“There are people who put their dreams in a little box and say, ‘Yes, I’ve got dreams. Of course I’ve got dreams.’  Then they put the box away and bring it out  once in a while to look in it, and yep, they’re still there. These are great dreams, but they never even got out of the box.  It takes an uncommon amount of guts to put your dreams  on the line, to hold them up and say, ‘How good or bad am I?’ That’s where courage comes in.” Erma Bombeck

I love talking to entrepreneurs.  They are passionate about what they do, they want to have a big impact, and they have big dreams. Their enthusiasm is contagious, and they can talk endlessly about their passion.

And for many it stops there. They’re spinning their wheels, don’t have enough clients to make the money they want, and don’t know what to do to change that. 

Don’t be one of them. Develop a sound business strategy, create action steps to implement that strategy, and have successful client attraction processes.

The fastest path to cash, to clients, and to your dreams is positioning yourself as an expert, sharing information, and attracting clients who want to work with you. And there’s no better way to do that than through public speaking.

Are you positioning yourself for success? Do you know who your perfect target market and audience is?  Have you developed a signature speech?  Do you have the skills to deliver it powerfully from the stage?

If you haven’t grabbed my f*ree ebook, “Rock Your Speaking: Seven Secrets to Delivering Powerful Speeches that Grow Your Business, Make You Money, and Increase Your Impact,” you can get it here. It won’t cost you a thing, and it’s chock full of information.  It will help you position yourself for the success you crave and get that dream out of the box.

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I was driving home from the pottery studio Saturday morning, when I noticed this guy standing on the corner. Now, I had passed numerous yard sale signs on numerous corners and ignored them all—but this guy got my attention.  I was intrigued.  So I turned the corner and went to his yard sale.

I have to wonder what went through his mind that morning. He might have been thinking, “It’s a beautiful June morning.  There will be tons and tons of yard sales.  If I want people to come to mine, I’d better be original. I’d better stand out.  I’d better have a unique approach.”  Of course, I have no idea what he was thinking, but that’s my fantasy, and he certainly made me take action.  And he did have a unique perspective on the yard sale sign thing.

Our unique perspective and point of view are what will draw people to us, make people want to do business with us, and enable us to make a difference in people’s lives.  But first, we have to know what that is, and we have to own it.

Sometimes, when I go hear a speaker give a talk on their topic, it’s what we in the speaking industry call “a book report.”  In other words, it sounds like the speaker read a few books on the topic, and is rehashing what they learned. Boring!

When a speaker really shines, they have depth of expertise in their topic, and have their own twist, their own perspective, their own point of view. They share their life experiences, the experiences of their clients, and give us a new way of thinking about the topic.

So how about you?  Are you rehashing and sharing the same information as everyone else?  Or have you developed a point of view that differentiates you and enables you to be heard above all the noise in today’s marketplace?

Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• Am I clear about my value and my message?
• How is what I’m saying and what I’m offering different than what everyone else is doing?
• What’s my unique perspective and point of view?
• Do I share myself authentically, or am I modeling myself after how I think I ought to present myself?
• How will people who work with me benefit more than if they worked with anyone else?
• Do I give people new ways of thinking about my area of expertise? Am I stretching their thinking?
• How can I convey all of this in my marketing materials and conversations with people?

The answers to these questions will help you stand out. They’ll help you be a great speaker.  And they’ll attract clients to you like crazy.

I’d love to hear about what you do to stand out from others who do what you do–how you put your unique spin on your expertise.  Share it with us below.

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Whenever you are giving a speech or a business presentation you need to own the room!

What exactly do I mean by that? Think back to some of the best speakers you have seen. They come up on stage or to the front of the room, and you immediately feel the energy in the room shift. All eyes are on them. They immediately establish rapport and relationship with the people they’re speaking to. Their presence has the audience paying rapt attention to their every word. They “own the room.”

If you regularly attend events and conferences, you know that not every speaker has this ability. Some get up in front of the room, and although they are sharing good information, they really never get to the point where the audience is enthralled with them and totally engaged with their content.

