I often get asked for tips on public speaking.  Often, people think there is some kind of science or formula to being on stage.  But the truth to being a successful public speaker is much simpler than that.

Listen very carefully . . ..

. . . All you need to do is . . . .

Be yourself.

This means when you are on stage never try to put on an act or mimic or model another person. Instead honour yourself and the values you uphold.

Avoid This Mistake!

One of the biggest mistakes I see new speakers make on stage is when they try to be someone other than themselves.  Public speaking tip number one! Never do this!! Do not try to be someone you are not.  Do not model some polished hotshot American speaker you’ve seen, or try and be some kind of stand up comedian or anything other than your true self

The irony is – when you are your true self – this is when you have the most impact!

People really respond to authenticity. Audiences are not dumb – they can spot when someone is putting on an act.  So when someone is true to his or herself on stage people connect to this on much deeper level.

Ask Permission To Be You!

Well, if you’re not confident on stage or you have fear about public speaking – you could ask the audience: “Is it ok if once in a while I have to use my notes?” or “Is it ok once in a while if use my power-point presentation because this is my first time presenting this material.’ Your audience will respect your honesty and will warm to your authentic self far more than if you were to stand on stage and try to blag it.

You Don’t Have To Be Super-Human!

When you admit to your flaws and admit you’re not a super-human, people like that element of truth.  When they trust you . . . they’re far more likely to buy off you too.

Here’s another public speaking tip for you and maybe even more important than the last.  The first person you need to ask permission off is yourself.  Yes, it is acceptable to be you!  Authenticity comes from a place of acceptance and compassion.  It also comes from a place of self-worth.

Is who you are worth sharing with the world?

Authenticity is peeling back the layers of the surface identity to reveal the bright, shining light of YOU.

Your Turn

So this week, think about how authentic you are on stage or in your business.  If you’re not as authentic as you think you could be, ask yourself why and what steps you can take toward your own personal and professional authenticity.

• Trade shows are tough gigs.
• There are lots of stalls and marketers already there who are competing for the attention of the attendees.
• Go round and build relationships with the other stall holders – they already have lists of people who you can market to in the form of a joint venture.

Fear of public speaking is one of the most common and constrictive fears you can have. When it comes to having the guts to stand on stage and deliver your heartfelt message the biggest block I see to making this happen is lack of confidence and self-belief.

Time and time again, I see people who want to move their business forward, who want to make the big money, who want to do things to improve their lives, who want to be a public speaker but fears and insecurities of all sorts act like a massive STOP sign to their dreams.

Scared Of Speaking In Public?

Elaborate self-talk and doubt is your biggest enemy to success. Especially when it comes to public speaking.

We doubt ourselves not just about standing on stage and speaking in public. We fear people will laugh at us, heckle us, throw things at us!  We fear we will freeze, panic, mess up.  We fear we will not be good enough.

Get this:

Your anxiety about public speaking is holding you back.

Why?  Because if you lack the confidence and self-belief to do the things you want to do or be who you want to be, you will never grow.

Your Anxiety About Public Speaking Can Be STOPPED!

One of the brain’s functions is to prove itself right. This is why it’s vital you think and behave in a manner that is congruent with what you want.

If you want to be a public speaker and stand on stage and deliver your message to an audience of people, then you must convince yourself that those people want to hear you speak, that you do have something of worth to share with the world, that you are confident, deserving and successful!

Your Turn

So, if you are crippled by your lack of self-believe and you’re fed up of your fears of public speaking holding you back – know that change can start right now.  Edit the talk in your head and start to believe in your own personal power.  Remember, success breeds success so one tiny step now can mean huge transformation for the future.

Here’s 4 top tips to spruce up your business.

1. De-clutter Your Office
   Take some time out of your day to go through your desk and your paperwork and be ruthless!  Get rid of everything which does not support your burgeoning business.
2. Grow a Plant
   Growing something from seed, nurturing the green shoots into life, tending it carefully to make sure it grows up strong and watching it sprout into bloom is no greater metaphor for your own business.
3. Try Something New
   Just as the flowers bloom so beautifully in spring so too does the creation of new ideas in your business, why not try something new?  It could be a fresh marketing campaign, the launch of a new product or an update of your website.



4. Try Someone New
   Reassess what you actually do in your business.   What tasks do you do which you no longer need to? Is it time to hire new staff or find an outsourcer so you can play a bigger game?

Summary

This week put a spring into your step and try out something new for your business.  You never know, it could be the start of a whole new dawn.

It seems there’s a lot of you out there hungry to know how platform speaking can skyrocket your profits.

So, let’s look at how to manage your money  Our GM, Donna Powell has stepped in here to provide a few tips for managing cash flow in your business.

So often in business people talk about revenue or turnover – how much money is coming in the door. Let me ask you a question?

If someone makes $100, 000 in a weekend, is that good or not?

It was a trick question.  Because it’s only as good as their profit margin! If someone made $100,000 in a weekend but it cost them $140,000 to do that, it’s not actually as good as if someone made $1,000 in a weekend but it only cost them $900 to deliver.

What is Cash Flow?

Revenue in a business is important, but profit (which is revenue less expenses) is even more important. There’s one thing though that’s even more important than profit… and that’s cash flow.

Cash flow is in simple terms, having enough money in your bank accounts to cover what’s going out.

In many event related businesses revenue can be cyclical, up and down, up and down. Some expenses are specific to the event but there are other expenses such as staff wages and computer expenses that are Operating Expenses and will happen all year round, whether there is an event on or not. And it’s important to make sure you have enough in the bank to cover these.

So What Can You Do To Make This Easier?

Here are 3 tips to manage your cash flow easier.

1. Some businesses actually transfer a portion of their revenue into another bank account to cover GST/VAT. Separating it out when you collect it means you know it’s not really ‘yours’ and will have enough there when the bills come in.
2. Having a Financial Calendar is a great idea. Along with all your dates for your events and product launches, you also want to add in the due dates for your payments and returns etc.
3. The other great thing you can do is a projected cash flow.  Firstly map out your estimated revenue for the year, based on when your events or product launches are and how much you expect to sell. Then add in your expected expenses and costs. Then each month, keep a track of how it’s going and compare the actual figures to your estimate so you can make sure you’ve got enough money in the bank to cover everything that’s upcoming.

How To Solve A Cash Flow Problem

Despite your best efforts sometimes unexpected costs can arise and cash flow can be squeezed.

So what can you do if there’s a cash flow problem?

1. Collect your debts – do people owe you money? Get on the phones and ask for it now.
2. Reduce your expenses – are there things you can cut or delay? Can you get different terms from any of your suppliers?
3. Increase revenue – have a launch of a new product, get on a stage somewhere, run a webinar, do a special offer or sale on products to get some more revenue coming in.

Summary

I hope this has helped clarify how important managing cash flow is in your business.  If it all seems a bit much for you, then have a shop around and get an accountant.  Just as you are an expert at your topic, they are the experts when it comes to helping you to plan and manage your finances in your business and getting good advice upfront can make the world of difference to you and your business.

• Payment plans can be used to increase the market for your product
• They make your products more affordable
• Installments can be fixed or varied
• People can pay before or after service delivery
• Payment plans generally cost between 10-15% more than a paid in full price
• This helps cover additional costs and creates an incentive for people to Pay In Full

Did you know that speaking on your topic is the most powerful lead generation tool you could use in your business?

It’s true. Speaking on your topic is the fastest and the most effective way to grow your business. And if you’re nervous about speaking in public you don’t even have to get up on stage. Why not try an online webinar instead?

In today’s crowded market place you need to find ways to stand head and shoulders above your competitors. And the easiest way to do this is speak publicly on your topic either on stage or on a webinar. Because when you speak publicly everyone will suddenly assume you are the ‘expert’.

When you are the expert you command authority AND you command more money.

Watch Your Profits Explode!

Speaking with authority on your topic is not just about turning up, making a speech and getting paid for it. This is old school! The kind of speaking I teach is how to set up a profitable speaking business.

Give a 90 minute presentation full of valuable content on your topic (and believe me, you could be in ANY business!) and within this presentation include an irresistible offer for your audience to take the next step with you. This next step could be a 1-day course, an online product, a membership site, your coaching services . . . . basically any online or physical products!

Once you expand yourself to all the possibilities, you can use speaking to generate new leads, bring in new clients or make more sales in an afternoon than you made all month! It’s not uncommon for some of my clients to add $100, $1,000 or even $10,000 to their income EVERY MONTH.

Start Small
If you’ve never spoken publicly before, a great way to start is to speak in front of just a handful of people or run a small webinar. The confidence you will draw from this experience will allow you to get up in front of a bigger audience.

From Painfully Shy Child To $130,000 In Ticket Sales In 3 Short Months
As a child I was incredibly shy. Like many other people, I had to work through my own issues about getting up on stage. It was about letting go of the past and stepping out of my comfort zone. And now look at me . . . I love being up there!

Not only that, I make a lot of money from my passion. Using just one of my profit principles – The 7 Steps To An Effective Presentation – I made over $130,000 in ticket sales in 3 short months and without even a database of my own!

I don’t say this to toot my own horn . . . I say this to show you what is possible when YOU step out of your comfort zone and dare to expand.

Go For It!
Remember, your ideas and thoughts are valuable and people will pay to learn from you. As I said before, speaking on your topic is the single most powerful way to grow your business. So if you’re committed to watching your profits explode, start sharing your value with anyone who’ll listen. You might just find your business goes through the roof!

