For many, 2009 was a struggle. Fortunately, the worst of the economic downturn seems to have passed. In its wake, many people were left wondering what had just happened and what they could have done differently. But as we enter the new calendar year, most of us switch from reflection to resolution. Responding to adversity with hope is a beautiful element of humanity, and the inspiration behind dedicating this latest installment of my public speaking blog carnival to the New Year.
Below you will find many inspiring compositions from an exceptional group of public speakers. I offer my deepest gratitude to our participants, and I highly recommend you take the time to explore their websites. Believe me, you won’t regret it.
Lastly, please feel free to let me know what you’d like to see more or less of in this blog during the upcoming year. My everlasting goal is to improve and better inform my readers, so your constructive feedback helps me to help you. Thanks in advance and enjoy the carnival!
10 Professional Speaking Tips That You Need To Know
Jim Anderson – The Accidental Communicator
Become a better presenter this year by talking to a better presenter.
Will the 2010 UK general election be the first one to leave us speechless?
Max Atkinson – Max Atkinson’s Blog
Examining the UK’s upcoming political speeches.
Only One Woman CEO out of The 100 Best-Performing CEOs in the World!
Marion Chapsal – Geronimo Leadership Coaching
Marion is kicking off 2010 with a blog about the lack of women CEOs in Harvard’s Business Review.
Give ‘em a piece of your mind and be extremely visible with public speaking in 2010
Roberta Guise – Be Visible! Blog
Several great ways to add public speaking to your 2010 small business marketing toolkit.
What’s my best presentation tip for the presentations that you do?
Olivia Mitchell – Speaking about Presenting
Presentation solutions for a variety of situations you might face in 2010.
7 Simple New Year’s Resolutions for Improving Your Public Speaking
Nick Morgan – Nick Morgan’s blog
Do you share any of Nick’s resolutions?
Presentation Resolutions: Embrace Technology
Kathy Reiffensein – Professionally Speaking…
Here are some resolutions regarding technology.
Public speaking: voicing new hope in a new year
Cynthia Sparks – Starks Communications
A look at American resiliency and its impact on public speaking.
January 26th, 2010 at 9:59 am
Angela,
Congrats on the results of your work in pulling this together.
A true sign of an expert is one who associates with and learns from other experts.
George Torok
Speech Coach for Executives
January 26th, 2010 at 11:21 am
[...] Editor’s Note: This article has been selected to be included in Angela DeFinis’ “Public Speaking And The New Year” Blog Carnival. This Carnival can be found online at: http://www.definiscommunications.com/blog/public-speaking-and-the-new-year/ [...]
January 26th, 2010 at 12:51 pm
[...] feed. Thanks for visiting! Olivia Every type of presentation has its own challenges. As part of a “Public Speaking and the New Year” blog carnival organized by Angela DeFinis, I’ve identified what I see as the major challenge or [...]
January 26th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
[...] post is part of Angela Definis’ blog carnival at http://www.definiscommunications.com/blog/public-speaking-and-the-new-year/ Share and [...]
January 26th, 2010 at 7:34 pm
[...] post was inspired by the “Public Speaking and the New Year” blog carnival hosted by Angela [...]
February 1st, 2010 at 1:03 pm
Angela,
My sweetheart, Elayne Savage, is in your NSA Chapter. She alerted me you your work. Please add me to your list. Here is a useful article you are welcome to publish:
Rules of the Game
© Burt Dubin
We’re talkin’ about the game of being an expert who speaks. These rules are unforgiving. Break them and a remorseless force simply sweeps you off the board, clicks you off the screen—and you’re not even history. You’re nuthin’, baby.
Abide by these rules and you smile all the way to the bank. I started out not even knowing there were rules. Within 4 years I’d lost my little all. $235,000 eaten up, gone —beyond recovery. Money talks, right? Well, mine was never to be heard from again!
I learned these rules the hard way. You can too. You can learn the hard way. Do you really choose to do that? Nobody cares. Nobody will care. It’s your life. Now that I’ve had a chance to think about it, I prefer the easy way. I’d rather learn from other people’s goof-ups. So, let’s get started.
Rule 1: Have something to say. Something you’re passionate about. A topic or issue that comes from your bones. From your core. From your essence. From your soul. And when you say it, be it. Be your message. Allow it out of your pores, out of your heart, out of your deepest feelings and beliefs. Let it shine from your eyes, be reflected in your stance and your glance, radiate from all your fingertips. Yes, from your eyelashes. Be on fire! Be so enraptured by your feelings and desires that you magnetize your audiences before you even open your mouth.
