-demand speaker. My guest today is Victoria Moran, an incredible speaker, author and podcaster, whom I’ve known for nearly 10 years, so I’m thrilled to have her on the show. In this episod...

How do you keep your audience engaged throughout your talk or presentation? There are basic strategies like asking questions of the audience, but there are more ways to keep your audience interested and engaged. This is what I talk about with my guest and client, Katie Anderson. Katie has been around the world, from Portugal to Poland to Brazil, speaking to audiences of all sizes. In this episode,...

I know you enjoy speaking - AND you want to make sure you’re getting an ROI from it. Your ROI can come from getting paid to speak and/or from getting leads and clients from your presentations. If you don’t consistently get leads from your presentations, there are a few things you can do to make that more likely to happen. You may think your audience doesn’t want to be sold to, but that may not be...

I often hear from clients that they feel like their topic isn’t unique, that what they would present on others have already been said.  And they’re right: That will always be the case - there are always going to be lots of people out there who do or say something in the same umbrella as you. What you need is an IDEA, not just a topic. Ideas look for a messenger - and it’s up to you to activate the...

I *almost* got stuck in the expert trap when I was creating my recent presentation for MAICON called Maintain Your Brand Voice Through AI Personalization and Storytelling.​ I had lots of slides filled with examples and case studies. Useful, sure, but not impactful or memorable. I knew it was missing heart and soul. Fortunately, I took my own advice :-) and saved myself from the expert trap. Attend...

Raise your hand if you’re used to giving presentations chock full of information, facts, and figures? You are not alone! Many of us get comfortable doing this, probably because that’s how we got started as speakers and presenters. But, your audience doesn’t need to hear tons of facts and figures; they need to understand the big picture of your topic, how it relates to them, and what they should do...

Today, we're delving into a topic that lies at the heart of powerful communication and compelling thought leadership: brand voice.  If you've ever wondered, 'How can I stand out in a crowded market?' or 'How can I make my messages resonate more deeply with my audience?', then this episode is for you. We're going to explore what a brand voice is, why it's so crucial to your business, and how you ca...

I talk a lot about the power of public speaking for building brand awareness, generating leads, and becoming known in your industry. The other power of public speaking is to influence social change. Throughout history, public speakers have inspired us about what's possible, from JFK's moon speech to MLK's I have a dream. TED speakers have done this for us for the past 15+ years: getting us to thin...

What does the journey look like to evolve from an expert presenter to a sought-after speaker and thought leader? How can you escape what I call “the expert trap” and make the shift into thought leadership? My guest and Thought Leader Academy graduate, Teri DeLucca, PhD, has done exactly this. I know you’ll be inspired by Teri! In this episode, Teri and I talk about: Why she started her business a...

I strongly believe that sharing your story transforms not only your audience, but also yourself. You and your audience discover that you’re not alone and that change is possible. From the consciousness-raising circles of the women’s movement in the 1970s to present-day campaigns for policy and legislative changes, our stories can make a profound difference. My guest today is Karen Keene, who is a...

This episode airs the week of our 4th of July holiday in the United States, so I thought I’d take this opportunity to re-air one of my favorite episodes. If you want to go from being a good speaker to a great one, there are key elements to infuse into your content and delivery. Three years ago, during the July 4th holiday weekend of 2020, I was at home with not much to do since we were all still i...

We’re wrapping up our podcast series on personal branding . Today we're diving into how to amplify your personal brand.  You've started to define it, you're building it, and now, how can you leverage public speaking to really become a sought-after authority?  We're going to explore strategies that work - like how to find speaking engagements that are right up your alley, ways to refine your public...

We’re continuing our podcast series on personal branding . Imagine you have a speaking engagement coming up: What do you wear? How does what you wear reflect and reinforce your personal brand? Our guest in this episode is Solita Roberts, who is an image stylist, LinkedIn Top Voice, and in the first class of LinkedIn’s Creator Accelerator Program. Diane Diaz, our lead speaking coach, talks with Sol...

We’re continuing our new series on personal branding . If you caught our episode last week, we dug deep into defining what a personal brand is.  We chatted about how to discover your unique brand, and why it's crucial as a thought leader to sync it up with your audience. Today, we're all about building that brand of yours and establishing your thought leadership, both in the digital world and in p...

We’re kicking off a new series all about personal branding . Do you know you have a personal brand, whether you're aware of it or not? Now more than ever, your personal brand is essential. We're all swimming in a sea of online content, from social media posts to podcasts and videos, and even AI churning out more stuff.  How do you stand out in that crowd? How can you connect with the people you mo...

We are wrapping up our podcast series on Using Your Voice with a very special guest. Sharon McMahon is a former high school government and law teacher whose Instagram went viral in 2020 (she now has over 1 million followers!) and who is the host of the podcast Here’s Where it Gets Interesting.  Sharon is “on a mission to combat political misinformation by sharing non-partisan facts about the US go...

Have you ever felt so passionate about something that you experienced and the lessons you learned from it that you thought to yourself “others need to hear about this?”  If you’ve ever thought something like this, then you’ll want to hear this conversation with our guest Kelly Lopez.  Kelly is a graduate of our Thought Leader Academy and in this continuation of our Use Your Voice series, she talke...

Have you had an experience that impacted you so much that you were compelled to take action, to make a shift in your life, business, or career? “Compelled to take action” is one of the core stories you can use to frame a talk (others we teach include crisis of confidence, paradigm shift, pin drop, and more). This is precisely what happened to my guest Dr. Nicole Rochester. Nicole was inspired to s...

Have you ever felt imposter syndrome, that you weren’t sure if you had enough expertise or experience or knowledge or credentials [or fill in the blank] to speak up, share your perspective, and use your voice? If so, you’re not alone - and there are ways to move past this. My guest is Kelly Schermerhorn, who describes herself as a recovering people-pleaser and accolade-collector (I can relate!). K...

If I take a look at your slide deck or presentation outline and I can’t tell that the content is yours (vs. another speaker on your topic), you’re in danger of being a commodity speaker. Commodity speakers are undifferentiated and interchangeable. It will be harder for you to attract higher-profile speaking engagements, raise your speaking fees, and generate quality leads at your presentations. Wh...

Register for our new free online training at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/training/ If you’re like many of us, you like being seen as an expert. After all, expertise is celebrated because it generally takes some combination of degrees, credentials, and experience to be seen - and to see yourself - as an expert. You’ve put in the hard work, you’ve mastered a subject, and you can help others in...