Stage Time: Have You Resolved… ?

What do you want? What do you do on & off the platform? Are you committed to being the best ? There is always work for the best in any industry — they always get paid the most and are in the most demand.
Whether you’re a competitive speaker or want to be a highly-paid presenter — have you resolved to be the best ? Wanting to win a contest is different than resolving to be the best. Winning should be a side effect of being the best. Getting big fees is the side effect to being the best. Being in demand is a side effect of being the best.
Look at the decisions you’re making. Would people who are the best decide differently? The day before the World Championship of Public Speaking, I walked by a spa in the convention hotel, and I saw a sign that read, “Massage: $79.”
“Seventy-nine dollars!? Who would pay that?” I thought.
Then another thought popped into my head, “What would a champion do?” Well, the next day, I was going to be giving the speech of my life. What better time in my life to invest in a tension-relieving process? Duh! Though previously I had lived my life scraping for money, in that moment I realized I had to change my thinking.
Now my question is, ask yourself, “What would someone who is becoming ‘the best’ do?” You may be surprised how your decisions change; thoughts change your actions, actions change, which lead to a change in results.
If you want to be the best, you have to start thinking like the best. I’m not even talking about the best speaker in the world. I’m talking about being the best in your area of expertise. Who is it now? What do you think their habits are? What can you do now to create those habits. Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE says, “Habits are like train tracks. They’re hard to get into place — but once you do, they’ll take you wherever you want to go.”
So many experienced & emerging speakers come to me about wanting to get paid more and get booked more often. It seems to be a mystery as to how to make it happen. The number one reason speakers aren’t booked more is because their speech is average to good. It doesn’t make people say, “Wow! I needed that!” — or — “Others must hear this!”
I’m not the only one who believes this. At the NSA Keynote lab in Vegas recently, I heard:

“There is no better form of marketing than a great presentation.”
~ Jane Atkinson

“I focus on my performance, that’s my promotion.”
~ Mark Sanborn, CSP, CPAE

When Mike Rayburn, CSP gets asked about the secret to being booked, he says, “It’s your speech! Want to earn more? It’s your speech! Want to get booked more often? It’s your speech!”
Do you think people who are the best have to worry about marketing? They probably do some formal marketing, but most of it doesn’t cost them a thing. Why? Because people are talking about them and their content. Social media only multiplies the effect.
Once you establish yourself as the best, it’s important to remember that the best always strive to be even better. They’re never done, but work and clients find them. When you’re the best, people will pay you more. Speakers who are the best will be noticed and requested in other industries, as well. I’ve heard Craig Valentine, friend and fellow World Champ say, “If you’re at the top of one mountain, you can easily be seen from all of the other mountains.”
Great speeches aren’t written — they are re-written. The best speakers are constantly editing their speeches. As I’ve mentioned in other articles, most booked speeches come as a result of a referral from someone who has seen you speak. When you’re the best, each time you speak, you’ll get more bookings as a result of your results.
The best get coached. No matter what sport or industry they’re in, they still get coached. Coaching is crucial — and it’s the fastest way to go from good to great. You can’t resolve to be the best at something and think you can do it alone. It doesn’t work that way. You are the CEO of you. You need to have a team to help get you there. I’ve resolved to be the best coach. That’s why I work with Patricia Fripp. She’s one of the best. I learn so much watching her brilliance in action. We choose only to coach serious speakers at our live coaching camp in Vegas. Come get coached or watch us work. www.GetCoachedToSpeak.com
What should you resolve to be the best at? Expert? Coach? Speaker? Presenter? Encourager? Hope merchant? Spouse? Parent? When you resolve to be the best, everything changes. Your thinking will change. Your decisions will change. Your actions will change. Your results will change.
Will you resolve to be the best ? Will other people notice? Don’t tell ‘em, show ‘em!
Stage time,

Darren LaCroix
2001 World Champion of Public Speaking
P.S. Join us at our Coaching Camp. See the process of going from good to GREAT! We have only 4 coaching seats left. Go now to: www.GetCoachedToSpeak.com
P.P.S. Get my insights on building your speaking business. Go to: www.52GetPaidToSpeakTips.com