November 2011
Intermediate to advanced
210 pages
4h 40m
English
25
The Presentation Age
NEVER BEFORE HAD I THOUGHT of myself as a public speaker. After all, I had never done it before. But while attending a conference where I knew the organizer, I was asked if I could share what was working in my business to some of the attendees. I agreed for two reasons: first, because the organizer was a friend and I like helping my friends. And second, because I like attention. The farthest thing from my mind was that it would be great exposure for my personal brand.
He gave me all of four to five minutes to prepare. Then he opened the doors and walked on the stage to introduce me. I was shocked. This wasn't some small breakout session with 30 or 40 people like I was expecting. This was an audience of just over 2,000 people who were all looking at me like “who the heck is this guy?”
To say I was nervous would be a huge understatement. Completely freaked out is more like it. I went through all of the “tricks” to settle my nerves. None of them worked. Heck, I even pretended the audience was in their underwear, but there were a few unfortunate-looking people in the front row that gave me the creeps.
That was my first foray into public speaking. The moment it was over, I immediately knew I was hooked. I was hooked not only because of the attention but because it gave me instant credibility. After the session was finished, I was able to meet people face to face and have real conversations with them. I was able to get real feedback from them as well. Say what ...
