lesson with me: Always be prepared to communicate clearly and effectively. In other words, when it comes to speaking, “Don’t get ready; stay ready.”
If you fast-forwarded 6 years after that incident, you would see me standing on stage being crowned as the 1999 World Champion of Public Speaking. Later you’d see me win 3 Salesperson of the Year awards for a division of McGraw-Hill and you’d witness me selling products and programs in more than 100 countries. But here’s the key; I’m still the same person. You know, from my past, that there’s nothing special about me and neither speaking nor selling is an innate skill I possessed.
So what made the difference from that fateful day in 1993 to the success I continue to experience today? It’s understanding the processes behind how to communicate with impact and influence and nobody ties that up as beautifully as Mark Vickers in his book, “Speaking is Selling.”
What sets “Speaking is Selling” apart from other resources is its perfect blend of motivation and practicality. As a result, it doesn’t just inspire you, it actually shows you step by step how to use speaking and selling to get what you want in life.
What good is a diamond nobody can see? What good is a great idea that you can’t get across. I’ve seen so many people let their ideas and dreams die because they couldn’t communicate them well enough to get buy-in from anyone. The sad part is most people think they can wait and wait and wait to polish their idea before bringing it to the world. But here’s the problem. If they wait, someone else will beat them to the punch and then they’ll be forced to listen to their own idea from someone else’s lips.
“Speaking is Selling” is the solution to this problem. It’s more than just a book, it’s a life-changing experience. When you follow the 51 tips in “Speaking is Selling,” you’ll find yourself rapidly moving closer and closer to your goals and achieving success beyond what you ever imagined.
The day I was thrown out of that boss’s office for not being prepared was symbolic. It’s about doors. I was able to get my foot in the door but then, due to a lack of skills, that door quickly closed on me. “Speaking is Selling” is not only about opening doors, it’s about being able to walk through them and into the life you desire and deserve. Good luck living your dreams.
Craig Valentine
1999 World Champion of Public Speaking and Author of World Class Speaking
-PART 1-
Your mother provided you invaluable
insights into the framework, structure,
and mindset that are required to
support your path to success.
You ARE a
Speaker and a
Sales person!
No, that’s not right.
Everyone knows that speaking
is one of the top 3 fears most
people have
and
I would NEVER be a
salesperson. I can’t sell and I
really don’t like salespeople.
If you can open your mouth, move your lips and tongue, and force air past your vocal cords GUESS WHAT . . . .
You are a Speaker
You may not have stood up in front of a large audience, but you have spoken. You are a speaker, and you deliver important messages every day.
I have talked with Corporate Executives, School Teachers, and Salespeople who claim: “I am not a Speaker and I could never be a Public Speaker.”
Well, that’s just ridiculous; you are speaking ALL the time.
Why not acknowledge it, improve it, and become more effective at something you do EVERY DAY?
Your Success Depends on It
Regardless of what job you do, your ability to clearly communicate information and motivate people to take some form of action will determine your success.
It is hard to argue that you are not a speaker.
Okay, but I will NEVER be a Salesperson
Somewhere along the line, being a Salesperson got a bad rap.
Maybe it was Infomercials, the stereotypical “Used Car Salesperson”, or someone who was just too pushy, but something caused you to believe:
I don’t want to be a salesperson
I am not a salesperson
I don’t like selling
I could never sell
The reality is that:
You are selling EVERY TIMEYou say ANYTHING.
Unless you are talking about the weather or discussing last night’s reality TV, you are selling something when you speak.
You started selling the minute you learned to talk.
Your initial attempts at selling occurred when you asked for something (selling the idea that you needed it).
Sometimes you were successful, sometimes not . . .
Did your mother ever ask:
“Do you REALLY need another cookie?”
You made what you thought was a compelling argument as to WHY you would simply DIE if you didn’t have one more.
Apparently I started flexing my speaking skills early.
Did it work?
The older you got, the better you got at selling your ideas, desires, and plans.
Think of all the ideas you sold before you were 16 years old:
