• Stand Still
• There is nothing worse than a speaker who dithers and wanders aimlessly about the stage
• Standing still makes you feel more grounded…

…which gives you more confidence…

…which helps you to earn more money

• Be Strong, and Calm, and Centered. It makes you audience feel more comfortable with you.

You have to be careful what you wish for!

Last week, after an incredibly successful round of Shift presentation Secrets evets (or 1-day Intro events) around Australia- the 3-day intensive training (Presentation PROFITS) Sold Out! That’s right, with 130 people in the room we absolutely could not fit another soul in! Which was great news for me but no so great for the dozens of people waiting on the waiting list to be called in case someone decided to roll over to next year!

Christine really wants to attend Joanna Martin's Shift Presentation Profits!

But the collective prayers of these Aussies seem to have been heard! Much to the upset of my staff. Let me explain…

The venue we had booked for our event, called us up and said “we’ve put you in another room- its about the same size, you won’t mind will you?” Mind?! I think they thought our event was a quiet sit down affair where everyone would squeeze in and not move for the whole day.

They obviously didn’t recognise that a Shift Training is interactive, full of exercises and lots of loud music!

We flew Tam to Melbourne to pore over floor plans and measure chairs, but no matter how we shook it, their change had meant we wouldn’t even fit the 130 people in any more. Grrrrrrrr!

So thankfully the great people at CQ venues in Queen St have come to our rescue- with a lovely big room. Which was lucky realy considering EVERY OTHER VENUE in Melbourne was booked out that weekend! Ahhhh- the joys of running events.

The problem is now 130 people (ourselves included) have to re-organize our selves into a new venue (did I mention Grrr?).

But the good news is for those people who simply couldn’t wait another year- like Christine- they don’t have to. You see the room at QC is bigger – so we could COMFORTABLY fit in another few profit-minded souls.

At today’s count there’s another 11 places still available. So if you’re keen to get to this year’s event check it out here:

Shift Presentation Profits with Dr Joanna Martin

The moral of this story- never underestimate the prayers and affirmations of a few ike-minded individuals to wreak havoc on otherwise perfectly laid plans!

Love Jo!

PS This post also appears on my personal blog

• Every seven minutes you need to elicit a state change in your audience
• It can be with a MASSAGE, a HIGH FIVE or a turn to your neighbour to say something complimentary and fun
• In order to know when to do this you can have a reminder on your autocue or just watch your audience’s faces for that glazed look.
• People can only absorb content for so long before they need a shift in state and since you are ‘leading your audience’ it is your job to
  ‘lead their state’ – otherwise they’ll do it themselves!
• Use state changes to keep your audience alert, focussed, and receptive to your content.

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!

Attention: Coaches, Consultants, Authors, Speakers, and Other Solo-preneurs

Register Now for this FREE Webinar Series where I will reveal how I started with absolutely no database, and grew a successful 7 figure speaking business in my first year

“The ABCs of Growing Your Business Through Speaking”

Join me on these webinars, where I will reveal the EXACT steps I took to create a lifestyle business from my passion and to skyrocket my income to multiple 7-figures in the first year. (And just in case you’re thinking “I couldn’t do that”- discover how many of my clients have done the same- and how you could too…)

In this FREE webinar series I will reveal:

• NEW and easy ways to use SPEAKING and the INFORMATION PRODUCTS to create a business that you LOVE!
• The ABCs of a successful speaking business. Each webinar will focus on a different aspect of your business success.
• How to create an ELEGANT BUSINESS MODEL as a back-end to your speaking so that you can STOP trading your time for money, and get your knowledge working for you.
• How to STOP selling one-to-one and START selling one to hundreds… or even thousands! (This leverage is your KEY to super-fast income growth despite the “tough times”.)
• BRAND NEW strategies and secrets that I’ve just uncovered to grow my business FASTER and attract wealth easier than ever before. (And believe me, your mindset is just as important as your marketing and sales.)

These calls are a sneak preview of my “Shift Presentation Profits” LIVE TRAININGS happening in both March in Melbourne, Australia and November in London, UK.

Take my word for it… you DON’T want to miss this FREE webinar series.

Click here to get registered immediately

FIRST CALL ON OCTOBER THE 22ND

Calls will be once a month, commencing on the 22nd of October, 2009.

Hi!

Welcome to the blog and what I’m sure is going to become one of the liveliest online spots for speakers to come and share news on what they’re learning and what their using to build their speaking business.

I’m going to get the ball rolling today by sharing with you some vital concepts when it comes to building your business through speaking.  It doesn’t matter if you’re already a public speaker, or whether you’re terrified of speaking in public- today’s video is a great overview of how you can experience accelerated business growth through effective presentations.

In this video I cover:

* The 5 Advantages Speaking has over any type of marketing and how to apply them

* The 3 big mistakes people make when speaking

* The 3 phases of growth of a speaking, coaching or consulting business and why you MUST go through them in the RIGHT order or risk being broke and unhappy; or even embarrassed.

This is the first in a LOAD of training that I have never before released to the general public for free. Until now a lot of this information has been only available to my clients who are paying me up to $100,000 per year!  So, trust me when I say- if there is even one drop of desire in your heart to make big money from your passion through speaking- Sit down, grab a notebook and take the time to go through this training right now.

Let me know exactly what you think in the comments section below too.  Tell me what you like, what you don’t.  What do you want more of? If you let me know, I promise you I’ll make it happen.  That’s what it is all about!

Enjoy the video

Cheers,