Have you been to a networking event, or a conference or industry meeting lately? If you have, chances are you heard a presentation. Someone got up and spoke to you and the rest of the group about a topic. A topic they knew a lot about, and a topic related to their business. They may have even made a special offer to the group, such as a special product or service package they don't usually sell, or a special discount on their products or services.

These people are using speaking as a marketing tool ... as a way to get the word out about their business, products or services. They're doing this by sharing valuable information with the kind of people they can best help, and those they'd like to have as clients. And by offering everyone the chance to go deeper by making a purchase, or joining their email list, or some other offer to bring them into the fold of their business.

If you're a small business owner or independent professional, you can do the very same thing. And the best part is, it's free.

So what if you're not sure how to use speaking as a small business marketing tool.

Here are 10 steps to get you started:

(1) Identify a topic you know a lot about and that is related to your business.

(2) Using that topic, put together an outline for a presentation.

(3) Create a 30-60 minute presentation from this outline, being sure to share valuable information and helpful tips, but also being careful not to give away the whole store.

(4) Identify who your ideal clients are.

(5) Look for groups or associations these ideal clients belong to that hold regular meetings.

(6) Contact these groups to see if they feature outside speakers at their meetings.

(7) For those groups who do feature speakers, offer to come speak at a future meeting for free. Be sure to help them understand how your topic will benefit their members or attendees.

(8) Find out if the group you are speaking to will allow you to sell your product or service to the group at the end of your presentation.

(9) For those groups that will allow you to sell, put together an irresistible offer. Consider packaging together products or services you don't usually sell together, or give them a big discount if they purchase from you at the event.

(10) For those groups that won't allow you to sell, do a giveaway of one of your products or services and invite all attendees to submit their business card for a chance to win. Follow-up with everyone who enters, inviting them to join your email list.

Speaking is a great way to get yourself in front of your ideal clients so they can get to know you and your business better. It's also a great way to build a mailing list of your ideal clients that you can market to over time, through a regularly published newsletter or ezine.

(C) Copyright 2006 Debbie LaChusa, 10stepmarketing