Joanne Lockwood ғʀsᴀ ғᴘsᴀ ғɪᴇᴅᴘ

Nearly all of my keynotes and speaking gigs are one offs. Yes, the content and plan is mapped out, but the path is not set in stone. This allows me to lean in to audience reaction. Drop in a humorous line, a methaphor or simple gauge audience responses with a simple “does that make sense” or a “does anyone else feel this way” type hook to engage. Some of these are planned and some are in the moment. Sometimes I’ll detect a question or some one reacting to what I say which may lead me to go deeper, or move on. I am conscious of time, and the take aways so whilst it’s important to be variable and engaging, hitting the mark is always the objective!

I like to lean into my audience. Speak to them as individuals and not as a collective. Use interaction, or rhetorical questions to get them to engage. Pausing allows for pondering… reflection and a chance to ruminate. I want to ensure it feels like a conversation and not a lecture.

I’m a great believer in metaphors and similar visualisations that help people relate. I’m careful though to ensure that my audience with resonate. No point in referencing something with a specific cultural analogy or something generational. Pick something worldly or relatable to a broad demographic of audience members. Most of my portfolio of metaphors are ones that I use in everyday life, mantras or beliefs that I hold dear. This means I don’t have to invent them on the fly and can slot them in as per of my conversation with the audience. Some are humorous and some are powerful hooks that people quote back to me years later - it reinforces the memorability of well placed metaphors that paint a picture in someone’s mind!

For me, storytelling is the bedrock of engaging professional speaking. I use personal anecdotes, and extract key elements from them. They don’t need to be completely true or factual in every details. The advantage of this is they are easy to remember and can be slotted in as needed, each speech will effectively be different depending on the story or anecdote used. They also help you build your personal brand and reputation as they will be unique to you.

Find your 'why' - ensure it will resonate with your target market. It's more than just the widget or service you are offering. It's your holistic brand experience and how people perceive you. People buy from People - its easy to turn off because of a toxic or inauthentic persona. Your value proposition must speak to the buy, they must perceive a value, not a cost in our product or service, something that increases, adds, or reduces waste etc... spend time market testing. Speak to people and ask them to describe you and your product/service - if there is a mismatch then work on the realignment.

Whilst you can't live off of exposure, having the most incredible product in the world won't generate revenue if no one knows or understands it. Networking is a way of meeting potential clients and customers, getting used to talking about your product, practice your 'why' and value proposition. Live your product and be prepared to talk about it... one of the rules of entrepreneurship is, always be looking for ideas and angles, and always be pitching - but don't bore people though. With networking always be generous with your time, attention and energy, people will remember that. Be a radiator, not a drain! And my golden rule is "it's not about who you know", "it's about who knows you!" Be excellent!