As many of you know, I “speak from the hip” so to speak.
I pride myself on being a non-linear speaker who usually ends up talking about what is shooting through his mind at the moment. This is both good and bad. It is what it is.
I can assure my audiences of one thing. They can’t finish my sentence for me because where they think I may be going with my thoughts may not be where I end up. Follow me?
That being said, I thought I’d kick off another year with this story from my past.
I remember as if it were yesterday the day I was driving to Ft. Lauderdale to serve as the Closing Keynote Presenter at a CLIA Cruise3sixty Conference. I was very excited and looking forward to presenting to a large audience. I had 40 minutes to “change the world.”
I would soon be assuming my starting position with empty hands and no need for supportive slides or a teleprompter. I would soon be taking a deep breath and looking out at the 1500 people who will be poised and prepared to say in unison, “Who is this guy?”
I will begin to speak and only time will tell what will happen in the following 40-minutes. I will become a human dartboard and hope that the audience finds no immediate need to cast any pointed projectiles in my direction. Again, only time will tell.
But this is not today’s lesson. Long before I headed for Ft. Lauderdale, I made the time to write six pages of my speech. I gave the entire presentation to myself on paper complete with smiley faces and double exclamation points. I then allowed those pages to “breath.”
I went back and rewrote the entire speech, editing, adding and tweaking where necessary. Again, I allowed breathing time before rewriting my speech a third time.
Once comfortable with it, I read it to myself nearly twenty times before feeling that the ideas and sequence were being committed to memory … sort of. Then, I simply sat back feeling comfortable that I was ready for “Showtime.” I would deliver my talk without the need for notes, crib sheets, slides or crib sheets of any kind.
I had prepared the best I could and now I could concentrate on having fun. As my college football coach reminded us every Friday afternoon, “the hay is in the barn.”
Back then the team (me included) had no idea what the old guy was talking about, but now I know what he was trying to tell us. The hard work was over. It was time to play some football.
And so it goes with your “speeches” or presentations with prospects and clients. Perhaps you should begin your preparation by jotting down your thoughts and areas that you wish to address. Polish your document as needed and then practice before practicing some more.
When a prospect enters the room, you will be prepared and ready to deal with just about anything situation that presents itself.
This is how professionals do it. This is how you do it. This is how overnight successes do it … with hours upon hours of focused practice.
Think it. Believe it. Write it. Practice it. Breathe it. Share it.
Mike Marchev is always looking for a few more proactive travel professionals to join his Sales and Marketing Club, mike@mikemarchev.com.
*** You want more to think about? Check out my weekly podcast (Miked Up Marchev). Also listed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google, and iHeartRadio.