Motivation Articles, Essays, Tips and Advice

Success is often a matter of doing the important things long before they become urgent.

Recently, I read about a college professor who was teaching a basic course to three separate classes. In this particular course, the total grade was determined by one final paper to be turned in at the end of the semester.

In one class, he told the students they could turn in their final paper any day up to and including the final day of the semester. In the second class, he gave them milestones every few weeks throughout the semester that the students had to adhere to. And in the third class, he let the students set their own deadlines or milestones.

It is important to note that there were students who succeeded in all three classes; however, the students with deadlines or milestones throughout the semester performed far better than those who had the freedom to complete their work at any time they chose. Among the two classes with deadlines and milestones, the class that set their own individual timelines reported a higher level of satisfaction and attained a higher level of success.

The great entrepreneur, Mary Kay Ash, often said, “People will support that which they help to create.” Having input or control gives us a feeling of autonomy, but if we misuse the autonomy and do not set our own parameters, we are doomed to fail.

Abraham Lincoln described maturity as the ability to act with a sense of urgency long before the crisis is at hand.

There are certain deadlines in life that we cannot control. The IRS requires us to file our tax forms each year on April 15. Many people resent this for many reasons. One of the reasons people resent this deadline is the lack of control. Some unseen person has given us a mandatory deadline. You and I, however, can preempt the IRS by simply setting our own deadline. For example, we can determine to file our tax forms in January or February. This gives us a sense of control and eliminates the potential of a crisis at the last minute.

In business, there are individuals and organizations that maintain a cash reserve to take advantage of unforeseen or unexpected opportunities. This reserve fund is often called a “war chest.” You and I can create our own “time war chest” by eliminating deadlines as we arbitrarily move the deadline forward in our own schedule.

If you have delayed preparing your tax forms until the last minute and then a great opportunity presents itself in your professional or personal life, you may not be able to take advantage of the situation simply because you failed to control your time.

You’ve heard it said that, “Time is money.” This is true, but money can be lost and re-earned while we can never recapture wasted or misallocated time.

As you go through your day today, take control of your time, and you can control your success.

Today’s the day!
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Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network, as well as a published author of many books including The Ultimate Gift. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. He may be reached by e-mail at JimStovall@aol.com or by visiting www.JimStovall.com

-Do you agree or disagree with the article above? What are some ways you deal with procrastination?

*brought to you by GetMotivation.com

“There’s nothing wrong with admiration of others and vicarious living, but your highest level of fulfillment is in being in tune with your unique self. Be you.” – Matthew C. Horne

I recently was approached by a prospective author who wanted me to review some of their self-development book outlines. I promised this person I would take an objective look at their materials and get back to them. From the book titles to the body of each outline, the works were reminiscent of author’s past with no true original touch. When giving feedback to the prospective author I pointed this out and let them know their best bet was to scratch each outline and start over from a place of originality. Also, I let the prospective author know that the world is not looking for another book with recycled information, rather original captivating material to help them delve into realms which were once unreachable.

One factor which separates great and average people is originality. Originality is a spiritual trait, because it requires the ability to portray something which has never been introduced with no regard to people’s reactions or opinions. In essence, it’s a “no where” to “now here” trait that all innovators possess. Originality is birthed from a person’s unique inner-pictures, which all have spiritual origin.

If you ever wondered how to “enter” a room and not just walk in it, look no further than the door of originality. We all possess something which sets us apart from the norms of society. The people who receive the acclaim and praise in our world have done nothing more than find the audacity to create from their inner-pictures with no regards to anything else. The innovators of this world are self-reliant creative people, who don’t need validation, and really aren’t concerned with what’s going on around them. Their only concern from wake to sleep is the creation of their unique thoughts portrayed to the world through their unique lens.

There is a bounty of great people to model yourself after in this great society, particularly in the beginning stages of an endeavor. But there comes a time when the only voice that should resonate with you is that of your uniqueness. This is the beginning of you, positioning you to impact this world the way only you can. Imitation is a reproduction of head knowledge and images with little to no impact on others. Uniqueness creates a real impact because it is spiritually derived, and spiritually received.