• When you run events, then there is something you need to support you - an incredible crew!
• If you want to run amazing events, you need an amazing crew
• And if you want to attract amazing crew, you need to be running your events for the right reason
• For a reason much bigger than attracting new sales or new clients
• What we speaking about is your mission.
• When your heart is in the right place and your reason why is BIG enough then you will attract incredible crew to support you.

Marketing your seminars is one of the greatest obstacles I find with people starting out in the public speaking business.

Who on earth am I going to present to?

Where are they all and how do I get them into a room?

Let’s look at 2 easy options for you to find your target market:

1. Pre-existing groups.

   This is by far and away the simplest strategy. Once you have determined your ideal audience, the next logical step is to ask yourself:

   “Where are groups of these people already gathering?”

   Your target market, more often than not, are already meeting together in groups somewhere:
   

   • clubs
   • associations
   • seminars
   • workshops
   • social groups
   • companies
   • small businesses

   All these organisations are having regular events or meetings, just longing for some great inspiring speakers to come and share their wisdom. Don’t discount yourself – every group, organisation or company is looking for someone to come and add value and inspiration to their members or employees.

   Advantages of pre-existing groups:

   • they are already meeting and often looking for speakers
   • they are closely knit and self-defining, so it is obvious if they are your market or not
   • they already have marketing in place so you don’t have to worry about it as much
   • they will pay for room hire and equipment
   • they might have colleagues, associates or other chapters that they will refer you to

   Disadvantages:

   • they have pre-conceived ideas about how speakers present and may be reluctant to let you sell
   • you have no control over the marketing, so its up to them to fill the room
   • it needs a little more organising from a “how do we collect the money and process orders” perspective
2. Create your own group

   If you already have a business or a client list – even if there are only 8 people on it- one of the simplest things you can do is have a “Client Appreciation Night”. Invite your clients to bring a guest along to an evening. Put on a drink or two and share with them some ground breaking information in your industry.

   At the evening you then do your awesome presentation and make some sales right there on the night to people who already know and love you, and their friends.

   Of course if your database is 1000 people- the numbers get more fun more quickly, but I want to stress on you that you can start marketing your seminars on a small scale.

   Advantages of Your Own Crowd:

   • you set the rules and you can sell as hard or soft as you like
   • some may have already bought from you, so they are more pre-disposed to buy from you again. Did you know that over 70% of your sales come from customers with repeat business rather than new clients?
   • you get to control every aspect of their experience: the lighting, the sound, the tea breaks. . .
   • you can manage how “ready to buy” they are by doing good marketing in the lead up to the event

   Disadvantages:

   • you have to do all the marketing, event management, as well as the speaking
   • it’s generally more expensive because room costs, AV etc are footed by you

   Food For Thought

   Now that you have 2 easy strategies to find to your target market, what about going out there this week and either planning a client appreciation night of your own or even approach an organization to book yourself a speaking slot!

Running a small business has many perks . . . but it also has a few risks and one of these risks is key man dependency. In terms of risk management, what does key man dependency actually mean and how does this affect you?

Key man dependency is when one of your team members is solely responsible for something and there is no back-up plan. This could mean the techie stuff, the accounts or the copywriting and there is no-one in the business to call upon to do the same skills. So, if that key man disappears… your business would collapse in a heap.

Here’s 3 of the best risk management strategies we know to combat key man dependency:

1. Cross-Train
   This means you teach someone else in the business to carry out the same tasks. This is useful for holiday leave, any cover and if your key man decides to leave suddenly. This is also called succession planning.

   Which is basically making sure you have a contingency plan if one of your key men (or women!) should get hit by a bus!

2. Identify Out-Sourcers
   The disadvantage to cross-training is that a key member tends to be specifically trained in one area, so another staff member might not get as good results. Picture the copywriter trying to do accounts . . . it could get messy. So although it is good to cross-train in basic skills, another solution is to identify out-sourcers who are specifically trained in your key-man area. These people tend to work on contracts.

   A key risk management strategy is making sure you have some out-sourcers on tap you can turn to in busy periods or as a short-term stop gap should your key man get sick, take a holiday or have a baby!

3. Systematize
   One of the best risk management tools I know is also the simplest. It’s called having a system! So this means getting your key member to systematize as they go along. Whatever they are doing, get them to make notes along the way and then record these notes in a central place where everyone can access them.

   For example, if your techie person has a system around the launch of a new product, get them to transfer this system into a ‘How to Guide’. So if an out-sourcer has to come in unexpectedly, they have a check-list to work off.

Summary
Risk management is one of those processes a business tends to ignore until it’s too late. So to avoid risk in your business, try out some of the above strategies to minimalise your key man dependency.