If you are too busy working in your business to notice that your life has been on hold for a few years now- then chances are you don’t even have time to read this article.  But I promise you if you do, you will be richly rewarded.  You see, as Michael Gerber said in the The E-Myth most of us get into business because we want to be our own boss- and then our Lifestyle goes down the tube in a flurry of tax preparation, stock taking, hiring and firing and general stress!

But times are changing and more and more business owners are undergoing what I refer to as “The Lifestyle Shift”.  They are waking up to the fact that they are the boss, and they should be able to design their business to match their lifestyle.  From the ground up.

If it’s time for you to have more time for yourself, your family, and for your dreams, then read on…

Your lifestyle is ultimately your life’s work. We are all artists, whether we acknowledge that or not. And every day we are gifted with a canvas upon which to create our design. We are now operating in the Information Age, at a time of great wealth and great possibility. Yet seemingly intelligent people continue to operate under old assumptions. Too many people I know “work hard” for no other reason than they thought that’s what they were expected to do. There has never been a greater time than now to design a life the way you want it.

How do you “Design Your Life?”

The first step is a simple one. 

Wake up to the fact that YOU  ARE THE BOSS.  Your life is the way it is because you let it be that way- either by your actions or non-actions.   You are tolerating it, or fostering it, or forcing it to be just how it is.  Most of us get so busy just getting the work done that we forget to take stock and remember who’s in charge.

You started your business.  It is a direct reflection of you.  So isn’t it time to take responsibility for your deepest desires and start making it JUST HOW YOU WANT IT?

My greatest wish for the world is that everyone lives a life of self-expression. By that I mean that one’s life is an expression of that unique identity within them. It honestly breaks my heart when I speak to business owners who describe their lifestyle as anything less than awesome. As business owners we are in pole position to craft our lives the way we want to. For heaven’s sake, if the guy or girl running the show can’t have it they way they want it, what hope is there for anyone else? I think it’s just that we get lazy. We get lazy because questioning our assumptions and making changes in the way we operate is actually harder to do than work 70 hours a week! 

So what can you do? 

Take a half a day for yourself.  Get out of your routine.  Go to a place that conjures up “the sacred” for you.  That is different for everyone.  For some its a church, for some a park, for some a bookshop or the Virgin Megastore!  Wherever you feel connected to your creator, the universe or your higher self.  Spend a couple of hours just hanging out with yourself, and then in that space – ask yourself one simple question:  “is your business supporting your lifestyle or eating away at it?” 

Make no mistake- if it is not actively building it up, it is wearing it away slowly through attrition.  There is no middle ground here.

Commit to taking one action this week that will allow you to reclaim your lifestyle.

I’ve been speaking from stage for around 8 years now and within that time I’ve seen some very strange myths about speakers.  

Today, I’m going to dive into them and dismantle them one by one!

Here are four common, and untrue myths.

Myth #1: You have to be educated to become a public speaker.

Although education is a great asset, it is not a requirement to start a speaking career. Although a high educational qualification may appeal to some buyers it all depends on your niche. If your market is highly academic and scholarly, then a good educational background can pull interest from buyers.

On the other hand, most of the market does not demand a highly educated speaker. A lot of speakers do not have college degrees but still earn hefty amounts of money from bookings and selling from stage. In some niches, blue collar speakers with little or no education may possess more mass appeal because the audiences can relate to them. It all depends on the topics and the chosen niche.

Sometimes, to motivate people, a speaker must show that they are human and a lack of higher education may do just that. A speaker can show the audience that even though they are not college educated they have achieved professional and financial success. It is an inspiring premise.

Myth #2: You have to possess the gift of speaking in order to stand up in front of people to speak.

Public speaking is a skill and just like any skill, it can be developed and practiced. There are formulas that anyone can use to create great speeches. All you need is a message and the willingness to deliver that message to your audience. After a few tweaks, revisions, and rehearsals; you can present a knockout speech even without the possessing the “gift of speech”.

Technique and practice are the key factors in improving public speaking skills. If someone dedicates himself or herself enough, anybody can be great.

Myth #3: You have to be different or change who you are to speak.

Many people will often say that a career in public speaking will make you fake, somewhat pretentious and change your personality.

If this is the case, public speaking seems like very hard work but in reality, you do not have to change in order to become a speaker. Great speakers are individuals who stay true to their characters, including their weaknesses and idiosyncrasies. It makes them human.

Myth #4: You have to work hard to be a public speaker.

This can be rather subjective. Yes, it can be hard work if your heart is not into it. Any endeavor without passion is not an easy task. However, if you are really committed to the career and loving it, it won’t matter, will it?

Moreover, once you get the hang of it public speaking will come naturally to you.