The only way to make a lasting impact on someone is from your highest-self, your spirit. Head knowledge goes in one ear and out of the other, because it’s too common to stick. Spiritual knowledge strikes you in your spirit where all lasting impact originates. We all were created to make an impact in some fashion in our journey. The degree of this impact depends on you: will you have singleness of vision and create from within, or look around you and recreate what’s already been done?

Figuratively speaking, will your book be one in which readers put down prematurely because they’ve previously read and re-read the message? Or will they be intrigued by every word and turn each page with anticipation of the next? Never imitate and neglect your own brilliance, genius and greatness. Only one question remains: what will you create?

-Matthew C. Horne
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Matthew C. Horne is a speaker and author of ‘The Universe is Inviting You In!’ available at www.matthewchorne.com

-In what ways are you expressing the unique you?

PS. If you are looking for a motivational speaker for your next event visit www.JoshHinds.com

“Genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration.” – Thomas Edison

What’s your idea of making it BIG? Do you hold some picture of how Donald Trump is portrayed in the media: living in a fabulous penthouse, washing down caviar with champagne before surf and turf, golfing/schmoozing/partying with the rich and famous every day, even having your own TV show? That’s what it’s all about … or so you think.

I hate to be the one to burst your bubble, but let me suggest much of this image of success is a media-created fantasy. I humbly submit that this is not the daily regimen of high achievers — far from it. If you’ve read any of Donald Trump’s books you’ll note how hard this man actually works and how much he expects from those around him.

So what keeps Trump and others like him going? By studying successful people over the past 25 years I’ve found that they find a way to make their work a game, and they LOVE playing it. Many of their day-to-day activities would actually seem trivial to most of us. Yet because they love their game, they’re willing to do anything it takes to win.

Since I’m a Chicago sports fan, Michael Jordan is probably my favorite example of “non-glamorous success.” During the championship years of the Bulls in the 1990’s, Michael Jordan played professional basketball at an unmatched level.

My question to you is, whose life was more interesting during that period — yours, or his? Your immediate answer might be his life, of course. But if you dig a little deeper you’d find that during each basketball season MJ was either playing in basketball games (which he dominated), practicing basketball (he was a notoriously tough practice player), working out (he was among the first to hire his own personal fitness trainer to work out with every morning), or traveling to another city to play basketball, practice basketball or work out — pretty exciting, huh?

You might protest, “But what about all those cool commercials he was in? Wheaties, Gatorade, Nike ‘It’s da shoes!’” My answer: Have you ever been on a photo shoot? It takes hours to set up a single shot, then sometimes dozens of retakes of the same scene to get it right. Ain’t much glamour in that …

So are you willing to handle what I call “the boredom of success” — doing mundane things over and over again until you realize your goals? OR, are you a “Drama King/Queen?” Do you tend to create situations in your life that would make a good Hollywood screenplay?

See if any of these scenes are familiar:

Bad relationships - You always pick people who are “wrong” for you. Rather than smooth sailing, you and your partners seem to be on an emotional roller coaster ride. Makes for great gossip, but draws you away from staying focused.

Poor health - You take a lot of sick days, and spend a lot of time talking about your latest malady — the treatment, the pills, the pain. Everybody want to share their great-grandma’s home remedy with you.

Angry confrontations with bosses, peers or reports - You know you’re right! You just wish other people wouldn’t be so dumb. You’re typecast as a hothead, one who just can’t seem to get along.

Always being the “fall guy/girl” – Seems like whatever hits the fan finds you smack dab in front of the blades. You have a flair for disaster, and take a hit like a pro. You get high ratings in the sympathy poll.

Just missing out on promotions – Everybody else seems to be moving up, getting ahead, making more money — you somehow get left behind. “Poor me-itis” is always a great role to draw attention.

Notice I used the word “create” for the situations above — you may think these things “just sorta happen” to you. In fact you attract them by virtue of an unconscious need to stir up turmoil — you’re afraid your life would be boring without it.

I call this “Irresponsibility 101″ — but if you enjoy this kind of drama, it’s OK with me. (In the past I was nominated for Academy Awards in several of the categories …)

However, if you want to stop that movie, here are some of the qualities that allow winners to do the things that might seem ho-hum to you:

Mission/purpose – Successful people are already champions in their own minds. Their sense of mission and purpose drives their every action. They see the end result so clearly each day that no task is too trivial to get there.