I’m convinced that more than technique, more than mere “stage presence,” there’s an underlying mindset that separates the great speaker from the good speaker—the speaker who sells their message or their product, and the one who doesn’t—the speaker who captivates their audience and the one who doesn’t.

Often, when I talk to entrepreneurs about using public speaking to attract more clients and make more money, they agree that it’s a great idea, but then their self-doubt kicks in. Their inner critic takes over and they begin to wonder, “Why would someone want to listen to me?” “Am I really good enough and charismatic enough to get in front of an audience?”

In order to own the room, you need to own your own power! You need to know in the core of your being, at the cellular level, that you have a message that people need to hear, and that you are the perfect person to be delivering that message.

You need to be confident and powerful and grounded in the depth of your expertise. No one else has your unique combination of talents, skills, knowledge, communication style, and life experiences. No one.

When you are in touch with your highest vision of yourself, you step out from that place of power. You speak boldly and confidently. You are powerful from the stage. You own the room.

Visualize who you want to be on stage the next time you give a speech or deliver a business presentation. See yourself being introduced, walking briskly and confidently to the center of the stage, taking a moment to smile, to ground yourself, to make eye contact with your audience, and to take control of the room.

Then visualize the conversation you have with that audience—the relationship and partnership you build with them. See yourself speaking in a laser-focused, dynamic way. Visualize your elation at the end of your program when your audience takes the action you intended for them to take.

See, that’s where it all starts. It starts in your own mind. It starts with owning your own power, stepping boldly into the place where you’re ready to express it, and then sharing it with your audience. That’s how you own the room. And that’s how you become a great speaker or presenter!

© 2011 Feisty Woman Productions

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“If your efforts are sometimes greeted with indifference, don’t lose heart.  The sun puts on a wonderful show at daybreak, yet most of the people in the audience go on sleeping.”  Ada Teixeira

I used to really like this quote.  I even put it in my book, Great Quotes from Feisty Women. In the book, I tell a story about how my mom missed my first jump off the high diving board because someone walked in front of her just as I jumped.  I wrote, “What I know now, looking back on this some forty years later, is that my jump was magnificent, even if no one saw it.”

I went on to say, “I try to remember this when I put something out in the world. If I’m excited about something I’ve done, I can’t let the reactions of other people dictate how I feel about it. I have to trust my own heart, be my biggest fan, and know I gave it all I had.”

I don’t believe this any more and neither should you!

I didn’t know much about marketing and sales when I wrote this, and I wasn’t thinking about it in a business context. I was thinking of it in a personal growth context.  And it’s probably true in that context.

But in the business world, we have to be incredibly tuned in to the problems, the struggles, and the needs of the people we serve.  We have to be problem solvers.  We have to know who we can best help, and create products and services that will improve their businesses and their lives.  We have to care about the reactions of our tribe, our “peeps” if we want our businesses to thrive.

So putting something out into the world that is not embraced by the people we created it for is a miss.  We have to pay attention to that.  We need to re-think, re-design, and re-launch.  We need to make sure what we’re doing is on target.  And we have to get the word out about what we do.

You may be the best in the world at what you do, but if no one knows it, it does you no good, and does the world no good. Get out there and use public speaking to share your message, to let people know what you have to offer, and to have a bigger impact.

Make sure people see what you have to offer, and are not “sleeping through your sunrise!”

What do you think?  Share your thoughts below.  Do you think this quotation is true, or do you think my current interpretation is more on target?

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Have you ever had the experience of knowing what you really wanted, but having no idea how to get there from here?

I know I have.  It can be really frustrating!

I’d know what the end result was that I wanted, but didn’t know all of the steps it would take to make it happen. So I’d get overwhelmed, I’d stall, and I wouldn’t do what it took to get to my goal.

Then I had an interesting thought. I just had to turn on my headlights!

Let me tell you what I mean.

