How to Turn Your Business Talk into a Lead-Gen Machine

What if your presentation could do more than educate – it could convert?

Too often, I see entrepreneurs give talks packed with tips and information, hoping their audience will be impressed enough to buy from them. But here’s the truth: information doesn’t convert. Transformation does.

That’s exactly what my client, Danielle Hayden, discovered when we worked together to create a brand-new signature talk for her business, Kickstart Accounting.

In this episode of the Speaking Your Brand podcast, Danielle and I take you behind the scenes of our VIP Day together and how she shifted her presentation from “teaching mode” to thought leadership – and saw record client conversions from her very next speaking engagement.

Whether you already have a talk or are creating one from scratch, this blog post will show you what makes the right kind of talk attract the right clients.

Watch the full episode here:

🔑 Key Takeaways from This Episode:

1. Your Talk Shouldn’t Try to Help Everyone

Danielle’s original instinct—as is true for many entrepreneurs—was to serve every type of person in the room. DIYers, those struggling with money mindset, those unhappy with their current bookkeeper. The result? An overwhelmed audience and few conversions.

Instead, we honed in on her ideal client: the woman entrepreneur who wants to own her CEO role and make empowered financial decisions. When your talk is laser-focused, your message becomes magnetic.

2. Thought Leadership = A Different Way of Thinking

During our session, Danielle casually mentioned something she sees often with her clients: a spending gap. That caught my attention. This surprising insight—that women entrepreneurs often don’t spend enough to grow—became a core pillar of her new talk.

This is thought leadership in action: helping your audience see the real issue, not just the symptoms.

3. Storytelling Creates Connection and Trust

Like many experts, Danielle was hesitant to include personal stories—especially vulnerable ones. But she did. And it was those moments in her talk that made her audience lean in.

She shared how, even as a CPA, she felt judged and belittled by a family tax accountant early in her business. That moment sparked her mission to help other women feel empowered with their finances.

Authentic stories make you relatable—and memorable.

4. A Clear Framework Makes Your Talk Tangible

Danielle came in with a framework, which we refined together. Giving your audience a structure—visually and verbally—helps them internalize your message and remember how you help.

It also establishes your credibility without overwhelming them with all the “how-to” details.

5. The Results Speak for Themselves

Danielle used her new talk at an in-person event and signed a record number of new clients—more than any other talk she had given before. The difference wasn’t just the content—it was the clarity, structure, storytelling, and confidence in her message.

✅ Action Steps for You:

1. Audit your current talk. Is it overloaded with tips? Are you trying to appeal to everyone? Identify one key idea or problem your audience needs to understand—and build around that.

2. Name your insight. Just like Danielle coined “the spending gap,” find a unique perspective or counterintuitive idea you can introduce. This is often the heart of your thought leadership.

3. Add a personal story. Pick one that aligns with your message. It doesn’t have to be dramatic—but it does need to be real.

4. Create or refine your framework. This is what turns your message into something teachable and repeatable (hello, podcast interviews, workshops, and lead magnets!).

5. Practice with a real audience. Whether it’s a small webinar or a mastermind group, watch how people respond and refine from there.

Ready to Create Your Own Signature Talk?

This is exactly what we do in our VIP Days and in the Thought Leader Academy. We help you identify your unique message, build your thought leadership angle, and craft a talk that gets results—while staying true to your voice and values.

📍 Learn more and enroll: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/