Confidence/faith – They believe they have or can develop the skills necessary to first get to the top, then stay there.

Routine as interesting – They thus take each effort of every day, however small, as all part of being a champ. They never shirk on the practice field — every sit up, every lift, every free throw is part of their “habit of success.”

In your world that may mean getting up early to read your industry journals, networking with business associates at breakfast, responding to every call within 2 hours or volunteering for extra duty after hours.

In my world, coaching my clients is endlessly interesting — I am challenged every day to come up with the right approach for each of them to fulfill their goals. This process sometimes takes months but each step holds my attention.

Commitment to “be there” – Comedian Woody Allen had a great quote: “80% of success is just showing up.” Michael Jordan in his prime virtually never missed a practice session, let alone a game. And what NBA fan can forget his unbelievable performance against the Utah Jazz in game 5 of the 1997 finals where he led the Bulls to victory by scoring a game high 37 points despite being stricken with food poisoning?

Not to compare myself to MJ, but since I began coaching full time in November of 1992 I have never taken a sick day. (What would I do at home — feel sorry for myself while watching Oprah, the soaps and Jeopardy??? I’d rather talk to my clients …)

Persistence And they keep on keepin’ on. They know that the game of success is a marathon, not a sprint. In the words of Calvin Coolidge, “Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

This was a hard article to write on a subject you might not want to face — the day to day habits you’ll need to succeed are not particularly glamorous … they’re mostly work. If you can turn that work into play you’ll be well on your way to defeating the boredom of success.
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Success Skills Coach Jim Rohrbach, “The Personal Fitness Trainer for Your Business,” coaches business owners, entrepreneurs and sales professionals on growing their clientele. He has helped hundreds of individuals to achieve their goals since he developed his first coaching program in 1982. You can visit Jim on the web at http://www.SuccessSkills.com

*How do you go about creating habits which support you in your pursuits?

Sponsor: If you are looking for a motivational speaker or coach to support and provide accountability for you or your organization as you pursue greater success visit www.JoshHinds.com

We’ve all heard that speaker who gets us motivated towards accomplishing those things which have eluded us in life. After hearing empowering messages, we say things like “I’m really going to do it this time.” Or “Nothing will stand in my way!” In our minds we arrive at the track and our shoes are laced up tight as we approach the starting line of our new endeavor, only to find that very few people make it to the starting point because after the excitement fades we forget our reasoning for being on the track.

Friends, motivation is a force which is meant to get you up, out and moving towards your inner-most desires, but it tends to fade away quickly like the shot made famous by “His Airness,” Michael Jordan! Education is the perfect compliment to motivation because it creates a reality with the things we’d like to accomplish, and keeps us from non-substantial thoughts which leave many in the realm of allure.

It’s great to get excited about various things in life. It’s a tired existence to wake up and not have an eminent thought of something you’d like to accomplish and create. Educating yourself on anything removes you from the land of fantasy and allows you an in-the-frame realistic view of it. Education reveals the inner-workings behind anything you’d like to accomplish. Educating yourself will remove the hesitation which has kept you contemplating and not acting on your desires. It’s human nature to not place our energy into things we do not deem as being possible. When the inner-workings of a particular thing are revealed, a possibility mindset ensues, as we realistically see ourselves in the frame of what we’d like to create for ourselves.

Education creates an understanding which translates to a confident pursuit of anything. It’s no coincidence that the best-selling book of all time states: “In all thy getting, get understanding.” How can you place your being into the creation of something without first having an understanding of it? Understanding bridges the gap between you and whatever is missing in your life. Once we know something is possible, it is then and only then that we give it our energy. If you give anything your energy long enough it’s only a matter of time before you create it.

The reality that are currently experiencing will not exceed your level of what you perceive as being possible. You live it because it’s on the level of what you see as possible for yourself. Get motivated and then educate yourself on the realities of your next level. Use motivation and education to allow the frame of possibility to open and extend its invitation to you. These are the tools which allow you to create the Genesis of whatever has eluded you in life.
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Matthew C. Horne is a speaker and author of ‘The Universe is Inviting You In!’ available at www.matthewchorne.com

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-Your thoughts on the advice you just read above are both welcome and encouraged. Please use the comments to share your thoughts.

