Strangest Secret” in 1956—which was
the first voice recording to sell a million
copies. He told me an unbelievable
truth: News is the exception, not the
rule. For every plane crash, a million
flights land successfully and safely. For
every car crash reported, millions of
others bring their occupants safely home
to hug their children. For every negative
news report, there are a million people
around the world helping others.
I CALLED HIM AND
PROCLAIMED, “DAD, I AM
AN IDIOT.” HE QUICKLY
RESPONDED, “YOU ARE
PROBABLY RIGHT—BUT,
TELL ME, WHAT’S WRONG?”
ACTION: Find people focused as a
herd on something. Deliberately look
at everything else but what the crowd
sees. Discover one, two, three or a
hundred things the group missed.
TOOL 2:
DISCOVER YOUR FANS BEFORE
YOU HAVE ANY.
Once you realize who is in charge of
your focus, you need to see yourself as
worth the time and attention of people
who are praying for you to enter their
lives. They want to hear your message
of transformation. If you don’t believe
me, ask some successful speakers if
they have ever been approached by a
man or woman who tells them, “It is
as if you were sent specially to speak
to me.” Then, pay close attention to
their responses.
ACTION: Go out and speak for a fee
or free, and find your fans, as they will
do more for your sense of value than
anything else in the world. Once you
discover that people you’ve never met
are waiting to hear you speak, you will
discover an interconnectedness that
exists which no scientist can explain.
TOOL 3:
REDISCOVER SOCRATES.
The bedrock of modern Western thinking and its civilization can be traced to
Socrates, who lived in Greece about
2,500 years ago. Socrates was a professional speaker and, although he never
wrote anything down, he deeply influenced Plato, who influenced Aristotle,
and the trio influenced the way every
human being thinks and acts today.
That underscores the power of the
spoken word.
According to Socrates, the essence of
the entirety of the human consciousness
experience is based on one question:
“Who am I?” Armed with nothing but
the ability to ask questions, people can
shape or reshape our world into anything they can imagine.
ACTION: Ask questions like the ones
that liberated me from my mental jail:
How can I turn my biggest obstacles
into assets? Why will people pay me a
high fee to speak? Get creative with
your questions, such as “How can I
turn this horrible experience into the
most empowering pivotal point in my
speaking career?”
TOOL 4:
SURROUND YOURSELF
WITH ROSES.
If you are having a hard time believing you are worth more, you could
have negative people in your life who
remind you how little you are worth.
Their negativity is penetrating your subconscious and hurting your chances of
breaking out of your box.
ACTION: Find new friends who are positive, uplifting and who believe in you.
TOOL 5:
AUTHENTICITY TRUMPS POLISH.
Authentic speakers will trump polished ones every time, especially on
income. If you find yourself losing your
authenticity because you are choosing
polish over authenticity, then stop right
now! Authenticity will not only bring
you more income, it will make you a
happier person.
ACTION: Develop your skill and
your craft. Your increased ability
will impact your self-worth, but
when choosing between polished and
authentic, go for authentic!
Alfonso Castaneira is a profes- sional speaker coach who helps professional speakers develop and accomplish their million- dollar profit plan. Among his
valued clients is Pat Williams, co-founder and
senior vice president of the NBA’s Orlando Magic,
who calls Castaneira the coach that most
influenced his professional speaking career. As a
coach for 15 years, Castaneira helps new and
veteran speakers. For more information, visit
www.ProSpeakCoach.com.
