Winging It

We've all been there.  You have an important business presentation coming up.  You're the keynote speaker at a prestigious event.  You're expected to speak at a meeting.  You have practiced and practiced and practiced some more.  And then, the moment arrives and all your rehearsing is for nothing because you have suddenly forgotten all that you were supposed to say.  What do you do now?  According to the experts, don't panic - wing it!

If the thought of improvising your speech or presentation at the last minute gives you cold chills, there are some techniques you can use to help.

1.  Relax.  This may be difficult but you will find it easier to think if you remain calm.  Take a few deep breaths, give yourself some silent but positive encouragement and go for it.

2.  This is one instance where silence is not golden.  Long periods of dead air will definitely let everyone know that something is not quite right.  However, you can use silence to your advantage if you use it sparingly.  So if necessary, take a minute to collect your thoughts.   

3.  Don't edit yourself.  Go with your first instinct.  Dead air results while you are busy second-guessing yourself and trying to come up with exactly the right thing to say.  Trust your gut and speak what's on your mind.

4.  Talk with your hands.  Seriously.  Researchers found that people with unrestricted gestures were more fluent than people who had their arms immobilized.  So take your hands out of your pockets.  Stop clenching them together in front of you or behind your back.

5.  Don't try to be flawless.  Your audience hasn't read your speech so they won't know if it isn't letter perfect.  Instead of focusing on trying to recall exactly what you were going to say, focus on communicating your ideas and serving your audience to the best of your ability.

6.  Speak clearly.  Mumbling or using "umm" after every other word decreases your audience's confidence in what you are saying. Speak in a strong voice, pay attention to your grammar, and use the appropriate level of formality.

Winging it doesn't mean running ahead full throttle without thought.  It means staying in control of the situation.  Use these techniques and you'll  impress your audience, and yourself, with your confidence and poise.  They'll never know your mind went blank - unless you tell them.

Network Marketing Tip of the Week - How can I convince my friends and family I'm not crazy?

I get asked this question all of the time and so I'm going to address it again. Network marketing is perfectly legal. It is not a pyramid scheme. It is not a scam. It can make you lots of money.

Yes, there are illegal pyramid schemes out there. Yes, there are scams in abundance. And no, I can't guarantee you will become wealthy in my business opportunity - or any other network marketing opportunity.

If you listen to all of they naysayers, they would have you believe that every network marketing business in the world is just another opportunity for you to lose your money. And yet there are hundreds of people making a decent living everyday with Amway, Avon, Mary Kay, Pampered Chef, USANA, Melaleuca, and NuSkin - just to name a few. What? These aren't all network marketing business opportunities? Of course they are. Any business that rewards you for building a team underneath you is network marketing.

Why do people have such a negative view of this industry? It's very likely they have tried it and failed. And once that happens people are convinced it's because they are all scams. They fail to realize that it's like any other business. You will get out of it what you put into it. How many people did they show the business plan to? One? Two? Then someone laughed at them or they got tired of hearing no and they became embarrassed to admit they were in network marketing and they quit. How many people did they show the products to? I'll bet they were even less enthusiastic about that. They came into the business thinking they were just going to build this tremendous downline and not have to actually sell any of the products.

Will all network marketers become wealthy? No. But then you aren't going to become wealthy doing what you are already doing either. If you were, you would be rich by now! Network marketing has created more millionaires than any other industry. Can you say that about your job? And what if you don't get rich? Is that so important? I got started in my business so I could have some spare income. Gas is almost $4.00/gallon. Food is climbing higher everyday. Jobs are still hard to find, in spite of the improving economy. If you could make an extra $800 - $1000 every month, would that help? Of course it would!

I have written about warning signs that indicate an opportunity may be a pyramid or other scam. Check them out before you join any business. Then once you sign up, get to work! Don't worry about the naysayers. If they can't see the benefits of your opportunity, thank them for their time, SHOW THEM YOUR PRODUCTS and ask if they will become a customer, ask them for a referral to someone who might be interested in either your business or your products, then say "NEXT" and move on! Don't try to bully them into joining, don't keep bothering them once they've said no - just thank them for their time and move on to your next prospect.

The best way to show people that network marketing is real is to become successful yourself. How do I recruit people now? When they ask me what I'm doing for a living, I tell them. When they comment on the fact that it's only May and my husband and I have had two vacations already this year, I tell them how we pay for that. When a friend laughingly said she wished she could have money like I have so she could eat out as often as my husband and I do, I tell her how we are able to afford to. And then they either get it or they don't. If they do - great! Sign 'em up! If not, they never will. NEXT!