On to District 32
I was very fortunate to place first in both the International Speech Contest and the Evaluation contest last Thursday in Division B for Toastmasters District 32. I faced some stiff competition. As i’ve blogged on before, competition is a great way to prepare yourself for any presentation.
I’m excited for the opportunity to give this speech one more time next week. A special note of thanks to all my frineds who came by to root me on. I’m very appreciative of your support.
Tom Hopkins promotes Send Out Cards
For all you sales folks who know the name Tom Hopkins, check this out. Mr. Hopkins highly endorses Send Out Cards for business people. Go figure…he sent out thousands of cards during his years in the real estate field. He’s a big believer in building relationships. To hear his actual endorsement, go to http://www.tomhopkins.com.
Sending business greeting cards has positively impacted my business relationships. It will for you, too. Regardless of what industry you are in, business is still about relationships. Arte you doing all you can to build yours?
P.S. If you want to send cards to your best three customers for FREE, give me a call at 360-271-1592 or e-mail me at dan@danweedin.com today.
Register NOW for my Panic to Power One-Day Boot Camps
You can now register for my one-day Panic to Power Boot Camps right here on this blog. Please see the navigation bar above and find the page for my Boot Camps and Speaking Schools. I’ve listed the two boot camps that are scheduled so take advantage of the Early Bird Special by registering today!
My web site is taking a little longer to get my camps and schools listed…I’m now trying to do this myself so there’s a BIG learning curve! For now, you can use this blog site to register.
Podcast - How You Can Dress for Success
Please join me and my guest Jeff Collins from My Haberdasher in Bellevue, WA. This 45 minute podcast will give you strategies on how to dress for success in any occasion. Jeff has been a haberdasher for 10 years and has extensive experience in business attire for men. Whether you’re a CEO, professional speaker, or sales executive, you will gain wisdom and practical advise from Jeff. I hope you enjoy the interview!
http://www.instantteleseminar.com/?preview=3&previewbar=1&eventid=2768565
Seattle Chamber Speakers Bureau and me!
I’m very honored to have just been added to the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce speakers bureau. Check it out by clicking here!
The value of a great presentation
I wish you had been with me at my Rotary Club this morning. If you had, you would have seen a spectacular presentation by Scott Oki. If you don’t recognize the name, Scott is a former Microsoft executive who retired VERY YOUNG after helping take Microsoft from a $1,000,000 in sales to billions and gazillions of dollars. He owns several golf courses and is a wonderful philanthropist. He spoke to our club about the values of scouting, as in Boy Scouts.
His message was great, but even more impressive was his presentation skill. Scott has certainly had training because he weaved stories, dialogue and humor into a well-crafted 30 minute speech. His opening and closing were impeccable.
Now although I was interested, as a speaker coach I thought I would glance around the room to see how the audience was reacting. As you might imagine, all eyes were keenly on Scott and most people were sitting forward in their chairs. How many presentations have you been to where the best part of the speech is when the speaker says, “In conclusion…”?
If you want your message to stick, you need to be able to deliver. That means structure, material, and delivery are vital. Scott Oki knew this and has mastered it. What about you? You don’t have to be giving a formal presentation to a group of Rotarians to use these strategies. Wherever you are and whoever your audience is, if you want them to think, feel, or act differently, you must be able to be impactful. The only way to do that is to get educated and practice. Are you ready to take that next step?
P.S. My schedule for the rest of the year is being finalized. Stay tuned for registration information. You can view the schedule by going to my web site at www.danweedin.com.
Opportunity Knocks
As Hall of Fame speaker Patricia Fripp says, “Opportunity doesn’t knock just once, it knocks all the time”. If you go back in your life, you may be like me and agree with that sentiment. Last November, I started a new career (to go with my other two) by joining the Send Out Cards team. I never thought I’d get involved with Network Marketing, but boy am I glad I did. The product is a perfect tool for any business - keeping in touch with your clients and building relationships that will last a long time. The investment was nearly nothing. The paychecks are real.
You can become a business owner even if you have a day job. If you’ve read the Robert Kiyosaki “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” series, you’d have read how Mr. Kiyosaki advocates that everyone have some sort of business that they do - even if it’s small. Network marketing - whether it be Send Out Cards, Pre-Paid Legal, or any other that you have a passion in, can give you that opportunity.
Below, you will find a brief video from Robert Kiyosaki. You will learn about the power of network marketing and how it can make a difference in your life and income. This isn’t a plug for my business. It’s a plug for you to become your own business owner and find the values it brings to your life. I hope you enjoy…
Oh Bugger!
Have you ever been tarred and feathered? Here I am with Fire Chief Jim Shields at our Poulsbo Rotary annual auction. This year’s theme was the Pirates of Poulsbo. I came dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow. I left smelling like molasses and honey. We raised an extra $2,600 for this jocularity so it was worth it.
The End of the Line…
Have you ever thought a project would never end? It’s hard to believe that this Rotary auction that became my baby is almost here. I formed a committee of dedicated Rotarians about what seems to be a gabillion months ago. Now, the online auction ends tomorrow at midnight (EST) and the LIVE auction and event is on Saturday. Whew!
I wonder what I’ll do to take up the extra time I will have now? Hmm…maybe preparing for my year as President will fill that slot ;-]
The value of competition
I was fortunate to win the next step in the Toastmasters International Speech Contest at the Area level last night. As always, the competition gets better at each succesive round.
There is great value to competing at a speech contest for even speakers who focus just on their professional development. Why? Simple…you have a tremendous opportunity to truly simulate pressure.
In the business world, you are constantly giving presentations that impact your career and pay check, right? Patricia Fripp says that “life is a series of sales situations”, and she is correct. In many cases, you may have to give a timed presentation to a prospect, group of investors, or a conference room of people. Nothing prepares you better than competing.
Consider it like shooting free throws in basketball. You can practice all you want but you can never truly simulate the pressure of making two free throws when you are down by one point with one second to go in the game. In speaking, you can more closely get game pressure when you compete against a group of excellent speakers, in front of a large audience, and you are being judged. regardless of you experience, that gets your heart pumping!
If you’re not in Toastmasters, you should consider it. If you are and aren’t competing, you should do it the next time. Whether you’re trying to close a big sale or talk to your teenager about the birds and the bees (do we still do that or does TV do that for us), it is an excellent test of winning those sales situations.
Cheers,
