6 Reasons Why Public Speaking is Essential For Gym Owners

In today's episode, we delve into the transformative power of public speaking for gym owners. Fresh off an enlightening trip to Serbia, James Breese shares not just his travel experiences but also invaluable insights into how public speaking can fundamentally change the way you connect with your audience, establish your expertise, and ultimately, grow your business. Whether you're looking to overcome your fear of public speaking, convert more leads, or simply make authentic connections, this episode is packed with actionable advice that you can start applying today.

Timeline Summary:

• [00:01:37] Authentic Connection Through Speaking
• [00:03:53] Growing Your Business via Public Speaking
• [00:04:58] Establishing Expertise Onstage
• [00:07:41] Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking
• [00:10:08] Converting Leads Through Speaking

Key Takeaways:

1. Serbia's Surprising Delights: James kicks off with his unexpected love for Serbia, highlighting the importance of openness to new experiences.
2. Authentic Connections Matter: Face-to-face interactions at events forge deeper relationships than any online interaction ever could.
3. Authority and Credibility: Speaking engagements position you as an expert in your field, enhancing trust and respect from your audience.
4. Marketing Over Monetary Gain: Viewing public speaking as a marketing tool rather than a direct revenue stream can lead to long-term business growth.
5. Facing Your Fears: Overcoming the fear of public speaking is a rite of passage that can open numerous doors and opportunities.
6. Lead Conversion Strategies: Utilizing public speaking as a platform to demonstrate expertise and value can significantly boost lead conversion rates.

Websites and Links Mentioned:

• Strength Matters
• Free Strategy Call

Quotes:

"Social media is good, but to develop a real human connection, you've got to meet people in person." - James Breese

"Public speaking solidifies your position as an authority." - Andrew Wallis

"When you're invited on stage, it establishes your credibility and expertise." - James Breese

"The more you do something, the better you get at it." - Andrew Wallis

"People may not know you enough, may not like you enough, and may not trust you enough yet to do business with you." - James Breese

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Chapters

• 1:37 Authentic Connection Through Speaking
• 3:53 Growing Your Business via Public Speaking
• 4:58 Establishing Expertise Onstage
• 7:41 Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking
• 10:08 Converting Leads Through Speaking

Transcript

[00:00:00] James Breese: Strength Matters Media, Video, Print, Podcasts. 

[00:00:05] Josh Kennedy: Today, we're talking about six reasons why public speaking is essential for gym owners. Uh, part of the reason we're talking about this is because James, you've just been on a speaking event in Serbia. Tell us a little bit about that and tell us a little bit about, um, Serbia.

[00:00:20] Not a part of the world I've ever been to. So. 

[00:00:22] James Breese: It's not a part of the world I ever thought about going to either. I don't know why. Maybe that's my bias towards remembering the 1990s and what happened in the war over there. The 

[00:00:32] Josh Kennedy: war, the war finished a while 

[00:00:34] James Breese: ago. It finished a long time ago. It finished a long time ago there.

[00:00:37] However, I don't know what it was, it just hasn't been on my radar. But oh my god. It is quite possibly one of the best trips I've had in a very long time. The food was out of this world. I can't stop talking about the food and the hosts and the hosts and the boys show and Svetlana from Optima, the Optima conference and what they do out there were just incredible hosts.

[00:00:59] I [00:01:00] can't say enough good things. In fact, she just messaged me now with photos and videos from the whole event. So let's have a look to that later on. But yeah, great event. Great, great guests got to network with loads of other speakers that I hadn't met before. And it was just a phenomenal, phenomenal time.

[00:01:14] I highly recommend everybody going to check out Serbia if they want just a weekend of pure gluttony and good camaraderie and good people. Pure gluttony. 

[00:01:25] Josh Kennedy: Nice. Very nice. Okay. So as we said, six reasons why public speaking is indeed essential for gym owners. Um, you experienced a lot of this. Reason number one.

[00:01:37] Authentic connection. Uh, tell us a little bit about why public speaking helps you, um, grow authentic connections. 

[00:01:46] James Breese: Yeah. So I think I can safely say some of the best contacts and the best leads clients we've ever had is through meeting people in person first and having that authentic connection with them, whether it's the cricket players, whether it's with gym owners, people who [00:02:00] are, you know, PT owners, studio owners, all, all these types of people that tend to come from us meeting them in person at speaking events, because social media is all well and good emails are all well and good, but to develop a real human connection with somebody, you've got to meet them in person.

[00:02:17] So there's nothing better than this than attending these events, whether you're speaking at these events, whether you're going to these events, it's all about the networking opportunities. I always think that you tend to learn more. And get the best business in the after parties 

[00:02:32] Josh Kennedy: almost. I was gonna say in the pub afterwards.

