Your Next Pitch: 5 Pitch Deck Slides To Hook Potential Investors [INFOGRAPHIC]

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Conferences For Entrepreneurs, Marketers & More in 2018

One of the best ways to learn and get involved in a community built around your work is to attend a conference, summit or keynote.  Whether your work is marketing, content creation, entrepreneurship or technology focused, there will be an event that fits your list of needs. Check some of these events out to get started exploring the world of conferences.

No Longer Virtual– Denver, February 22-23

This conference focused on improving your personal communication, sales, and leadership skills is one of the most exclusive events this year, as there is a registration limit of 50 people. NLV is being called a “can’t miss” by Forbes. Because attendance is limited, those who participate are able to work more one on one with other attendees, make more meaningful connections, and attendees contribute to sessions rather than keynote speakers being the main focus.

Forbes Under 30 Summit– Boston, October TBD

The 30 Under 30 Summit is Forbes showcase event of their “Under 30” listmakers. With over 6,000 in attendance and participants that work in fields that range from tech to content marketing, this event is heralded as “the greatest gathering of world changers and entrepreneurs ever.” Complete with musical performances and a food festival, this summit is more than just inspiring speakers. Listmakers are always welcome, but if you haven’t found your name on one just yet, you can request a premium pass to attend this event.

GrowthHackers– San Diego, February 6

For those looking to grow their businesses, a great way to “Kickstart your growth” is to attend the GrowthHackers Conference, hosted by Sean Ellis and Dani Hart of GrowthHackers. With speakers from LinkedIn to ClassPass and everything in between, GrowthHackers can help push your business to the next level. Past speakers have included Larry Kim of Wordstream, Eleana Verna of Survey Monkey, and Chris More of Mozilla, to name a few.

Social Media Marketing World– San Diego, February 28- March 2

Social Media Examiner is presenting a three-day conference this year that will help you to master social media for your business this year. With over 120 training sessions from some of the world’s leaders in social media and content creation, you can learn everything you need to succeed with social media while connecting with influencers, customers, and other marketers. Join speakers Mari Smith, Gary Vaynerchuk, Jay Baer and more in sessions tailored to the needs of both marketers and content creators.

This is only a handful of the great events that you can take advantage of this year, and there are more that are yet to be announced. Keep your eyes open for more conferences that suit the needs of your business.

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Become a Master of Public Speaking

Public speaking becomes part of daily life when you run a successful business. Whether you are addressing employees, pitching a new product, being paid to speak at an event, or even recording a video of yourself; speaking to a crowd can be daunting, no matter how much experience you have. There are ways to improve your public speaking skills, and practice is important, but there’s more to public speaking than just rehearsing and memorizing. Want to get better at public speaking? Use these tips and see how your speeches improve.

Movement and Posture

Body language often says more than speech can. Used correctly, body language can punctuate your speech and portray expertise. If you are speaking at a podium, some of the rules will be different than they would be for a speaker without, but the most important guidelines are the same.

• Stand up straight (this will not only how improve you look, but how you speak as well).
• Avoid making any wild gestures; but don’t be afraid to use your hands to emphasize where it feels natural.
• If you are using a podium don’t lean on it, and if you aren’t, don’t just stand still. Shift your weight, walk around (sparingly), and use the space you have. Be mindful and keep your movements natural and deliberate.

Avoid Technical Jargon (Keep It Simple)

You are the expert on your topic, and though your audience may be familiar, they are here to listen to you and glean your knowledge. Avoid terms that are too technical, but don’t speak down to your audience. The key to a successful speech is taking information that is high level, and sharing it in a way that can reach the general public’s understanding.

Embrace Stress

It’s perfectly fine to be nervous. Public speaking isn’t something that comes naturally to many. In fact, it’s cited as one of the top fears for Americans. Stress and anxiety can be difficult to overcome, but the extra energy you have coming from a place of panic can easily be used to get excited and bring energy to your presentation. You have the power to reinterpret the signs of nervousness and change them into excitement.

Be Thoughtful With Facts

Even if you are an expert on what you will be speaking about, when planning to do an extended presentation you will have done some research into your topic. Make sure the facts you are saying are truthful, stated in a way that is clear and easy to understand, and remember to cite your sources. Giving credit where credit is due will not only keep you from plagiarism, but expand your personal credibility as well.

Avoid Upspeak

Generally a trend associated with female speakers, all speakers should try to avoid upspeak, or the tendency of vocally ending a sentence or word on a higher pitch than the rest of the sentence. This can make your statements come across as questions, which can break down your credibility. This video shows an example of upspeak (in this example it is called uptalk), versus speaking without it.

Reiterate Your Main Point

Your speech is about a certain topic, so the obvious first step is to state your main point. What may not be so obvious is the idea of revisiting that main point and restating it at the end of your speech. And if there are questions afterwards, come back to that main point again before completely wrapping up.  This leaves your audience with a clear understanding of what you are trying to say to them, and allows them to recall each point you brought up within the right context.

Slow Down

Don’t rush. Speak at an easy conversational level that gets your information across without speeding through and confusing your audience. It is easy to get wrapped up in excitement, but take a deep breath and make sure your words are clear, deliberate, and spoken at a level (of both speed and volume) that isn’t overwhelming for your listeners.

Build Drama

Pauses build anticipation and tension. Building drama and suspense keeps your listeners engaged in what you are saying. Pausing where it feels natural also allows you to catch your breath, figure out what to say next and get organized. It‘s unnatural to talk without any breaks, so to calm yourself down and also to make your speech seem effortless; as well as interesting and well thought out; a correctly timed pause is an excellent tool.

The best way to learn is to do, so go out and speak. Try out these tips and see how your audience responds to what you are saying. Who knows? You may even start to enjoy your presentations now!

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