What Makes a Great Speaker?

One of the fastest ways to attract clients is to become known as the expert by speaking to groups. Yet, most people would rather be pushed from an airplane than get up in front of a group and speak. No one was ever born a natural speaker. When you watch dynamic speakers, it may seem as if they deliver their speech effortlessly. The ease with which they deliver their speech is the result of many hours of preparing and rehearsing.

I love speaking to groups, sharing my sales and marketing strategies to help them grow their businesses. Believe me; it wasn't always this way for me. It wasn't too long ago that the thought of getting up in front of a group paralyzed me. I laid awake many nights worried about how I'd come across. What would they think of me? What if they're not interested in what I have to say? What if I forget what to say? After years of practice, preparation, and training, my confidence increased and I became an effective speaker.

Let's take a look at the world of speaking and what the benefits are to you.

• When you become a speaker, you immediately elevate yourself in the eyes of the audience. They see you as the expert and this establishes instant credibility.
• You're reaching more than one person and that increases the chances of more people interested in your service or product.
• Your confidence increases. As your speaking improves, the most powerful benefit is the improvement in your general confidence and self-image.
• Research shows that in selling, a speech demonstrating your services is 50% more effective than the most glowing testimonial. You're showing the audience first hand how you think and work.
• When you're speaking, the audience has come to you rather than you having to find them.

What makes a great speaker?

I saw Suze Orman, the financial guru, speak at a conference. As soon as she walked on stage, she connected with us. She was down-to-earth, funny, and knowledgeable. She shared her own personal story of growing up in Chicago, working as a waitress for several years making only $400 a month. Although she has achieved great success and fame, she had her ups and downs just like you and me. Because she shared authentically from her heart, she had us all sitting on the edge of our seats listening to every word she said.

Here's 10 valuable tips to draw the audience to you from the beginning to end of your talk.

1. Know who's in your audience before you speak. Call the event or program planner to find out the profile of the people attending.
2. Arrive early before you speak and walk around introducing yourself to some of the people. This helps to relax you and get you related to them.
3. If you're speaking for a half-hour to an hour, your talk should cover only 3-4 points. The audience can only retain a limited amount of information in a short period of time.
4. Let the audience know at the beginning what you'll be talking about and how long you'll be speaking.
5. Speak to only one person at a time for about 4-5 seconds. Don't look over their heads. Speak to them. This helps to reduce nervousness, increase confidence, and connect with the audience.
6. Create a compelling memorable story. People are interested in "you." By sharing a memorable story, you're connecting with the audience at a more personal level. They now will feel more related to you and what you have to say.
7. Engage the audience throughout your presentation and make it interactive. Check in with them by asking questions. It's much more fun when you include them.
8. Throughout your talk, share other stories about people who you helped and the results. People love to hear real-life stories of triumph and success.
9. End your talk with a "call to action." What do you want as an outcome for your talk? Do you want the audience to take an action step? Do you want them to buy your product or service?
10. Capture your audience. If you want to keep in touch with them, offer to send them notes from your talk or give a gift if they give you their business cards.

If you would like to use this article on your website, or for your own ezine, not a problem; however, there’s one thing you MUST include: Rochelle Togo-Figa, The Sales Breakthrough Expert, is the creator of the Sales Breakthrough System™, a proven step-by-step sales process that will help you close more sales, sign on more clients and make more money with ease and velocity. To sign up for her free sales articles and teleclasses on closing more sales, visit http://www.salesbreakthroughs.com/.

What’s Your Authentic Selling Style?

When we think about selling, for some of us the image of the stereotype pushy salesperson comes to mind. The first thought we have is someone is trying to get me to buy something. None of us likes to be sold. We become distrustful and will quickly say, “I’m not interested.” Do you have to be like the pushy used car salesman to be successful in Sales? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

We all have different selling styles.

Have you ever watched someone speak and find yourself listening to every word they say? You don’t know the person, yet there’s something about them that draws you to them. It happens because they’re being genuine and real. They’re being themselves.

Before I identified my authentic sales style, I wondered what other successful salespeople were doing that I wasn’t? I was working really hard and producing average results while they seemed to be bringing in the sales effortlessly.

Then, when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I had no choice but to slow down and let go of trying so hard. When I slowed down, I became connected to my true self. The more natural, spontaneous, authentic, and from the heart I was with people, the more I began to notice things starting to come to me with ease.

It was almost magical. I became genuinely interested in people and started listening to what they said. I created a relationship with them based on trust and they responded to this. I began to attract more clients and close more sales. I had found my authentic selling style!

Being successful in sales doesn’t come from being slick or pushy, or copying someone else’s selling style. That never works because people can sense you’re not yourself. The key is to let go of trying to be what you’re not and trust yourself.

As you begin to trust yourself and let go, you’ll feel more confident, relaxed, and have fun! You’ll see how attractive this is to the people you meet.

A client came to me because she felt she had lost her focus in her business. She wasn’t closing as many sales as she had the year before and wasn't feeling confident. Unsure of what steps to take, I had her narrow down her focus to three goals, clarify who her ideal client was, and identify her authentic selling style. As she began applying these steps, she felt less overwhelmed, had clarity on who she wanted to work with, and increased confidence selling her services. This came across in her interactions with prospects, and in less than a month she closed 2 big sales.

Sales success begins with being yourself. It really is as simple as that. The prospect will come to you because they’re attracted to your authenticity. When you’re being real, your honesty and trust shines through, and people are drawn to you.

