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When you see an amazing speaker, do you take the time and effort to ask them for advice? I always do. Did you know most speakers are delighted to answer? I’m never done learning. All experts have taken different paths to the top — and learned different lessons along the way.

Whenever I get the opportunity to interview “excellence,” I do it for myself and to pass on to you what I learn, and more importantly re-learn.

Fellow NSAer and keynote speaker, Mike Rayburn, has headlined at Carnegie Hall. He just opened his own show in Las Vegas titled: Amazed!

Mike is an amazing speaker, humorist, and guitarist. The show in Vegas is one of his big dreams finally coming true. I’m excited for him! I recently took some friends to see him, and we were all amazed!

I, of course, was armed with my Flip video to ask him some questions to pass on to you. People who are the best in any field, think differently. I’m on a constant crusade to align my thoughts with their line of thinking. You?

I asked Mike, “What is the number one thing speakers need to work on?”

Mike replied, “Work on your speech!”

Constantly.

He also said that we need to know more about our subject than everyone else in the room. He also implied that we need to continually stay ahead of everyone else in our field. We need to know how our expertise fits in with the group we are in front of.

We must constantly work to improve our presentation skills. Mike quoted speaker coach, Victoria Labalme, who points out, “Professional football players practice approximately 500 hours for every hour that they are in a game. Professional speakers fall a little short.”

Mike says, “Practicing one hour for every hour you are on stage won’t work.”

How many hours do you work on your speech?

Mike referred to keynote speaker, Joe Calloway (whom I’m a huge fan of). Joe said, in his Up Close and Personal interview at NSA, “Oh, by the way, if you are not getting the bookings you want (as a professional speaker), it’s your speech!”

Mike reminded me that if you have a great speech, you will get people talking about you. (This is the absolute most powerful kind of marketing!) Audience members will say things like: “My group needs that!”

What Mike is referring to is that if your speech is so good, and serves a purpose or solves a problem that people need solved, you’ll naturally get referral bookings.

This is crucial to even non-professional speakers. If your message is important, why would you settle for good enough? If you really believe in what you’re saying, you should make it so good and so clear that it inspires audience members to “pass it on.”

Think bigger, think past the day of the event! Make your speech so amazing that DAYS LATER, people are thinking differently… and they’re so inspired that they are telling their friends about you! If you don’t like selling or marketing, this is especially important. Be so good that others do it for you!

Mike’s second pearl of wisdom is to recognize that we are entertainers. Even the highest-content speakers must still be entertaining. We must still connect with our audience and make them laugh. The bottom line is the more you make people laugh the more often you will get hired.

Connecting to your audience is crucial. This is Mike’s specialty. His key to connecting is to be in the moment. His advice was to realize that you are having a conversation with the audience. Their side of the conversation, however, is not in spoken word, but instead, in body language. They are speaking back to you through facial expressions. Be in the moment and feel that. That is how we know we are connected, and how we can continue to stay that way.

Another piece of advice I got from Mike was to know our speech so well, that we can be in the moment. He said, “Remember the words, so you can forget the words.” That’s the difference between playing the notes and playing the instrument.

Wow! Great insight from an amazing keynote speaker and performer. If you visit Las Vegas, check out Mike’s Show at The V Theater.

Remember: No matter how large or small your audience is, if you are not getting referrals every time you speak… it’s your speech!

Stage time,

Darren LaCroix
2001 World Champion of Public Speaking

This Week’s Video Clip: Introducing… Speaker’s EDGE ~ Secrets and Strategies for Connecting with Any Audience…a brand-new book by 5 of the best speaking coaches in the world! Watch the Video!

P.S. Watch Darren’s interview with Mike. CLICK!

Darren LaCroix learned how to be funny the hard way by experience. He is a keynote speaker with a thriving public speaking career. He authored books, CD’s, DVD’s, & other public speaking courses. He gives motivational speeches all over the world including Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia.