Don’t Overwhelm

No matter how long your presentation is, be sure not to overwhelm your audience with too much information, however valuable. When they feel overwhelmed, they’ll tune out. As you design your 30-60 minute talk, cover no more than (3) or (4) points. At the start of your presentation let the audience know what the agenda is and how long you’ll be speaking. By doing this, you’re respecting the audience’s time and you’ll then have their full attention for the entire presentation.

It’s Time to Share Your Story

Do you know one of the fastest ways to draw the audience to you as a speaker is by sharing your personal story? When you’re willing to open up your heart and reveal who you really are, people instantly feel connected to you.

In this week’s video, I share with you five tips on how to share your story in a way that will grab your audience’s attention.

Sell to Your Warm Leads

Every person who comes to hear you speak can be considered a warm lead. Why? They came to you because they’re interested in what you have to say. You now have a captive audience eager to listen to what you have to say. And, if you provide value, they will be interested in hearing what else you have to offer. At the end of your talk, have a special offer ready for them take advantage of. This is a huge opportunity to sell them your products or services.

© 2013. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission from Rochelle Togo-Figa, Professional Speaking Coach, is prohibited.

More Common Speaking Mistakes and Tips on How to Avoid Them

  
In a previous video, I shared the “5 Common Mistakes Speakers Make.” I received such positive feedback that I decided to share four more tips. These tips will be especially helpful if you’re new to speaking or having difficulty harnessing the “jitters” we’ve all experienced. Identifying these mistakes, and how to overcome them, are sure-fire ways to catapult your success as a speaker. I truly hope you find these four tips helpful and they make a difference for you as a speaker!

 Click here to view the video.

Terrified of Speaking?

Studies have shown that one of the top fears people have is speaking to groups. For some people, when it comes to speaking, they'd rather be the one being eulogized than the person giving the eulogy! I've taught speaking skills to many people over the years and most people are nervous when they first get up to speak. They're worried about how they look, what others think of them, what if they forget what to say?

Even well-known celebrities have admitted fears of speaking in public. Barbra Streisand stopped singing for 20 years due to her anxiety about performing in front of an audience. Donny Osmond wrote a book about his life and his performance anxiety, and Sir Laurence Olivier recounted in his autobiography that he suffered a social phobia for five years.

How many times have you watched a speaker and thought, “I can do that!” And then that little inner critic in your head starts making noise and tells you, “Who am I kidding! I’m not a speaker… I can’t do this.” The more you think these thoughts, the more you believe it’s true. The truth is none of us was born a natural speaker.

When the little inner critic starts making noise, what you should be saying to that voice is, “Thanks for sharing!” Don’t let your inner critic sway you from staying in action mode. It’s in default mode trying to sabotage you with limiting thoughts and beliefs.

There’s nothing wrong with being a little nervous before you speak. In fact, a little bit of adrenalin is good because it keeps you alert, focused and energized as you speak.

Let’s take a look at 5 steps to help you overcome the fear of speaking:

1. Visualize your success as a speaker. Spend a few minutes daily, several days before you deliver your talk, visualizing yourself giving a great presentation. Imagine the audience smiling as you speak and applauding at the end of your presentation. The more you can see yourself doing a great job speaking, the more real it will become for you.
2. Know the first 3 minutes of your talk. Most speakers are most nervous at the beginning of their talk. There are a lot of things happening in those first three minutes. Your adrenalin is flowing and you want to deliver a great presentation. Make sure to be well prepared by rehearsing those first three minutes several times over so you know your material well. Once you get through those first three minutes, you’ll feel more connected to the audience and begin to relax.
3. Connect with the audience. Look directly at people as you speak for no more than 4-5 seconds. You want to feel the energy of the audience and they want to feel your energy too. This will help to calm your nerves and keeps the audience paying attention to what you say.
4. Meet with the audience before your talk. Many new speakers say they feel most nervous at the beginning of their talk when they first look out at the audience. It’s understandable to feel most vulnerable when you’re speaking to a group of people you don’t know. An easy way to break the ice with the audience is to arrive and mingle before your talk. Understand the audience is on your side. They came to hear what you have to say and want you to win!
5. Focus on the audience. Your job as a speaker is to deliver value to your audience. With the initial nervousness that many new speakers experience, it’s easy to make it about yourself having thoughts like… “Will they like me? Am I doing a good job? What if I fail?” Put these thoughts aside and be out there with the audience. Focus on your message and the difference you’re there to make for them!