It was September, 1973, and I was a junior attending High Point High School in the metropolitan area of Washington, DC. From 1954-1994, my high school only had two principals. Frank Tracy had just taken over in the fall of 1973, and he wanted to leave his mark early on. It was a hot September afternoon when he held his first assembly in the gym.

My graduating class had 751 students, and the classes before us and after us had about the same. This meant the assembly had over 2,300 people including teachers, administrators and staff packed tightly into the muggy gymnasium.

As Mr. Tracy began to speak, I noticed he was speaking to the students, not at the students. Somewhere into his speech he paused and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I want to share with you the secret to success. The secret to success is really quite simple and it comes in just 10 little words. Like the Gettysburg address delivered by President Lincoln in 1863, these are all simple words. In fact, each word has just one syllable and two letters. It is when you string these 10 little words in this particular order that they become the secret to your success. I don’t mean just your success at High Point High School; I mean your success throughout life.”

Now let’s be clear; I am a 16-year-old boy, so am I really listening to what he’s saying? What is more important? Well, Girls, Cars, Sports, and Food just to name a few, and the day of the week and time of day will actually determine what is most important at any given time.

The truth is, I am not entirely sure whether I remember this speech from the fall of 1973 or graduation for the class of 1974. Or maybe in the fall of 1974 (my senior year) when he had the same assembly. Maybe it was at my graduation or at the graduation for the class of 1976. In fact, even after I graduated, many of my friends’ younger siblings heard the same words. Several years later, when I became director of youth activities at my church, many of those kids were graduating from High Point and subsequently heard the same words. I then heard them again at their graduations.

In reality, I did not realize I was actually living the words until nearly 20 years after I graduated from high school. Somewhere along the line I realized I had never had a job where I relied on a salary to pay my bills. Every job in my adult life has either been 100 percent commission or my own company. As a manager, I received a small salary with the bulk of my income coming from the production of others on the team.

Once I came to this realization, I began to practice “living the words” on a regular basis. I even purchased a card with the 10 little words and sent it to Mr. Tracy.

I have had the pleasure of speaking on a regular basis in the Washington, DC metro area in the last decade. In a few of my workshops, I have had High Point graduates in the class and as I begin this story they look at their neighbor in the class and say “I know the words.” That is the impact that Mr. Tracy, and these 10 little words had on everyone.

As I walked through Camden Yards on Opening Day of the 1999 Baltimore Orioles baseball season, I noticed a man coming towards me. As I looked closer, I realized it was Mr. Tracy. I stopped him and said “Good morning, Mr. Tracy. How are you?” He responded, “Good morning, Mr. Gregory. I am wonderful. And how are you?” It had been nearly 24 years since I graduated and he still remembered my name.

I can truly say these 10 little words have been my personal focus in my life, both personal as well as professional. I guess you could say the words have been my “True North,” and I would like to continue the Frank Tracy tradition and share them with you now. Please write them down and read them every morning before you begin your day. Remember, each word has just one syllable and two letters:

If it is to be it is up to me

It is not up to your mother, your father, your brother, your sister, your aunt, your uncle, your cousin, your friends, your company, your boss, or even your co-worker. It is up to you and only you.
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Gregg Gregory’s unique business background, provided him a clear understanding of business and how different people work. More importantly, he learned how to ensure different personalities work together successfully to accomplish the organization’s mission, goals and objectives. Gregg brings 25 years of real world business experience to being the dynamic certified professional speaker that he is today. You can visit him at TeamsRock.com

-what do you think of the ideas shared? Is there anything you would like to add that might be helpful?

Sponsor: If you’re in need of a motivational speaker for your next event visit www.JoshHinds.com

Can you imagine actually being comfortable with the unknown and uncertainty? Uncertainty provides an opportunity to stop, check in and make powerful choices to clear away what’s no longer true, so you have more time and space for new dreams that are aligned with who you are now.

