To keep developing and renovating your career requires honing your  communication skills, including speaking in public,.

Speaking in public terrifies many people.  It doesn't have to be that way.

Speaking in public for the first time absolutely petrified me.

It was at my wedding reception.

As the groom, I absolutely messed it up  big time.  My wedding day was great, except for that bumbling speech

A few months later I vowed I would learn how to speak in public and not feel sick in the stomach ever again.

At first people told me that a speech consists of a beginning, middle and end.

I was also told that what you need to do in a speech is “… first tell them what the speech is about, then tell them a few points in the middle, and finally tell them  what the speech was about, again.”

Simple, but not very helpful, as the pit of my stomach continued to churn.

Always my little voice in my head said:

 “Why would anyone want to hear what I have to say?”

 “Will they think I’m bumbling fool?”

“There are better and more qualified people to speak?”  etc.

I had to get over it and conquer that voice.

That I did with a speech production system based on:

Be absolutely clear on why you are speaking

Research your topic thoroughly

Identify and construct you particular  point of view

Assemble your arguments, if required (I use a mind map process)

Understand your Audience as much as you can

Write your speech, but learn not to read it

Take your speech from the page into your head

Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse

Learn to work without your aids,

Reduce, or elimina5te, PowerPoint Purgatory

Visit the venue where you’ll deliver your speech

Write the MC’s introduction notes and finally

Be prepared to response to your audience.

I remember a lecturer at university who was fanatical about starting his presentation exactly on time, to the second.

On one occasion, the location of lecture was changed and we weren’t told.

Ten minutes later we discovered the new location and marched into the hall.

To our astonishment there was the Professor, with an overhead and pointer, lecturing to an empty hall and continued to do so while we took our seats.

He was a great lecturer, but a little eccentric and thought an audience was irrelevant to doing his job.

After decades of broadcasting and speaking in public, I still follow a speaking process, when I blog, interview, speak in public, and now when I broadcast via the Internet.

On second thoughts, maybe I’m a bit weird too.

A well-known Australian broadcaster and journalist, Terry, pointed me in the right direction to overcome my fear of a microphone and speaking to large audiences.

He dared me to become intelligible and told me that for every long interview he prepared by researching and reading the relevant material for about eight hours.  He then worked out if he had a unique point of view or insight about the topic.

Being intelligible meant devoting time to preparing questions and arguments to create an insightful point of view.

Terry, my mentor, lived in fear that he would ask stupid questions and make stupid statements  and therefore insult his guest and his audience.

For 40 weeks every year, Terry conducted five one-hour interview programs every week, with at least 1600 hours of preparation. He devoted this effort to engage his audience and build audience loyalty.  This he did for 30 years.

As a broadcaster, he was absolutely clear of his purpose – to engage, inform, entertain and build a loyal audience.

Terry said the same applied to speaking in public.

When he spoke at a conference, as a keynote speaker, his research, thinking time, preparation and rehearsal took days.

Understanding the Purpose is critical to overcoming Speaking Fear

I also witnessed a well-known science journalist, who was a broadcaster and writer, present his keynote speech that ended in disaster.

In Networking 1, the First Five Minutes, I mentioned Elevator Statements (EVs) and how they are critical to successful networking.

So what’s an Elevator Statement?

Here’s what they aren’t.

EV’s aren’t speeches or pitches.

I have an absolute aversion to the word pitch. Whenever a person pitches to me I know they want something, usually to sell me something.

It’s usually not about my needs, it’s about my money.

EV’s don’t produce instant careers, or instant anything.  They might induce you to by a raffle ticket for a charity, but that’s about all.

However an EV can produce an opportunity to develop or renovate your career or produce some business opportunities.

The only purpose of an EV is to start a conversation and gain permission to continue that conversation.

During that conversation you can build initial credibility, become liked, which can lead to trust and further down the track a relationship, a personal one like a date, or friendship or a business relationship.

If you are smart, you’ll first discover a lot about the person you are chatting with.

You can achieve this by just asking non-intrusive questions and then really listening to their answers.

During that conversation you will be able to discover what they do for a living, whether they a single, and even if they work for themselves, a corporation, have their own business or whether they are in-between jobs.

