Self-Devpt. Nuggets™

Publication: Tayo Solagbade’s Weekly Public Speaking IDEAS Page (PSIP) Newsletter

Date: Monday 22nd April 2013

No:86

Title: Humanize Yourself By Talking About Your Mistakes: Audiences Will LOVE You For It!

Author & Publisher: Tayo K. Solagbade [234-803-302-1263]

Blog URL: http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com/blog

Archive (For E-mail only version started 14th May 2012): Click here to view

Archive (For Blog version started 24th September 2011): Click here

Hi,

Please find below the latest issue of my Speaking IDEAS newsletter.

No. 86: Humanize Yourself By Talking About Your Mistakes: Audiences Will LOVE You For It!

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NB: If you ever find yourself wondering what else I’ve written, some days after you’ve read THIS Speaking Ideas newsletter I send out on a Monday, here’s what you can do to find out: Point your browser to www.sdacademy.org to read at least ONE new post added to my SD Nuggets blog on a different category from Tuesday till Saturday (sometimes even Sundays) in line with this publishing schedule

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What would you do if as the invited speaker for an event, you make the mistake of travelling (by air) to the right city, but in the wrong state, less than 12 hours to the event? That’s what happened to Burt Dubin in 1983!

As a mentor of world class speakers (for over 25 years), Burt encourages his protégés to be students of life – and to share their mistakes, in order to better connect with their audiences. In this teleseminar, Burt practices what he preaches by telling that story in a teleseminar hosted by Bryan Caplovitz of Speaker Match Radio.

What follows is a text transcript version I created from the audio.

Byran: In addition to being diligent and having tenacity, is that another key factor that you think a speaker needs to have? They need to be a great storyteller?

Burt: …I would say that yes, but more important than that, be a student of life. I have been a student of life, eh ever since my father abused me as a child when I was four years old. That’s another story I don’t think we’ll get into at this time, but I’ve always studied the human condition right from the time I was a child, wondering why things are as they are.

And from this study, the opportunity came to observe and I must say, to grow wise.

And it is important to allow yourself to grow wise about what’s going on in your world. What’s going on in your country, in your city, durng your times. And from all of these, you can take a step back, if you can take a step back out of the arena, if only for a few minutes a day and watch what you see. And…harvest such wisdom as there may be for you.

You see the world through your eyes.

Your perception of truth is indeed your truth. And it is important Bryan, when we stand before audiences to share our perceived truth based on such wisdom as we may have.

And if you share it with passion. If you share it with enthusiasm. If you share it with deep belief. If you share your perceived truth with real ah enthuse..(ehm I’m looking for a certain word…I guess I’ve used the word).

It is this passion that carries your message home. You may not be right – so to speak – in the eyes of everyone in your audience, especially if you have  a political view. However at least they will be able to see that this is your perceived truth.

So we go back to authenticity.

It is importsant that YOU, the speaker, whoever the speaker may be – this is for everyone on the call – speak with authenticity about matters which you know well. Speak with authenticity about matters which you know well.

You may not always be right, but your perceptions are yours.

And what about when you make a mistake?

Oh heaven knows everyone of us makes mistakes. I’ve made 10,000 or more. We’ll take that word apart. Mistake. MIS – TAKE. A mistake is only a MIS – TAKE: what do they do in the movies, when there is a MIS – TAKE?  they do it over.

I’ll give you an example.

I remember the time  I showed up (laughs) in the right city but the wrong state to present a program. This really happened. 1983.

Bryan: Right city, wrong state?

Burt: (Laughs) Ha…Right city, wrong state. You wanna know what happened in that?

Bryan: Sure

Burt: It really did. I showed up in Burlinghton, Vermont, because I was working with a travel agent at the time. I was speaking 4 or 5 days a week. And I had my travel agent do all my bookings. And I got all my booking cities from the person in charge of  the seminar company for which I was then working, way back then.

And she always gave me my cities by name of city only. So I went to my trusted OAG – Official Airline Guide – and there was only one Burlington in the OAG, and it was in Burlington, Vermont!

So I had my travel agent book me into Burlington, Vermont ten o’clock one night. Called the Howard Johnson, and asked if they had transportation from the airport. The first thing I noticed was they had the wrong area code.

I’m not such a dummy. I was in line when the brains were given out!

I realized they did not have the wrong area code. I was in the wrong area code! So, ten o’clock at nite, they roll up the sidewalks in Vermont at nine o’clock at nite. No flights out until the next morning. I am in big trouble!

