How can you use public speaking to promote your brand at trade shows?

1 Choose your topic wisely

Your trade show presentation should be relevant, engaging, and valuable to your audience. You want to showcase your expertise, solve a problem, or offer a unique perspective on a topic related to your industry or niche. Avoid being too salesy or self-promotional, as this can turn off potential customers. Instead, focus on educating, entertaining, or inspiring your audience with useful information, stories, or insights. You can also use your topic to highlight your brand values, mission, or vision, and how they align with your audience's needs and goals.

2 Prepare your presentation well

Your trade show presentation should be clear, concise, and compelling in order to capture and keep your audience's attention and persuade them to take action. To do this effectively, you need to plan your presentation structure, content, and delivery carefully. Start with a catchy introduction that hooks your audience, states your main message, and outlines your agenda. Use a simple and logical structure that guides your audience through your key points, supports them with evidence, and connects them with transitions. End with a powerful conclusion that summarizes your main message, reinforces your brand identity, and calls your audience to action. Visual aids such as slides, images, videos, or demos can enhance your presentation and make it more memorable; however, don't overuse them or let them distract from your speech. Finally, practice your presentation several times in front of a mirror or camera and get feedback from a friend on your delivery, tone, pace, and body language.

3 Deliver your presentation confidently

Delivering your trade show presentation confidently, professionally, and enthusiastically is essential for establishing rapport with your audience and conveying your credibility and passion. To do this, you must overcome your nerves, engage your audience, and handle any challenges gracefully. Here are some tips to help you in this endeavor: arrive early and check the equipment, the room, and the audience; smile and make eye contact with your audience while using gestures, movements, and facial expressions; speak clearly and loudly enough for everyone to hear you while varying your pitch, volume, and speed; interact with your audience by asking questions, inviting feedback, or using humor; and handle any questions, comments, or objections politely and respectfully by acknowledging different viewpoints and providing clear and honest answers.

4 Follow up on your presentation effectively

Your trade show presentation should be followed up effectively, promptly, and strategically in order to maintain contact with your audience, nurture your leads, and convert them into customers. To do this, you need to collect contact information from your audience, such as email addresses, phone numbers, or social media handles; you can use a sign-up sheet, a business card drop, a QR code, or a lead capture app. Additionally, you should send follow-up messages within 24 hours of your presentation; thank them for attending and remind them of your main message and brand identity. Don't forget to provide additional resources such as a link to your presentation slides, a blog post, or a white paper. Furthermore, offer incentives or value-added services to entice your audience to take the next step. Include a clear and urgent call to action and a deadline to create a sense of urgency and scarcity. Lastly, track and measure your results such as the number of leads, conversions, and sales generated by your presentation; use this data to evaluate your performance and optimize future presentations. Public speaking is an effective way to promote your brand at trade shows; by following these tips you can increase your visibility, credibility, and profitability.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?