Overnight Sensation - Public Speaking, Communication and Personal Development

Are Business Cards Needed For a Job Search?

James — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:11:30 +0000

The answer is an absolute “Yes.” I’ve been to far too many networking events where job seekers have attended unprepared. Yes it’s good to bring a stack of resumes with you (and even better to keep them in your car and/or have one handy at all times) but having business cards are especially helpful.

Why Business Cards:

Business cards are small, easy to carry and most people in the business world are used to dealing with them. Some people have Business Card Scanner
that can scan them into their contact management system. Others have a filing system for them.

Also, you can run into someone that can help you with your job search practically anywhere - the train station, the supermarket and even while waiting for service for your car. What sounds better: hunting for a scrap of paper to write your info on (and assuming that the other person can read your writing) or handing out a nice card that has your information clearly printed on it?

Using Cards From a Former Employer:

We’re all tempted to cut costs, especially in these difficult economic times, but this is one thing you want to avoid doing. I’m guilty of doing this because I had a stack of 300 cards from my employer and it was easy for me to simply cross out the business phone number and email and write my personal info on it. How professional did this look? Not very.

Business cards are cheap enough today (you can easily get 200 of them for less than $10) so it’s worth the investment. Although I don’t recommend the print your own type
(the perforations are tricky and the ink sometimes smears – plus they work out to be costly in terms of the paper and printer ink) this is a significantly better choice than using an old card from a former employer.

What to Put on Your Card:

Job seekers often don’t know what to put on their cards for things like title, company address, etc.. Here’s what I recommend:

Your name: This should be the biggest piece of text on the card. Remember, this is your brand.
Your email address: This is method of preference for contact. Make sure your email address has your name and not a nickname in it. Also make sure it’s not with your current or a prior employer. If needed, create a new email address through one of the free services out there.
Your phone number: These days, your cell phone is the best option; otherwise, your home number is fine.
Your address: This is optional as most people communicate through email these days. If you have a P.O. Box. , this is the best option.
Your photo: This is also optional but a nice touch. Make sure it’s professional looking – you should be dressed professionally and neatly groomed.
Your skills: The backside of the card is often left blank, but this is a great place to list out your key skills and qualifications. Consider it a mini-resume.
Your URL: If you have a blog or website related to your work, definitely include it. Many people also include links to their profiles on social media sites such as LinkedIn. Only do this if your profile has things that you’d want a prospective employer to see.

What to Leave off the Card:

The same basic rule that applies to resumes applies here: personal information not relevant to helping you provide work should be left out. Also, corny quotes and activities and interests should be left out. Listing out prior employers is another no-no.

So these are just a few tips on how you can use business cards to help with your job search. Remember that you want your card to reflect a professional image so put the extra time and effort into it – just as you do with your resume. Happy hunting and good luck with your job search.

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Are Business Cards Needed For a Job Search?

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The Night I Almost Quit

James — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:17:55 +0000

I’ll never forget that night. It was several years back and I was sitting in a hotel lobby preparing for a talk I was about to give. I opted to skip dinner that particular evening because the nervousness set in and my stomach wasn’t up to any food at all. It was my first event after taking over a year off from speaking, so I was a bit anxious, even though I was prepared. While I sat there in that busy lobby, my mind started to wander and those doubtful questions started to rear their ugly heads: Why am I doing this? Why subject myself to all this pressure?

For the first time in my career as a professional speaker, I wanted to back out. There was simply too much stress in my life at the time and ensuring that the audience received the value they expected (and deserved) from my speech just added to that stress. I started asking more doubting questions such as “Why not stick with Toastmasters?” After all, it’s fun, I get to do speeches and the speeches are quick and easy. And then I enviously thought about some friends that I knew who were sitting at home either watching TV or playing video games.

But then my contact for the event walked in and my focus shifted. He and I started discussing the logistics and last minute details as we walked to the room so I could start setting up. I did my usual setup routine and familiarized myself with the layout and surroundings. Audience members then started arriving so I started chatting with them to learn as much as I could about the group. Some told me that were looking forward to my talk – a crucial confidence builder that also helped shift my focus.

