Speaking Tips for Business Owners

Examples of Speaking in this Episode: 

Speaking isn’t limited to keynotes and conference stages. For entrepreneurs building visibility, it includes a much broader range of opportunities:

• Workshops and breakout sessions
• Presentations and Keynotes
• Podcast Guesting
• Podcast Hosting 
• Facilitating and Roundtables
• Panel Discussions 
• Small group programs 
• Video content 

If you’re showing up and sharing your voice with an audience, that counts as speaking.

Starting with smaller, lower-stakes formats like podcast guesting or a workshop for a local organization is a completely legitimate and often highly effective entry point.

6 Reasons Speaking is a Powerful Visibility Tool for Business Owners 

1. It creates a personal connection. Nothing builds the know, like, and trust factor faster than hearing someone’s actual voice. Reading a blog or scrolling through a social media feed keeps a certain distance between you and your audience. Speaking collapses that. People feel like they know you after hearing you talk for twenty minutes in a way that twenty blog posts might never achieve.

2. It’s a vehicle for storytelling. Speaking gives you the space to tell stories in real time, complete with tone, pace, and personality. Stories land differently when they’re spoken, and they’re far more memorable than any list of tips or facts.

3. It increases your visibility and reach. Every speaking opportunity puts you in front of a new audience. Podcast guesting in particular is one of the highest-return visibility strategies available because you’re borrowing an audience that already trusts the host, which means the warm introduction is built in.

4. It builds credibility and positions you as an expert. Being invited to speak, whether on a stage or on a podcast, signals authority. It tells your audience and the host’s audience that you have something worth saying. Over time, a consistent speaking presence positions you as a thought leader in your space and opens doors to more opportunities, including other speaking invitations, collaborations, press features, and referrals.

5. It helps you develop and refine your message. There is no faster way to learn what resonates with your audience than to say it out loud and watch (or hear) how people respond. Speaking forces you to distill your ideas into something clear, compelling, and conversational. Every talk, podcast appearance, or workshop makes you sharper. Your message gets tighter. Your confidence grows.

6. It generates content and new ideas. Every speaking engagement is a content goldmine. A single podcast episode can become a blog post, a series of social media posts, an email, and a quote graphic. A workshop can become a webinar recording, a downloadable resource, or the outline for a future course. Speaking doesn’t just build visibility in the moment. It creates evergreen content that keeps working long after the event is over.

Tips and Resources for Finding Speaking Opportunities: 

The most common reason entrepreneurs don’t speak more is that they don’t know where to look. Here are some places I look for opportunities:

• Podcast Guest Collaboration Group on FB (free)
• Pod Match
• Innovation Women
• CWE, SBDC, SCORE (NH & VT Chapters)
• Linda Ugelow Book: Delight in the Limelight, Linda Ugelow TikTok (speaker confidence tips)
• Linda Ugelow Episode on She Built This: Delighting in the Limelight
• Your local Chamber
• Your local Rotary
• Organizations and groups
• CoWorking spaces 
• Friends and connections

Don’t be afraid to host/put on your own! You don’t need to wait to be invited. Put on your own workshop, webinar, or panel. Starting your own speaking opportunity is one of the most underrated visibility strategies available, and it immediately positions you as the host and authority rather than the applicant.

Tips for Pitching Yourself as a Speaker or Podcast Guest

Landing speaking opportunities requires a pitch (a good pitch). A good pitch is specific, audience-focused, and easy to say yes to. Here are just some of my many tips: 

Have three to five topics ready. Don’t pitch with a vague “I could talk about marketing.” Come prepared with specific, developed topic ideas that clearly demonstrate the value you’d bring to that specific audience. Each topic should have a title, a one-sentence description, and a clear takeaway for the listener or attendee.

Make it about their audience, not about you! The host or event organizer is asking one question: Will this person serve my people well? Lead your pitch with the value you bring to their audience, not your credentials. Your bio comes second.

Do your homework first. Listen to the podcast before pitching. Read about the event before applying. Reference something specific that shows you’ve engaged with what they’re already creating. Generic pitches get ignored. Specific, thoughtful pitches get remembered.

Follow the instructions. If a host has a pitch form, use it. If they specify that they’re not accepting guests right now, honor it and follow up later. Respecting the process is itself a signal that you’ll be a good collaborator.

Follow up. If you haven’t heard back in one to two weeks, a single polite follow-up is completely appropriate. Hosts are busy, and inboxes are full.

Tips for Overcoming Nervousness When Speaking

Fear of speaking is real, common, and workable. Here’s what a group of seasoned speakers recommends:

1. Join a speaking organization (ie. Toastmaster’s) 
2. Practice with only positive feedback at first 
   
3. Record yourself 
4. “Take a step that makes you uncomfortable, but leads you in the right direction.” –Sarah Tetlow, Firm Focus, Legal Productivity Coaching
5. “Embrace Mistakes: Understand that it’s okay to make mistakes. Even experienced speakers make them. Instead of dwelling on errors, learn from them and move on. Like I said at the beginning, I even make fun of myself if I make a mistake.” -Kristena Hackett
6. Learn from others: Watch and learn from experienced speakers. Pay attention to their techniques and strategies.
   
7. “Personal discomfort getting up and speaking can be overshadowed by the great ideas, insights, and examples one can share for others – so in other words, ‘it’s not about you!'” -Lori Richardson

Remember, Visibility & Speaking Opportunities are a Two-Way Street 

It’s a gift to others when you decide to show up. It’s also a gift when others collaborate with you to help you show up. 

When you’re a guest on someone else’s podcast, when you get an opportunity to present, remember that they’re giving a gift to you too. Give gratitude and bring value. 

Here are some easy speaker tips to give back: 

• Show up on time and prepared
• Send thank you’s 
• Help promote and share

It’s not an opportunity to be taken lightly. It’s not just another date in your calendar.