What happens when you show up

I got 3 speaking engagements in the past week, with just a couple of short emails.

No need for lengthy speaking proposals.

No need to “prove” myself with a long bio listing all of my past speaking experience and qualifications.

No need for a dazzling video.

Easy, right?

Well, yes, the emails were easy to write and the turnaround time from initial email to confirmed date was quick (just a few hours).

But, what propelled me to this point was the time and effort, over the past year, I’ve been spending showing up.

→ Attending in-person events of business groups I’ve joined.

→ Supporting and promoting others.

→ Being a part of online masterminds.

→ Building relationships.

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The key to showing up is not to do it randomly: flittering from one large networking group to the next, briefly meeting and collecting business cards from dozens of new people (or joining 20 Facebook groups and drive-by posting here and there).

Instead, select a handful of smaller, more intimate groups that align with your interests and values and show up there consistently and purposefully.

Make an effort to get to know the organizers and offer to help out. Promote their events on social media and invite friends to come along. Introduce yourself to new people at the events and work on building meaningful relationships with the other “regulars”.

These relationships will become the foundation for your business because the people you see regularly will come to know not only what you do but who you are as a person – your family life, your hobbies, your interests, and your values.

They will then be much more likely to recommend you when someone’s looking for a speaker (or to buy what you sell). Not because they feel obligated to, but because they genuinely want to see you succeed as their friend, just as you will do in turn.

Those 3 speaking engagements I got in the past week? They originated from conversations I had with the organizers at their recent events, where I was introduced to them by mutual friends. I first showed I was interested in what they were doing by attending and by being a positive addition to the group.

Then, I followed up.

I lot of people miss this step. They wait for the organizer to email and extend the speaking invitation. But, you know what, they’re really busy juggling the group and their job or business, so they will usually appreciate you taking the initiative.

I sent a short email to the organizers about how much I enjoyed their event and offered to do a presentation for their group that would appeal to their attendees (that’s another great thing about attending events first – you get to know what topic would be best).

Within a couple of hours, I had those presentations on the calendar.

Where will you show up and follow up this week? Let me know on Facebook or Twitter.

Worth Listening To

This past week, I listened to Tara Gentile’s Profit, Power, Pursuit podcast with Andy Hayes, the founder of Plum Deluxe teas. Interestingly, the idea for this business came from his desire to “make moments that matter” – and tea was how he wanted to do that.

For your signature talk, think about what your overall message is – it’s something more than the product or service you sell.

Worth Reading

A touching note from Hillary Clinton on the power (and necessity) of women coming together to support each other and to “create spaces where women can speak their minds freely”. She encourages us to:

Speak your opinion more fervently in your classes if you’re a student, or at meetings in your workplace. Proudly take credit for your ideas. Have confidence in the value of your contributions. And if the space you’re in doesn’t have room for your voice, don’t be afraid to carve out a space of your own.

Show up. Speak up. Light the path for others.

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