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 Breakthrough Expert, is the creator of the Speak Like a Pro System™, a proven step-by-step process that will help you become a confident and successful speaker attracting more clients with ease and velocity. To sign up for her free speaking articles on speaking, visit www.SalesBreakthroughs.com.

Speak Like a Pro and Make Money Doing It!

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 spoke and lead two workshops at the International Window Coverings Expo. I loved speaking to the business owners, 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.

Here’s a story from a person who took my tips and the results he achieved.

“I was preparing to enter the ‘final exam’ interview step with a new company—the position was for US Sales Director—and I had to give a presentation on how I would construct their sales organization. I had to sell two things: my ideas and ME. I took Rochelle’s ideas to heart and revised my presentation. The presentation went very well and they made me an offer when I was done! Two major points my audience commented on were the opening story and that I asked them questions throughout the presentation. The other candidate didn't engage the audience, he just talked straight through. Guess what? The first task the President has given me is to work with the Market Development VP and create a presentation to launch the product to physicians. Rochelle's stuff works!”

If you liked what you've read and want help in applying these steps to your business, I invite you to take your first step by signing up for a Breakthrough Strategy Session with me. If you're stuck in your business or frustrated you're not bringing in more sales, please stop suffering and call me. There is a solution! I will walk you through a step-by-step process that will give you clarity about the direction of your business, create a 180-degree turn around in your thinking about sales, and move you forward quickly. I will personally give you my one-on-one breakthrough strategies that fit you and your business. Click here to learn more.
© All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission from Rochelle Togo-Figa, Professional Sales Coach, is prohibited.

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 www.SalesBreakthroughs.com.

Are You Creating Your Own Team?

I spoke to an entrepreneur today who was stressed out with all the things she needed to do in her business. It was clear by the sound of her voice that she needed help. Doing everything on her own was wearing her down and putting her into overwhelm. She’s a brilliant talented woman who wasn’t focusing on what she does best.

For most of us, it’s our passion that inspires us to go into business. We go into business with the strong desire to help people and make a difference in the world. But as we get more and more into our business, suddenly we realize there are many different hats we have to wear.

Although you realize bringing in business is a priority, all the things you have to do daily take you away from doing what you do best. Before long, you’re spending more time on the day-to-day tasks than on what will bring you in the most money.

You start off each day with a plan in place but early on you get side tracked by an unexpected situation. By the end of the day you realize you haven’t accomplished very much. You’re never going to grow your business trying to do many different things in your business. In addition, you have to focus more on doing tasks that you don’t enjoy doing.

I recently read a quote a friend of my posted on Facebook that sums it up. “A person’s most valuable currency is what comes naturally—if something isn’t easy, then don’t do it. You can’t override your feelings or ignore your core desires and expect to create something sustainable. When you let go of the activities that aren’t second nature, it opens up your creativity.” How true that is!

I can remember when I first started my business, I felt overwhelmed with all the tasks that needed to be done. I thought I was suppose to be super woman. I was doing work I didn’t like doing and it took longer to do because I wasn’t an expert. It didn’t leave me much time to do the work I loved.

As soon as I hired my first team member, I became more relaxed and more time opened up. I gave up the notion that I had to do it all. My creativity juices were brought back to life. I now reach out to my team of experts who help me in the areas I need help. I don’t always need them but I know they’re there when I do.

I invite you to do the same. Start by making a list of all your tasks. Next to each task, write your initial if it’s something you love to do or write an “x” if it can be delegated. Begin to create a team that you can reach out to help you who are experts. You’ll quickly see the difference it makes for you in your business.

Remember, you went into business because you’re good at what you do. Now it’s time to be doing what you do best.

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/.