Wednesday, May 11
What professional speaking is NOT about
In preparation for my upcoming Professional Speaking Bootcamp, I've been thinking a lot about what professional speaking success is... and what it isn't. Take a look at this bullet list:
- Stand poised in front of an audience of thousands and hold them in complete captivation
- Feel confident and assured when you present before your company's executives, an association, a corporate conference, or a jury that will vote in your favor
- Voice your company’s message to millions of TV viewers with positive results
- Hear applause fill the room and overhear comments such as, "He was excellent," or, "She made a real connection with the audience."
- You can be poised, unpoised, nervous, or even stutter... and STILL hold your audience in complete captivation based on your content, your ideas, and your VALUE.
- Successful speaking is much less about YOU feeling confident and much MORE about your audience feeling confident that you've exposed the truth, given value, or untangled their confusion.
- Voicing your company’s message isn't nearly as important as EVANGELIZING and DEMONSTRATING your value in your client's or prospect's or shareholder's eyes.
- Comments like, "He was excellent," or, "She made a real connection with the audience" will NOT get you rehired. They won't sell consulting work or sell your books. Heck, those aren't even good 'testimonial clips.' Comments like "You gave so many useful ideas" or "A goldmine of information I'll start using immediately" or "Just two of your specific ideas showed me how to make $20,000 more this year" WILL!!!
