Does Thinking About Speaking Count?

I've been thinking a lot about blogging lately - in fact I've got a whole list of ideas for this blog lined up for future weeks. Yet, I haven't blogged here in over a week, and even that one was book review - albeit for a good book. Heck I've even got 5 more books read and ready to review to add to the list of potential posts.

Of course, those ideas sitting listed in my Evernote file won't exactly help YOU Speak & Deliver, will they?

Back to the post title - Does Thinking About Speaking Count?

Well - yes and no. 

No.

- if you spend your time thinking instead of speaking, your thoughts do no one any good, most likely, other than you, and maybe not even you, if they remain unsaid. They either fester or die.

- if you spend your time thinking instead of speaking, you can lose a lot of ideas, unless you take the step to write them down and expand on them. Even then, if they're just speeches in a file, well, see above.

- if you spend your time thinking instead of speaking, you'll no doubt see other people speaking about what you're thinking, which means you'll just go back and think some more.

- if you spend your time thinking instead of speaking, you'll never get feedback on what you have to say, which, while leading you back to more thinking, will at least advance it a bit.

Yes.

- because blurting out thoughts that aren't thought out enough can be dangerous, after all.

- because well-thought out speaking results in a prepared, and more powerful, speaker.

- because well-thought out speaking will likely cover more of the important subject matter than some rant you came up with an hour ago. (just listen to my podcasts for proof of that - though I'm starting to think a bit more before hitting that record button)

- because well-thought out speaking will hopefully include thoughts about your audience, focusing what you have to say to their needs as opposed to your own.

Looks like a pretty even battle - but I believe, ultimately, speaking outweighs thinking, if only by a pound or two.

Thought can paralyze, while speaking can galvanize. Spend too much time in your own mind, and the words may never come out, never be given the exposure they need to improve over time. They will never effect others, unless they specifically come out through action, but that's a whole different topic. They won't spread your ideas and your vision.

I will admit, thinking about speaking counts - as long as it leads to speaking. Find your balance, but ultimately, always push yourself to speak your thoughts, share your experiences, voice your opinions, and be heard in the world - or the world may never know you're there.

As Red, from The Shawshank Redemption might have said: "Get busy speaking, or get busy dying."

Need help finding your message? Email me, and let's find the keynote speech you've been thinking about all these years - rich@richhopkins.com.

Now go - Speak....& Deliver!

Book 8 of 52 in 52: The Barefoot Executive by Carrie Wilkerson

Carrie Wilkerson is a star on Social Media, making her name in a myriad of ways, from network marketing to information marketing to coaching to weight-loss to parenting to speaking to - well, the list is long. I first ran across her on Twitter in 2008, when it seemed my 'New Foot Smell' would match well with 'The Barefoot Executive'.

We have never spoken, nor have we done business together, though we have been friends on Twitter and Facebook for some time, and she put me in touch with her friend Paul B. Evans last year.

That said, I first read her book 'The Barefoot Executive' in 2012 on Kindle, and was greatly inspired by it - enough to listen to it this year on Audible, straight from the Southern Belle's mouth. Again, I am greatly inspired.

'The Barefoot Executive' is built as a 'how-to' book - specifically how to succeed in business in today's online world. It's not too technical, not too specific, but neither too broad. She includes her own experiences as they pertain to various topics in the book, and also includes a case study at the end of each chapter of a third party who has had success in the specific area the chapter covers.

She starts by explaining why it's a must that many of us, if not all of us, have a side business, or home business to augment or replace our mythologically secure and regular income.

She covers the most common mistakes we make, including following someone else's dream, chasing too many rabbits, and chasing dollars. She owns up to her own missteps of pursuing real estate - something she had no experience in - because it seemed like the easiest thing to do.

She discusses various methods involved in choosing a business, from mind-set to masterminding to mentors, and more, and then talks about the various models available, including service-based, expertise-based, knowledge-based, goods-based, and referral-based, wrapping it all up with a healthy look at the old saw of 'multiple streams of income'. 

