Wowsers. I just realised this morning that I’ve been speaking from stage for around 10 years now!

Apart from making me feel quite old it also reinforces just how much experience I’ve had on the speaking circuit . . . I’ve spoken on other people’s stages, I’ve run my own highly successful events, I’ve even put on my own multi-speaker event . . . and during this time I’ve seen a lot of strange things.

But the strangest thing of all is not what actually happens on stage . . . it’s the myths and perceptions that everyone else has about public 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 if you want to start speaking from stage. Yes, a high educational qualification may appeal to some audiences but it all depends on your niche. If your market is academic, then a good educational background can pull interest from buyers.

But the truth is most of the market does NOT demand a highly educated speaker. A lot of public speakers don’t have college degrees and yet still make large amounts of money selling from stage. . .

In some niches, blue collar speakers with little or even no education may possess more mass appeal because the audiences can more easily relate to them.

Tip: As a speaker, remember you must inspire and motivate your audience to take action with you. If you have a lack of higher education and yet have achieved professional and financial success – then this is a very inspiring premise indeed.

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. . . .
. . . Then after a few tweaks, revisions, and rehearsals; you can present a knockout speech even without the possessing the “gift of speech”.

Tip: Technique and practice are the key factors in improving public speaking skills. Dedicate yourself to the art of practice . . . and greatness awaits you.

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.

Tip: Always be authentic when you are speaking from stage. Audiences are far more perceptive than you realise and will soon pick up if you are putting on an act. Just be yourself, that’s all you need to do and you’ll be surprised at how quickly people warm to you.

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 endeavour 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.

Tip: If you love speaking or you’re passionate about your topic, then speaking from stage will be like a hobby for which you’re getting paid!

So this week, I suggest you sit down and make a list of all the myths or fears you have around public speaking or selling from stage . . . take the time to really get them off your chest. When your fears are on paper they won’t seem as scary any more and you’ll see them for the myths they really are! Remember, you don’t get anywhere in life without taking action so why not get out there and get yourself on a stage or a webinar soon!

Did you know the one secret ingredient that can make or break an effective and profitable presentation?

Luckily it’s an ingredient all of us have but sadly not of all us use effectively.

What is that ingredient?!

It’s your voice!

Take a moment now to recognize the power that your voice has to impact another human being. Now take another moment to see how your voice can also help create emotional change in another human.

And what happens when we create change in another?

It can lead to transformation and as such, this can generate more sales if your product or service assists in that journey.

The 3 keys to using your voice dramatically

Creating emotion with the intention of making sales from speaking has a few key elements that cannot be missed.

These are:

1. Awareness
2. Intention
3. Vocal strength and flexibility

1. Awareness

   It has been said that the words that we choose are only 7% of the message that we communicate. 38% of our message is due to our tonality, and 55% of it is due to our physiology, our physical action.
   So over a third of your outcome depends on your voice.

   Create awareness of your own voice and use it dramatically.

   Listen to how you use your voice, listen to the vocal range that you have.

   Start to listen to other people’s voices, how they use them, and then start to bring awareness to the extremes that you use in your own voice. Do you have extremes or is it all flat lining?

   You will make more sales from stage AND make it easier to listen to you if you can work on your voice variation.

2. Set the intention

   These are the intentions you will want to set if you want to make more sales from stage:

   • That you will start to expand your vocal range
   • You will create moods with your voice
   • You will carry your confidence in your voice
   • And that your voice will take people on an emotional journey.



3. Vocal Strength and Flexibility

   If you start to learn how to use your voice in a powerful manner, then you’ll find that it will be more powerful for longer, and you will be able to preserve and conserve your voice. You want to use your voice in such a way that it touches the hearts and minds of the people in your audience and thus create more sales from speaking.

Don’t Be Just Comfortable . . . Be Memorable!

If you’re committed to becoming, not just a profitable speaker, but also a memorable speaker, then the next step is to get masterful with your voice.

Be the sort of person that when people leave the room they continue to talk about you, not just because of your content, but because of your style, your charisma and your ability to take them on an emotional journey.

And be the sort of speaker that makes massive money from stage!

So, What’s Next?

Well, my suggestion is for you go to have a little bit of fun this week . . . and go see a high drama movie. Here’s an opportunity for you to listen to the way these highly trained actors use their voice to create mood. Notice the high, the loud, the soft, notice the pace changes, notice the volume changes.

So I want you to spend the whole time listening to people with a new intention and then see how you can utilize this in your next speaking gig to make more sales.

And remember, have fun!

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 a great idea to use statistics in your presentation. However this needs to be done with a certain level of skill and aplomb so 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.

As I recently ran an evening networking event in London I thought today’s post would be a great reminder of how to get the most out of any business event you attend.

So why should you make the effort to attend a business event?

There are 4 main reasons.

1. You can learn new skills
2. You can network with potential JV partners or colleagues
3. You can  get inspired for re-energizing your business
4. Or, if you are thinking about changing your corporate hat for an entrepreneurial one, an event is a great place to get ideas for starting off quickly and profitably.

Weekend events (such as my recent Professional Speaker’s Summit, my 3-day Presentation Profits Intensive or my upcoming Seminar Business School, are an investment in yourself and your business – one that you can easily offset with new contacts, strategies, and tools to boost your bottom line.

So next time you go to a business event, consider these top strategies to get the most from your experience well before you head out the door:

Research topics & speakers:

Always check out the website’s agenda or sales page for the event. If it’s a multi-speaker event, make a note of  who will be speaking and what the topics are.  Perhaps even go to their individual websites to find out more about them and how they can help your business. By doing your homework, you’ll be better informed, and be in the best position to get what you need from the training.

