Catha For Council Blog

It has been written that public speaking is the number 1 fear, even above the fear of dying. Yet, speaking about a topic that you truly love can be a great experience. I host and produce my own television program in which I interview many best selling authors, experts and celebrities in the area of health and wellness. Before we are about to go on the air, many of my guests say to me nervously, “What questions are you going to ask me?” Or, “Are You going to ask questions that I sent to you?” Or even this, “Did you read the book?”

My response to them is to not worry about anything, just act like we are friends talking in your living room. That usually calms them down and we go on to have a great time sharing our thoughts about their book. The point I am attempting to make is to speak about something you really love to do and have fun doing it! If you do this one thing, speak about your subject that you are passionate about, it will be a lot easier than having to force yourself to pick a random topic and try to create a speech around that unintended subject.

For a lot of us, it is like working a job we do not particularly care for. Or being around someone or something because we are obligated to do so. What tends to happen in this situation is we end up resenting the person, job or subject we feel we are obligated to. I know many of you have to work to pay the bills, so if you are doing so, why not do something in your life that you love to do? Especially if you are branching out in the speaking world?

So, there two very important rules to begin this process. Rule number 1 toward becoming a confident speaker is to pick a topic about something you are passionate about. The second rule is to practice that speech until you are comfortable with it and go out and talk about it! Hey, what a concept! Talking about what you love to do!! You do it all of the time and perhaps you do not know that you talk about a subject because it is a part of your everyday life.

I suggest taking out a pad and writing down the things you love to do and talk about. Write these ideas down and you will be surprised at the outcome. You love and know more than you think you do. The demands and obligations of our life usually do a great job of making us suppress our desires and talents in favor of security. Take time for yourself and explore your wants, desires and passions and begin the process of exploring those things that drive you and in the same process become the confident speaker you were meant to become.

Learning to become a Confident Speaker while developing your speaking skills and making your audience feel great and informed about your topic is what becoming a confident speaker is all about.

Rey Ybarra is a top rated TV talk show host and lecturer. He produces the http://www.Confidentspeaker.com website and interviews best selling authors, celebrities and experts and his http://www.Healthexpotv.com and http://www.OptimalHealthTV.com TV and Internet TV shows continue to lead the way in producing streaming media programming. He produces Internet TV programming from some of the major health and wellness expos in the world! Rey lectures at some of the biggest expos in the world on the importance of streaming media. Rey is considered by his peers to be one of the most prepared, talented and passionate talk show hosts.

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There has been a huge amount written about the benefits of
working from home.

Individuals run small businesses from home. Large corporations
even set up home offices for many of their employees.

Right now most freelancers work from a home office. Some may
invest in modest office space, but most of the freelancers I
know work from their homes.

It’s good to have such a short commute time in the morning!

>> But what if you want more?

With smaller, more powerful laptops, improved internet
connectivity worldwide and a host of cellular and web services
to choose from…we’re no longer confined to working from home.
Now we can work from almost anywhere.

This opens up a host of new possibilities in our lives.

* We can travel the world, and still keep working

* We can live almost anywhere, out in the country or even in a
different country

* We can travel to visit clients, attend seminars or pitch for
new business in other cities without losing touch with our
current work and customers

The list goes on and on.

>> Our only limitation is our fondness for old work habits

As freelancers we are literally free to work from most parts of
the world.

So why don’t we all strike camp and explore the world?

There are many practical reasons, including the needs of other
members of our families and communities.

But be careful when you list the reasons why you absolutely
can’t work from anywhere other than your home or office.

How many of those reasons are absolutely unchangeable, and how
many have you listed simply because old habits die hard?

* Is it truly impossible for you to work for a while from a
rented house in Southern Italy?

* Is it absolutely out of the question for you to rent a cottage
in the country for a month or so?

* And is that dream you had about moving to Mexico or Panama
really and truly impossible?

With any one of these options, you can plug your laptop in and
keep working. And nobody need even know where you are!

>> Some more modest ambitions

Even if you don’t want to use mobile technologies to make
dramatic shifts in your life, you can still get out from behind
your desk from time to time.

You can work from the park, from the beach, from a local coffee
shop….from an airport, on a plane, from a city you are
visiting. The possibilities are endless.

>> As a freelancer, you are free

That’s what we are, we’re FREElancers. And now we have access to
technologies that allow us to unplug and work from just about
anywhere.