Rule 2. Be a marketer first, an expert next, a speaker last. (Marketing, defined: Marketing is creating conditions by which others decide on their own that they want what you’ve got.) Many fine speakers do not survive because they think the world is going to welcome them with open arms. Sorry, no cigar. This is a painful lesson. You either gotta be so dazzling, charming, entertaining, gorgeous, brilliant that audience members all but lose control, are beside themselves, go ape in your presence. Frank Sinatra and Elvis had that rare quality. Most speakers don’t. How to market is beyond the scope of this short piece. By whatever means, you just gotta attract those in your universe to desire what you offer.
Rule 3. Have integrity. Integrity that is absolute. Would you go driving in a car with a tire that wouldn’t hold air? Would you go sailing in a leaking boat? When the skin of a fruit is broken open, the fruit begins to rot right there. Nature insists on integrity. Is integrity any less important in your commitments to decision makers who can hire you to speak? As speakers we commit to show up maybe thousands of miles away on a certain day. We commit to be ready to go on. And to be as represented, even better if possible. And what about your integrity with regard to each of your audiences. Space precludes my going on and on. You’ve got the idea.
Rule 4. Be exclusive. Be one-of-a-kind. Be a specialist. Create your unique market position. And a unique topic position. Be special in your corner of your world. Be the only game in town. Know more about your topic or issue than anyone else on earth. And don’t tell me you can’t do it. You can. I know you can. Your creator endowed you with a unique talent. A talent nobody else has. Engage it!
Rule 5. Associate with brilliant achievers. People who are reaching for lofty outcomes and dedicating themselves to worthy attainments. To outcomes that make a vital difference for others as well as themselves. People who are super-positive. People who build you up by their presence. Shun ordinary work-a-day types who lack a sense of their latent magnificence.
Rule 6. Invest in Brand You. In this, my 22nd year in the speaking business. I continue to invest tens of thousands of dollars in research each year. Not just dollars. Time. Probable 20 to 30 hours each week in pure research. Why? So I can stay on the cutting edge. And, not just time. Focus. Energy. Asking why. Contemplation. Meditation. Looking inside. Looking outside. Looking away. Here’s the idea… Make yourself such a unique resource for the market you serve that there simply isn’t a #2. Be so far out in front that others who would compete with you can’t even shine your shoes. This is what I want you to do. You do it by using the brains your God gave you.
Rule 7. Find your North Star. Set your compass by your North Star. Your North Star is your personal mission. The North Star allows mariners to set their course and stay on course. That’s what your personal mission does for you. Have a personal mission. Put it in writing. Be sure it is transcendent. You know your mission is transcendent when you awaken one morning realizing you no longer have your mission. Instead, your mission has you. You’re caught up in the rapture, the energy, and the power of your mission. You’re a mission samurai. A warrior.
Now you’re hooked. Hooked to the magnificent destiny you’ve created for yourself. From this moment on you have a new and vibrant energy. It’s always been there. Waiting inside you. Waiting for you to release it.
Measure your every decision against your mission. Whatever action serves your mission is good. Actions that do not advance your mission are to be avoided. Create a mission. And a Mission Statement. Put it on your office wall, your refrigerator door, your bathroom mirror. Live it. Live it vividly. Let it govern your every action.
Rule 8. Set specific goals. Measurable goals. Goals with deadlines. Goals that advance your mission. Then take the bit in your teeth. Go after those goals ferociously. Relentlessly. Let setbacks strengthen your resolve.
Rule 9. Get debt-free as fast as you can. The wisest experts agree on this. Get out of the plastic trap. Then, invest your profits for the long-term.
Rule 10. Make yourself one of the best anywhere: “Be more of what you are. Be all of what you are. Do what you love; do it with your whole heart. Do it with passion and a clear vision of where you are going. And a commitment to become excellent and the courage to face your fears and to be realistic and honest with yourself and to take complete responsibility for your future. And if you do that and if every morning you wake up and hit the ground running you will be outstanding in your field!” (Brian Tracy)
Rule 11. Raise your fees. Be worth more than your fees. Most speakers and consultants lack the courage to set fees that reflect their value. This insight shows you why: Most speakers, 83%, according to Tom Winninger, are the K-marts of the speaking business. They enter through the Training Department door. 17% of speakers are the Tiffany’s of the business. They enter through the Executive Suite. Which portal are you to penetrate?
Rule 12. Get yourself a coach, a mentor. Get the very best you can find. Then trust this person. If you can’t trust this person, get somebody else. Open up. Tell your mentor where you’ve been, where you are, where you want to be. Get an expert in the field you’ve set your heart on. Someone who understands. Someone who has been around the track a few more times than you. Someone like…someone like …well…me.
Burt Dubin
March 12th, 2010 at 10:43 am
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March 19th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
This is my first time here and this post was indeed thought provoking. I find there is a gap between the no. of readers and the comments . I personally think that even though I ask questions not many come fwd to answer. And believe you me, my questions are not ‘Big Bang theory’ types.