As we become comfortable with uncertainty we can have more clarity about how we want our life to be. This is exceptionally useful since the truth of life is, it’s more uncertain than certain.

During these times, it’s critical that we remember who we are and what matters to us. There is comfort in feeling empowered when security may be slipping away (especially if your identity is tied to it); it’s critical to know that true power comes from the inside.

Deeper fulfillment comes by asking simple, yet potent questions, such as: What matters to me now? What makes me happy? What fulfills me now? The “now” part is important, because who you were before, perhaps in your 30’s, 40’s or 50”s probably is not who you are today or who you are becoming.

In the face of the unknown most of us contract, seize up and imagine the worst. From this stressful place logic gets twisted, creativity ceases and we even doubt our good ideas. Practice relaxing with a few deep breathes (including exhales).

If the grip of your ego can let go, you may find that you have resources that may have otherwise been forgotten and more importantly, new or different resources.

An internal check-in can take your attention off of the chaotic outer world. With clarity about who you are, you can weather the storm. But at a deeper level, this is not a passing phase.

As life speeds up, can you set the pace for your own life? Do you know what your natural rhythm is? Do you know how to pause, relax, or even (dare I say) to actually stop?

Even though it may be challenging to dream when you are in survival mode, this practice alone can be life-changing. Connect to something you want or need or something you truly desire.

Hold a vision in your mind and your heart. Even though you may not know how you are going to get it or make it happen, the mere act of dreaming demonstrates an act of faith. And during times of uncertainty, faith is key.

Surround yourself with fellow dreamers and believers. Turn off the news that bombards you with doomsday reports. Instead, choose to connect with friends and kindred spirits. Build and honor your sacred core, people (like you) who still have the courage to dream; a priceless resource.

It’s not that reality isn’t important, but what will serve you today? Putting your attention on how the world is or on your dreams?

Listening to bad news reports or engaging in meaningful conversation with loved ones? Choosing doubt or faith? Worrying about uncertainty or getting comfortable with it?
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Marcia Wieder is a motivational speaker, specializing in helping people make their dreams real! In addition to her speaking and coaching she is the author of several books, and programs including: Design You Dream Life (4 CD set). Reach her by visiting her website.

-What was the most important lesson you learned from the ideas shared in the above article?

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* Tips for finding, and creating a winning experience with a mentor.

We can learn concepts from reading or listening, but most of us really learn how to do things from observing others and then repeating their actions.  People whom we observe and emulate are often called mentors.

In ancient Italy, the streets were very narrow and winding.  There were many canals and unexpected waterways.  This created a beautiful cityscape during daylight but a treacherous obstacle course in the dark of night.

As there were no street lights, there were people known as codegas.  These were individuals who knew their way through the entire city and would walk in front of you carrying a lamp to light the way.

If someone is going to be a mentor in your life, first you have to make sure they have been where you want to go.  Never take advice from someone who doesn’t have what you want.

Next, if you’re going to consider someone as a mentor, they’ve got to be an ongoing example of the methods necessary to succeed today.

Too often, we find individuals wanting to advise us.  These people may have accomplished something in the past, but their methods, knowledge, and expertise are no longer relevant.

While they may be well-meaning, they may be leading you to where the bridge over the canal used to be instead of where it is today.  At best, this is a serious waste of time.  At worst, it can be dangerous.

If you determine a prospective mentor has been where you want to go and is still relevant within your field of endeavor, it is imperative they be willing to be very candid with you and available as you need them.

Many times, successful people will want to show you how they live and work today instead of explaining how they got where they are.

Instead of finding out what they do now on a daily basis, you need to uncover the information that will tell you what they did when they were at the level you are today.

A lecturer may tell you a principle one time.  A teacher may help you process that information.  But a mentor will help lead you through the pitfalls of ignorance to the reality of the Promised Land.

If you sit at a desk in an office on a regular basis as I do, you will receive a myriad of solicitations and cold calls from people who want to advise, counsel, or consult with you.  Generally speaking, this is not how you find an effective mentor.

If you want to find the best mentors, look at the field you have chosen, and consider who has reached the top.  Contact them, and ask for advice and the opportunity to form an ongoing mentor relationship.

