Archive for Misc.
Your EXPERT Stool: The First Leg is. . .
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SPEAKING!
In my last column, I presented the idea that everyone should build a strong EXPERT Stool. (If you haven’t read it, the Back Story to this Marketing Plan is worth the read! HERE)
The goal is to be able, when appropriate, to tell prospects, and folks who want to know more about you – GOOGLE Me!
That two word phrase, when spoken with a little ”Attitude,” a little good “Attitude,” says, “There’s great stuff out there about me. Don’t take my word for it. Check me out!”
Before asking someone to, “GOOGLE Me!“ You’ve got to have Googleable “Stuff.” Building a three-legged EXPERT Stool will do that!
The Three Legs are:
- Speaking
- Writing
- Internet / Technology
This post will address the First Leg, SPEAKING!
If you’re a regular reader, listened to one of my audio recordings, or seen me speak, you know my mantra is:
“Speaking Opportunities are Business, Career,
and Leadership Opportunities!”
No one has ever challenge that statement, and I’m certain you agree. Read More→
Want to Know More? GOOGLE Me!
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PLEASE! Click on this Link!
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I’ll bet that two word phrase, especially if said with a little “Attitude” (Good Attitude!) would grab your attention like it did mine when I first heard it.
It turned out to be the spark that ignited building a marketing plan with that phrase, GOOGLE Me! being its centerpiece.
Understanding what had to be done before using it in my marketing was an epiphany for me. It was, and continues to be, a lot of work. However, it’s work I learn from each time I do it, and believe you’ll have the same experience.
This post is about that Marketing Plan. It’s working for me, and it will work for you!
Before I present it, I need to give you the back story of that phrase and how it sparked the development of this plan. (There’s always a back story, isn’t there!”)
My wife is a teacher. Twelve years ago she was teaching fourth grade. Marcus was in her class. He was an inner city student who attended a county school. He came from a tough neighborhood, and had a tougher personal life.
Marcus was smart, and he was also an excellent athlete.
When Marcus changed grades, changed schools, and changed cities, he always kept in touch with my wife by calling several times a year. We grew to like the young man quite a bit. We’d take him to dinner and have him as a guest in our house.
Two years ago we got one of those calls from Marcus.
My wife said, “Good to hear from you, Marcus! How are you doing?”
Marcus answered, “Mrs. Miller, GOOGLE Me!”
We did GOOGLE him. Read More→
TODAY: Looking Back and Looking. . .
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FORWARD!
Many things come to mind this time of year. Here are several I want to share.
Looking Back
Standing Desk
This Stand Up Idea has proven to be Outstanding!
In 2010 I had an operation for a herniated disk. Ouch!
After the surgery, like many of you, I sat in a leather, high-back, swivel office chair at my standard office desk. The problem was: the longer I sat, the harder it was to get up and walk.
In 2012 I started investigating standing desks. Ben Franklin had one, as did Donald Rumsfeld. The more investigating I conducted, the more I was convinced that standing was better than sitting. I’m sure all my chiropractic doctor friends agree!
I saw several Facebook friends posting they had standing desks and talked to two of them about their decision. Both confirmed my research. They were not going back to sitting at a desk. After six months with my standing desk, I’m not either!
Here are some reasons:
- Far less back pain.
- If you’ve ever had severe back pain, you’ll know why, for this reason alone, I will not go back to sitting.
- Way more productive.
- You know how you pull out the chair, sit on it, pull it up to the desk, move the mouse, adjust the keyboard. . .
- I walk up to my desk, move the mouse to wake my computer, and I’m at it!
- We’re all familiar with the expression, “I think better on my feet!”
- I’m sure it’s true.
- You know how you pull out the chair, sit on it, pull it up to the desk, move the mouse, adjust the keyboard. . .
- Clients and guests love it!
- Some of my coaching is done in my home office. All the responses have been positive. Clients agree our sessions are more productive standing than sitting.
BTW, I’ve taken the bar stool away because I never use it! It’s only available to clients, who only use it to lean on!
More at:
http://www.nosweatpublicspeaking.com/heres-a-stand-up-idea-get-a/
Audio Post
I started posting the audio of each post I wrote in March, 2011. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made for improving my writing and my speaking. Read More→
Video: The ELEVATOR SPEECH – FREE Template!
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Everyone
Has Struggled with Their Elevator Speech!
I did for years! Mine was always a “work in progress.”
After a great amount of research, scripts, trial and error and tweaking, I developed an Elevator Speech Template that works great for me, and might for you!
Here’s my Elevator Speech.
If you like it, and want a copy of the Elevator Speech Template and Worksheet I used to develop it, I’ll email it to you!
Here’s the transcript for my Elevator Speech.
Welcome!
I’m Fred Miller, NO SWEAT Public Speaking!
Today’s video is about the Elevator Speech.
Everyone struggles with their Elevator Speech!
When I do my Elevator Speech Workshops, I always ask,
“Who, in the last year, has changed, tweaked, or trashed their Elevator Speech?
- In the last six months? Read More→
Personal STORIES Reinforce the. . .
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Points of Your Message!
We love to hear Stories, don’t we!
Everyone remembers sitting and listening intently to a parent, grandparent, or teacher as they told us a great Story.
Stories allow us to use our imagination to “see” what the storyteller is talking about.
