🎤 Results from a talk I gave

Talks have worked well for me, but that doesn’t mean I always recommend doing them.

Last month I gave a short talk at The New Monday in Leeds, UK. The talk lasted 10 minutes, I was at the whole event for about 90 minutes in total. Here’s what happened:

Results:

• 52 leads captured from roughly 70 attendees.

  • 69% of leads downloaded the lead magnet, 38% joined my newsletter, 31% followed me on LinkedIn. Many did a combination of these.
    

• I’d label 11 of the 52 as “hot leads”, people who were particularly keen to work with me right now.

  
  

• 4 paying clients so far, a few thousand in cash collected but tens of thousand in expected lifetime value. Still in conversation with some who want to buy.

  
  

• A growing number of additional leads have been brought by referrals from attendees, I’ve had 4 referrals directly attributed to this event already (we are only 1 month on!). 52 leads captured at the event, at least 56 total (and growing).

  
  

• I’ve subsequently been invited to collaborate and host a paid masterclass.

  
  

• Significant insights into how to improve my business in other ways.

  
  

• Above all, it reminded me how much I enjoy speaking!

Screenshot of my spreadsheet tracking my leads from the talk

The results look pretty promising overall, but what did I learn?

Insights and actions:

• Far more people downloaded the lead magnet than via my normal channels.

  • It may be because people were warmer after the talk, or the urgency with the disappearing discount, or that it was a stronger lead magnet. Maybe even a combination of these factors. I’ve started to test it as a standalone lead magnet via my online channels to see which was the reason and to improve my lead magnet performance overall. At this stage in my business, it is better for me to test than guess.

    
    

• Some people struggled with the lead magnet.

  • Of the people who did use the email templates lead magnet the feedback was hugely positive - within days people got paying clients by using these emails and it helped prove my credibility.

  • However, a good proportion of people didn’t seem to use the templates because they were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of templates and advice on the document.

  • I’ve adapted the template to focus on one email that will bring results, to reduce the sense of overwhelm and increase usage.

  • This is a good example (and reminder!) of how providing less can provide more value.

    
    

• I tested a new positioning statement, it worked.

  • For a while I’ve been explaining my value as helping people work less. However, people often treat that with skepticism - they often don’t believe they should or could work less.

  • At this event I tested a tweaked positioning statement, switching to helping entrepreneurs build a calm business. My process is the same for both cases, but people do believe their business can be calmer. Belief will help them to start so they see the benefits of working with me.

  • I’ve had 7 different people spontaneously tell me how much the statement on calm businesses resonated with them. I’ve started testing the statement in my other online presences and plan to switch to this primarily.

    
    

Overall, the talk was successful. So why wouldn’t I always recommend it?

Simple: every person and every business is different.

People often see a strategy that works for someone else and they immediately try to replicate it. Very few people stop to think whether they should. What works for me isn’t necessarily what will work for you.

The individual uniqueness of people and businesses is the main reason I don’t have a set agenda with clients, I don’t have a single method because there is no single path to success.

If you suck at - or dislike - public speaking there is usually little point in forcing yourself down that path when you have other things you are naturally good at; let’s just focus on your strengths and interests.

We all have different strengths and weaknesses, our business are different, our situation and geography are all different. You won’t find the right answer for you by copying someone online, you are better off focusing on honest analysis and expert opinion to provide support that is tailored to you.

P.s. Interest in what I said in my talk? You can see my presentation slides here.

Screenshot from my talk slides

I shared this in my Work Smart Wednesday newsletter. Want the full set of related insights? You can read them here: https://worksmartwednesday.substack.com/p/work-smart-wednesday-may-7-2025

👋 Want to work together?

When you're ready, here's the best way to get my help:

🔍 Clarity Call - We will discuss your business and create a step-by-step action plan together so you know exactly what you need to do next for maximum impact.

💡 Want more from me? Find more on my LinkedIn profile.

🎯If you found this useful, don’t stop here. Sign up for Work Smart Wednesday and get smarter work tips every week.