Are you continuing to learn? Or have you stopped – and when did you stop?
Last week, I had a speaking engagement that went really well, but I didn’t really understand how well until I received a message from the owner of the company that promoted it. I won’t exactly quote the message, but the gist of it was that he was amazed at how I have only gotten better at speaking over the years. It was a great message, and I truly appreciate it. But there’s a reason for what he said. At the end of every year for the past three years, one of the biggest line-items on my personal P&L statement is “Continuing Education.”
Years ago, I committed myself to becoming a student of professional selling, and I’ve always preached professional development – but I guess I hadn’t always PRACTICED what I preached. Up until about three years ago, my speaking skills had stopped developing. In fact, I stopped that development at about age 20, when I was still participating in speaking events in college.
When I started my business ten years ago, I resumed speaking as a way to promote my training and consulting business – but I never really considered myself a professional speaker. Then, nearly four years ago, I was invited to speak at a major national convention. Armed with the speeches that had dazzled them at the local Chambers of Commerce and Rotary clubs, I was flown to Miami, put up for three nights at the lovely Fontainebleu Resort on Miami Beach, and I spoke four times in front of a total audience of around 1,000 people.
And I bombed.
I learned a few things that week. First of all, keynote speakers have a big advantage over breakout session speakers. If a keynoter bombs, they only do it once per convention. A breakout speaker gets to bomb multiple times – as I did. Secondly, I learned that the speeches and techniques that they loved in unpaid speeches at a local Chamber aren’t good enough when a client is flying you halfway across the country and paying you several thousands of dollars.
As I said, I had continued to develop my sales skills – but I realized that I had let my speaking skills stagnate. I rededicated myself to building my speaking skills. I read a book by Alan Weiss, which led me to become aware of Patricia Fripp, who in turn made me aware of Darren LaCroix, Ed Tate, and Craig Valentine – and now I consider those fine people my mentors and my friends. It’s been a journey that’s been both very beneficial and very expensive, but for me the biggest investment hasn’t been in dollars.
The biggest investment was in swallowing my pride. And believe me – that was a tough one to swallow. But it’s been worth it. I’ve given two major speeches at major conventions in Las Vegas in the last two weeks, and both assocations have immediately rebooked me for their next convention. “We want you back; we’ll figure out what you’ll speak about later,” has been the reaction.
Am I bragging? No. I’m sharing. And I’m sharing because I think that some of you can benefit from my journey. Here’s what I have learned in the past three years (besides the speaking skills and techniques):
- Never stop developing and never stop learning. When you do, you might as well quit.
- Sometimes your greatest successes can come from your greatest failures – IF you can swallow your pride and get out of your own way.
- You may learn – as I did – that you are not good enough AT THE MOMENT to achieve your dreams. It’s not permanent. Seek out those who have made it and find ways to learn at their feet.
- On a related note, choose your mentors wisely. Learn from those who are doing BETTER than you. I have met many people in the speaking business who ‘mentor’ each other into mediocrity because neither of them is making it.
- Above all, there is no reward without risk.
Whatever your “it” is, you can achieve it if you follow these simple steps. I wish you well.
