Create Word of Mouth Advertising by Speaking to Community Groups

Many of us are looking for inexpensive ways to get word of mouth advertising for our businesses. Computer repair business owners like myself have had lots of success giving free talks to community organizations. Here’s how to take advantage of this easy method getting your name in front of more people.

Nervous About Public Speaking?

Let’s get that concern out of the way. Glossophobia, or fear of public speaking, is a common problem. You’ll likely be talking to small groups of maybe 15 to 20 people These are people genuinely interested in what you have to say. You’re an expert on computers. The audience isn’t there to hear your expert rhetoric; they want to learn about a particular subject. My best suggestion is to think of yourself talking to one client rather than a group of people. Micah’s excellent article will help you in that area.

Find Groups Where You Can Give Presentations

Once you decide you’d like to pursue this, you’ll need to find some groups. Groups are usually very eager for outside speakers. They’ve already tapped out their existing network. Here are some popular groups I’ve spoken at in the past

• Neighborhood Associations
• Retirement Communities
• Houses of Worship
• Parent organizations
• User Groups
• Business Networking Groups
• Chambers of Commerce (by geography or interest)

Get a List of Topics Together

When you first start speaking to groups, you’ll probably have to suggest some topics to the group. Here are some common topics I and other computer repair business owners have spoken about in the past:

• Computer backups
• Common scams and how to protect yourself
• Ask an Expert: computer Q&A
• How to buy a computer
• Computer maintenance

Anything you are knowledgeable about and the audience would enjoy is fair game. Think of the common questions clients ask you and start writing them down. Use these as starting points for speaking engagements.

Typically you’ll speak for 30-45 minutes and you should leave at least 15 minutes for questions. The time frame varies, so check with your contact in the group beforehand. Don’t expect them to give any technical assistance. You’ll probably need to bring a laptop, projector and internet connection.

Let Them Promote You and Your Business

The best part of speaking to a group is they’ll promote you. Some groups will put you in their newsletter or send announcements to the paper. When you’re giving them your contact information, make sure they use your business name and what you do. If it’s an online announcements like an email or a web listing, ask them to link to your business. This listing helps your SEO. I politely request they use my name and anchor text “DoctorDave™ Computer Repair in Lawrence, KS.” For a long time the top search result for my business was an announcement of my meeting at a University retiree group. That makes sense because .edu always ranks high on search results. My SEO got a huge boost from that before I even walked in the door.

You shouldn’t have to pay to promote your speaking engagement. If someone asks you to pay, you’re probably speaking with the wrong group. You won’t get paid to speak, but they might buy you lunch or breakfast.

Soft-Sell Yourself During the Presentation

While your goal is to help promote your business, that can’t be your focus. Your focus needs to be on the topic you’re presenting. If you seem like you’re presenting an infomercial about yourself or your business, they won’t invite you back. You are there to give away your expertise, not to sell a product or service.

If you present yourself as an expert, audience members will remember you. A tasteful slide at the end with your contact information is all you’ll need. Bring business cards or a pamphlet about your business, but only hand those out upon request. Most groups I speak to ask for a stack of business cards and place them on the chairs.

Long Term Benefits

Don’t expect an immediate uptick in business from the group. Many attendees either won’t have computer problems or have an established relationship with another computer vendor. They’ll remember you when they need someone. The trust they have with the group will often transfer to you. It’s not quite an endorsement, but it’s the next best thing.

Even if they don’t remember your name, they’ll remember you spoke at the group. They’ll ask the group leader for your contact information.

You’ll find once you do one or two of these other groups will contact you directly. What’s better than someone asking you to promote your expertise? Best of all, you can recycle the same presentation so you’ll have little prep work.

Computer repair business owners are always looking for inexpensive ways to promote their business and create buzz. Presenting to groups is easy and free way of creating word of mouth advertising.  Let us know in the comments presentations you’ve done in the past.

Written by Dave Greenbaum