Janet Falk spoke about Networking to 40 women professionals and members of “Risky Women.” Her presentation was excellent. She gave practical tips and step-by-step guidance on how to prepare BEFORE attending a networking event, how to interact with people there and how to follow-up afterwards. There was a lively Q&A and everyone was fully engaged in the discussion. I highly recommend Janet as a speaker for your organization.
Tag Archives: speaking
Make It a Double
If one is good, two is better.
Congratulations on your recent speaking engagement!
It was terrific.
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- You were on a podcast.
- You gave a webinar, perhaps with other speakers.
- You conducted a workshop.
- You presented at a conference or were a panelist.
Don’t stop there. Make it a double.
Here’s how the time you spent on research, writing and rehearsal will truly pay off: Find a new venue where you can repeat your performance.
After your podcast appearance, look for other programs where you can talk about the same theme. Search the directories of the major podcast distributors: Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher and YouTube. Select general categories or specific areas of interest.
You can also review these directories of podcasts:
Conduct an online search for the Top 10 Podcasts in your industry.
Finally, you can perform reverse engineering. Look on the website Owltail.com for topics and speakers aligned with your subject.
When you have compiled a list of podcasts of interest, contact the hosts and introduce yourself as someone with valuable insights for their listeners. Your recent podcast appearance is a plus. Use the sample letter of How YOU Can Be a Podcast Guest in your outreach to podcast hosts.
Webinars are easily duplicated. When there are multiple webinar providers serving your audience, reach out to each of them with your idea for a timely presentation. For example, providers in the accounting sector include CPA Academy and My CPE.
Connect with the other panelists and propose a reprise of the topic with a different webinar host. Perhaps a webinar producer who previously presented one speaker will find your topic relevant and will schedule a program with the group.
Take that workshop to a group where you are a member or might be a guest speaker:
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- a professional membership organization
- an industry association
- a local chamber of commerce
- an incubator for start-up businesses.
Conferences may be local, regional or national. If you spoke at a state conference, look to a national event. And vice versa.
Host your own event for clients and referral sources, and perhaps even vendors. You will bring everyone up to date on trends and issues, plus they will appreciate networking with your contacts.
Consider giving your repeat performance on a different platform. The webinar I presented on 25 Tips to Prepare for Your Next Conference has been the focus of four podcasts, plus a few more are on my calendar.
Remember, it’s not one and done.
This Month’s Tip
Broaden your audience; two can speak together. Consider teaming up with a client, or referral source, to tap into the market of their peers. Podcast hosts, webinar producers and conference organizers will view your co-presenter as someone who has their finger on the pulse of what’s happening in their industry or their profession, giving you additional credibility as a speaker.
Contact
It’s time to double up on your speaking engagements. Let’s review your recent podcast appearances and presentations to see where you might book another. Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com, set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770. Let’s make your latest speaking engagement a two-fer or even a three-fer.
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In memory of my mother, Sue Falk, who passed away July 30, 2023. She often bought two colors of the same blouse, because, If one is good, two is better.
Image credit: Nearme Cafe
Patricia Kakalec
Janet spoke at the fall conference of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) New York chapter on the topic of working with the press, a discussion that I organized. Janet’s participation was enthusiastically received by this group of plaintiff-side employment lawyers, and several participants commented to me that the presentation was very helpful. Janet’s recommendations for best practices when working with the media, her sample media profile and sample press release, and her on-point response to questions gave us all a lot to think about and work with. I know I have put several of Janet’s recommendations into use already in my practice.
Laura T. Schnaidt
We worked with Janet on a presentation that she gave to Women in Funds. Following the event, there was immediate feedback from at least half the people who attended – all of whom had glowing reviews. It was unanimously positive and people found it very helpful. We would love to do this event again with Janet and will refer members looking for advice to her as well. We met Janet thanks to Women in Funds Board member Jane Abitanta, who suggested that Janet speak to the group. Janet worked together with our organization to specifically tailor the presentation to the members of Women in Funds. Janet is Fabulous!
Adrienne B. Koch
Janet gave a terrific workshop at my firm, to a group of women attorneys from various walks of the profession, on how best to position oneself as a resource for the press. At my request, she tailored her presentation to that audience, so that her comments and suggestions were specific and relevant; she was also responsive to the group, and made a point of making sure she answered everybody’s questions. As a result, the audience was highly engaged and the presentation was very well-received.
But of equal importance, Janet spent time informally with the group before and after the presentation, sharing her insightful thoughts and ideas in smaller, more individual conversations. This made the evening doubly enriching. I highly recommend both Janet’s workshops and Janet as a workshop leader.
Jose Almanzar
If you’re an attorney looking for press coverage, Janet can show you the various tools that will help you to get ‘in’ with reporters and journalists. It’s a no brainer for private practitioners, regardless of the substantive area of law they handle. Trust her, she knows what she’s talking about.