The key people in your life rarely beat down your door and present themselves.  You have to go out and find them.

As you go through your day today, find the people who have the lamp and are willing to light the way to where you want to be.

Today’s the day!
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Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network, as well as a published author of many books including The Ultimate Gift. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. He may be reached by e-mail at JimStovall@aol.com or by visiting www.JimStovall.com

-what are your thoughts on finding a mentor? Have you ever had one, what went into making it a win, win experience for you and your mentor? Or have you been a mentor to someone else? If so, what advice could you share that would be helpful to others looking to get good results from their experience?

*brought to you by GetMotivation.com

Because street smarts are so important to every part of your life, here is a quick review of the major elements that go into street smarts. Print this list out and keep it with you, for a regular reminder to be street smart every day.

I. Heightened Awareness

A. Trust your intuition
B. Develop perceptiveness and ability to anticipate
C. Size up people quickly and accurately
D. See the big picture

II. Confidence

A. Fake it till you make it
B. Use chutzpa when necessary
C. Believe in yourself – Be confident

III. Healthy Skepticism

A. Don’t believe everything you see and hear
B. Be hard to take advantage of
C. Use your “mental categories” and generalizations to keep you on guard
D. Give people the time and rope to either hang themselves or prove their integrity/sincerity

IV. Resourcefulness

A. Think quickly on your feet
B. Be persistent
C. Be prepared
D. Be flexible
E. Change your surroundings or adapt
F. Surround yourself with experts & contacts

V. Risk-taking

A. Be willing to take risks
B. Minimize the possible down side
C. Cut your losses and get out if you’re wrong
D. Learn by your mistakes

Here’s to your success,
Tony Alessandra
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Dr. Tony Alessandra has authored numerous books, recorded over 50 audio and video programs, and delivered well over 2,000 keynote speeches since 1976. If you would like more information about Dr. Alessandra’s books, audio tapesets and video programs, or about Dr. Alessandra as a keynote speaker, visit his website at www.Alessandra.com.

* Learn more about The Complete Success Package by Tony Alessandra

-Do you have any suggestions of other elements that might go into making a person street smart?

Anyone who’s read my book, Endless Referrals or attended my live program knows my basic premise of sales success and that is, “All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like and trust.” This is also true when in the Winning Without Intimidation process of trying to persuade a difficult person to your point of view.

Let’s focus our discussion today, not on “know” or “like” but on trust.

Trust is a significant “mover of people.” People will follow leaders they trust, will buy from people they trust, will do things with and for people they trust. Yes, they can know, and even like a person and still not take action if trust is not present. And this is certainly true in sales.

In the selling process, I believe it’s safe to say the following:

“If the prospect to whom you are presenting is totally convinced and persuaded that the benefits of doing business with you far outweigh any costs associated with such action (“costs” include – but are not limited to – price costs, risk costs, lost opportunity costs, time costs, stress costs, etc.) and they still say “no” or “I need to think it over”… the chances are excellent that such a decision is a function and result of a lack of trust.

Of course, this is nothing to take personally. A lot goes into a decision to trust someone with their money, risk, time, stress, etc., and often it’s simply a matter that the relationship has not been built or progressed to the point that those feelings of trust are there.

This is one reason why developing a strong referral-based business is so important. Often, a quality referral allows you to go into the presentation on, what I call, “borrowed trust” – the trust that is already present between the person who referred you and the referred prospect.

However, it’s important to understand that, without that type of referral the *process* of building trust is just that; a process.

(Note: When Winning Without Intimidation in overcoming a non-sales “people challenge” it’s actually easier to quickly develop significant enough trust to attain immediate satisfaction.)

In sales, trust is often a function of time. It begins with your initial conversation and continues while you add value to that person’s life in ways that often have nothing to do with your particular product or service. All the while, you are also displaying the attributes of one whose word is their bond; who does what they say they are going to do when they say they are going to do it.

This is important because your consistency in thought and action show that you are authentic and make people feel as if they have a good “read” on you. Knowing and liking are components of trust.  People ask others to just trust them while they expect others to prove their trustworthiness. Trust, like respect, is earned, not freely given.

