I have a friend. No really. I know what you’re thinking, but I really do have one. He’s known me for over twenty years now and he still talks to me. Which is more than I can say about some of my ex-wives.

My friends name is Gary. Gary Pernice.

During the years I’ve known Gary, he’s met and counseled with some of the top leaders, the movers and shakers, of the world. Notice I said world, not just country, not just state, but

And my speech was a doozey. Or so I thought. But, when I finished, there were only two people awake in the room. The chairman of the activities committee, and me.

Writing a speech takes a special skill. And, there are very few guides to writing your own. It’s such a hard skill, over at Instant Practice Builder I have one person dedicated to speechwriting the free speeches that members get. I wouldn’t even think of doing it myself.

So you want to be an independent bookkeeper and accountant? You’re tired of working for “Da Man” and you want to strike out on your own. Hooray for you!

First of all, congratulations! There is nothing more rewarding than being your own boss. Not being the top executive, the lead partner or the chairman of the partners executive committee of a big whatever the number is now firm.

Okay, enough about how great it is. It also has some downers, like “What do I do now? I’m all alone.”

Fear not, Uncle Kirk is here with all the answers. Or, if not all the answers, then a list of marketing guru’s who will have the answer somewhere in the middle of their files, and will be glad to help.

One of the worries that most new bookkeepers and accountants have when they start trying to start a speaking program as part of their practice building is how to get speaking engagements.

Unlike making a cold sales call, making a cold call on an organization or club is a piece of cake. Most all activity directors or meeting coordinators are starved for ideas about what to do or present at their next meeting. Think about it, they’re human just like you and they’re limited by their exposure and experience.

You, on the other hand, are not trying to “get something form them,” you are solving the problem of what to do at the next luncheon or dinner meeting.

If you’re a typical bookkeeper or accountant trying to build your practice using the traditional methods of networking and referrals, you’re probably struggling day after day and not getting the results you need.

Your competition has probably already positioned themselves in your community as the small business “expert.” You see their name in every seminar announcement from the local community college, or in the newspaper as a speaker at almost every Rotary or Kiwanis club meeting. And you wonder how they did it. How did they position themselves as the “expert?”

There are clubs and organizations in your community who actively seek speakers for their meetings and community activities. Organizations like community colleges, the local SBDC (Small Business Development Center) and chambers of commerce all seek outside speakers to fill their programs.

If you can give a good presentation, then your time as a volunteer speaker to these clubs and organizations will return practice development dividends far in excess of any other marketing activity you do, with the possible exception of writing articles and books and getting published.