Let’s say you were driving in the evening from Los Angeles to San Francisco.  If you took US 101, it would be about a 430 mile drive.  Now, you would not be able to see all 430 miles of that road. In fact, once you pulled out of your driveway and turned on your headlights, you’d only be able to see about 180 feet in front of you.

Yet, we don’t let that stop us!  We don’t get paralyzed by fear. We don’t sit there and worry, “What’s going to happen when I get to the end of this 180 feet—I won’t be able to see anything!?!”  No, we simply drive the illuminated section of the road, and trust that when we get to the end of the part that’s lit, the next section of road will be illuminated as we move forward.  And that’s how we do the whole 430 miles—180 feet at a time!

I realized that this was exactly what I needed to do with my business goals! I needed to set the goal, lay out the steps I could see in front of me, and trust that as I got toward the end of the part that was clear to me, the next steps would become evident. And they always do!

I like to begin by asking myself “What’s the best case scenario?” And then I figure out the first step to take me in that direction.  And I do that step.

It’s can work the same way for you. You do what you can in the part you can see, and trust that when you get to the end of the part of the path that’s illuminated, you’ll see the next part of the path…the next step on the journey. That’s the way it works. 180 feet at a time.

Everything does not have to be perfect before you start!  That’s a recipe for staying stuck, a recipe for never moving toward your big goals.  You just have to “chunk it down”.

Several years ago, I did the Avon 3-Day Breast Cancer walk—60 miles over three days.  I was overweight, not at all fit, and it was a huge goal.

I “turned on my headlights,” and used this approach. The first day, I looked at the event website, and developed a training plan.  Didn’t walk an inch.  The next day, I went and bought walking shoes.  Still didn’t walk.  The third day, I walked around the block.

I remember the first time I walked a mile.  I was doing the happy dance.  I didn’t worry about how I’d walk the other 59 miles.  I was just doing it “180 feet at time,” as far ahead as I could see. By late spring, I was training in Redstone Canyon 6 ½  miles up, and 6 ½ miles back down.

When August came, despite the record-setting 100 degree plus temperatures all three days, I was able to walk every one of those 60 miles.  I met that goal,because I just did the next thing that I could see to do.

I apply the same principles to my business goals.  So here are a few tips:

1.  Set big goals. Don’t worry if you don’t know every step you need to take to reach them.  Just “turn on your headlights,” and do what’s in front of you.

2. Be willing to change. It’s impossible to reach a big goal without learning and growing, and becoming even more.  Get ready to grow!

3.  Celebrate your successes along the way. It helps build momentum and excitement.

What methods have you used successfully to break out of overwhelm and “stucked-ness” to go after a huge goal? Please share them and add your other comments below!

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“Now” is the operative word.

Everything you put in your way

is just a method of putting off the hour

when you could actually

be doing your dream.

~ Barbara Sher

I’ve met so many amazing women over the last month as I’ve been traveling to attend two incredible events, and given six speeches at various conferences and events.

I’ve begun following up with those who’ve asked me to call them, and I’ve been struck by one thing—how many of them are stuck. And what’s worse is—they believe their own excuses!

They want to move forward. They want to reach their goals. They want to attract more clients, and make more money.  They know what they need to do, they know what skills they need to develop, they know what investment to make, but they don’t.

They say they’re too busy.  They say they have too many commitments.  They say they don’t have the money to invest in their business. So they choose to do nothing!

They stay stuck. They don’t get more clients. They don’t make more money. And they let their dreams lie dormant. They continue to struggle, and just get by.  Their spark goes out little by little.

Don’t let your excuses and self-doubt stand between you and what you want the most!

Get really, really clear about what you want.  Get really, really clear about what it will take to get there.  Then make a commitment to yourself that you will do whatever it takes to make it happen.  And, as Barbara Sher suggests: Start now! Right now! Only then will you begin to have the success you truly deserve.

So ask yourself, “What is the one thing I can start doing right this moment that will increase my success?” And go do it. Now!

Share below what that one thing is…then go do it…now!