Finally, she breaks down the marketplace, helping you identify and reach them effectively regardless of your business model.

Yes, you can find a lot of this in a myriad of other books. What makes this book so inspiring to me is Carrie herself - the struggles she shares, the challenges she's faced, and her down-home honesty about it all. Stories about her father adding on to their house one 'how-to' book at a time, about her husband's longtime friendship with a man who taught him to fish, and about her own challenges in weight-loss and network marketing turn this book from a simple checklist book to a fully fleshed-out seminar-in-a-book.

Additionally, she offers links to many YouTube videos to accompany the book, going even further into various subjects. While this is clearly a marketing tactic - it is one that both offers further material and an object lesson into what we should be doing ourselves - creating an interactive experience that brings our audience to other aspects of our business, so they can find the solutions they need in the format they need them.

'The Barefoot Executive' is conversational, matter-of-fact, and to the point. If you're looking to start your business, or add a business to what you already do, whether it's a J.O.B. or another entrepreneurial venture, you'd be doing yourself a favor giving it a read.

5 Stars out of 5 - for both the kindle and Audible editions.

Y'all remember to Speak & Deliver, y'hear?

For a full reading list of my 52 in 52, click here.

The Show Must Go On...

A couple of weeks ago, I was booked to speak at my Advanced Toastmasters Club, Professional Presenters. Out of the three speakers, all but myself had dropped out, so I was looking forward to an extended practice of my speech about how to structure a keynote speech.

About halfway through the day, my right foot (had to be the right foot, since, after all, the left foot is carbon-fiber...) started hurting a bit - the sole/arch would protest with each step. It was bearable for walking, though I had to have my client hold my arm as I went down the stairs leaving our appointment, since their were no railings to rely on.

I headed to the gas station, and the pain was already worse. I picked up some Alleve, despite the outrageous 'convenience store' price, and a Monster drink, and took my typical 1000 mg, to attempt to stop the pain in the ensuing three hours before showtime.

An hour later, of course, the Monster took it's toll, so I stop at a grocery store to use the facilities (both my client and my club were a good 45 minutes away from home, so going home was not an efficient use of time or gas) but I couldn't make it more than a couple steps away from my car.

Decision time.

Cancel, and go home? Or tough it out?

I drove to the location, and still had 90 minutes til showtime, maybe 60 til someone showed up to help me walk inside, and, hopefully, to make it to the restroom in time! Meanwhile, I'm sitting in my car alternating between practicing my speech and playing Candy Crush on my phone.

I've had to deal with pain, particularly 'spontaneous' pain much of the last 5 years. Sometimes on the road, when I worked for Ambassador Programs and had to lug equipment around with me, and could barely stand in front of the parents I was trying to convince to send their kids overseas. Sometimes local, such as my own club last month when, by the end of the meeting, my back cinched up suddenly, and I needed two other Toastmasters to make it out of the building, and a third to drive my car up the hill to me.

In Toronto last year, when speaking for District 60 and 86, my Sciatica was acting up so bad I could barely walk each morning. I missed several Conference events just because I couldn't leave my room. I was able to medicate and stretch just enough to make it to my own keynotes, and a contest or two, but much of the time I was stuck. By the last day, I was almost unable to make it to the car to be driven to the airport - I walked against the wall, hunched-over, taking baby steps down the corridors.

I've given speeches on crutches and in wheelchairs. I've given speeches on drugs - heck, I was barely conscious during one morning District Conference Table Topics Competition in 2011 - I was in so much pain the night before I had taken nine Vicodin through the night to be upright the next day. I thought I might have to drop out of that evenings International Competition once the drugs wore off, if the pain returned. It didn't, and I won that evening. (Took 2nd in the morning - perhaps my drugged stupor made my topic that much more interesting - I don't remember much about it to this day).

