Recently, I heard a financial advisor, a business consultant, and a mortgage broker, each with a different area of expertise and a different style of speaking, give their 5-minute networking speech at a Zoom meeting. They all made the same mistake that could easily have been avoided.
They tried to say too much in too short a time.
It’s the end of the first month of 2021 already. Doesn't time fly when we aren't looking? And aren’t we glad we finally made it!
So what are your plans for this year? Whether you have a formal list of goals or just a couple of wishes, when we make them, we’re sure we'll keep them, aren’t we? And sometimes we actually do, at least some of them. But most of them, truth to tell, are probably left by the wayside or forgotten by the time February rolls around.
It’s self evident. 2020 has been a really hard year. Really hard doesn’t even cover it, does it? It’s been devastating to some of us who have lost loved ones to the dastardly COVID-19. Others of us have lost friends, incomes, some days even our ability to laugh at a really funny joke. Okay. it’s over. Thank goodness, it’s over! 2021 is going to be a lot better.
Yes, 2021 is going to be better. How do I know?
We’ve learned so much in 2020. About what is important and who is important to us. About how to handle the unexpected and to maneuvre through the difficult new challenges we never thought to see in our daily lives.
Have you ever noticed that giving a holiday speech is a lot like giving a holiday gift? We use exactly the same principles to give a speech as to give a gift!
When we think of the folks on our holiday gift list, we try to come up with something they'll appreciate that they didn't have before. Something that will make them feel we care about them.
This is a great technique for overcoming the fear of giving a speech at a holiday event or any time.
At a recent networking meeting, the M.C., a very bright, capable woman and an excellent speaker, was outlining the program, highlighting the events and speakers we were going to hear from. She knew how to use humor to liven up her laundry list of information and all was going along swimmingly, until the moment came to introduce the first speaker. And then she said, "So, without further ado, please welcome..." and gave the speaker's name.
What's wrong with that?", you might ask.
Nothing... or a lot. It depends what kind of speaker you want to be.
You've been invited to speak at a major virtual event to a group you've never spoken to before. They heard you were knowledgeable, you come recommended by someone they respect, and they're asking you to be one of the featured speakers. It's a great opportunity. There are other speakers on the agenda, some of whom are famous, or at least more well known than you are. It's a compliment to you to appear on the same screen with these people. You should be thrilled at the opportunity, right?
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