Isn’t there an opportunity here to make our lives a little more
interesting and adventurous?

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Autoresponders are one of the most popular forms of marketing
today. The reason for this is a simple one: they work. However,
writing a truly effective autoresponder series can frustrating,
even for the professional marketer.

To come up with an effective series of autoresponders without
boring your prospects can be difficult. To help you, here are a
few general tips.

1) In my line of work, I see a lot autoresponders. Most of these
are one to three pages long, which is generally appropriate for a
sales letter. In an autoresponder series, however, keep in mind
that your prospects are going to be reading multiple messages
from you. Try to keep them each down to about a page and spread
the juicy details around a bit. Don’t tell them everything at
once.

2) Now let’s talk content. You’d be wise to try to give your
autoresponders some continuity so they hang together well. Start
with the basic details of your offer, then gradually reveal more
and more. When you start a letter, rehash (very briefly) what
you told them in your last letter. At the end of each letter,
make sure they stay tuned by enticing them about what they’ll
find out next time.

3) A word about hype. It can definitely work if you have the
right audience and the right product. Feel free to use bold
letters, exclamation points, etc., but don’t overdo it. The last
thing you need is for your prospects to feel that your message is
being jammed down their throats. In any case, it might be
helpful to use some imagery. Have your prospects imagine how
your product or service can enhance their lives or their
business. Use vivid words, describe feelings or circumstances,
and then tell them how you can help them achieve those things (or
how you can help get them out of where they are right now).

A well-written, well-targeted series of autoresponders can do
wonders for sagging sales. For tips on writing effective copy
for autoresponders, see http://www.drnunley.com/copywriting.htm.

About the Author

A well-written, well-targeted series of autoresponders can do
wonders for sagging sales. For tips on writing effective copy
for autoresponders, see http://www.drnunley.com/copywriting.htm.

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You’re speaking, so you know what you’re saying. But, do you know what your audience is hearing?

Or perhaps you’re writing. Do you know what your audience is reading?

I know many speakers who’ve been surprised when they discovered the distance between the message they sent and the message the audience received. That’s not really unexpected. After all, we really can’t gauge how our content or delivery comes across to others unless we’ve had the evaluations of others.

For example, I’ve learned from speaking evaluations that I’m often too serious, and that I should lighten up. That’s not something that was obvious to me, but after several formal and informal evaluations, I now recognize the truth of that observation.

In the same way, I’ve learned to reduce the amount of content in my speeches. When I’m writing a speech, I now know I’m not writing a book. By that, I mean the listener can take in much less than a reader, and it’s up to the speaker to make the content fit. That, too, I learned from the evaluations of others.

If you can get someone to evaluate your speech or presentation, ask for specific assessments on several criteria, rather than just general comments. These specific criteria might include:
* content suitability for the audience
* vocal variety and pacing
* posture and general bearing
* gestures and body language
* eye contact.

Make your list as long or as short as you wish, and remember that the more specific the criteria, the easier it will be to get information you can you use for improvement.

Much of what we’ve discussed about speaking works for writing as well. Again, ask for specific assessments rather than general comments. While it’s nice to be told, “Your memo was great,” it’s much more useful to get feedback on specific criteria, such as:
* writing style (too formal or too casual, for example)
* word usage
* amount of content
* suitability of content
* overall readability by target audience.

Many friends and colleagues will happily give you feedback if you ask for it; now you need to approach the subject strategically, and make sure you get feedback you can use to improve your performance.

Robert F. Abbott offers three free chapters from his book, A Manager’s Guide to Newsletters: Communicating for Results at www.managersguide.com/free-sample.html . He also offers free subscriptions to Abbott’s Communication Letter, a free newsletter that helps you enhance your career through improved business communication, at www.abbottletter.com .

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This free way to promote or publicize your book or business online will be successfull if you follow these tips:

1. Open your short introduction with a hook. Connect with your audience with where they are now. Ask a few questions in just a few sentences to pull them in.

2. Include a benefit or two for following your how-to suggestions, your solutions, or tips.

3. Make all of your paragraphs less than three or four sentences. People online will turn away when they see a long paragraph. They want their information short and useful.

4. Write an article that serves your audience, not you. When they see your ideas and how to’s, they will respect your as the savvy expert, and be more likely to look at your signature file and even visit your web site.