Telling Stories is one of the Best Ways to reinforce the Points you make in the Body of your Speech.
Stories illustrate, in the mind’s eye of people seeing and hearing you, the Points of the message you are delivering.
Important Caveat:
They should be Personal Stories.
Too often, speakers tell stories audiences have already heard. An example, if making a Point about Persistence, is the Story of Thomas Edison’s 10,000 experiments that lead to the invention of the incandescent light bulb. (I once heard back-to-back speakers tell this same story!)
Solution:
Tell your Story! No one, unless they give you attribution, can tell Your Story!
Great Presenters are Great Storytellers.
Here’s an example of my Personal Story reinforcing a point.
My Point: One of the reasons people have a Fear of Public Speaking is they think they have nothing to talk about that others will find interesting or helpful. Nonsense!
My Story: Let me tell you a Story about what happened in one of the Presentation Skills Classes I was teaching. Read More→
My Best Advice for Becoming a Better Speaker is. . .
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SPEAK!
Here’s some Bad News for those who want to lessen their Fear of Public Speaking and become a Great Presenter:
There is NO Magic Pill to fix that!
I wish there was!
Perhaps one of the large drug companies has it in Clinical Trials. If so, I haven’t read about it, and don’t advise waiting until it’s developed!
You Can:
- Think about speaking.
- Read about speaking.
- Watch Videos of others speaking.
- View speakers practicing their craft.
- Listen to speakers delivering their talks.
- Attend classes and lectures about presentations.
“The Learning is in the Doing!”
- If you want to be a writer - Write!
- If you want to be a piano player - Play the Piano!
- If you want to be a Speaker - Speak! – Speak! – Speak!
What’s the worst thing that could happen? Read More→
Speakers at the Conventions Were Given. . .
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The Opportunity of a Lifetime!
Depending upon their time slot, speakers at the recent National Political Conventions, were seen and heard by thousands to millions of people.
What an amazing time to showcase themselves and their presentation skills! What a fantastic item to add to their resumes!
My mantra is: “Speaking Opportunities are Business, Career, and Leadership Opportunities!”
Obviously, another Speaking Opportunity that could be added to that list is Political Opportunities.
To be on a national stage, at an extremely important event, is something most of us only dream of doing.
Consider the tremendous career boost Read More→
WHY Tag Lines are Great for. . .
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Presentations and Elevator Speeches
A Tag Line is a catchphrase or slogan often used at the end of an advertisement or commercial. They are great for selling products and services because they keep the brand’s name front and center in the minds of customers and prospects.
The Close of a Presentation can also include a Tag Line.
It should grab the attention of the audience and be something memorable that connects directly to you, your company, your products and services. A Tag Line can become part of your Branding. When someone hears it they should think of YOU!
“The Last Thing the audience sees and hears
is the First Thing they remember!”
“This is one of the Laws of Presentation.”
This Law is the reason your presentation should have a Strong Opening and a Strong Closing. The Strong Closing can end with your Tag Line!
Some Familiar Examples of Tag Lines are:
- “If it’s Sunday, it’s Meet the Press.” – NBC’s Meet the Press
- “When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.” – FedEX, 1978-1983
- “Got Milk?” – California Milk Processor Board, 1993
- “Don’t Leave Home without It.” – American Express, 1975
- Be relevant to your product or service.
- Easy to say.
- Clever!
Great Athletes Have Coaches. Great Speakers. . .
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Should Also!
Many of us are watching the Olympics.
If you’ve paid attention to the commentators and interviews with athletes, the word “Coach” comes up again and again. Many give credit for outstanding performances to the Coaches.
After receiving her Gold Medal, American gymnast Aly Raisman walked straight to her Coach, Mihai Brestyan, and put her medal around his neck. Classy!
More than one competitor left home and moved hundreds, even thousands of miles, to work with the right Trainer. No athlete competing at the Olympics reached this goal by themselves. What they achieved was done as a team – with their Coach!
One dictionary definition of Coach is: A tutor who gives private or specialized teaching.
Speech and Presentation Coaches
fill this role for those serious about becoming Better Speakers and Presenters.
The Coach is the individual who helps someone set and reach their goals. They take their “client” to levels they would not have attained on their own. They see qualities, good and bad, a person often doesn’t know they have. Professional Coaching will better the positive ones and decrease the negatives - maximizing results.
A Great Coach will Instruct, Critique, and Motivate! Read More→
Are You a Good Speaker? Well, Good isn’t. . .
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Good Enough!
You want to be a Great Speaker!
Who wants Good?
I don’t!
Do you want:
Good coffee, a Good meal, or a Good spouse? NO!
You want:
A Great cup of coffee, a Fabulous meal, and an Incredible spouse - Correct!
Let’s Look at Speakers:
- Many are Not Very Good.
- Who wants to waste time watching and listening to them?
- A lesser number of speakers are Good.
- Again, do you want Good Coffee?
- Few speakers are Very Good!
- These are the speakers who are perceived as Experts.
- Perception is reality, and we like to work with Experts.
- These people grow their businesses, advance their careers, and increase their leadership roles.
- These are the speakers who are perceived as Experts.
What kind of Speaker do You want to be?
Don’t be content with being a Good Speaker!
Be an Outstanding Speaker!
Good News – You can be! Read More→
