EP77: Why Public Speaking for Business Growth Isn’t Enough on Its Own with Marc Miles
Episode Summary
In this episode of The Meaningful Marketing Podcast, Chantal Gerardy is joined by public speaking coach and workshop facilitation expert Marc Miles to explore why public speaking for business growth is about much more than simply showing up and sharing information.
Many business owners assume that speaking on stage, running workshops, or hosting webinars will automatically generate clients. Marc explains why this approach often fails and what needs to happen instead. Together, Chantal and Marc unpack how to build trust, structure presentations effectively, facilitate meaningful learning experiences, and guide audiences toward the next step without sounding overly sales-focused.
This conversation is ideal for business owners, consultants, coaches, trainers, speakers, marketers, and service providers who want to use speaking opportunities to build authority, create genuine transformation, and generate business growth.
Key Takeaways
- Speaking opportunities only generate results when they are intentionally designed to build trust and create action.
- “Show up and throw up” presentations overwhelm audiences and reduce engagement.
- Effective presentations balance delivering value with creating demand for further support.
- Trust is built through credibility, delivery quality, and audience experience.
- Workshop participants need repeated exposure, practice, personalization, and application to create lasting learning.
- Online presentations require strong technology, engagement, attention management, and momentum.
- Slides should support the message, not compete with it.
- Great speakers rehearse extensively and know their content deeply enough to adapt when needed.
- Presentations should always include a clear next step for the audience.
- The most successful speakers focus on attracting the right audience rather than trying to appeal to everyone.
Public Speaking for Business Growth with Marc Miles
Many business owners see public speaking as a marketing activity.
They attend networking events, present at conferences, host webinars, or run workshops with the expectation that new clients will follow.
According to Marc Miles, that assumption is often where things go wrong.
Speaking can absolutely support business growth, but only when it is approached strategically. Delivering information alone rarely leads to conversions. Instead, successful presentations create trust, demonstrate expertise, and help audiences see a clear pathway forward.
Marc explains that many presenters fall into what he calls the “show up and throw up” approach. They share large amounts of information without structure, audience engagement, or a clear outcome. The result is often confusion rather than confidence.
Marc Miles on Turning Presentations Into Client Opportunities
One of the strongest themes throughout the episode is the importance of trust.
Before anyone considers working with a speaker, they need confidence that the speaker can deliver results. That confidence comes from more than qualifications or experience.
It comes from the audience experience itself.
Marc explains that attendees should leave a workshop or presentation feeling that they received the value they were promised. At the same time, they should understand there is more available if they want additional support.
This creates a balance between education and marketing.
Rather than aggressively selling, speakers can create demand by helping audiences experience small wins and breakthroughs during the session itself. When participants see progress, they naturally become curious about what further support could achieve.
Chantal Gerardy and Marc Miles on Creating Audience Transformation
A major reason workshops fail is that facilitators often misunderstand how people learn.
Marc shares four key stages of learning:
- Exposure
- Practice
- Personalization
- Application
Many presenters assume that once information has been explained, learning has occurred. In reality, participants need multiple opportunities to engage with concepts before meaningful change happens.
This insight has important implications for business owners running workshops or webinars.
Instead of overwhelming audiences with information, presenters should create opportunities for interaction, reflection, and implementation. This not only improves learning outcomes but also strengthens audience trust and engagement.
As Chantal points out, audiences should leave feeling empowered and clear about their next steps rather than overwhelmed by information overload.
Marc Miles Explains Effective Webinar and Workshop Facilitation
When discussing online workshops and webinars, Marc introduces his TEAM framework:
T: Technology
Presenters need reliable technology, appropriate lighting, strong audio, and good camera positioning.
Technical distractions quickly reduce credibility and engagement.
E: Engagement
Online audiences require regular interaction.
Marc recommends using chat responses every few minutes to keep participants involved and focused. Simple prompts can significantly increase participation and connection.
A: Attention
Attention spans are shorter than ever.
Presenters must actively capture and maintain audience attention through visuals, discussions, breakout activities, and varied delivery methods.
M: Momentum
Online workshops require strong pacing.
Participants are surrounded by distractions, so maintaining energy and progression throughout the session is essential.
Together, these elements create a more engaging and transformative online experience.
Chantal Gerardy on Speaking Mistakes That Hurt Credibility
Throughout the conversation, several common presentation mistakes emerge.
These include:
- Overloading slides with text
- Using difficult-to-read fonts or colours
- Reading directly from scripts
- Failing to acknowledge the audience
- Sharing excessive information without context
- Focusing too heavily on personal achievements
- Telling stories that lack relevance to the audience
- Delivering content without a clear structure or outcome
Marc highlights that presentations should always remain audience-focused.
The audience is not there to hear how impressive the presenter is. They are there to understand how the presenter can help solve their problem.
This shift in perspective often transforms both engagement and results.
Why This Matters for Business Owners
For many business owners, speaking opportunities represent valuable marketing channels.
However, speaking alone is not enough.
Successful presentations require thoughtful structure, audience awareness, clear learning outcomes, and a defined next step. They must build trust while creating momentum toward future engagement.
As Marc explains, the goal is not simply to share information.
The goal is to create experiences that help audiences move forward while positioning the speaker as a trusted guide for the next stage of the journey.
When done well, public speaking becomes more than a visibility strategy.
It becomes a meaningful pathway to stronger relationships, deeper trust, and sustainable business growth.
Listen to the Full Episode
In this insightful conversation, Chantal Gerardy and Marc Miles share practical lessons on public speaking, workshop facilitation, webinars, audience engagement, and converting presentations into genuine business opportunities. Whether you’re speaking on stage, hosting online workshops, or facilitating training sessions, this episode offers valuable guidance on creating meaningful audience experiences that lead to action.