At a certain point in either the very near or even somewhat far-off future, you’ll know their trust in you is sufficient so that – when you do eventually make the sales presentation – you’ll only need to overcome their concerns regarding whether your product or service is worth the various costs involved… but trust will not be an issue; you’ve overcome that already.

Actually, once your prospect has absolute trust in you, you’ll hardly even have deal with the above- mentioned concerns. Why? Because your prospect will know that – if your product or service was not right for them, you wouldn’t be presenting it in the first place.

And, how does your prospect know that?

Because, he or she trusts you.
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Bob Burg speaks on “Endless Referrals” and “Positive Persuasion.” He is author of “Endless Referrals: Network Your Everyday Contacts Into Sales”, “Winning Without Intimidation: The Art of Positive Persuasion”, and co-author of “The Go-Giver.” Visit Bob at www.burg.com.

-What are some ways you can begin building a strong “trust factor” with your customers, clients, and or prospects?

PS. if you enjoyed the article you just read be sure to join our free motivational newsletter!

One of the primary tenets of any successful presentation (a presentation is defined as any time you talk to one or more people) design is the establishment of “tone.”

When it comes to presentations, the term tone refers to much more than merely an individual’s “tone of voice.” The tone of a presentation is really about audience perception.

The simple truth is that your success or failure at anything – whether ordering a hamburger in a restaurant or speaking to a 5,000 person assembly – is largely contingent upon how you are received by the person or persons you are speaking to.

Tone then, is really all about the way an audience is affected by (and therefore perceives) the sum of everything you do; from the way you speak, your gestures and the subject matter, to the way you dress.

A presentation’s tone is contingent upon the many details, large and small, that collectively contributes to an overall impression: Was the subject matter enjoyable and useful? Was the presenter inviting? Did participants feel welcome? These are all questions of tone, and understanding how tone works and how to set the tone you want (need) is extremely important.

Any time a situation requires audience buy-in or a response of some kind – regardless of whether your audience is one or 1,000 – your best hope for communication lies in your ability to tailor the tone of the presentation to that specific audience.

In my book, Inspire Any Audience, I spend a great deal of time going over the ins and outs of setting appropriate tone for a given situation. Different audiences and topics require different tones in order to be successful.

For example, the success of a presentation for a charity fund-raiser to a local high school group hinges on a tone that is most likely different than the one you would establish for a marketing presentation to a group of bank CEOs.

As complicated as some like to make the issue of establishing tone, when it’s all said and done, it all comes down to one simple, golden rule:

It is a recognized fact that people dread attending most presentations almost as much as they dread giving them. Why? Because presentations have a reputation for being boring.

Let’s face it; for most of us, our entire education has been “administered” to us in one form of a lecture or other. The lecture format for relaying information though now considered outdated by many education and training professionals – has been the tried and true method for generations.

The good news is that while few people enjoy being lectured, most everyone enjoys a lively conversation. The trick is in creating a conversational tone with even large groups, a feat that is ideally accomplished within the first two or three minutes of a presentation.

In an attempt to make this easier to accomplish for the readers of my book, I have condensed from years of study and experience a listing of the 10 key tips for appearing conversational with even the largest groups. They are:

* Try to talk with not at your audience
* Use conversational language and avoid large, multi-syllable words
* Ask questions immediately and listen to the answers
* Get the audience involved, even if it means having them stand and shake each other’s hands
* Place nothing between you and your audience – avoid lecterns, podiums and risers when possible
* Mingle with your audience – if possible, actually walk into the audience
* Use participant names whenever possible and encourage them to use yours
* Smile – it’s a natural conversation starter
* Use humor when and where you can
* Use personal anecdotes and stories – they give your audience something to relate to and make the presentation experiential

As simple as these tips may initially seem, they are very powerful. Consistently applied, they are guaranteed to not only improve your presentations, but also increase your confidence and comfort level in front of any room.
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Tony Jeary has conducted hundreds of training events worldwide for a variety of clients. He is the author of several books on the subject of presentation, including Inspire Any Audience. Visit him at TonyJeary.com.

* Learn more about his Communication Mastery program.

-Do you have any other presentation skills you believe are important? Please take a moment to share your thoughts in the comments.