I am, first and foremost, and will always be, an envelope salesman. My business card says so. But more people probably know me as an author and speaker — which evolved from my sales career. Who would have thought?
Regardless of the title on your business card, everyone is a salesperson whether you want to admit it or not. Why? Because from the time you get up in the morning until the time you go to bed at night, you are continually communicating, negotiating, persuading, influencing and selling ideas.
When you can get up on your feet and talk extemporaneously on a lot of subjects, it instills confidence, develops poise and breeds conviction. You become more convincing in your meetings and your encounters. And you become a better leader, manager and salesperson.
I never pass up an opportunity to promote Toastmasters International, which started in 1924 and today has more than 300,000 members in 126 countries and nearly 15,000 clubs. Toastmasters changed my life.
Another organization that can dramatically change your life is Dale Carnegie Training.
I am also a proud graduate of Dale Carnegie.
You may not aspire to a public speaking career, but chances are you will need to speak in front of a group at some point. I have a very useful tool to make speaking easier. It's called "Harvey Mackay's 35 To Stay Alive." It's available free at 35tostayalive.net. I've chosen a few key tips from that tool.
The three most important keys on giving a good speech are: 1) Room size. 2) Room size. 3) Room size. You want the excitement and chemistry of a standing-room-only, bumper-to-bumper crowd. Extra space is a killer. Also try to avoid rooms with high ceilings.