You’ll also discover whether that person is a genuine prospect, who might want the solution you have to enhance their organisation or themselves.

If they’re not a genuine prospect just enjoy their company or politely move on.

If you’re still asking them questions and listening, in no time they’ll generally ask you “What you do?”.

This is the opportunity for you to use an Elevator Statement, which must be a truthful statement not one you make up to scam them to get their business.

After your EV, they might show a little more interest and ask you, “How do you do  that?”

If they are really interested they will ask you more questions and for your business or personal card. You might then ask if they would like more information.

You can point them to your website or find out if they would like a further chat. If so, ask for their business card or ask permission to ring their assistant for a suitable time for an appointment to discuss the person’s needs and possible solutions .

Being able to place your hand on their office door handle is a fantastic outcome of your elevator statement and your networking skills.

Networking can be learnt and Elevator Statements can be crafted easily and quickly.

Everything is easier when you know how.

First, EV’s are a very short statement of what you do that meets the needs of the person you are talking with, which will engage that person.

Usually your statement should be an average of 35 to 45 words long.

The average person speaks at about three words a second, which gives you a maximum of 15 seconds to deliver your EV.

The aim of the statement is to elicit a question from the other person – “How do you do that?”.

This gives you permission to engage the person a little more.

You might remember the aged care CEO, Winston, at the dinner party, who award my company a significant contract to manage a crisis at his organisation.

A few weeks before the dinner party, at sunny afternoon Sunday barbeque, we first met.  We spent some time talking about our football teams, Melbourne FC and Carlton FC.

We ‘chin-wagged’ (Aussie slang for an enthusiastic conversation) for about an hour about the virtues and skills of various players, and of course the coaches.

Eventually, our conversation turned to what we did.

With a question, Winston revealed that he was the CEO of the oldest aged care facility in Australia.

Then it was my turn. “What do you do?”

“My company, Taking Control Communications, helps organisations manage issues and crises,

If you never Network your glass will be empty.

Network occasionally and your glass may be half full

If Networking is a way of life you’ll need many glasses.

Whether you are employed, between jobs, 20, 30, 40, 50, or 60 plus, or returning to the work force after children, networking is a critical tool for success.

It’s also critical if you are starting or maintaining a micro business, whether you chose face-to-face networking or via the web.

Here are a few reasons why you might like to actively network.

You want a promotion

You would like a salary raise or an improved package

Searching for a new Job offer

Want to reinvent your career.

You would like to find additional contracts

You want people to have a look at your website

You would like to arrange a meeting with potential clients.

There are a host of other reasons.

Most career opportunities happen while meeting people, whether it’s at business, social or even as a speaker at Rotary, Lions, or other like groups.

Because of a 20 minute speech at a Rotary Club my company, Taking Control Communications, gained a $350,000 communication contract that lasted 18 months.

At a dinner party, a CEO from aged care organisation said, “Please give me a ring on Monday I think I need your services”.

That dinner party started a 10 year contract, which generated significant revenue.

They weren’t flukes.

From those contracts, my mini company of one, me, earned hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of business.

No, I’m not a great salesman, but did learn how to network when to produce a business card.

Asking questions, listening to answers, waiting to be asked what you do and crafting your answers truthfully are the keys.

If you are not networking, then you are not serious about your career, whether it’s as a “tradie”, as a professional, as an independent service provider or if you want to be an internet business giant.

Networking is also an essential if you are out of work.

Many people, however, live in fear of networking. Why?

The most common reason is, “I’m too shy … I couldn’t just walk up to a stranger and start talking to him or her.”

The real answer is they are afraid because they don’t know how to network. They don’t  use a successful process.

Networking isn’t a complicated science.  It’s not a science at all; it’s a very simple process.

The first step is to do research, particularly where and who want to network.

Try not to network the room.

Restrict your networking to a few critical people.  Discover what problems they or their organisation have.

Read the business sections of newspapers, go to business breakfasts, conferences and use the most valuable tool all, websites.

Now you can spend a pile of money or next to nothing  but your time to network.

But whatever you spend, dollars or time, you need to know how.

Remember it’s easy when you know how.

A professional head hunter told me this story.

