The Most Important Part of Your Speech Happens Once You Get Off Stage. Don’t Blow It

Don’t just give a good presentation, give a smart one.

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Congrats! You were selected to present at a conference in your industry, or at an association event, or some other event where people will sit in chairs and listen to what you have to say. This is good news because delivering great presentations is an excellent way to gain new clients and build your business.

There is a problem, of course. No, it’s not your fear of public speaking. And it’s not that you don’t know how to put together a compelling presentation. In fact, the biggest problem with your presentation is something you’ve likely never considered.

Whether you get 20 minutes or an hour, in the grand scheme of their week (much less their career), your presentation is just a blip. They’ll clap, you’ll leave and that will be the end of it.

But it doesn’t have to be.

The smartest presenters know that while their time on stage is valuable, what happens after the presentation is what matters most. Here are three steps to extend the relationship with your audience long after the speech is done.

1. Collect contact information.

One of the standout benefits of speaking for an audience is the exposure to high numbers of people. Every member of your audience has the potential to become a valuable lead, but only if you have a way to stay connected. Your goal: to get the email address of as many people in the room as possible.

There are several options for securing email addresses. Some presenters pass a bowl around the room and ask the audience to give their business card. Others use specific URLs that lead to landing pages where attendees enter their name and email.

I give my audiences a number to which they can text their email addresses. It’s fast, it’s easy for the audience, and when it works, it’s great.

2. Have something to give your audience in exchange.

For each option in Step One, in order to gain something as valuable as an email address, you need to give something valuable in exchange. I usually offer a PDF of my slides so that the audience can refer back to certain points.

I’ve also given different exercises that help my audience with finding their strategic stories. White papers , ebooks, articles and original research also work. If you’re gathering physical business cards, announce that you’ll be having a drawing at the end and give away a prize they will actually want.

Lastly, let your audience know you’re going to send them messages. No one likes getting emails they didn’t sign up to receive. Be upfront or be marked as spam.

3. Keep the conversation going.

Getting the email address is one thing; having something to send to that email address is entirely different. Delivering ongoing content is a critical piece to growing your business each time you give a presentation. And while there’s no limit to how complicated a marketing funnel can be, the most important thing you can do is be valuable and consistent.

Create content (videos, blogs, case studies) that is useful, interesting and relevant to what you offer your customers/clients. Keep a regular schedule; send emails every week or every other week.

To make it easier on yourself, create content that is evergreen–not tied to a particular date and/or time–so you can create it once and use it forever. The best news, if you send the messages from your email address, they can easily get in touch with success stories or to discuss hiring you.

Yes. The front of the room is an exciting place to be, but the experience is always fleeting. Maximize your impact and extend your reach by building an ongoing relationship with everyone in the room.