Dana Heitz
Janet had great insights on (media relations), a topic that’s foreign to a lot of lawyers. She kept our audience of solo attorneys and legal professionals completely engaged.
Sandra Holtzman
Janet graciously guest speaks in my NYU graduate class in Marketing. Her presentations are thoughtfully put together and demonstrate numerous points with clearly articulated case histories from different sectors. She presents a wealth of expertise and is very generous with her time and patient with student questions. Janet also speaks at my FastTrac New Venture classes and her presentations there are equally excellent.
NEW E-book: Create and Monitor Your Marketing RBI
Play a winning game with these five ways to grow your business.
You may recall I wrote about the five ways to attract business in June 2017. Your Marketing RBI (Runs Batted In) has these components:
- Networking
- Speaking
- Writing
- Participating in the trade association of your target market
- Extending your digital presence
I’ve spoken on this aspect of Marketing in presentations to groups of accountants and attorneys, as well as on podcasts.
More recently, I wrote a series of six articles for the PLI Chronicle Insights and Perspectives for the Legal Community, a monthly publication produced by the Practising Law Institute.
Naturally, these ideas have evolved over time.
I have now revised those articles and presentations, assembling them in an e-book of more than 50 pages.
It’s chock-full of detailed instructions, examples and best practices that apply to professionals who are accountants, business owners and consultants, not only attorneys.
Now, this guidance is offered to you and others in a general audience who might benefit from these strategies. The e-book is available for purchase for $9.99 via Venmo.
Here’s the Table of Contents so you’ll see what you’ll learn.
This Month’s Tip
Try ALL FIVE strategies and then focus on the ones where you feel most comfortable. Networking may be your favorite and speaking may give your stomach butterflies. Or vice versa. The e-book gives examples of how you can take some practice swings and become more comfortable with the approaches you don’t ordinarily use.
Contact
It’s time you stepped up to the plate and took a swing for the fences. After you place your order and purchase the e-book on Venmo, contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com, set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770. Together we’ll explore which of the five ways to grow your business will most improve your Marketing RBI.
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Audrey Winkler
Janet gave a wonderful interactive presentation on Best Practices in Board Communication and Media Relations to nonprofit professionals at the Board Leadership Workshop for the Nonprofit Sector Resource Institute. It was outstanding and participants commented afterwards that they had learned a great deal from her. The fact that Janet prepared it on an extremely tight deadline made the presentation all the more impressive.
Work Up Your Workshop in a New Format
Use video and writing to re-distribute your ideas.
Congratulations on a terrific workshop presentation.
Celebrate today. Get back to refining your content tomorrow.
It’s not one and done.
Here’s how you can re-purpose it in a new format; click on the blue text for more details:
Capture highlights of the recorded session in segments of up to three minutes. Write a two-sentence overview for each clip. Post the text with the video clip on your website, LinkedIn, Facebook and X (Twitter).
Record a voiceover of a few slides and post the mini discussion.
Create a tip sheet of best practices, a quiz or a checklist with your contact information and branding. Save it as a PDF and offer it as a downloadable file on your website. Share it on social media platforms as well.
Include the links to the video clips and tip sheet in your email signature . It’s your free space to promote yourself, so use it.
Introduce yourself to the media as a source for comment on the hot topic or industry trend you discussed. Tell reporters at industry publications the best practices that will help others in that sector save time, save money or make more money.
Partner with a client, referral source or a colleague in a related field to broaden the perspective when pitching the media.
Does the content lend itself to a case study? Use the P A R I approach to recount the issue. Describe the Problem or Present situation, Action that you took, Result in the short term and Impact over the long term.
Contact podcast hosts , who are always looking for authoritative sources to comment on timely subjects.
Exercise your creative spirit with an infographic.
Write an article for your newsletter — and propose an article for the newsletter of an organization where you are a member.
Do you have a blog? You know what to do.
Here’s how I followed my own advice, after leading a workshop on best practices for LinkedIn. I wrote the e-book pictured above.
This Month’s Tip
Turn your presentation into an e-book. I had wanted to write an e-book about using LinkedIn for a while. When I prepared a workshop on the subject, I finally pulled my ideas together. Now you see the result. Here’s the link to get your copy. And yes, I would love to give the presentation to your group.
Contact
Look through your recent presentations for sleeping golden insights. Let’s consider which format is most appropriate to spread the word more widely. Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com , set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770. Together we’ll give your workshop a workout and get it into shape for a new audience.
See also: C O P E: How Writing Can Re-Broadcast Audio
Click here to read prior issues of this newsletter.
Click here to subscribe to this monthly newsletter and make sure you don’t miss the next issue.
