In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, Anthony Sapountzis is joined by Adrienne McLean, Founder of The Speakers Practice and Principal of Amplify Results. Adrienne shares her expertise in navigating the business development landscape, particularly for service professionals and experts looking to enhance their visibility and effectiveness. With a focus on the intersection of marketing, public speaking, and personal branding, Adrienne provides actionable insights on how to build trust, communicate effectively, and develop a strong public presence. Join us as we explore the strategies and programs designed to help professionals elevate their business game and achieve sustained growth.
Adrienne offers valuable insights into the business development process for service professionals and experts. Adrienne emphasizes that achieving success involves more than just effective sales and marketing; it requires a holistic approach that includes understanding client needs, building a strong brand, and maintaining consistent communication to build trust. She underscores the significance of credibility and content marketing in keeping your business top-of-mind for potential clients and touches on how pricing and sales conversations play a crucial role in closing deals.
Adrienne also addresses the challenges professionals face when transitioning from technical roles to entrepreneurship. She highlights the need for understanding marketing and sales—areas often separate from technical expertise. Adrienne stresses the importance of defining your ideal client and mastering communication skills to effectively market and sell services. Drawing from her experience and her book, “Think Bigger, Grow and Succeed,” she discusses overcoming discomfort and achieving business growth through public speaking and confidence-building.
Further into the discussion, Adrienne introduces her upcoming programs, Expert Speak and Expert Accelerate, aimed at assisting professionals in creating impactful presentations and navigating the business development landscape. She notes that many business owners struggle with public speaking and content creation, often preferring to remain behind the scenes. Her work focuses on helping these individuals become more visible and credible, which is essential for effective business leadership.
Adrienne concludes by discussing the critical role of video content and personal branding in business success. She explains that while not every business owner needs to be the public face of their company, developing skills in video and public speaking is highly beneficial. Adrienne advises that creating valuable and consistent content should be seen as a long-term strategy, akin to dating rather than expecting immediate results. Additionally, she emphasizes the importance of using content to filter out non-ideal clients and attract those who genuinely resonate with your message and work style.
Topics Covered
- Business development for service professionals
- Transitioning from technical roles to entrepreneurship
- Public speaking and content creation
- Upcoming programs: Expert Speak and Expert Accelerate
- Importance of video content and personal branding
- Filtering non-ideal clients
Important Time Stamps
- From Awareness to Sale: The Business Development Blueprint with Adrienne McLean (0:06 – 9:49)
- From Code to Commerce: Adrienne McLean’s Tips for Tech Pros Going Solo! (9:50 – 17:32)
- Step Out of the Shadows: Adrienne McLean’s Guide to Becoming the Face of Your Business (17:33 – 21:03)
- Content Creation 101: Adrienne McLean’s Guide to Engaging Your Audience (21:04 – 29:39)
