Tools,The,Speaking,Trade,Wirel DIY Tools Of The Speaking Trade
When starting a new work at home business it is very easy to become consumed by it. We spend so much time trying to get the business up and running that we may end up becoming burned out and lose our motivation. There is so much to learn and Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in
Wireless Mike, overheads or slides, laser pointer, excellenthandout materials -- these are some of the tools of the speakingtrade.Are they the most meaningful tools in your toolbox? I think not.Yes, they matter. They matter a lot, as do other implements. Butthey're not the most meaningful tools. The 7 most meaningfultools of our trade, tools that help you get more bookings athigher fees, are these...1. Your empathy:Your empathy for the concerns of the decision-maker who hiredyou, for the interests of the organization paying your fee, forthe needs and wants, hungers, longings and fears of your audiencemembers.2. Your attitude:Are you there to make a dollar or to make a difference? Are youdelivering your standard program much like what you deliveredyesterday somewhere else? Or do you go the extra mile researchingthis organization, this industry, the trends affecting this fieldnow, and so forth? Do you interview outside industry experts andkey executives within this organization -- and, most important,some of the lower echelon folks who are to be present? Do you askdeep questions about the core issues interesting each of theseconstituencies? Then, do you probe further for emotional issuesthat may affect the whole direction of your program?3. Your program design:Do you weave your insights and findings into a tapestry of wisdomand hope, of ideas and guidelines, of recommended actions? Do youshare new information, AHAs born during your research for thisevent? Are you a conceptual artist -- like Michelangelo paintingthe Sistine Chapel ceiling -- i.e. do you interlace and clarifywhat others find hazy until the moment you speak? (Do you makethe ephemeral visible?) Do you articulate palpable words andimages so those present better understand -- and know how to dealwith -- the goings-on in their world now?4. Your passion:Are your ideas throbbing with aliveness? Does your body languagematch your words? Do you gaze deeply into the eyes of differentaudience members, connecting one-on-one with each if only for afew seconds? Do you radiate an emotional intimacy with your words-- and do you express that intimacy by the look on your face? Doyou use the power of the pause, the eloquence of silence, to letyour ideas sink in?5. Your state of being:This is your primary message. It's what your audience members seeand feel first. They get it subliminally. They get it instantly.They see it in your stance. They sense it in your glance. Andthey persist in getting it every second of your program. Are youup? Your audience knows. Are you here now, are you present? Youraudience knows. Are you emotionally attuned to your topic? Theyknow.6. Your mental acuity:Can you turn your talk on a dime if the audience mood soindicates? Do you respond brilliantly to spontaneousquestions...saying enough to satisfy, landing on your feet andstaying on your track? Are you sensitive to the various culturespresent in the room -- to their perceptions, their expectationsand entitlements, their differences and similarities? Are youcareful not to offend?7. Your physical energy:Do you arrive fully rested, on your toes, eager for thisopportunity to speak? Do your eyes sparkle with aliveness as youmove through your presentation? Are you light on your feet as youmove about? Do you think tall as you stand before your audience?Here's an easy way to do this: Picture a silken thread at thecrown of your head gently pulling you up-up-up. Thisvisualization aligns your bones and muscles into perfect order.It often makes you look taller, more in command. It helps youtingle with energy.
Tools,The,Speaking,Trade,Wirel