Let’s define what selling really is. Once you begin to uncover your own authentic selling style, you’ll start closing more business faster and with ease. Here are 9 ways to get you started:

1. Selling is no longer being the slick, aggressive, and pushy salesperson.
2. Selling is being more interested in the prospect than in what you have to say.
3. Selling is creating a trusting and honest relationship with the prospect.
4. Selling is being a keen listener and listening for what’s most important to the prospect.
5. Selling is thinking of ways of helping the prospect.
6. Selling is going the extra mile and doing the unexpected for the prospect.
7. Selling is showing you genuinely want to help them get to where they want to go.
8. Selling is making yourself easily accessible to your clients either by phone or email.
9. Selling is trusting who you are and being yourself. Remember, you are unique and special just as you are, so let that shine through!

If you would like to use this article on your website, or for your own ezine, not a problem; however, there’s one thing you MUST include: Rochelle Togo-Figa, The Sales Breakthrough Expert, is the creator of the Sales Breakthrough System™, a proven step-by-step sales process that will help you close more sales, sign on more clients and make more money with ease and velocity. To sign up for her free sales articles and teleclasses on closing more sales, visit http://www.salesbreakthroughs.com/.

7 Sure-Fire Ways to Connect with the Right People

Early on in my business, I was networking with everyone with no special focus. When I first started my business, I was a “Jill of all trades.” My business was new and I was open to coaching anyone who asked. I was doing this because I was eager to help people, grow my business, and hone my coaching skills
.
As time went by, I realized I was spreading myself too thin and instead of my business growing, it was starting to decline. I knew if I was going to grow my business, I had to get out there and connect with the right people. It wasn’t going to happen by sitting in front of my computer in my sweats thinking about it.

If I intended to network with the right people, I needed a clear and specific plan to follow. In the past, I would push myself to go to an event without much preparation. I was flying by the seat of my pants, hoping for the best. It was no surprise I dreaded networking and didn’t accomplish very much.

So, I asked myself “What could I be doing differently?” To begin with, I needed to know:

• Who do I want to meet?
• Where do they gather?
• What do I want to accomplish from networking?
• Where are the best places to network?
• What do I say to grab their attention?
• What happens after I leave the event?

From answering these questions, I created a 7-step networking plan that works every time.
With this plan, you now know what to do before, during, and after attending a networking event. You’ll be prepared and confident that you’ll walk away having connected with the right people. And, when you connect with the right people who need your product, an abundance of business will start coming your way. Here are the 7 steps to follow:

1. Your Networking Pie
   There are many different places to network. Open up your local business journal and see all the places there are to network. Draw a circle and divide the circle into pieces of a pie. For each slice, write a place where you can network. Some examples are weekly networking groups, business associations, the local Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Clubs, special interest groups.
2. Be a Detective
   Contact the person in charge of the event and find out who’s attending. Then go on the Internet and research them. Maybe they’re launching a new product or have achieved a great sales year. With the information you find, you now have something to say that will grab their attention.
3. Set Your Intention
   Put your attention on your intention. Create specific goals of what you intend to accomplish. Schedule in your planner the number of networking events you will attend monthly and how many people you will meet. And, no matter what, do what you say you’re going to do.
4. Grab Their Attention Immediately
   First impressions happen in the first 30 seconds. Create a compelling 30-second statement that will have the person sitting up and listening. It should clearly state a benefit for the person you are meeting. Write it out and practice with several different introductions until you feel comfortable.
5. Ask Them for Help
   After I ask them questions about their business. If I determine they’re not the decision maker, I ask the person a couple of questions. “Who’s in charge of sales,” followed by, “I’m wondering if you can help me?” It removes any pressure when you ask for their help and people do want to help. I recently attended a networking event and asked these questions. I was given the name of the president, called him and we have an appointment to meet. That was easy and simple to do!
6. Build Relationships
   People do business with people they know, like and trust, and that takes time. Take the time to ask them questions about their business. Show you’re genuinely interested in them. The most rewarding business relationships evolve over time so be willing to keep in touch. Find various ways to keep in touch other than the phone.
7. Follow Up
   Any substantial business I’ve received from networking didn’t happen overnight. It happened because I was persistent and didn’t give up. Make contact with the person you’ve met within 24 hours of meeting them. Expect that it will take at least 6 encounters or more to move the prospect to the next step. Send a personal follow-up note, a thank you, a congratulations note, or a relevant article of information.

ASSIGNMENT:

• Select at least 2 networking events you will attend this month and write the dates in your planner. Most networking groups allow you come as a visitor a couple of times.
• Make a decision to join at least (1) networking group that meets weekly. I recommend a weekly networking group because they’ll get to know you faster on a weekly basis, and start giving you business more quickly.
• Write down clear and measurable goals of what you intend to accomplish at your next networking event.
• Create your compelling 30-second statement. It should include who you are, what you do, and what makes you unique. Write it out and practice saying it until you can say it with confidence and enthusiasm.

If you would like to use this article on your website, or for your own ezine, not a problem; however, there’s one thing you MUST include: Rochelle Togo-Figa, The Sales Breakthrough Expert, is the creator of the Sales Breakthrough System™, a proven step-by-step sales process that will help you close more sales, sign on more clients and make more money with ease and velocity. To sign up for her free sales articles and teleclasses on closing more sales, visit http://www.salesbreakthroughs.com/.