By Larry Duboff, D.C.
Marketing your practice through public speaking is one of the most profitable investments of your time and energy. Therefore, it pays to properly prepare for each speaking engagement. By studying the successful habits of top motivational speakers in the industry, I learned that the overwhelming majority of them prepare for their events by using a pre-program questionnaire.
A pre-program questionnaire is both a marketing tool and a presentation resource. It allows a professional speaker to collect valuable information that will help ensure that the speech will have maximum impact on each particular audience.
As chiropractic speakers, we too want to be sure we deliver a speech that has the greatest impact on our listeners. To achieve this, I have developed an easy-to-use pre-program questionnaire. Familiarize yourself with the elements of the questionnaire and its purpose, then develop your own questionnaire or use the sample provided to help set the stage for your personal speaking and marketing success.
Elements Of The Questionnaire
1. Confirm the contact. You need to communicate with the person responsible for booking speakers for meetings. Generally, it is the program chairperson or club president for community groups. With local businesses, the title can vary, but it is often either the manager or supervisor. The contact may be the person in charge of the employee assistance program or human resources department, if you are speaking to a medium- to large-sized corporation. You may even firm up the details of your presentation with a company’s president or owner.
In many cases, you will already be familiar with the person you need to talk with, because they originally arranged to have you speak to the group, but confirm the arrangements regardless.
2. Complete the 4 W’s. Your contact person will help you complete the rest of your pre-program questionnaire. Explain that you have a few simple questions to ask and that the information you receive will allow you to deliver your best presentation while providing your audience with the greatest benefits.
Begin by asking the 4 W’s: Who, What, When and Where. Who is your audience? Once you get the correct tone of the community organization or business, inquire about the people who will be attending. For example, if you are speaking at a corporation, will you be speaking to salespeople, administrative assistants, manual laborers or a mixed group of employees?
If you are addressing a community organization, will the audience be seniors, new moms, parents or a singles group? Make a short notation on your questionnaire next to the name of the group once you discover this valuable information.
Next, discuss with your contact person what you will be speaking about, which is easily accomplished by confirming your topic and speech title.
Of utmost importance is confirming when and where, including obtaining detailed directions. Discuss and write down the date and time of your talk. Then, write down where you will be speaking and the directions to the location if you need them. Verify the date and time again before moving on to the next question.
3. Find out the time frame and audience size. There are two other basic issues that you must address. The first, which I recommend you control as much as possible, is the length of your speech. I suggest you inform the contact person that your talk is generally 20 minutes, with a few minutes more for questions and answers. This will usually be acceptable, but on occasion you will be asked to speak for a longer period of time. In either case, it is best to know what everyone expects before the day of your presentation so you can be prepared.
The second issue involves the size of your audience. Inquiring about the expected attendance at your chiropractic talk helps you to be mentally prepared for your audience. In addition, you will be able to bring the correct amount of handouts and other promotional materials.
4. Identify your introducer. Your introducer will usually be the same person as the contact person. As you complete the pre-program questionnaire, invest a few additional minutes discussing the guidelines for your introduction. However, if it is a different person, get his/her name and phone number, so you can speak with your introducer prior to your presentation.
What are the basic guidelines you should discuss? First, graciously ask the person to read your introduction word-for-word. When your introduction is complete, let the person know you will walk up to him/her to shake hands and say, "Thank you."
Getting a great introduction is vital to your speaking success; it helps you to connect with your audience.
5. Inquire about the agenda. Your next step is to learn about the agenda planned for the meeting. When has the business or community organization scheduled you to speak: in the beginning, middle or toward the end of the meeting?
Does the particular meeting have a special theme or is it a special occasion? For instance, will they be welcoming new members or employees? Are they celebrating any special birthdays or anniversaries? If there is something special happening, you simply want to acknowledge it to strengthen your rapport with audience members. They will appreciate you taking an interest in their group as you share the chiropractic story with them.
Another important piece of information you need to know is whether there will be any other guest speakers at the meeting. While this seldom occurs, you still need to be mentally prepared if you are scheduled to appear with another speaker.
Ask your contact person who the other speaker will be, what topic he/she will be talking about and how long the speech will be. Also, find out if the other speaker will appear before or after you. It is generally to your advantage to speak first to ensure that you have adequate time to complete your talk. If the other speaker is not well trained, he/she might inadvertently speak too long, which can ultimately force you to shorten your presentation.
6. Discover if the group has a newsletter. Many community organizations and local businesses publish their own newsletter. If the group you are going to address has a newsletter, obtain the name of the editor. Shortly after completing your pre-program questionnaire, send the editor a short article on your chiropractic topic to be printed in the publication.
Simply explain to the editor that your article will help generate more interest in the upcoming meeting and boost attendance. Most editors invite quality content and will appreciate the opportunity to include your well-written article.
7. Request contact information on three audience members. The final step to completing your chiropractic pre-program questionnaire is to ask for the names and phone numbers of three people who are expected to attend the meeting and, subsequently, your talk. Connecting with several participants before you speak is powerful way to maximize positive impact on your community.
Tell your contact that you want to quickly survey a few members or employees so that you can customize your talk and address specific questions pertaining to your topic. Most of the time you will receive the valuable information you have requested. Either way, when you are finished with the questionnaire, remember to graciously thank your contact person for assisting with your questions.
Tailoring Your Speech
If you have received names and numbers of your future audience members, set aside time to survey them. When you call, establish who you are and how you received their phone number. Then, simply request permission to ask them one or two questions pertaining to your chiropractic topic. For example, if you will be addressing a group of parents, you can ask, "What is the most important concern you have regarding your children’s (or child’s) health?"
Also, ask the people you survey for permission to mention them or quote them during your talk so you can openly thank them for participating.
To include the information you gather from your survey participants, you won’t need to rewrite your entire speech. Just incorporate their valuable insights into your speech in places where they support your existing points and stories. People generally love speakers who address their specific concerns, and this step will keep you on target with each new audience.
Using a pre-program questionnaire will add to your speaking and marketing success. By incorporating this dynamic strategy, your listeners will know that you sincerely care because you have taken time to prepare.
As a result, you will actively lead more people in your community to adopt a chiropractic lifestyle, which will help your practice grow.
About the author: Larry Duboff, D.C., a 1990 Life University graduate, manages a private practice in South Florida. A member of the National Speakers Association, he has worked with top experts in the professional speaking industry and is known as the "Chiropractic Speech Coach." A noted author, he regularly presents seminars to show D.C.s how to create a steady flow of new patients through speaking opportunities. To receive a complimentary issue of his "Speak Out and Grow Your Practice" newsletter, call (800) 665-8070; or visit Web site www.ChiroSpeakers.com.