Know your business strengths and weaknesses:

As a speaker, you shine on stage and are an expert at selling your products or services. Or maybe you’re an ace networker and a dab hand at putting together a team . However, you also want to be aware of the areas where you need development, such as online marketing, the techie stuff, copywriting, etc. Before you attend any event, take a moment to consider what your current business strengths and weaknesses are.  This will then help you raise your awareness to what the event will present – either in terms of the content from stage or the people you meet!

Know your figures!

If you meet a potential joint venture partner, you may want to have a few relevant figures handy like your gross revenue or list size.  Be specific about your list – is it UK based, worldwide, what is the gender split, approx age etc.  Have your forecasts for next year handy as well.

Connect with your fellow attendees before and after

Seek out Facebook event pages or forums that have been created for your event. In our case, you can connect via either my Shift Speaker Training Facebook page or by Twitter. It’s a great way to virtually meet your fellow attendees before the event, so when you do meet in person, you’ll be best friends! Keep an eye out for any hashtags after the event Tweetups — impromptu gatherings of Twitter users — or better yet, organize one yourself.

Be alert for strategic alliances.

If you are just starting out in your business, you may want to form strategic alliances. For example, web designers and copywriters work hand-in-hand and refer each other clients. Consider what professions are your natural match, have them in mind, and you’ll be surprised how many of them you’ll meet at the event.

Plan your travel

If you are traveling from overseas, arrive at your event destination a day or two early to relax, get acclimated, get in the same time zone, and get accustomed to your surroundings. Stay at the hotel where the event is held to save time going from your room to the event, save money on car rental or cab fare, and increase your potential for connecting with other event attendees. (Your room is also a great place to get a little privacy and get a breather, so it’s nice when it’s close by.)

Dress for success.

For most events, business casual is the stated attire, but think about stepping it up a notch.  You’re representing you, your business, and your brand, and the better you look and feel, the more people will notice you and find you approachable.

Come prepared

You’re just about ready, but here are a few more must-haves: an empty water bottle for being “green” while you travel, a jacket, pashmina or coat in case the room gets cold, a few of your favorite health bars or snacks, and a method for jotting down lots of notes (I always suggest buying a special journal and pen for the occasion!) and your all-important follow-up list of action items when you get back home. Of course you’ll want to bring a stack of memorable business cards!

Be clever and memorable.

Do you have any event tips to add to this list? I’d love to hear more.

Today we’re talking about marketing and on the operating table I’ve placed a squeeze page (or lead capture page) for us to dissect. You must have heard the old internet marketing mantra that “the money is in the list” and the main role of a squeeze page is to build your list.

Here at Shift we prefer to call the list our ‘community’ because essentially it’s all about building a relationship between me and you. You may have joined our community via this blog, from one of my speaking engagements, or you may have opted-in to one of my squeeze pages.

Here are 2 examples of squeeze pages I use:

http://www.shiftspeakertraining.com/blueprint – This page offers a free chapter from our speaker blueprint and grows our Shift Speaker Training Community

http://www.shiftlifestyle.com/laws – This free gift is 7 video tips on lifestyle design and is designed to grow our Shift Lifestyle Community

Note they are entirely different communities, both with separate needs, frustrations, desires and wants and so have 2 completely different gifts.

Tip: Take the time to check them out yourself and if you haven’t already got your free gift, why not opt in so you can dissect the email sequences we use too!

Should You Use A Squeeze Page?

Squeeze pages are used by internet savvy business owners, solo-entrepreneurs and anyone with a free online product they want to give away in return for building a list. This online community then represents a readymade and targeted audience for your paid products and courses so it’s a must-have if you are serious about creating financial success.

Tip: As a speaker, I 100% recommend a squeeze page because when you build your community you can then promote your speaking gigs to them. Did you know most of our speaking gigs are filled by our own community? You see when you create a good relationship with your community, a relationship based on value, they will love the opportunity to see you live.

The Anatomy Of A Squeeze Page

There are three components every squeeze page should possess:

1. An powerful and alluring headline that gets the prospects attention, promises great benefit and forms a connection with the target audience;

2. The benefits are outlined in a bulleted-list with a strong and compelling description which incites the reader to complete the opt-in form

3. A call to action where the reader provides their contact data in response to your initial promise and the relationship building process can commence.

Tip: When you are creating your own squeeze page, the more targeted the audience the better your conversion rate will be. As a giveaway, you might choose a free report, an ebook, a series of video tips, an interview with an expert etc. All too often I see people giving away free products that have NOTHING to do with their ongoing products! Make sure there is a connection between your free giveaway and your paid products.

How You Create A Squeeze Page

Even though the general structure of a squeeze page is quite simple, the copy-writing to prepare the headline, benefit bullets and even the call to action can have a huge influence on the conversion rate. Therefore before actually making a squeeze page, stop and consider:

1. Who are your target audience

2. What problem are you attempting to solve for them and how you can reflect this in your headline

3. Create at least four benefits to be offered via the bullet points

4. The nature of your offer when creating the call to action.

Finally . . .

Two final points to consider as you create your first lead capture page:

• Though many early lead capture pages were “text-oriented” there is a growing trend to use a video (usually between the headline and last two sections) with the author adding a personal message that is often far more compelling. Video lead capture pages usually have higher conversion rates. As a speaker you should be experts at this!