If you are just getting started and are looking for networking opportunities and speaking gigs, I have one very big piece of advice: start locally.

Here’s why this is so important when you are ramping up. When you network locally, it’s easier to attend groups or events more frequently.This will help you get to know people better. You can fully penetrate a particular area and get “well-known” in the community. Staying local means your network will build on itself as you meet more people who know the same people you do.

When you go outside your area at the beginning, you risk spreading yourself too thin. You won’t be able to benefit from the awareness that comes with meeting the same people over and over again. This is how important connections and relationships form.

To get more clients and build your business, you want to be seen frequently in your area. People will think you are everywhere, which is good for getting noticed. That’s when awareness for what you do starts to spread, which is exactly what you want.

In addition, I don’t need to tell you how quickly travel expenses can add up these days. Plus, traveling makes it difficult to manage your time and may prevent you from implementing your marketing plans. You’ll be at your desk even less.

When you focus on speaking and networking locally, you can manage your time far more effectively. This is especially important at the start of your practice.

Your Client Attraction Assignment
Have you done a thorough search for networking groups and associations in your area? If not, make it a top priority this week. Make a list everything you find. In addition, as you get out there, ask the people you meet if they can recommend other groups or associations. That’s a wonderful way to expand your circle of connections and discover opportunities you might not find any other way.

This is just one of the many best practices we dive deep into with the students of The Client Attraction Business School, the premier training school for growth-minded entrepreneurs looking to quickly attract more clients and make more money. If you’re interested in finding out more, visit www.ClientAttractionBusinessSchool.com for more details. To speak to an enrollment coach, click here.

I’m thrilled to introduce you to one of our standout students of The Client Attraction Business School™, public speaking consultant John Rasiej.  As always, we’d love to hear your feedback. Please post your comments and questions below. ~ Fabienne. Connect with John on Facebook here.

Public speaking is one of the fastest ways to attract new clients.  The on-the-spot connection you establish with one effective presentation is a richer and more holistic experience compared to a blog post, a video or even social media. Your live speaking engagement is able to convey your expertise, authenticity and accelerates the Know, Like and Trust factor for your audience.

Public speaking is one of the fastest ways to attract new clients. (Click here to tweet this.)

Speaking effectively takes more than getting up and sharing information. There are key creative strategies that form a deeper engagement and lead to more client conversations and conversions quickly.  Here are 5 that stand out:

1. Begin by immediately making the speech about your audience and the issue with which they’re challenged. They’ll have a vested interest to listen more attentively from the start if they know your focus is on them! When you begin by launching into your story or saying, “I’m happy to be here,” you’re making it about you.
2. Keep your speech to fewer than five points and ideally three so your audience isn’t overwhelmed.  Different from a workshop, people attending a speech at a networking event are not there for copious note-taking.  Getting past five points taxes listeners’ ability to focus.  You want to make your points memorable and achievable.
3. Avoid taking questions from the stage and let the audience know it’s to their benefit.  Taking questions cedes control of your time to someone else. Furthermore, if you take questions and resolve their surface need in the moment, your potential client has no reason to approach you after the speech.  By connecting individually at the end of your presentation, you gain the chance to learn their specific needs and establish possible follow-ups that pay off.
4. Your call-to-action needs to flow organically from the speech.  Every speech needs to take advantage of the audience’s focused attention while they’re physically with you in the room.  Your call-to-action will be more effective when it flows naturally out of the points you make as opposed to seeming like a tacked-on pitch or afterthought.  Create your call-to-action and then plan your points to lead your audience there.
5. Command the room with your stage presence.  Everything you do in front of your audience sends its own message.  How you take the stage, the way you stand and the certainty with which you deliver the opening sentences affect the audience’s confidence in you and your message.  Some techniques such as ideal stage position may seem counterintuitive; however they’re designed to enhance the connection between speaker and listener. Unfortunately many business speakers miss them.

Well-crafted presentations delivered skillfully will grow your business fast. Maximize the art of speaking to make an impact both to your clients and to your bottom line.

John Rasiej is CEO of Speak Louder Than Words, a consultancy that brings creativity to entrepreneurs so that businesses click when sharing their message with clients.The author of two books, “Speak  Louder Than Words” and “Speaking Leadership: 22 Essential Secrets to Make Speeches Succeed,” John combines over 20 years of acting and directing experience plusan understanding of delivering effective marketing speeches that lead to better connections and more clients. To find out more about these strategies and more ways to make your message resonate with the people you want to reach, connect with John at www.SpeakLouderThanWords.com.