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| You answered a call and it was a local women's group asking you to be a guest speaker. "I would love to," you say, "how long of a program would you like?" In the meantime you are thinking what in the heck am I going to talk about...I'm not a public speaker...I am a redesigner. Well, if you want to be a successful redesigner then you need to move out of your comfort zone and get your face in front of the world. How can they hire you if they don't even know you exist? Adding public speaking to your marketing plan (you do have a plan, don't you?) is one of the best ways to get your business kick-started. Most often your programs will be 20 to 45 minutes and that includes questions and answers. Always plant someone in the audience to get the ball rolling with the Q and A period of your program..no one wants to be the first one to ask a question. Ask your contact for the group to ask the first question. Also don't be afraid to not know an answer..simply say, I need to think about that one a bit more...give me your number and I will be happy to call you with an answer. The key is to offer programs the listeners find interesting with plenty of props to make you comfortable..this way they are looking at what you are showing..not your face. Here are just a few ideas although I could probably write a book on this subject. Let's talk about some various topics to use when speaking. 1. "Decorating 911"- Dress as a Doctor or Nurse and talk about diagnosing your room's decorating ailments. A few you can mention are "Chronic Fatigue System" is your room tired and bland? "Clogged arteries" can lead to a discussion of traffic patterns. Check out this month's newsletter for more on this topic. 2. "Less is More"- Begin this program by talking about how our rooms are an accumulation of time and "stuff." As you talk about how we accumulate things, start piling clothing on your body with no rhyme or reason, add scarves, jewelry...go over the top, relating everything you do to the way our homes develop layers. Each of the items alone are lovely...but all together they create a sense of chaos. After piling on the layers, hold up your hands and say, "How may of you have a room that looks like this?" They can all relate and then you can segue into a talk about redesign or staging. 3. "Creative Accessorizing" Find creative uses for a variety of accessories...for example, using garden stakes for curtain rods, plate racks for instant cornices when coupled with scarves, making a foyer table from a large vase with a glass round on top of it...get the picture? 4. "Quick Changes" Show ideas for no-sew window treatments using napkins and table runners. Adding an area rug to a space, changing lamp shades to give lamps a new look or hot glue on beads or feathers for a quick change.etc. Read magazines looking for great ideas to incorporate into your programs. Research on the web..I particularly like [URL=http://www.about.com/interiordecorating]and www.bhg.com. Both are filled with ideas to help you present a great program. Most of all have fun, we are offering a warm and fuzzy service. Make sure they see that side of your personality so you are approachable and they want to hire you. Any questions or comments, please post on the "Growing your business" forum or email me directly. Watch for this month's newsletter for more on this subject. JoAnne Lenart-Weary |
| JoAnne Lenart-Weary from One Day Decorating has been featured on HGTV and is an Industry Leader in Redesign. |
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