In my mind, this is the best form of lead generation. Especially, speaking engagements during tradeshows will get the appropriate audience in the form of influencers and decision makers. They will get to hear first hand on what you speak. The moment you add value to the topic of your speech, there are going to be more people seeking you out than you trying to convert them into your leads. This will allow for you to create a buying environment as opposed to a selling environment.

Many a times, company executives speak at executive seminars that are attended by existing customers and people that are already familiar with your organization. This will not result in additional prospects looking at engaging with you, hence it becomes essential to be speaking at events held by independent organizations. Getting to speak at events conducted by independent organizations requires a lot of intellectual capital, branding and PR and can be a separate post by itself. I will be covering this in the coming days.

Some of the immediate advantages of speaking are:

1. When you are in front of a bunch of people, then you are an expert. That perception will get magnified the moment you start adding value to the topic that you present on.

2. Attendees get to interact with you directly and get to know your organizations’ expertise firsthand. Just imagine a crowd around you once you are finished speaking, to have a conversation with you. That is an assured prospect without even you trying to sell

3. It provides you with increased visibility in vertical/industry sectors

4. You get your name and your organizations’ name published across the real estate of the event as well as brochures/agenda of the event

5. It is a subtle sales pitch though not perceived as a sales pitch. Haven’t we heard why windows is the best thing that has happened in this world from the executives of Microsoft at all the platforms that they are present at.

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