I love speaking- and when you love it- it’s easy.  I hope I can share that enthusiasm with you!

What makes a good speech quote?  And should you use quotes in your speech or is that done to death? You’ve probably noticed that people who know how to deliver effective presentation will oftentimes use famous quotes to get their message across.  Why?

Well for one, as Sophocles said:  “A short saying often contains much wisdom.”  So let’s look closely!

Why use quotes in your speech?

There are a few good reasons to use good speech quotes:

1. You increase your credibility by association.  When you use quotes from someone famous or well liked by your audience, you will by association rise in their esteem.  
2. It fills the “I know” factor.  Audience members like to be proven right, rather than wrong.  In fact all people like to be right.  When we see a quote that is familiar to us, or from someone we know we think “I know that” and it makes us feel good inside.  When you’re audience recognize a quote it adds to rapport because people now have another point of similarity and alignment with you.
3. Speech quotes improve recall.  Oftentimes if you teach a point, it may be remembered; but people are much more likely to remember a quote than a basic teaching point. After all as Cesare Pavese  said “We do not remember days; we remember moments.” The same can be said of seminars.  We do not remember points, we remember stories and quotes!

What are good resources for speech quotes?

I usually type the word I want a quote about into google like this “quote: TOPIC” and get great results.   Oftentimes search results will send me to:
www.wisdomquotes.com – easy to browse by topic
www.thinkexist.com
www.brainyquote.com
www.quotesdaddy.com – good search function and looks pretty!

So use lots of quotes.  But remember Horace:
“Whatever advice you give, be brief.”

I believe that one of the best presentation skills you can have is the ability to deliver “effective presentations”. These are the kind of presentation that don’t just inform, but involve, inspire and move people to action.

A core part of moving people to action is that you have to prove and back up your points and arguments.  There are various presentation skills that will support you in this- use testimonials, quotes, stories and so on. But we all know that “STATISTICS DON’T LIE!”

So it’s great to use statistics in your presentations, but this needs to be done with a certain level of skill and aplomb.  Here are some guidelines.

Statistics as a Presentation Skill

1. Do not overwhelm people with all the statistics in one part of your presentation.  There is such a thing as too much data! Try to restrict it to 3 stats at a time, and then some qualitative information, or stories.
2. It’s a good idea to mention the source for data.  We know that the more legitimate your sources are, the more credibility you will have; and therefore the more power your presentation will have.
3. Back up statistics with personal stories or stories of clients that further demonstrate the point your statistics make.  Generalizations are great and can hold power, but people will remember the specifics of stories. 
4. Make any numbers “real life”.  This is one of the best presentation skills you can develop.  For instance you might say “In the year 10,000 B.C., there were only 5 million people sharing 57,268,900 square miles of land- imagine that!  The current population of Sydney spread out over the entire planet!  My how we’ve grown!”

Don’t avoid statistics because you think they may be boring. They can be really influential and quite exciting if used in the right way.  What’s more, when people “see the proof” they are more likely to act! And having people take action is the best presentation skill you can ever learn.

I have an incredible gift for you today!  My copywriting Super-star friend, Pete Godfrey (alias the Wizard of Words), has put together this report and as I read through it today I knew you were going to love it.  Which is why I have asked whether he would give it away to all of you!  Luckily he said yes.  Here’s an excerpt…

The ‘X Factor’ 
The Missing Link That Stands Between You 
and Fame and Fortune

“Let’s face it, like it or not, you’ve got to agree we’ve become a celebrity focused
society. People thrive on the Hollywood gossip. Just mention Paris, or Madonna, or Britney Spears and you’ve got many people’s attention. Sad but true. I mean, it’s got to the stage now where Paris Hilton is famous for being famous. Go figure hey.

 
In a perfect world, nurses would be paid more than celebrities. Teachers would be on top dollar. But no; we crave entertainment and stars are paid a fortune….

(let’s face it, speakers - we know its the famous speakers that get the gigs right? - Joanna)

If only you were famous right?!!
 
But guess what? You can be famous. In fact, you can easily dominate your market,
instantly becoming the super hero of your niche. It’s easier than you think. Savvy Marketers have known of this “missing link” for years… have shamelessly exploited this secret and are reaping the celebrity rewards on offer.
 
And no, I’m not talking about “being recognised and mobbed at airports” kinda famous – although some do achieve such fame – what I’m talking about is being known in your niche as THE person to see… THE person at the top of the mountain.
This way, when your prospects think of your business category they automatically think of you.

To get the rest of the report and find out Pete’s recommendations on how to “Increase Your X-Factor” in your market place… a strategy you MUST work on consistently if you want to be a profitable speaker… grab a copy of the report for yourself right here…

For more information go to: www.shiftspeakertraining.com/cashcharacters/blog