Alla Roytberg
Janet gave a presentation How YOU Can be the Attorney Reporters Call at the New York City Bar Association. It was absolutely fabulous.
Paul Konigstein
Janet gave an excellent presentation to the Financial Executives Networking Group (FENG) not for profit special interest group on networking. Her approach focused on making connections with the leaders of organizations hosting networking events and was a refreshing change from the usual networking strategies. Janet is a very engaging speaker. I would recommend her to present to any group.
Sharyn O’ Mara
Janet Falk was a wonderful guest lecturer at our Farmingdale State College Public Relations class. Janet shared a wealth of knowledge about a variety of public relations topics. Prior to the class, we discussed what had been taught already and she tailored her presentation to expand on their PR knowledge base. Janet covered a vast landscape while keeping things interesting and organized. Janet contributed an educational presentation to our class!
Geri Stengel
Getting in the media is a great way for a small business to establish and grow its credibility, and generate interest in its products and services. Janet provided practical and easy to implement tips that any small business can follow. My NYC Small Business FastTrac students found these tips invaluable.
Why You Should Co-Lead a Workshop with a Colleague
Collaboration yields up-to-the-minute content and conversation.
Speaking is one of the five best ways to attract new business. In a workshop setting, for example, you and your colleague demonstrate mastery of the subject matter and analyze successful projects. Your presentation also entices attendees to hire you, so they might achieve similar results for their organization.
Plus, it’s beneficial when your co-leader is a client, who will attest to the value and impact of your services.
Consider teaming up with a colleague in an allied field, or someone whose business aligns with that of the session’s participants.
Co-presenting offers several advantages to a solo session:
- Speakers of different professions attract a wider audience; attendees may connect better with the person who shares their background.
- Collaborating lightens the burden of developing and giving the entire presentation.
- You will gain access to timely knowledge and insights of another profession, while preparing the material.
- You will capitalize on the co-presenter’s existing relationship with the event host, or further ingratiate yourself if you are the connector.
Recently, I collaborated on two different workshops to groups of attorneys; my partners were networking contacts.
One session was a reprise of a webinar on media relations that patent attorney Patricia Werschulz and I had developed. After I proposed the topic to the webinar producer, I invited Werschulz, whom I had met at a networking event, to co-lead the presentation. In my segments, I explained the nuts and bolts of professionally introducing oneself to reporters and the how-tos of press releases. in her sections, Werschulz discussed ethics and the Rules of Professional Conduct that applied to interaction with the media. Her remarks qualified the presentation for Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits, a magnet for attorneys who must log CLE credits every two years. Following that webinar, Werschulz and I have given the presentation as an in-person workshop three more times.
The second workshop, which I had previously led four times for professionals at financial, public relations and start-up companies, focused on networking. When customizing this speaking engagement for attorneys, I recruited Kimberly Rice, editor of the monthly publication Marketing the Law Firm, to which I have contributed articles for five years. I presented a unique pre-event marketing strategy for attendees at networking events. Rice covered ethics and the Rules of Professional Conduct relevant to networking, again for CLE. In addition, she shared best practices in marketing of particular interest to attorneys from a small law firm or with a solo practice.
Here’s why Werschulz and Rice agreed to co-present:
Werschulz: “I wanted to learn more about the subject matter of ethics and media relations, so I had to research my part of the presentation. I also had the opportunity to learn from my co-presenter. Every time I present or teach, my network expands with new potential sources of referrals.”
Rice: “I enjoy presenting to different audiences of qualified, targeted prospects whose interests align with my expertise. I was curious about New York City lawyers and found they were a bit more engaged than audiences in other parts of the country. Working with the New York County Lawyers Association will perhaps open the door for future speaking opportunities.“
Collaborating on a speaking engagement is a win-win all the way around. You and your colleague gain mastery of new material as you promote your respective expertise and services. Both of you also access new markets of potential clients and referral sources, as well as an organization to host subsequent programs. Your audience receives proven tips, best practices and up-to-date insights on industry trends.
This Month’s Tip
Your partner for a speaking engagement may be a client, a referral source or a networking contact:
- Propose a workshop collaboration to someone whose experience aligns with the attendees and offers a counterpoint to your own business.
- The paired perspectives will provide a more comprehensive view and may include technical aspects of a different field that are less familiar to you, yet vital to the audience.
- The interplay between two speakers –- when one asks the other a question, for example –- enlivens the session and keeps the participants engaged.
Contact
Ready to create your own workshop with a colleague? Let’s brainstorm some hot topics and consider who might best share the podium with you. Contact me at Janet@JanetLFalk.com , set an appointment here or call me at 212.677.5770. Let’s discuss who you might tap to join your presentation team.
See also Do You Lead Workshops for Free?, Back to School — As a Teacher and Create Your Own Traveling Classroom.
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