Your Next Audience Will Praise You For This!

Recently I had the privilege of being a "fly on the wall" while my well-respected mentor worked magic. I was invited to attend a 3-day seminar, where the featured speaker was Glenna Salsbury. Glenna (as she is known by her friends and clients) is a successful and award-winning speaker. She is Past President of the National Speakers Association, and a member of that organization's Speaker Hall of fame. At 70 years old, Glenna is one of the most experienced and decorated speakers on this planet. As you might imagine, she has earned a few dollars at this job as well!

During the course of the three-day event, I overheard many positive comments about Glenna. This was no surprise, because Glenna is a great speaker who can hold an audience spellbound. Her stories are powerful, and her sense of humor is infectious.

There was, however, a definite surprise. The surprise came in which words of praise I overhead most often: "She came to the registration desk before the conference to meet us. I don't expect that from a speaker. It was really nice."

Sometimes the simplest gestures have the most profound impact. How simple is it to show up early and introduce yourself? You don't need years of experience or oodles of rehearsal to do that.

Next time you face presentation jitters, get a head start on a successful event. Arrive early, bring your smile, and a friendly handshake. If you already know members of the audience, use the time to establish a considerate, positive tone before the presentation begins. Your audience will praise you for this. What's more, research shows that a positive connection increases your power to influence others and gain commitment.

Bonnie Budzowski, works with sales teams and organizations that want to reduce frustration and gain confidence while they create business messages that work. She is a professional speaker, seminar leader and author of Secrets to Get Busy People to Respond to Your Messages and Clickety Clack: 86 Ways to Keep Your Speech on Track. Contact her at http://www.inCredibleMessages.com