28-03-2024
Barfield & McKinney's Podcast Experiment
Save the date: Our next LI live audio event is on Monday 15th April at 12 noon. Topic: BALANCE. We’ll send the link nearer the time. The “Millennial Pause” at the start of this video is magnificent. At least I didn’t laugh though. Ben and I spoke about how and why some freelancers and small business owners might like to get their voices out there. As always, we’ve recorded a little recap. The benefits of public speaking are:* affirmation and attention!* it positions you as an expert* maximises networking opportunities at real life events - as a speaker you tend to talk to more people during the breaks* other opportunities can follow, like podcast appearances, being invited to deliver training, etc.* when delivering live talks, the energy in the room is an excellent legal high* you shorten the gap between you and your potential clients and your network* it can increase your revenue streams e.g. being paid to speak and/or offering consultancy work on top of your “day job”Things to be mindful of:* you don’t necessarily get instant ROI* maybe you don’t need slides?* likely you’ll have to do it free of charge to begin with* it takes brain space and takes time to create a decent talk* most people are rooting for you, but if you get the odd hater you’ve made it* the longer-term ROI isn’t just being paid to talk at stuff, it’s the broader rate increase, raised profile, wider audience, higher-quality clients, etc.How to dip a toe in:* put it out there that you want to speak at events and on pods (if you don’t ask…)* listen to other people talking at events/podcasts/webinars (e.g. TMM) is a really useful way to learn how to do it well* use Canva to record yourself (might be a pro feature, not sure) - the benefit is you can re-record each slide if you fluff up* prep a short talk so if you get interest you have an oven-ready bio, talk description and theme * talk in front of the mirror to build confidence* get along to Keynote Club run by Max Hopkinson, Becca Lamb and Becki Wilson for a gentle, welcoming space * record some videos to put out on LinkedIn, doesn’t need to be long (literally 30 seconds is fine) * record your voice and listen back - get over that gross bit of hearing yourself* no need for special equipment - send yourself a WhatsApp voicenote and listen to it on repeat as exposure therapyWho to follow:* Pascalle Bergmans for snackable videos about public speaking techniques* Jackie Goddard for her “Speak Like A Speaker” series* Bonnie Harrington for a 1:1 to improve your presentationsShameless self-promo:* Ben spoke at Copy Cabana when he was a baby copywriter* Mel has a dedicated speaking pageAnd finally, a huge thank you to our paid supporters Ralph, Nikki, Lorna and Jen. It blows our minds a little and we’re so grateful. Also, apologies for any nagging emails Substack sends about upgrading to paid - it has a mind of its own. Speak soon,Ben & MelCatch us in action…Ben is speaking at Creator Day in Poole on 25th AprilMel is speaking at CopyCon in London on 8th NovemberPS: Mel wrote more speaker tips here. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit barfieldandmckinney.substack.com/subscribe