5. Write a number of solutions for a particular problem. Online readers want numbered tips or how to’s. This format is easy to read and gives a lot of specific information fast.

6. Write a tip with a consistent format. Start each tip with a command–do this. Follow it by the advantages of doing that action or show the consequences of not doing it. In your third point include some resources such as books to read, teleclasses to attend, or web sites to visit.

7. Leverage each article to make two or more new ones with little effort.. “Three Promotion Tips for Small Business People” or “Three Promotion Tips for Authors,” or “Three Traditional Promotion Tips” or “Three Online Promotion Tips.” The possibilities are endless.

8. Focus on only one topic per articles. If you don’t your article will wander around and your reader will wander away.

9. Include under each article a 5-7 line signature file. Include your name, your concept-marketing tag, your web and email, and your local and toll-free number. 80% of sales are made from the 800 numbers. Always include one free offer to draw people to your web site.

10. End your article with another three or four line conclusion repeating the benefits and great results you’ll get if you follow the article’s tips.

When you write a thoughtful article, you will get noticed and realize not only new free targeted visitors to your site, but sell much more of your products and services.

Judy Cullins ©2004 All Rights Reserved.

Judy Cullins, 20-year Book and Internet Marketing Coach works with small business people who want to make a difference in people’s lives, build their credibility and clients, and make a consistent life-long income. Author of 10 eBooks including “Write your eBook Fast,” “How to Market your Business on the Internet,” and “Create your Web Site With Marketing Pizzazz,” she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, “The Book Coach Says…” and “Business Tip of the Month” at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml and over 155 free articles. Email her at mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com.

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The Rewards

1. Trust. Trust is earned over time. A lot of mistakes or
misunderstandings that might make an editor wonder about a
writer they don’t know will all be water under the bridge in a
trusted relationship. 2. Strong Lines of Communication. Another
benefit of trust is openness. You’re more likely to know just
what your editor needs and be better prepared to please her or
him with strong, open communication between you. 3. Ongoing Work
and a Regular Paycheck. An editor who has learned to count on
you will do so, time and again, assignment after assignment. 4.
Growing Relationships = More Work and Raises. The more an editor
trusts you, the more she or he will entrust to you. Maybe twice
the work each month as when you started. To keep you, as the
relationship grows, your paycheck will often grow also. 5.
Growing Clip Files. An editor who assigns you work every month
is good for a dozen new clips a year, as opposed to the editor
who only calls on you once or twice. 6. Great References. The
longer and better they know you, the more likely they are to
gladly recommend you, and in just the right way. 7. Word of
Mouth Advertising. Those recommendations will often come without
you even asking for them. 8. Consistent Style and Other
Expectations = Easier, More Familiar Work. The better you know
an editor and their expectations the more it will be second
nature to do just what it takes to keep them happy. 9. Insights
and an Inside Track on What’s Happening in the Industry. Editors
will not only entrust you with more work, but more information
as part of those tried and true relationships. 10. Momentum. One
of the best ways to build momentum in this industry is to work
with people longterm. Rather than always digging up new work and
building new relationships, ongoing relationships and work can
carry you while you add to them.

Building Editor Relationships

1. Study the Markets. Magazines with the same bylines month
after month use the same writers longterm. Build relationships
with these editors first. 2. Know Them so They’ll Want to Know
You. If you are familiar with the magazine’s thrust, needs,
expectations and working style and deliver that first article in
a way that demonstrates that it and you are a perfect fit for
the publication, it’s easier for the editor to envision a
longterm relationship with you. 3. Make Your Intentions Known.
Let editors know you are interested in building longterm
relationships that produce a win for everyone. 4. Don’t Rest on
Your Laurels. Though it should get easier to satisfy your
editors, they will also expect growth from you. 5. Protect
Growing Relationships. The longer you work for an editor, the
more important it becomes to never miss a deadline, never turn
in a bad piece, never let them down. The more you have invested,
the more this relationship is worth. 6. Follow Editors to New
Publications. If an editor goes to another magazine, try to
preserve both your relationship with your editor and the current
magazine if you can. If they aren’t directly competing, this may
be a way to double your work. To this end, build relationships
with others at the magazine, as well. Become a source of
articles the publication can’t do without, no matter who the
editor is. 7. Make Conversation. There will be moments when it
is appropriate to just be human. When they come, talk, make
conversation, inquire, get to know your editors as people as
well as professionals.

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