[00:02:35] James Breese: Yeah, the pub, the bar, lunchtime, you know, going around on Monday morning with Rick from an ASM and his, his facility. Like that's a good example of that way. It was just so It's a better way to connect with somebody and get to know them properly. So yeah, authentic connection only comes across in person, right?

[00:02:53] And you've got to remember this. You've got to build an authentic connection because we're in this human to human environment. We're in this personal [00:03:00] environment, personal training environment. If you're a gym owner. You've gotta create those connections to keep 'em coming back to you. Time and time. Yeah.

[00:03:07] Well, a hundred percent. It just 

[00:03:07] Josh Kennedy: makes me think of a couple of years back at Perform Better in Germany when we met Ken and Wendy in the, uh, in the hall, in the, in the lobby of the hotel. And we were like, you know, be besties with them from, from NASM, by the way, Ken and Wendy from NASM, they're great guys.

[00:03:22] And we were like, you. Just made a real connection with them right there. And then didn't we, we were talking about going and picking up the, well, dropping off the car and then walking back, what, 50 minutes and we're like, are you guys crazy? We're British. We walk. 

[00:03:36] James Breese: Exactly. But yeah, no, exactly. That it's an authentic connection and you can only get it from working with people in person.

[00:03:42] So number one, authentic connection is the reason to do public speaking. 

[00:03:46] Josh Kennedy: Andrew, I'm going to come to you for a point number two. How can it help you grow your business? 

[00:03:53] Andrew Wallis: A number of ways. First of all, because you're in front of them, they're getting to hear you, you solidify your [00:04:00] position as an authority on the topic you're talking about.

[00:04:03] So they're going to then look to find out more about you, which ultimately means coming to your socials, jumping on over to your website, joining your email list. So that grows, but equally just in, um. That connection with them, um, and through association of in James example, the connections he's made to the event he was at relationships and formed their invites will will come in due course to jump onto a podcast to attend over, um, things like that.

[00:04:38] So you get in front of additional audiences there. So. That amplifies the reach that you have as well. So they're key elements that I would instantly look at for sure. Yeah. And talking 

[00:04:50] Josh Kennedy: about being invited onto podcasts, you have been invited onto podcasts and that links in with point number three, all about establishing expertise.

[00:04:58] James Breese: Exactly. So [00:05:00] the only one I was out there was I invited onto a podcast, which we'll talk about some other time. But I invited a number of other people onto our podcast to establish and grow our network even more, which is why podcasting is such a great tool to create these connections and create these relationships with people.

[00:05:15] So, but one of the thing is when you're invited on stage to a big event like that, it does establish your credibility and your authority and more importantly, your expertise. So when you are public speaking as a gym owner in front of. potential gym owners or potential gym owners, potential gym clients or members.

[00:05:34] Right. You're becoming the expert in their eyes. They will hit, they're there to learn from you. So if you want to do business, somebody, they're going to know, like, and trust you, and with that comes expertise, right? You've got to show your expertise so they can know, like, and trust you and build this relationship thoroughly.

[00:05:51] So yeah, absolutely. Public speaking. In any form of form of way, whether it's a podcast, whether it's on a YouTube video, whether it's a social media video, but [00:06:00] then in person really stamps that authority and that expertise you have to shine through and, and stand out from the crowd, basically. 

[00:06:08] Josh Kennedy: Absolutely.

[00:06:09] Uh. Reason number four, it can also not always, but sometimes be an additional revenue stream as well. Now we haven't necessarily used it for that reason in the past. Have we, James? We've gone more like we've used it for the connections and we, but it can potentially create additional revenue. 

[00:06:26] James Breese: Well, it does.

[00:06:27] Like we, we use public speaking, these events for a market as a marketing play. So people always ask me like James, well, what do they pay you to go and speak at these events? And I always say for free. So these fitness conferences events, I don't charge anything. They cover basic expenses to get their hotel and flight.

[00:06:43] But I see these as marketing expenses because Guess what happens? Like we've had a number of people opt in for some of our lead magnets while we were at the, at the workshop when I was presenting. I've created these, these connections. So additional revenue will come down later down the line. Now, maybe some [00:07:00] other corporate speaking gigs, you can create additional revenue from this.

[00:07:03] Somebody may attend your workshop and go, Hey, I think this should be really good for my employees at my business I own. So that could be a form of way of getting in. So yeah, like it, it creates further opportunities. For business, maybe not in the way you think it is because people think associate speaking with being paid, but it's not about that.

[00:07:21] It's about the long term relationship and developing those connections. So widen your audience, so see it more as a marketing expense as opposed to a, you know, cost of doing business, I think. Yeah, definitely, 

[00:07:33] Josh Kennedy: definitely. Andrew, the next one, uh, point number five is, it's quite a big and serious one of something people think about a lot, overcoming fear.

[00:07:41] Um, it can be, um, challenging and a little bit, you know, people would be nervous about speaking at public events. Can't they? How, why is it important to overcome that fear? Uh, 

[00:07:53] Andrew Wallis: essentially we've got to use these, um, um, Things as a way of promoting ourselves. We've got to get [00:08:00] out to meet people. Um, even more so these days, you know, we hide behind the computer screens.

