MBA1848 Extended Interview: Michael Port – Grow Your Business by Becoming a Referable Speaker
Aug 9, 2021
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Michael Port, a renowned speaking coach, shares his vast insights on becoming a referable speaker to elevate your business. He emphasizes the importance of emotional engagement and rehearsals in public speaking, comparing it to athletic training. Port reveals how effective speaking can generate leads and the value of niching down to build authority. He also discusses the shift from being merely an expert to a visionary speaker, offering strategies for a sustainable career. Tune in for essential tips that transform public speaking into a powerful business asset!
Mastering public speaking is essential for entrepreneurs as it builds authority and attracts opportunities, transforming audience engagement significantly.
Rehearsal is vital for effective speaking, allowing speakers to focus on connecting with their audience rather than merely recalling content.
Transitioning from being an expert to a visionary in speaking engages audiences more deeply and fosters lasting relationships for future opportunities.
Deep dives
The Significance of Being a Great Speaker
Becoming a great speaker is vital for entrepreneurs looking to expand their brand and attract more opportunities. Presenting oneself effectively on stage changes not only how audiences perceive the speaker but also influences their willingness to engage with their work. The conversation underscores that effective speaking is about crafting an emotional connection, thereby altering the audience's feelings, thoughts, and actions. This artistic element of speaking, compared to merely delivering information, transforms the experience for both the speaker and the audience.
Rehearsal: The Key to Authenticity
Rehearsal plays a crucial role in delivering a powerful speech, often misunderstood as a limitation to spontaneity. With extensive practice, speakers can focus on connecting with their audience rather than recalling content, creating a natural and engaging performance. The discussion highlights the paradox that being overly prepared allows for genuine expressiveness on stage. For speakers, mastery comes through understanding their material and rehearsing thoroughly to transition smoothly during live presentations.
Building Trust Through Speaking
Speaking engagements serve as a significant avenue for building trust and credibility, especially in business. When audiences experience a speaker's transformative talk, the potential for referrals and further opportunities increases substantially. This facilitation of deeper connections during speaking engagements allows speakers to leverage these relationships for future projects and speaking gigs. For entrepreneurs, leveraging speaking as a marketing strategy can effectively shorten the sales cycle and establish stronger relationships with potential clients.
Moving from Expert to Visionary
The podcast draws a distinction between positioning oneself as an expert versus evolving into a visionary in a selected field. Visionaries challenge the status quo and offer unique perspectives that resonate more deeply with audiences, going beyond rote expertise. To stand out, speakers must strive to provide timeless insights rather than transient tips, ensuring that their message endures in the minds of listeners. This shift in approach allows individuals to cultivate a sustainable, impactful speaking career built on trust and credibility.
Getting Started: Securing Initial Speaking Gigs
For aspiring speakers, securing initial gigs is crucial to gain momentum and establish credibility in the industry. The conversation provides actionable steps, such as seeking out opportunities for free speaking engagements to develop and refine content. Networking with established speakers for referral leads and proposing free workshops can effectively build an audience base. By creating a strategy around these initial engagements, speakers can set the foundation for a flourishing career in speaking and enhance their market visibility.
Want authority in your space? There’s no substitute for being a great speaker.
Of course, being great at speaking is like being great at anything. It doesn’t happen by accident! And you’ll probably need a little advice — maybe even a little coaching.
Fortunately, there’s Michael Port.
Michael has built a business empire as the go-to speaking coach for entrepreneurs — including our very own Omar Zenhom. Today, Michael sits down with Omar for one of our rare full-length interviews.
Don’t miss this one!
Over the course of this in-depth discussion, Michael and Omar explore how public speaking can be a massive boost to almost any business, how to get better at it, and why your speaking skills are worth an investment of time, money, and effort.
Learn why speaking is such a game-changer, what the real goals of public speaking should be, and how to approach different kinds of talks. Get incredibly valuable tips from one of the foremost experts in the complex art of public communication. Click play at the top of the page!