June 19th, 2007
Today I’m flying again. This week I’m off to Sacramento. I often get asked about my travels. What’s interesting to me is that my friends and acquaintances often presume I must get sick of waiting in lines and the other hassles you face at airports. I love it. It’s fun.
Plus, it gives me a wonderful opportunity to practice my trade. You see, one common misconception about “public speaking” is that it entails a special set of skills that you can only develop while on the stage. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Even when I go for weeks without a talk I can still keep sharp. All I have to do is practice smiling better when I meet someone. Or pay attention to how my voice sounds when I meet someone for the first time. While at the airports, I practice how I walk, trying to keep my body straight but relaxed and my steps smooth.
Whether you’re talking with two people at a bar or three hundred people at a convention you’re doing the same thing—just at the convention it is on a larger scale. Do your friends think you tell interesting stories? They should. If they don’t, work on it. A good example of this is the finger puppet story I posted. I’ve told dozens of people that story–one-on-one. Now I’ve got it down so I can start telling my audiences about it. (I’ve already used it at an annual meeting for the HR folks at PPL.)
So who knows who I’ll meet this week or what unusual thing will happen–even while waiting in line. The same goes for you too. Every day, you have opportunities to hone your communication skills and develop interesting stories.
You are a talking and moving autobiography. Practice, practice, practice and you will be a bestseller.
Posted in Business Presentation | No Comments »
May 29th, 2007
Hello Visitor,
This is my first blog entry. I was encouraged to start a blog by the folks who host my website. So, here it is and here I am. Thanks for the visit.
(This is Proof That Being Extra-Nice Is Worth The Effort)
Two weeks ago, I was traveling from Omaha to Denver on North West Airlines (NWA). It had been a hectic couple weeks of travel and I was eager to get to the hotel and get some much-needed rest. (I had a talk to give the next morning.) So, I didn’t check my guitar as it came out of the oversized luggage shoot. After I got settled in my hotel, I went to open my guitar case and discovered it had been brutalized by some type of vehicle. You could see the tire marks on the outer shell! My Takamine guitar was smashed! Even though I used it the next day (my audience felt sooooo sorry for me), it was ruined. Being a stress guru I didn’t let it bother me much.
The next day: I went to the ticket counter at NWA and was turned over to a supervisor (a lovely caring woman who was shocked and upset when she saw my guitar). I forget her name, but let’s call her Janis. Well Janis told me she would be right back with a form for me to get reimbursed for my loss. When she came back, I could tell instantly that she found out (as I already knew) that guitars were not covered for damage from baggage handling. Janis was way more upset than I was. She even said, “how come you’re not upset?” I told her that stuff like this happens to everybody sometimes and life is too much fun to let little things mess up your mood.
Then I gave Janis a finger puppet and told her that whenever she needs someone to brighten her mood just talk with her finger puppet. She laughed and said “you know I can give you a $300 ticket voucher, would that be okay?” Of course, I said, “That’s more than I expected.”
On my way to the shuttle to catch my flight back home, I heard my name called to come back to the ticket counter. Once there, Janis told me that after she explained to her supervisor how pleasant I was and about the finger puppet she wanted to reimburse me for my guitar. “Would a check for $300 (plus the $300 voucher) be enough?” she asked. I said, “Absolutely”. Though the guitar was a gift, it cost about $600 when it was bought for me.
Now you know one of the many reasons why I always have finger puppets in my pockets. And why I am always pleasant and upbeat with everyone I meet.
Posted in Stress | 2 Comments »
May 15th, 2007
Hello all of you fun-loving, knowledge-thirsty professionals! Interesting facts, stories and helpful tips awaits you… so get ready!
In this blog, Richard will be sharing his thoughts, ideas and experiences on a variety of topics that can benefit everyone. For those of you who are not familiar with Richard’s areas of expertise, he has dedicated himself to not only helping others live and work in a safe, stress-free environment but also teaching people how to master the art of business presentation. He has done this through innovative seminars, newsletters, books and songs and is now ready to share even more with you through this blog. So check back with us next week to read Richard’s first post.
See you next week!
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »