On Thursday, I was able to speak before more than 400 sales and marketing professionals in SMX at the SM Mall of Asia. The event organizer is a good friend of mine, JM Matienzo. I can say it’s a successful marketing event. I congratulate the organizers.
New Media Internet Marketing Speaker in Manila, Philippines
As a speaker, I was tasked to talk about “How to maximize business profits using the Internet” or something to that effect. I was given 45 minutes and I made it clear from the start that it’s a challenge for me since I usually tackle Internet marketing in two days or 16 hours during my regular new media marketing workshops.
I believe speakers are given a free hand to exercise their style in the way they’re going to deliver their message. Every speaker who spoke at the conference is unique—so unique that you can actually get different thoughts, ideas, and responses. Some try to make you laugh, some try to make you asleep without any effort. The result is even diverse. Some people would love you and some people may not.
I get my share of 45 minutes during the convention. I enjoyed every minute of it. I can safely say my audience did enjoy more than I do. Evaluation forms would tell the world who made an impact during the convention.
Let me share my thoughts on public speaking as I thought it would be a great idea to share my piece about “what speakers can do on the platform as they speak.”
Well, the first rule is, there’s no rule. The second is, if there’s a rule, change it. The third is, if you can’t change the rule, create your own.
Speaking as a New Media Marketing Speaker and Consultant, I think here are some tips that I learned (and applied) during my talk at the 2010 Sales and Marketing Professionals Convention organized by Ariva Events.
- Exercise a unique speaking style. Some speakers may have great ideas but simply don’t have an appealing style in delivering those ideas. They always try to come up with a stiff powerpoint (or keynote) and run through his bullets, much worse read those bullets along with his audience. Speaking style is important because it’s defines the thin line between a speaker and a performer. Anybody with knowledge on the subject matter can just go up on stage and speak. But effective speakers don’t just speak. They perform. That’s where style come in. If you don’t perform, you might just be another guy who knows so much but simply can’t find a way to put it in a language that audience may understand.
- Spice up the substance. Some may have the best, remarkable knowledge about new media or perhaps Internet marketing or whatever have you. But substantial speeches don’t mean anything unless you’re able to create a fun-filled environment where your audience get to feel they are really part of the seminar. Some speakers forget that they have an audience.
- Engage your audience. As a mew media consultant and speaker, I always make it a point to engage. I don’t talk to my microphone. I talk to my audience. I remember during the event, I went down and engage one or two convention delegates. I don’t just stand behind the podium. I walked around. I asked people. I made them feel they are part of the event. They paid for it. They deserve real presence of the speakers.
- Tell your story. People buy stories, not the usual technical stuff or boring lectures and obvious discoveries. Think about this for a second, your audience is looking for proofs that what you’re teaching them really works. They need your story. Otherwise, they can just Google, say, New Media Marketing Techniques Used in the Philippines” and boom, that’s it. But they would ask, “Is this working?” Selling your story or someone else’s success story would add credibility in what you’re saying. So it’s not a problem when you sell your self or your story. At the end of the seminar, they’d remember more of the stories rather than the technical stuff you told them.
- People would come to you. Who’s the best or most effective New Media Marketing Speaker in the Philippines or at this convention? Well, everybody I think gave the best shots. Ian Del Carmen, a good friend of mine, did well. Almost everybody did. But if you’re the best, and the most interesting, and the best teacher, or the best speaker, isn’t it that people would gather around you after you’re done on stage. Isn’t it that they will flock and move towards you to ask for your business card ) and ask for a meeting? Isn’t it that they will give great reviews or rating in their evaluation sheets?
Speaking on New Media Marketing Philippines as a topic and the way you can use Internet platform to maximize your business profits is something that I am passionate about. And I thank the organizer for giving me a platform to share my advocacy on New Media Marketing as well as Internet marketing. I am indeed honored to be a speaker in this convention.
By the way, you can always choose to sell on the platform. As a speaker, especially if you asked permission from the organizers (in which case, I did), you can always go up, invite people to either buy your books or attend your New Media Marketing or Internet Marketing Workshop. There’s nothing wrong in offering your crowd another venue where can fully learn and understand your subject matter.
