How to Approach Your Talks as a Marketer to Increase Your ROI [Growth Series]

If you’re giving talks but not seeing leads or clients come from them, this episode will change how you think about speaking.

I’m joined by our lead speaking coach, Diane Diaz, for part two of our series on integrating speaking into your marketing strategy. We’re talking about how to approach your talks as a marketer — without turning them into sales pitches (because no one wants that).

We break down:

• Why “teaching everything” actually hurts your results
• How skipping the first part of your talk kills audience buy-in
• What audiences really want instead of more tips and tactics
• How to plant sales seeds naturally (without feeling salesy)
• Why emotional connection and storytelling are what drive conversions

I also walk you through our Signature Talk Canvas® framework and why the 3-act structure (Issue → Idea → Inspiration) works so well for lead generation talks and keynotes.

Diane shares a real example of a recent speaking engagement where she signed three clients on the spot, plus practical tactics like using client stories, urgency, and even paper feedback forms to increase follow-up.

If you want your talks to do more than just “go well” — and actually grow your business — this episode is for you.

Listen to Part 1 of this series ("The Missing Piece of Your Marketing Strategy is a Signature Talk") if you haven’t yet — they pair perfectly together.

And if you’re ready to work with us on creating or refining your signature talk, head to speakingyourbrand.com/contact/ to schedule a consultation and explore the best way for us to work together.

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/457/

Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/

Enroll in our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/

Attend our 1-day Speaking Accelerator Workshop in Orlando: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/

Connect on LinkedIn:

• Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox
• Diane Diaz = https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianediaz/

Related Podcast Episodes:

• Episode 456: The Missing Piece of Your Marketing Strategy is a Signature Talk
• Episode 449: Small Shifts That Make a Huge Difference in Your Presentation Impact & Results
• Episode 362: Integrating Thought Leadership and Lead Generation in Your Signature Talk with Danielle Hayden

Become Bookable Live Online Workshop - April 15, 2026
If you want to speak more but you’re not sure where to start or your efforts haven’t produced the results you want, I’m hosting a live online workshop called “Become Bookable: How to Get Speaking Invitations” on Wednesday, April 15th.

A lot of brilliant women assume they just need to pitch themselves more. But the real reason speakers get invited isn’t because they pitch harder — it’s because they’re positioned as bookable.

In this 3-hour interactive workshop live on Zoom, I’ll show you how speakers actually get invited — and help you clarify the positioning that makes event organizers say yes.

As a podcast listener, use the coupon code “Podcast100” to save $100 on your registration.

Learn more and register at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/bookable