Every time you envision speaking on stage, you can see a packed room full of people who want to hear every word you say. Your entire life has been a series of stories and illustrate amazing points that will change lives. No one had to show you how to speak or teach because you have the gifts that make your words powerful and helpful to others.
Maybe you went through one of those expensive programs and have booklists you are supposed to peruse for material. You even bought all the material they want you to have to assemble your presentations. Since you have all of this behind you, the next step is to start booking dates.
Right?
This is the point where I took a few moments to face reality. Name recognition is essential before anyone comes to hear you speak. Unless you have a rabid online following, you are doomed to play “second banana” to anyone who will let you accompany them onto some stage.
How long will you have to appear as a minor speaker before you can
fill a room with raving fans who have come to see you?
Dreams Are Not Miracles
Most of us have amazing dreams that require specific actions in order to become more than just a daydream. You might be looking at your future and wondering where to start. Without a little bit of help, you might remain where you are without any hope for change.
What do you know?
Some aspects of your dream are obvious because “everyone” has to take specific steps. You might have been given a list of steps to take to move closer to your dream of full rooms every time you speak. More likely, you were given some guidelines that make you wonder where to start. You will want to start with that one task that you know to do. For everything else, there are countless sources of information that help you to select the people you want to fill those seats.
Surprisingly, you are going to know what has to be done in final preparation before your first event. Even if you are not the primary speaker, you know what has to happen before you speak. The best way to fill your calendar with productive tasks is to work backwards. You might not know the sequence, but your life experiences provide some valuable insight.
Who can help?
Finding a mentor is probably the most important action you can take in your quest to fill your room full of people who will stay with you. As you make preparations for the event, you will want to refine your message and continually add new material. Timely information creates interest in you as a person. As you build a following, those peple will have heard everything you have said and read every word you have written. New material keeps them coming back, often.
What to do today?
Unless you know exactly where to start, your first task is to review your notes from training or find a book that will show you how to fill your room. You do not have any time to waste if you are going to have a career that provides a comfortable income. Allowing time to pass without making progress every day is the surest way to become discouraged and give up.
Search for the Perfect Person
Imagine standing on the stage and looking out over a crowd of people who have come to hear what you have to say. Regardless of your message, you will be reaching out to a certain group of people. The big question is whether the people who come are the people you want to be there.
How many people have started down the road toward success only to discover that the people surrounding are hindering the journey?
In my experience, your ability to find the right person to fill those valuable seats will make all the difference in the longevity of your business.
I really never thought about being selective about the people I spend time with until I realized that too many people are coming from a completely different place. Maybe you have yet to encounter the people who are watching from a distance. As you begin to connect with individuals, you will hear their questions and wonder how much help one person could demand.
Would you like to learn more about the perfect person?
Don’t Get Discouraged
The surest way to give up on your dream is to allow your thoughts to run down the course to “what if?” Your ability to stay positive and get started on your journey will prepare you to live your dream. Every evening before you go to bed, you are going to want to determine which task you want to start with the next day. As you develop this simple habit, you will have a reason to get out of bed in the morning and get started.
You live in a world full of information and avenues to reach out to people in ways that were not available to the most famous people today. As you make discoveries, you will want to be open to using every possible technique to build the foundation of your career broad and deep. To build that foundation, you will experiment with various topics and continue to expand your repertoire.
Only people who give up – fail! Never give up!
A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat,
determination and hard work.
~ Colin Powell