[00:08:06] We've had a lockdown a few years ago, and that has changed the road map ahead. You know, people work from home. and hide a lot. You know, we're not out mixing with people as much now. But one of the biggest fears in the world is, is speaking, you know, public speaking, um, I think back to years ago when I was at, uh, when I went to secondary school and we were forced up onto stage to do Debates and all that.

[00:08:36] And I hated that. Um, you would hear the tremble in my voice, uh, when we did that, but equally, uh, just like anything, the more you do something, the better you get at it. You find that when you come off stage, I'm sure James can, uh, agree with this. That even if you were scared going on and you've got to have that element of fear, I think, cause it shows you care, [00:09:00] but when you come off, you, you wanted to get back on again to, to do it again.

[00:09:04] You know, it's, it's that, uh, there's a book that you want to, uh, and it you want to scratch, but, uh, for overcoming, I think one of the biggest things, and I've, I've shared this recommendation with a number of clients, uh, joining, uh, uh, groups like Toastmasters. Um, they, they give you guidance, they give you support, and it gives you the experience and confidence to be able to, to, you know, get your, your feet wet with, with talking and then just doing it.

[00:09:33] Um, and the last thing I think is if we're talking on, well, certainly in my instance, if I'm talking on a topic that I have experience in, then it's so much easier to deliver on that and your passion comes through then as well. And you've get into, you lean into it and the flow comes in and I think that's a great way, but you've got to overcome that fear and take that first step and it will pay dividends, believe me.[00:10:00] 

[00:10:00] Josh Kennedy: Absolutely. And finally, reason number six, converting leads. How can public speaking help convert more leads? James? 

[00:10:08] James Breese: Cool. Well, very simply people may not know you enough, may not like you enough and may not trust you enough yet to do business with you. So an opportunity for, I think this is a, this is a good example, a weight loss workshop, an evening class about nutrition or something along those lines is a great way of pulling people in to say, Hey, we're doing this free talk.

[00:10:28] You're on our email list, come and see us in person. It's completely free. Maybe even it's a free workout for people who aren't gym members to see what it's like, a taster session or something like that, right? You pull people in, they get to know, like, and trust you because they enjoy the workout. They meet other people like them.

[00:10:43] Maybe other people want to join at the same time as them and they meet the owners and they get to know them in person. So it's all about that bridging that gap to bridge the idea of like, I'm not quite sure about this person yet. Get them in person, meet them there, and it changes their whole [00:11:00] world.

[00:11:00] That's essentially what we're trying to do here. So it's that, not indoctrination, but almost like a, like a, just a, it's a, it's a safety card almost to say, hey, come on in, see what we're all about. And we love it. So yeah, so you've got to give people a nudge sometimes. Some people are not always ready to commit to the gym.

[00:11:17] They have a load of fears, objections. you know, issues they have with past gyms, maybe. So you're going to come over, overcome those objections. And something like public speaking to pull people in and attract them is a great way to do it. And people always want to do nutrition workshops and classes because they always want to lose weight.

[00:11:35] How about that? That's my top tip right there. 

[00:11:37] Josh Kennedy: Absolutely. They do indeed. Yeah, go on, Drew. I've just 

[00:11:41] Andrew Wallis: thinking about that. James has reminded me of a, of a, A great example, I remember a number of years ago, I helped a client, Lisa Moore, she had a business fit for more in Sussex, and she had a friend who's a working title was Mrs menopause and, um, [00:12:00] Lisa, being a personal trainer, was working with female clients that fitted that demographic.

[00:12:05] So I encouraged Lisa to put on this event. Um, I turned up, there was only one of a bloke there. It was a room full of women of a particular age, and the topic was the menopause. And I've never seen so many women rushed to the front for free, freebies of lubricant when they had these sample packs. But, um, I'd adjust on that.

[00:12:29] It's obviously an important and serious topic, but Lisa was able to put this on. So she had the authority of hosting this, um, others that were there. Um, so she was sharing the load with, uh, with others who talked. They all shared their lists and everybody benefited and Lisa got significant traction. And, uh, a platform to build upon through, um, putting the work in to get these experts to together and she ultimately got [00:13:00] client and additional client base from that.

[00:13:02] So that to me was a perfect example of zeroing in on a niche that you enjoy working with finding that target client avatar. Putting the work in and then benefiting, um, in, in the aftermath from that. 

[00:13:16] Josh Kennedy: Oh, fantastic example there, Andrew. Thank you very much. So that is your six reasons why public speaking is essential for gym owners.

[00:13:24] That is it for today. Please don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe. If you want help getting more clients or patients, then booking for your free 15 minutes strategy call with us by going to strengthmanners. com forward slash strategy.