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I was talking with a potential client last week.  We were talking about her frustration with her business.

Despite my best efforts to stop her, she was well into a rather long-winded story about how she doesn’t really understand why her business is doing so poorly, because she has such a positive attitude.  She said that no matter what happens she looks on the bright side.  She loses a potential client, she stays optimistic; she bungles a potential deal, she doesn’t let it throw her; she runs out of money in her business account, she doesn’t sweat it.

She had a great sense of pride as she told me this.  I gently asked her, “So what do you learn, and what do you do differently when these things happen?” There was silence on the other end of the phone.  I relaxed into the silence while she thought. Then, in a small voice which was quavering a little, she said, “Well, nothing really, I guess.  I just try to keep a positive frame of mind and hope it all works out.”

Really?  She hopes it all works out!?!

Hope is not a strategy! It became crystal clear why this smart, talented woman has a business that was going nowhere.  Yes, mindset is extremely important—you hear that from me all the time.  Attitude is important, too—but contrary to popular belief, attitude is NOT everything!  Strategy, focus, smart planning, execution, daily action—that’s everything!

And here’s what else I know for sure—this woman is not the only one. I can’t tell you how many variations of this I hear from women every week as I talk to them about their businesses.

So here are three quick ways to get clients into your business now, so you don’t have to rely on “hope.”

1.  Define your tribe, your peeps, your niche.

Who can you help the most?  Who would you love working with?  The place where those intersect is your tribe.

For me, it’s women entrepreneurs.  Can I help men?  Sure.  Do I love working with them?  Not nearly as much as I love working with women.  Do I turn men away?  No.  Do I market to them, and target my copy to them.  Nope—I target my marketing and my copy to my perfect target market—my peeps.  You.

2.  Get out and speak.

Yes, you! Speaking is one of the fastest paths to clients and cash.  It positions you as an expert, lets you talk to audiences made up of your perfect target market, and gives you an opportunity to sell to them in a way that’s not “pushy” or “sales-y.”  Client attraction just doesn’t get any better than this.  You get to speak to people “one-to-many” instead of just “one-to-one.”

Know the purpose of your speech, fine-tune your message until it’s crystal clear, develop your signature speech, and get the skills to deliver it powerfully.  As I often say, though—the only thing than not speaking is getting out there and doing it badly.

Make sure you have a solid speech and great delivery skills, then get out there and share your message.

3.  Know your numbers.

Yep, I know it’s math, but do it anyway.  Figure out how much money you want to make in your business each month.  Then figure out how many clients it will take to hit that number.

If your closing ratio is, for example, 50%, you have to talk to twice as many people that month as you need clients.  If your closing ratio is 25%, you need to talk to four times as many.

Then, figure out where those people will come from.  Networking, speaking, reaching out to former clients, and asking for referrals are all good methods of getting leads.

So there you have it–three tips to take you beyond a “positive attitude” and “hope.” to solid strategy and action.  It’s up to you to take the next step.

Please share the action you will take below.  How will you add solid strategy and action to your positive frame of mind?  What’s your first step?

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One of my mentors posted this quote on Facebook yesterday morning:

“Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning, the devil says, “Oh, Crap!  She’s Up!”

I love this! And I’ve let it float around in my mind all morning, playing with its possibilities.  I’ve been asking myself, “In the context of business, what kind of woman would that be?”

She would absolutely certain of her purpose. This purpose would drive everything.  It would determine what her core message is, how she would market, and how she would talk to people.

She would make decisions that supported her purpose.  She would laser focus the actions she took.  She would not let fear stop her and would go after her goals with single-minded focus. She would do whatever it takes.

She would embrace her power and use it with grace. She would be gutsy, powerful, and constantly moving forward.  She would stand in her power boldly.

So that’s what I’ve been pondering this morning.

What about you?  Are you that kind of woman?  Does your business reflect that?