My first real challenge with 'The Show Must Go On'? December 1986, the day before the premiere of Towards Zero - the first play I was ever in in college. I had a big part, and after dress rehearsal, I had NO VOICE. And we had NO UNDERSTUDY. I was sick, and I had no idea whether I'd be better the next day. That's the first time I was given the advice not to whisper, as it would hurt my voice. Just talk, or better yet, DON'T talk. I was quiet the next day and POOF, my voice was ready for the big night.

Back to me in the car squirming, waiting for someone else to show up...eventually someone did, and I was able to last long enough to get inside, take care of things, and then give the speech, propped up against a chair put in reverse, so I could half-sit on the headrest. I had hoped for a bar stool, but no such luck. The speech was well-received, and, had I wimped out and gone home, they would have no speakers that night (though one hardy soul volunteered at the last minute with a pocket speech). With six guests, that would have been a disappointment for them and the club, and for Toastmasters in general.

Now, I have occasionally missed a club meeting because of pain - no question. However, when you're paid to speak, or brought in from out of town, or the only show that night - I'm a strong believer that the show must go on. If speakers who are paralyzed can go make 20,000 bucks for a keynote, I'm not going to wimp out over a bad back or foot. Or a cold, flu, or much else that isn't going to kill me within a short period.

Take precautions. In pain often? Have your meds ready. Keep crutches handy. Be willing to ask for help. If you half to crawl on stage - tell the introducer to say something about car accident you had on the way in, or use it in your opening comments. If you have something others can catch - bring the hand sanitizer, and stay in the wings until showtime.

Remember, you can't Speak & Deliver if you're wimping out at home on your couch watching re-runs of Big Bang Theory.

Book 7 of 52 in 52: Presentation Zen - by Garr Reynolds

I may be the one speaking coach in the world who hadn't read Presentation Zen yet. At least until the last couple of weeks.

I have an excuse, though. I HATE PowerPoint. I rarely use it. So why read a book about it.

Funny thing...about half my clients DO use PowerPoint in front of audiences they're training, and can't imagine life without it. So into my list of 52 Books in 52 Weeks it went.

Before my clients freak out, wondering whether what I was telling them before I read the book was right or not, don't worry. I've read enough articles, most of which reference Garr Reynolds book, and put together enough presentations, and, oh yeah, have that degree in Graphic Design - so most of what I read was simply confirming what I already had gleaned over the years.

I am very glad, however, that I did read the book itself. (Not that I could have listened to it on Audible, as I often do - I think it would lose something...) It takes simplification of slides to a degree I've been promoting, but rarely convincing people to buy into. It shows off how effective simple slides can be, and puts the emphasis back where it should be - squarely on the speaker.

His approach is radical to many - a slide-deck that seen alone would likely make no sense at all, but is still supportive, in fact, integral to the message. He doesn't set hard and fast rules, but makes wonderful arguments for clean, image heavy slides, vs. the 'Slideument' as he calls it, a document in slide form that may as well replace the speaker entirely

It's a quick read, not terribly copy-heavy, as you might expect a book promoting copy-light slides to be. It shows more than it ever tells, even though Reynolds ideas and experiences fill the book up with energy, creativity and insight. The design of the book itself is more of a coffee table tome than a how-to guide. All the more Zen, I suppose.

He's a bit too in love with Steve Job, perhaps, but he also offers views from Nancy Duarte, Made to Stick, and numerous other sources which are either summarized, or, as articles, wholly included in the book. He also references Jazz, Japanese art forms, and of course, Zen itself as guiding principles not only in slides, but in presentations as a whole.

While he mentions Keynote (Mac version of PowerPoint, essentially) and Prezi - he doesn't go into the art of using Prezi, which is a bit different in nature to the old-fashioned slide programs. Perhaps another book in the making?

Apparently, there are updates in the version I purchased, so if it's been awhile, it may be worth buying the more recent edition.

Bottom line: if you want to learn the right way to do slides - read the book. Often. Or find a coach that has.

5 Stars out of 5. Makes me want to go right out and build a slide-deck. Maybe.