Janice is an expert on Fitness after 40.
She has been in the fitness industry for the past 15 years, has a degree in exercise physiology, and has a passion for helping women stay fit and healthy.
She came to me because she wants to begin speaking so that she can attract more clients and grow her business.
One of the things I love to do is to help people laser-focus their message so that they can communicate clearly from the stage and attract their perfect clients into their business.
Janice was a challenge.
A big challenge.
Because she wanted to pack everything she learned in her degree program and her 15 years as a personal trainer into her one hour signature talk.
And Janice isn't alone.
I see it over and over again.
Beginning speakers think that the more information they can cram into their signature talk, the better it will be, and the more value it will have.
And this is totally wrong.
It doesn't work.
Now you might be sitting there thinking, "What do you mean? Shouldn't I give my audiences all the information I can?" And the answer is no! In a one hour talk, your audience can't possibly absorb that much information-no less apply it.
So what do you do? When you craft your talk, begin with your call to action.
What do you want them to do at the end of your session? That will help you figure out what to plan into your speech.
Then, give them enough high value information so that they can apply it when they leave, but not so much that they're totally overwhelmed.
Give them a sample of what you know so that they want to work with you beyond the talk.
Showcase your expertise in a way that they know that you have a depth of expertise beyond what you're able to share in your limited time together.
Make them want more.
If you want to create a speech that sells and sell people into your programs and services, you can't try to cram everything you know into your speech.
If you have a ten step process, share two or three steps, and just point to the road map of the other seven.
Or go through the ten steps, but only go an inch deep.
Resist the temptation to give it all.
You'll actually be more effective and of greater service if you give them just the right amount of information so they can leave your session inspired, informed, entertained, and ready to take action on what you shared with them.