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Several years ago, I heard Alan Weiss, author of Million Dollar Consulting, speak at my chapter of the National Speakers Association.  In his talk, he talked about what he called the 1% solution. He said that if you improve by 1% each day, in 70 days, you are twice as good.

This has been floating around in my mind since that time. And I got to wondering—what if you improved every day for a year? How much better would you be then?

I’m no math whiz, so I called my cousin Stan, the financial genius.  I said, “Stan, you know about compound interest…can you figure out compound effort?”  Stan did the math, and told that if someone did 1% better 365 days in a row, they’d be 37.4 percent better!  Elise, one of my pottery buddies, a PhD student and self professed math nerd did the math another way, and got the same number.

This really is astounding!  37 times better in one year! This is the power of compounding.

What would this mean for your business?

Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing.  You want to choose some things that you could use to get 1% better every day.

Learn something.

In today’s world, you need to be an expert in your field.  Knowledge and expertise set you apart from the masses, and make you the “go to” person in your area of specialty.  You’re never done learning. Read a chapter in a book, listen to a teleseminar, read an article, do internet research, listen to a speaker—the possibilities for learning are endless.  Know 1% more each day, and you’ll know 37 times more after a year.

Know your target market/audience.

When you market to everyone, you market to no one! It’s important to know who you are meant to serve, and how you can best help them. It’s important to know how you can help solve their problems or help them reach their goals.  You need to know them intimately in order to best be of help.

Often, people are afraid to do this. They’re afraid that if they narrow their focus, if they don’t cast a wide net, that they’ll miss some opportunities.  Actually, the opposite is true.  The more you focus on a niche, the more the people in that niche feel like you are there just for them, and the more “client attractive” you become.  Focus on knowing your target market just 1% better each day and watch what happens.

Get laser focused.

Often when I talk to entrepreneurs and ask them what they do, their answer is so fuzzy and unfocused that I’m still not sure what their expertise is even after they answer.  Make sure your message is clear, focused, and on target for your listener.  You can’t be all things to all people.  Get really, really clear.

Know what sets you apart from everyone else. Know how your product or service will serve your target market.  Be able to talk about it clearly and succinctly. How can you get 1% more clear and more focused in your messaging today?

Uplevel your skill set.

Use the additional knowledge you’re gaining every day to get better and better at what you do.  Remember, if you improve just 1% a day, you’ll be 37 times better in a year.

Be a better speaker.

Speaking to an audience made up of your perfect target audience is an incredibly effective way to get clients. But you have to be good—really good. I always say, “The only thing worse than not speaking, is speaking and doing it badly.”  Study, practice, get coaching, read my e-book (link for download below).  Make a commitment to get 1% better every day so you can “wow” your audiences and attract clients.

So there you have it.  The power of a 1% daily improvement.

What will you focus on improving 1% today?  Share your thoughts below.

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Now that I’ve begun to send out a newletter, I’m making a bit of a change to this blog.  The posts will alternate…one week, a longer post–the alternating week, a “Feisty Woman’s Power Tip.”  Here’s this week’s Power Tip.

“We are the same people we were at three, six, ten, or twenty years old. More noticeably so, perhaps at six or seven, because we were not pretending so much then.”  Agatha Christie

If how you present yourself is not congruent with who you are deep within you, you won’t come across as authentic—and people will sense it.  In today’s world, authenticity trumps perfection, and sharing who you really are enables you to create connection.

Do you find yourself spending some of your energy censoring yourself, editing yourself, or trying to fit in with someone else’s notion of who you ought to be?  It’s time to let that go!

Whether you are connecting with one person at a networking event, or connecting with an audience of hundreds when giving a speech, the more “you”, the more real, the more authentic you are, the more power that connection will have.

So embrace your true essence—and give the world the gift of the “true you.”  Your connections will be so much more powerful!

© 2011 Feisty Woman Productions

Free download of Ava’s e-book: ROCK YOUR SPEAKING: Seven Secrets to Creating and Delivering Powerful Speeches that Grow Your Business, Make You Money, and Increase Your Impact

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