It’s scary to get in front of a crowd of people! Trust me, I know! In the ten minutes before I take the stage, I get all jittery inside. Then I’ll even start to worry I might do something really awkward, like walk out there and forget my own name, or completely forget what I’m talking about! To those of you just starting out in public speaking, I will tell you this: it gets a little easier every time — and that’s because I learn more and more about how to speak each time I do it.
And the best piece of advice I can give? Be prepared!
The most important way you prepare for public speaking events comes well before any individual event itself. I like to call it behind-the-scenes prep. And what does that mean? It means you must prepare your brand!
Your Perceived Brand
To be successful, your brand must tell your story, be consistent and comprehensive, and be entirely unique. A great brand will convey your solid, credible reputation, create a lasting and consistent impression with your existing and potential customers, and differentiate you from the competition. These branding basics apply to you as a public speaker, just as they would apply to any other business brand.
But there’s an additional element to your branding you must especially consider when you introduce yourself to the world as a public speaker: your perceived brand. Your perceived brand is what your future audience already expects in both what your brand is and what you and your brand will deliver.
Analyzing Your Brand Alignment
So how do you get your perceived brand to match your actual brand?
First of all, take a step back and ask yourself a few questions:
- Who are the members in my target audience?
- What are the needs of my target audience?
- How can I attract my ideal audience and appeal to their needs?
Branding yourself as a speaker works the same way: you still need to identify and speak to your target market, just as you aspire to do when creating or improving your professional brand.
Take a moment to analyze any differences in how you want your target audience to perceive you as a public speaker and how you want your business to be perceived.
A conflict can come into play when your perceived brand as a public speaker doesn’t quite line up with your company brand. Your audience should have a clear outline of what to expect from both you as a public speaker and your business as a whole. (If you’re conflicted on how to brand yourself as a speaker in relation to your business, click here!)
Want to feel even more prepared? Check out the Branding Checklist For Your Next Event from Spot-On Branding!