Why Speak? Most people don't know that speaking is one of the best marketing strategies for growing your business. As an active marketing strategy, speaking to an audience by offering solutions to a particular problem they are facing can lead to an increase in business if approached in the right way. Here are 4 reasons why speaking can be an advantage in your marketing mix.Leadership - When you speak to an audience, you are viewed as a subject matter expert and an authority in your area of practice. Speaking enables you to be seen as someone with credibility. As a subject matter expert, you bring value to the people who come to hear you speak. It raises your credibility.Leverage - Secondly, speaking enables you to leverage your time. You can connect with many potential clients in a shorter amount of time than it would take to meet with each person individually. The opportunity to leverage your time allows you to allocate your resources more efficiently.Likability - Thirdly, speaking shortens the time it takes for potential clients to become paying clients as it helps to get them in and through the "know, like, and trust you funnel." Your potential clients get a feel for who you are, and they get a glimpse of what it would be like to work with you. And when you provide your audience value when you speak, they are going to like you and will be more likely to do business with you. You create a win/win because your audience benefits when they learn something new from you, and you win because you have increased awareness for your products and/or services.Links - Lastly, anytime you bring a group of people together, it creates connections and it builds community. Your audience wants to connect with you and with other like-minded audience members. As humans, we have this innate need for connection. Speaking creates an environment for connections to happen, especially if you build an interactive presentation.A presentation that shares valuable content, is delivered with confidence, and includes a well - crafted offer and a call to action can increase your new clients and income.

Sonja Stetzler, MA, RD is a communications and public speaking coach who works with business and healthcare professionals to improve their presentation skills so that they can grow their business or advance in their careers. For FREE tips on improving your presence on the platform, visit www.effectiveconnecting.com