A few years ago, President Bill Clinton was in town. His hosts held an exclusive business lunch, where 50 high flyers attended at $500 a head, except for nine of Australia’s leading CEOs.

Nine seats were available at the President’s table at $1200 dollars each. The lunch would last for two hours – cost $600 per hour.

John, the head hunter, decided he would pay the $1200 to sit on President Clinton’s table.

Now, John wasn’t their just to listen and talk with Mr Clinton. He was there to connect with one of the CEOs he knew was going to be on that table.

John was head hunting for an international corporate client who want a particular CEO to defect to his company.

He connected with the CEO and earned a handsome $100,000 fee when his target joined his client’s firm. A $1200 investment gave a $100,000 return.

What John did was called Strategic Networking.

Now I’m not suggesting you to have to spend $1200 to network, although a conference could cost that,

Whether you realize it or not you already have the keys to renovate your career. Many are hidden from your view.

If you start to use the Keys it will open your mind and let you take actions to create a great future.

You have a unique way of seein...

The other day I attended a showcase of up and coming speakers.

Now before attended I thought Ho Hum, probably the same old crowd of motivational speakers spruiking their speaking services, ebooks and pbooks, CDs and videos.

After five hours of presentation onslaught, the last speaker made me sit up and take notice – not a CD or Video set or booking form in sight.

Now I thought I knew heaps about the online world, the trends and what was possible.

This is what I learnt.

Tesco, a British super chain store, wanted to establish over hundred out lets in South Korea.

The capital required to do this was astronomical, even in good economic times, let alone now.

Tesco became aware of how South Koreans shopped for supermarket products. Premium shop sites were too costly and rare.

The walls of the underground trains were not.

Tesco brought two ideas together – free wall space and the smart phone.

On the walk ways of the underground graphics of Tesco products were displayed, with embedded chips in the graphic.  The price of each were displayed, ‘specials were also displayed.

With your smart phone held up to product display you could purchase your days or weeks shopping while going home.  A smart phone application identified where you wanted your shopping delivered and deducted the cost of the goods from your debit or credit account.

This is not Tomorrow Land, this is now!

Type in Tesco and South Korea into Google and find out the trends in shopping.

After watching the video retail staff should be starting to think about renovating their careers.

A second example that blew me away was the smart change room to try on clothes.  The room existed on walls also.

You saw a dress or a suit you liked displayed on the wall.  Again using your smart phone or tablet you pointed it at the item of clothing and on your tablet or phone you saw the item on your personal avatar which was a replica of your body shape, weight, colouring and height.

“No the colour not right … lets change it to navy.  CLICK!”

You could even rotate your avatar; have a look from the back and from the side.  Eventually you will be able to have the item altered, buy it and have it delivered to your door.

Opportunity:  Shopping on a wall near you.

Future applications could include hairstyles, facelifts and goodness knows what.

I'm not too keen to try on underwear while waiting for the train!  A new perversion in the making!

The Internet and search engines give you the opportunity to be aware of trends and opportunities at all levels, if you care to do the research.

Remember we are now connected to just about every part of our planet

Just got an idea for a new app – WOW it might just blow your socks off!  .

Till next time keep creating your future with http://www.careerrenovatorsexpress.com/

The first step to renovating your career is to be aware of yourself, particularly your career attitude.

Sure you need to be aware of what drives you, your values your beliefs, your knowledge and skills

Recently I heard on BBC Wide-wide radio how ...

Bev Brock, author and public speaker chats with Christian Peterson about life, her career and Peter Brock.

“Clarity of purpose and direction are the first steps to reinventing a career. Your ability to take action is another critical step. It’s not rocket science, just a determination to work to continuing success.”

David Stratford for over 25 years has been an executive coach and career counsellor, who has created a portfolio career for himself and others.

“A portfolio career is a mix of different contracts, professional or non-professional, consultancy assignments and other revenue generating and voluntary activities, which is you create and constantly reviewed as a self-employed person,” says David.

Just the thing for Baby Boomers and those whose superannuation will not be enough for a good life.

Christian Peterson from Career Renovators Express talks with David at his home office.

Christian Peterson chats with John Tozer who changed his career direction from a partner at Price Water House Coopers accounting firm to that of an award winning professional photographer at the tender age of 55.