Ever heard of athletes that win gold at the Olympics without any support? Or world class musicians that just fell into success by magic? I’m guess the answer is NO!
You see, we understand when it comes to sports, music, sewing, even gardening, the more you do it, the more you learn, the better you become. For some of us, that leads to expert status. Elton John for example, world class musician. Wayne Gretzky, professional hockey player. Know how they got there?
PRACTICE!
Practice makes perfect right? Wrong! How many golf balls do you have to hit to be a pro golfer? It’s a trick question really. The answer is just one. Before that ONE, you need to hit several others. Here is the challenge a lot of us face:
WE DON’T LIKE TO ASK FOR HELP!
I know this first hand. I’ve hit around 6000 golf balls in thy past 20 years, maybe a few more. I never ask for help though this first 18 years. Why? How hard can it be to hit a golf ball. If I try hard enough, I’ll eventually get ‘the swing’ of things, won’t I? I’ve hit a baseball … sort of. I’ve hit a ball playing floor hockey. Heck, I’ve even hit a puck, sank a few baskets, caught a few footballs, made contact with several shuttlecocks with a badminton racket. I’m not athletic by any means, but I know enough.
I finally took a few golf lessons. Guess what I was NOT doing correctly? EVERYTHING! Grip, stance, swing, follow through. I didn’t even know how to properly set the ball on a tee so I can take a proper swing. Is there any wonder way I kept boasting how I could golf a perfect 300 on nine holes? I exaggerate, but not by much.
Do you know how many people do the same thing in their business? I hear it all the time.
“Why do I need a coach? I don’t speak enough to need one.”
I’ll say it again:
The quickest most effective way to position yourself as an expert and grow your business is by speaking about what you do.
So, if you are not a skilled speaker (just like I’m still far from a skilled golfer), and you want to do more speaking, guess what you need?
You need someone to help you get there. You need a coach. A mentor, someone to check in with you to help you with your speaking goals. Common reasons people tell me why they don’t need a speaking coach (Followed by my thoughts, and sometimes responses).
- I was valedictorian in high school. I nailed it! (So how long ago was that?)
- I was the best speaker when we gave presentations in university. (How much training did you receive?)
- I speak for my work all the time (They even provide the scripts!) (Great! Do you think the corporate world and business world are exactly the same?)
- I already know how to speak. I took abcxyz.com online 2 week speaking program. (I watched an online tutorial on how to hit a golf ball. Ask me how much it helped me?)
- My business coach tells me everything I need to know about speaking. (Do you get your auto mechanic to cut your hair?)
- I’m going to get my website and marketing put together first, then hire a coach … if I feel I still need one. (Wait, what? Who suggested you do that!? Please don’t say your auto mechanic!)
For the same reasons athletes and Olympians have coaches, world class musicians have teachers, thought leaders have mentors, experts who speak need mentors to guide them through what to say on stage, where to stand, how to pitch, how to sell a product or service without sounding pushy, how much emotion to bring the audience, what stories to share for maximum impact, and how to follow up after every event with every person you met and spoke to, from the meeting planner to the last person who dropped a business card in your exhibitor booth draw.
I promise you, if you take the step and decide to become and expert who speaks, and you incorporate what I share with you, whether it be in a group program or one on one, you’ll become confident in your speaking, you’ll find your voice, and you’ll ultimately make more money in your business.
Take a moment and book a Speaking Breakthrough Session with me. We’ll explore:
- your goals for speaking
- review the top 5 mistakes nearly every entrepreneur makes when it comes to speaking
- then we set a plan in motion to take your speaking and business to world class status.
If you’re ready to take your speaking to the next level,