Before I knew it, it was time to take the stage and I was up there giving my talk. And while just an hour prior to that, I was wishing that I was anywhere else, at that moment in time I was where I needed to be. It wasn’t my best talk, but it was a good talk. And as I drove home afterwards, I couldn’t help but smile as I thought to myself “wow, this feeling inside is why I love doing this and why I must continue going down this path.”

Now the moral here is that you need to push yourself and take risks to reach your full potential. Challenging yourself may be scary at times, but you won’t know how far you can go unless you try. It reminds me of when I was an adventurous kid eagerly wanting to explore the woods behind my house. It was a bit scary to go beyond the edge of my parent’s property, but doing so helped me discover such wonderful things such as an old shack, a great fishing hole and numerous wonders of nature. Now much of that land has become a neighborhood with its own school so had I waited until I was an adult, I would have missed those opportunities. So when you’re pushing yourself and you get that nervous and queasy feeling, it’s probably a sign that you’re doing the right thing.

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The Night I Almost Quit

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Your Pre-Speech Checklist: Ten Things to Do Before a Big Speech

James — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:55:58 +0000

Part of the reason that even experienced speakers feel a bit nervous before a speech is that there is a lot that must be done before you even walk on stage. If you don’t have a pre-speech checklist, here are some things for you to do before your speech in chronological order:

1: Practice:

For shorter speeches (such as a Toastmasters speech or other speeches under 20 minutes), I recommend practicing the entire speech at least three times. For longer talks, practice it in pieces and practice the parts that you struggle with several times.

2: Check your facts:

If your talk has information, figures, facts, quotes or stories that doesn’t come from your own work or experience, you want to make sure that you do your due diligence. A classic example of this is the story of a study of the Yale Class of 1953 which states that the three percent of graduates with written goals out earned the 97% without goals. The story, which has been used by hundreds of speakers (including bestselling authors), is untrue – no such survey was ever conducted.

3: Get your clothes ready:

An hour before you need to leave your home is a horrible time to realize that you have nothing appropriate to wear for your talk. Give yourself at least a couple days to make sure you have something that fits properly, is in style and clean. If you’re not sure how to dress, check out this article.

4: Confirm the date, time and location:

This isn’t always necessary for an event with a regular meeting place and time, but it’s still good practice in case there’s a last minute change. For other events, you want to confirm all the details including when to arrive, any check-in procedures and anything else you may have requested. It only takes a few minutes but it can save you a lot of trouble.

5: Confirm your travel arrangements:

If you’re traveling far, make sure that there are no issues with your lodging or transportation. If you’re driving, make sure you have directions, money for tolls & parking and that you allow enough time to get there.

6: Print out your introduction:

I highly recommend bringing at least two copies of your speech introduction with you. Yes, you can email it ahead of time but you run the risk of the person misplacing or forgetting it. Why two copies? It’s possible that the person introducing you might lose it between when you gave it to them and when it’s time to introduce you.

7: Pack your props and handouts:

You went through all the trouble of creating handouts and working props into your talk so it would be a shame if you left them at home. Make sure everything is packed together including laptops, projectors, extra bulbs, etc…. It’s best to fit it all in one package (such as a carry-on or small suitcase) so there’s less to forget or leave behind.

8: Check out the room:

If you’re familiar with the room and its setup, then you can skip this step. Otherwise, you’ll want to check out the room ahead of time to make sure you know the layout and can plan your speech accordingly.

9: Visit the restroom:

Between and 15 and 30 minutes before your speech, you should visit the restroom. The first reason is obvious; you don’t want to add any additional discomfort for yourself while giving your speech. The second reason is that you want to give yourself a final once over to make sure that your hair and clothing look okay.

10: Do your relaxation techniques:

Right before it’s time for me to go, I take a deep breath and quickly imagine myself being a success with my talk. Depending on your own situation, you might want to listen to music, stretch, do breathing exercises or go through whatever relaxation routine that you have.

