How to Use Your Voice to Attract Qualified Leads

Imagine this:

You signed up to speak at a seminar for the first time in a while — maybe your first time ever. You are about to go on stage in front of prospective clients, peers, and total strangers.

Plus, you think the person who spoke before you was amazing, but the crowd hardly reacted. Will you actually be able to get clients from this? Are they going to judge you for all your potential mistakes?

There’s a reason public speaking is the most common fear in America, and when you combine that with fear of judgement and being anything less than perfect, it can seem impossible to stand on a stage and promote your business.

But if you don’t let that fear get in the way, you can start growing your business exponentially.

Mary Cheyne, a professional speaker and coach, still gets new clients from talks she did at the very beginning of her career. These are people who she never spoke to one-on-one who remembered Mary and knew they had to work with her.

What’s amazing is that you can achieve the same outcome with your business. When Mary graduated college, she was a socially awkward computer programmer who felt like she had no voice, so how did she become the first runner-up for World Champion of Public Speaking — competing against 25,000 contestants from 14 countries??

She entered my world 5 years ago, just starting her first business. Now, with a TEDx Talk under her belt and ideal raving fan clients, she only continues to grow and improve.

I invited Mary to share her transformation on Growing Your Financial Business… The Woman’s Way. You’ll definitely want to hear it straight from her on the podcast, but here’s a sneak peek of Mary’s amazing advice. . .

If You’re Scared, Do It Anyway

Mary describes public speaking as a forever journey.

So many coaches will only address the mechanics of speaking, like annunciation and a little humor, but Mary goes deep with each of her clients: excavating their past conditioning, finding the root of their self-consciousness, and overcoming their barriers to confidence.

She doesn’t promise that the fear will go away — just that it won’t hold you back. Take the time to really examine your fears and where they come from. What is the potential judgment that you’re scared of? What’s holding you back? And then move through that fear, and find your confidence on the other side.

Easier said than done, right? That’s why it’s a journey. When you step on stage and outside your comfort zone, that fear might come back! But you’ll have the clarity and experience to speak authentically to your audience.

The best tool to get through the fear is to believe in the value you provide and fully commit yourself to your mission. Mary swears by it, and so do I — it’s how I keep showing up for my clients everyday. In our conversation, we discuss how being congruent with your mission can make a world of difference on stage, so make sure to give it a listen!

Be Authentic

Mary and I discussed plenty of other tips for public speaking on Growing Your Financial Business… The Woman’s Way. If you’re nervous about getting through compliance or you’re already feeling some self-doubt, then make sure to listen to the episode — there are opportunities in speaking that you definitely don’t want to miss out on! Don’t let perfect get in the way of possible!

Check out Mary’s episode here!

Do you have experience with public speaking? Share your favorite tips in the comments!