I find a room for the night. I don’t get to sleep, and I wake up the seminar coordinator, and I say “Hey where am I supposed to be this morning”. And she said it was a different Burlington. It happened to be Burlington Massachusetts!

Thank God it wasn’t Burlington Illinois, it woud have been really serious.

So in the middle of the night, I did what I had to do. Called Air Vermont, got a flight out at 6a.m, from Burlington Vermont, to Logan airport, in Boston, from which I could get a limo and an hour later I could be in Burlington, Massachusetts (Laughing) to do the program.

I went througth all of that. But I turned it into fun.

I happened to like… happen to love Vermont maple syrup – and I’m in Vermont! So I got up very early – I didn’t even go to sleep, I slept about an hour ­– and put on my clothes.

I found a coffee shop – an all nite coffee shop, and at 4 O’clock in the morning, I had hotcakes with Vermont maple syrup  – Oh boy was that perfect!

Then I hightailed it to the airport. I got to Logan airport by 7a.m. Got to the venue by 8a.m and they all said “Where are you? Where’ve you been Where did you sleep last nite?”(Laughing)

Anyway the program I presented on adrenaline – just adrenaline – I got no sleep – was one of the best programs I ever did (Laughs). I thought you might like that little story.

Bryan: (Laughs) Ha ha…at least you remember it that way!

Burt: No..hey man that’s the way it was!

Bryan: So, that is another example of telling a great story. Do you includes stories like this of your life experiences, even when presenting your standard workshop or something?

Burt: Always. You see they are the lubricants. They…You know lubricant makes the wheel of commerce go round. These are the lubricants, they humanize you.

People love to hear about your mistakes!

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Need More Details of How to Make The Above Ideas Work for YOU?

If you need more specific details of how to make use of the ideas I’ve shared in this newsletter, send me a message using this request form (with “Re: Use Persuasion to Save (or Make) MORE Money” in the subject line).

Have a lovely week!

Tayo K. Solagbade*

Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist

*Sole Agent For Burt Dubin’s Speaker Mentoring Service In Africa

Mobile: 234-803-302-1263

http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com

Tayo Solagbade is a Performance Improvement Specialist & multipreneur. He works with individuals/businesses who want to achieve highly profitable outcomes, and also with parents who want to raise real-world competent children.

Tayo earns multiple streams of income providing clients with performance improvement training/coaching, custom MS Excel-VB solutions, web marketing systems, freelance writing services, and best practice extension support services (for farm business owners).

When he’s not amazing clients with his superhuman skills (wink), Tayo works as the creative force behind his Self-Development Nuggets™ blog, and Public Speaking IDEAS newsletter (which he publishes to promote Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring service to experts working across the African continent).

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Have you been undecided about whether or not to become a paid speaker? Or have you been trying to get your speaking career off the ground with little success?

Here’s a tip: Burt Dubin works with people who want to be speakers, and with speakers who want to be masters. Click here to visit his website NOW and submit a contact form message telling him what challenges you’re facing, and how you’d like him to help you. Tell him I sent you, and you’ll get a pleasant surprise offer from him.

Comments?

What do you think of the above message? Do you have any personal experience to share on this subject? Are there some other points you feel can be added, to help persons looking for answers? Please share your thoughts!

Share this issue!

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What fears or doubts are keeping you from (a) taking up Burt Dubin’s monthly speaker mentoring, or (b) buying his products?

You can choose to purchase Burt’s mentoring at any of the three (3) levels listed below:

1. Top Shelf [Click here] | 2. Mid Range [Click here] | 3. Budget Delight [Click here]

Burt’s three mentoring packages can be likened to the seating options offered by airlines: Budget Delight (Economy); Mid Range (Business); and Top Shelf (First Class).

At least that’s how I like to think of them!

All three will get you to your desired destination of “speaking success-ville” – so long as you meet the requirements/play your part well (your fare, abide by the set guidelines etc). During the “flight”, the seat you have will determine how much personal service attention and preference the provider will accord you. It’s that simple

So, make your choice:1. Top Shelf [Click here] | 2. Mid Range [Click here] | 3. Budget Delight [Click here]

Send me an e-mail with your questions via tayo at tksola dot com. In the meantime, why not get started by subscribing here to get his 7-Part Course (How To Succeed And Get Paid As A Professional Speaker) .  . . and receive his monthly newsletter (Speaking Biz Strategies Letter) at no cost.

For over 25 years, Burt Dubin has provided a variety of speaker mentoring products and services to clients worldwide. Download this flyer as PDF: http://tinyurl.com/bdubin-africa