So there you have it – ten things to do before you give your speech. If you’re at all nervous before your talks, this will help cut down on some of it. If you’re an experienced speaker, this could prevent you from having a bad experience. Remember that a little preparation up front can help prevent a lot of trouble down the road.

If you’d like a one page checklist that you can print out and use, then please feel free to download my Pre-speech Checklist.

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Your Pre-Speech Checklist: Ten Things to Do Before a Big Speech
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The Magic Formula for Overcoming Communication Fears

James — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:45:01 +0000

Communication fears can limit us more so than anything else. They prevent us from meeting new people, strengthening relationships, moving ahead in our career and achieving financial abundance. While the internet and social media give us the opportunity to communicate with thousands (and potentially millions) of people without ever speaking a word, this path isn’t always the best one to go to reach your goals.

So what kind of communication fears do people have? Well the biggest social fear is undoubtedly public speaking. Let’s face it; it can be scary to be up on stage in front of hundreds of sets of eyes gazing upon us scrutinizing our every move and word. The next big social fear is meeting new people. If you have any degree of shyness, you can probably relate to that nervous feeling that we sometimes get when we’re in an unfamiliar setting surrounded by strange faces. Other social fears involve asking: asking for help, asking someone out on a date, asking for a sale, asking for a promotion, etc…. Sometimes, having difficult conversations such as dealing with a sensitive issue or providing constructive feedback can be, well, difficult.

So what can you do about it? There’s actually a pretty simple formula for dealing with communication fears. Now keep in mind, while the formula is simple, it’s not always easy to overcome a communication fear. There will be plenty of sweat and even some tears, but most of us have nothing physically preventing us from overcoming our communication fears. So here’s the process:

Step 1: Acknowledge and identify your fear.

Ask yourself what you’re afraid of and why you’re afraid. Get into detail and write it down. You need to know what you’re up against.

Step 2: Get motivation.

There are two questions you need to ask yourself. First, what will you miss out on buy not overcoming this fear? Will you be sad, lonely, feel pain or have low self esteem? Will others suffer? You need to make sure that you actually feel the misery and that there’s a significant amount of displeasure there.

Next, you need to ask yourself what you’ll gain by overcoming the fear. How will your life improve? How will things improve for those around you? How will you feel? Again, you need strong feelings of joy here to properly motivate yourself.

Step 3: Learn the tools and techniques to succeed.

While there are thousands of people out there claiming that they can help you, it can be tough to distinguish between those who really have the right tools and those that don’t. Normally, you’d consider how well a system sells or the testimonials but those are easily faked and hard to verify. So your best bet is to either get a recommendation from someone you trust or to get your system from a trusted source.

You might need to take a risk here and there and gamble a little time or money researching or attending courses. But the hardest part is once you find something that works – you need to be willing to step up and practice it. This is where you need to go back to step 2 and make sure your motivation is strong enough.

Step 4: Make mistakes.

You might think that this sounds crazy but mistakes are important. Believe it or not, a stumble here and there can help you. Mistakes are a natural part of the learning process – sometimes we have to try things a few different ways to get it working. But the real lesson to learn from mistakes is that you can survive them which is a big boost to your confidence. Mistakes are tough when they first happen, but you look back on them, you can see them for what they truly are.

Too many people get to that first mistake and then give up. However, mistakes are like war wounds – they toughen you up and force you to commit yourself to following through. If you reach that first mistake and turn back, perhaps you’re not committed enough to overcoming that communication fear – you might want to consider revisiting step 2.

Step 5: Keep at it.

Communication skills are different than technical skills – if you don’t use them, you’ll lose them. In my public speaking classes, I recommend that people speak to an audience at least once every three months after the class has ended. Otherwise, you get stale and that fear is able to sneak back in. Plus, the more you learn and the more you keep practicing, the better you’ll get.

So that’s it – the big secret to overcoming communication fears. Again, finding the right tools and surviving your mistakes can be a bit tricky. Just keep in mind that it’s worth the effort so don’t give up.

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The Magic Formula for Overcoming Communication Fears
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