Many years ago I was speaking at a conference in Sedona, Arizona for entrepreneurs. It was a coveted speaking gig as I was part of an all-star line up of big name speakers like Barbara DeAngelis and John Assaraf. The audience was full of ideal prospects who could use my leverage for exponential growth techniques.
But things happened, like they always do. The schedule got pushed back and I saw a few people give presentations just like mine. I got in my head and panicked.
Finally, 90 minutes behind schedule on the last day of the conference I gave my presentation.
I sucked. Why?
Because my spark diminished and people got a watered down version of my talk that had no energy. I wasn’t authentic and by the time I got on stage, I had gotten so in my head my confidence had tanked.
Now let’s contrast that with another event I spoke at that same year.
My topic was unique. My credibility at this event was top-notch. Before I ever got on stage most of the other speakers were clamoring to spend time with me. The conference promoters positioned me as a leader in my field (which I am.) I took the stage with confidence, authenticity and a magnetic energy that the audience resonated with because I was connected to them and their needs. I had a ton of sales with amazing clients that I couldn’t wait to work with.
What was the difference? At the second event, I stayed in my secret sauce – and the audience felt my spark.
We all have the ability to tap into our spark, but most people don’t know how to unleash it on their own. Especially if you’ve had a series of disappointments and failed attempts clouding up your mindset.
Your spark is the magnet that must be active any and all times you connect with prospects and clients.
If you lose it…you lose your connection to the magic people say yes to experience more of. Whether you are hosting a preview call, creating videos of your message, writing a blog post or speaking from stage, your spark acts like a magnet. Its what people say YES to, whether they realize it or not!
So how do you find and unleash this secret spark?
First, it starts with passion.
What are you most passionate about? People FEEL your passion come through you when you are in alignment with it. If you are not connected to your message or are trying to be someone else in your approach, your passion will diminish.
When you are passionate about your message your confidence soars and you become so compelling that people just naturally gravitate to you. You know you are in your passion when you are so fired up, you can’t wait to be in that energy. You’d probably even do it for free (but don’t!)
Second is alignment.
Do you really feel aligned with your program and the people you will serve? Trust me, people know if you don’t. It feels off to them. Or they will become skeptical that what you are sharing as an opportunity will really work. Your alignment is experienced through your energy, your words, your intonation and your enthusiasm. Ultimately, you have to believe in what you are offering and WHO you are offering it to in order for the spark to catch fire in your audience.
There are a lot of ways to create alignment. One tip is to really get clear about what you do to solve other people’s problems. When people feel that you get them, the connection grows and they’ll want more of you. In the Own Your Bold Inner Circle, this is one of the KEY steps to attract more buyers — write out the five most important problems you solve and who you solve them for. When you speak, train and write your marketing messages with clarity, the energy becomes contagious!
Third is technique.
Having the right technique is where many of us get stuck. Technique is the flow and system behind educating your prospects and helping them overcome their resistances to saying yes. Mastering technique is everything from knowing how to talk to the different learning styles to how to make your offer to having a way to ramp up your energy to keep people engaged.
So what is your spark that lights a fire in your potential client? That thing that you do that compels people to want more from you? Spend more time in it.
Do you need some help finding your spark in your talks and interviews so that your offers have that magnetic impact?
Let’s start with avoiding these 17 common (and very costly) mistakes experts and entrepreneurs make in their talks.
