Getting yourself out there

I loved the way Cathy Nesbitt goes after publicity.  She doesn’t hold back and uses every advantage to get her name out there.  And I am confident that PR guru Tsufit would concur that you have to “Step into the Spotlight” if you want to be discovered.

But how do you do that?  Especially if you are an introvert at heart.  Regardless of your personality style, the goal is to become the expert in your industry; the go-to person when journalists want a comment or quote for their articles.

Clearly when you are only one of a few who does what you do, like Cathy and her worms, it is much easier to get media attention. It can be harder for the rest of us. For those who are happier behind a computer than in front of the camera, writing blogs and articles is a good starting point. 

I’ve been blogging for eight years now and initially it was because I liked to write, I didn’t even care much if anyone read them.  Today that has paid off for me, in that I now write for other people and publications – like Huffington Post – and just one blog can spiral into great publicity. 

Take the one I did on women and money.  Before I knew it, I was being interviewed by Global TV and a radio station in Vancouver.  Now truth is, don’t tell anyone, but I am not really an expert on women and money, (my husband will be quick to attest to that,) but I am out there and I am knowledgeable on women and business.  The first journalist found me through Google, so make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date and accurately showcases your expertise.

Yes, writing press releases is one way to get your name out there, but frankly your story has to be newsworthy, otherwise it just gets lost in a sea of paper.  I used to have great success in getting my releases in the local paper.  However, that was mainly because I knew the local reporter and had built up a relationship with her.  But when she retired, that ended and the paper placed their emphasis on businesses that advertised with them.

Public speaking is another way to get your name out there.  When you are giving a presentation, you do have a captive audience and if you do a good job, word will spread. If that really scares you, maybe start by being on a panel.

One way, that is often overlooked, but can be effective, is to volunteer, sharing your expertise with a non-profit organization.   Not only are you doing good, but you get to broaden your network and you just never know who you are sitting next to at the board meeting.

Getting back to Tsufit, you may want to grab a copy of her book Step into the Spotlight, because it is jammed full of practical information, and, she’s funny too. As she asks, “Which would you rather be?  Batman or Robin? You know Robin is never going to get his own show. “  You decide.

Go with the flow

In the past I have likened public speaking to going to the dentist – painful and nerve-racking - neither were my favourite ways to spend my time.

But you know what, I learned something about myself last week. I’ve come a long way.  As some of you will have read through LinkedIn or Facebook, I was speaking at the convocation for Sheridan College grads at the Living Arts Centre. 

It was the largest group graduating with over 400 grads in their finest, strutting across the stage.  One by one, the grads, mainly female, would totter past me in these amazing shoes, with heels that looked like lethal weapons

The place was packed with close to 1,500 people in attendance, and as a speaker I was sitting on the stage for close to three hours, waiting for my turn.  What I hadn’t realized was that I would be the last to speak.  Being last after a long evening, has to be the worst gig, ever. 

The longer the ceremony went, the shorter my speech became in my head. Now it wasn’t actually in my head, I had written it and then shortened it down to a few bullet points, but even that was going to be too long.  I just knew it.  So what did I do?

I surrendered and gave up the speech I was going to give.  I didn’t even look at my notes.  Instead, I made some wise cracks that tied in with what previous presenters had said which got everyone laughing, made two or three key points, and then sat down.

As for the profound, meaningful quote from Mark Twain that I’d planned to end on, it went by the wayside too.  I just said “Congratulations, now go party.”

My lesson from all this is that you really do have to be flexible, gauge your audience and adapt to what they want to hear.  Otherwise, you’ve lost them.

And as for my closing remarks – now the grads liked that advice!

Speaking Out Loud

While I am getting much more comfortable with public speaking, my interview at the Toronto Women’s Bookstore made me more nervous.  Mostly because I didn’t know the questions and therefore couldn’t rehearse my answers.  I’ve never been someone who felt confident speaking off the top of my head.  And then there was the reading out loud – I had to read two or three sections from my book. 

First, which ones do I choose?  And second, and probably more important, I suck at reading out loud. I always went to great lengths to avoid this at school, where there was the expectation that the students in leadership roles (I was one)  would frequently read to the whole assembly.

Well you know what… it was OK.  Actually it was more than OK, it was pretty good.  What I had forgotten is that when you know your topic (which was me and my book), you know the answers.  On reflection there were a couple of things I probably shouldn’t have said – being critical of a well-known entrepreneur – but hey, take a number,  there are many who take pot shots at him.

My thanks to friends who came in to be supportive, especially those who drove in from Oakville.  It was lovely to see some familiar faces and it made the whole event seem like a friendly conversation between friends. Annemarie Shrouder was a charming host who made you feel comfortable and at ease and she seemed to have genuinely liked my book, which helps.

So my advice to those of you facing a demon or taking a risk – just do it.  It is usually worse in your head than in reality.

GOING GLOBAL

Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing Pamela Wallin, someone I have admired and respected for a long time. She started off as a social worker in the prison system – a far cry from where she has landed as a Senator in the Canadian Parliament.

When I asked her about whether she had any idea of how her life would unfold, she told me that her rule was to say “yes” to anything that took her out of her comfort zone.

I remembered her words when I was asked to come speak at the Global Women’s Leadership Summit in Turkey, because my first reaction was to decline as public speaking is definitely not in my comfort zone! Plus no pressure, Hillary Clinton was their keynote last year. So with some fear and in trepidation, I said yes, and here I am today, getting packed up and ready to go.

The organizers have sent me the questions in advance and I am glad they did, because the role of civic society is not something I tend to think about on a daily basis. As I look at the array of speakers in place – professors, diplomats and women leaders from around the world, I am trying not to get intimidated.

I’ve done my homework. In fact, I was still researching on the weekend and then decided to stop. I have to remind myself that I need to talk about what I know, as someone “in the trenches” if you will.

So stay tuned as I go global.

Overcoming fears

They say public speaking ranks as high as death in people’s fears. It certainly ranked high in mine.

But no more. Last month I was invited to talk to a group of business women in Orangeville – actually over a 100 women turned up – so more of a crowd – which made it all a bit more nerve-wracking. I’d convinced myself that if I blew it, it wouldn’t matter because I wouldn’t see these women again… when in walked someone I knew, not only that, she’d brought her team to hear me. The pressure was on.

I spent much time debating what I could talk about and decided to follow the maxim that you do best when you talk about what you know. So I talked about the life lessons I’d learned in running Company of Women.

Over the years I’ve painfully witnessed what speakers should not do, and so I was determined to make my talk interesting, entertaining and thought-provoking. Being visual, I used photos as my prompts, as relying on my menopausal memory is not always a good idea.

The end result – it went well. I didn’t get my usual dry mouth, I made them laugh, and cry. And … not only did I survive the experience, I actually enjoyed it. Now that’s a first.