It’s OK to be Intimidated!

It’s ok to BE intimidated – but it’s not ok to STAY intimidated. This is an expressio I heard time and time again from my mentor, Lou Tice. And it was brilliant advice. I was a guest speaker recently at an event where I was scheduled to speak at the end of the day. That, alone, could intimidate just about anyone. But, the other piece to this is that my presentation was following some of the big names in the industry. And you can bet that I was intimidated at the start of the day. The good news is that I have been training, for the past 6 months, with two of the most incredible and highly respected speakers in the industry. That is what made all the difference in the world and I want to give you the top few tips from that training that served me well. 1) KNOW YOUR POINT OF VIEW! One thing that will separate you from the crowd is to have a clear understanding of your own point of view. What do you stand for? What is your opinion about what you do? 2) DRESS YOUR BRAND! Again, it’s important to know who you are – dress accordingly. Whenever you are out in public, it’s your time to shine. Dress the part, from head to toe. Be in alignment with your message and your marketing. 3) KNOW YOUR SIGNATURE TALK. It is so critical to have created a 60-minute signature talk and then practice, practice, and practice it. Own it. Internalize it. Be unique. Have personality. Use props if necessary. Once you have a signature talk created, drill down and create a 20 minute, 7 minute and 1 minute version of it too. Always be ready for an opportunity. 4) GRAB OPPORTUNITIES AS THEY PRESENT THEMSELVES. Opportunities to give a presentation pop up everywhere, every day. Be prepared to say yes and get in front of your ideal audience. There are times when it is uncomfortable, intimidating and even inconvenient to say yes – but do it anyway. Most often you will be happy you did. 5) STRETCH YOUR COMFORT ZONE. The opportunity I had recently stretched every fibre of my being – from being scheduled at the very end of a day when 15 others speakers had gone ahead of me – when majority of those speakers were BIG NAMES in the industry – and where the speakers had million dollar businesses. Stretch. Stretch. Stretch. THIS IS PARTICULARLY WHEN AND WHERE IT IS OK TO BE INTIMIDATED BUT IT IS NOT OK TO STAY INTIMIDATED! 6) JUST BE YOURSELF. This is the advice that served me best in this particular situation. Just be myself. No one else can ‘do you’ better than you can. So take a deep breath – know your stuff – and be yourself. 7) HAVE FUN. Some of these situations/opportunities can be downright frightful if and when we let them. Don’t sweat the small stuff. When you follow the 6 steps above, step #7 is a breeze. Have fun. Learn some new things – meet some new people. Get ready for the next opportunity because it will definitely present itself. People love to be around genuine people. Be one of them! IF YOU ARE NOT GROWING IN YOUR BUSINESS EACH AND EVERY DAY, THEN THE LIKELIHOOD OF FAILURE IS HIGH. Don’t let that happen to you. Get intimidated. Be intimidated. And get over it. People love genuine people – you become relatable. You will attract ideal clients, new business and make money doing what you love. WHAT ELSE IS THERE? Conclusion: “Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better. Don’t wish for fewer problems, wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenges, wish for more wisdom.” —Earl Shoaf