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Oct 10

Avoid these 3 things when speaking on stage!

By Ryan Avery Communication, Motivation 4 Comments

Here are three things you need to take into consideration the next time you speak on stage:

Avoid stepping backwards when trying to make a point: Think of the stage being divided into two parts. Draw a line in the middle of the stage parallel to the front row; call it the front and the back. Every time you step toward the back it indicates three things to the audience; A negative view point, moving them into the past, or indicating you are uncomfortable. If someone tries to kiss you–and you’re not interested–what is your natural reaction? You move backwards. It’s the same when you speak. If you move backwards while trying to make a positive point, your body and its actions do not align with your words. Step forward to make a powerful point and to show the audience you are not nervous.

Avoid being too energetic at the start of your speech: I often see this when speakers try to get their audience pumped at the beginning of a meeting. Some of their listeners are just not into it. They lose them for the entire presentation or speech. I have three levels of energy when I am on stage: Low, medium and high. I start with medium energy to “test the waters” and see which way I want to take the audience. Beginning with too high or too low an energy level risks your audience tuning out your entire presentation. Start out with medium energy.

Avoid making assumptions about the audience: Please don’t say things like “I know what you are thinking” or “I bet you like/don’t like XYZ.” Unless you are 100% sure of what your audience does or doesn’t like, don’t say it! Never make assumptions about your audience. No matter how good you are, you do not know what everyone is thinking! Instead, say things like “What I was thinking after this was” or “I know not everyone might like XYZ.”

Avoid these common mistakes aspiring speakers make the next time you get in front of a group of people! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Oct 01

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Three Easy Ways to Make $500 Speaking

By Ryan Avery Communication, Motivation 3 Comments

What if you could make more money in one hour than the average American makes in one week? Have you ever asked yourself, “How do I get paid to speak?” or “What are ways I can become a paid speaker this year?”

Below are three quick ways to make $500 speaking, all of which I have done myself.

The reason I am writing this article is to not promote a “get rich quick” mentality! I am writing this because I want to get people comfortable with making money for the knowledge, skills and ideas they possess-not to make a quick buck! If you can’t get comfortable making $500, how will you ever make $5,000? Your voice has power, so use it wisely!

Find a Sponsor: Find a company, organization, or person who can sponsor you to go out and talk to a group of 100+ people. In return, you will offer to talk about their product, service or idea. I recommend choosing someone whom you respect and whom you would be proud to represent. Whom do you know who owns a company seeking awareness for their product? Right now, we know that 48% of Millennials purchase products based on word of mouth marketing, and only 17% are influenced by TV ads. Convincing a company, organization, or person to sponsor you while you talk about how great they are can boost their sales and expand your reach!

Sell 50 tickets for $10: I bet you know at least fifty people. Combine your family, your friends, your social media following, those you work with, those you work for, and the strangers you could meet. You can sell fifty $10 tickets for a one-hour training. Pick a message you want to share, identify the target market who will benefit from it, and select a venue (preferably free). Send out your Eventbrite registration links to everyone you know. Go. Get started!

Get one company to pay you $500: It might sound harder than it seems but how many companies have you actually asked to pay you? Go out and ask ten people who are in charge of saying yes to things like this and see what they say. Companies spend tens of thousands of dollars each year on training their teams. What value can you bring to a company, organization or group? Take an HR or Senior Level executive out to lunch and convince them that you would like to train 20 of his or her employees on (insert subject here + outline the benefits) how to improve any area of their business. I am going to take a bet that most people don’t ask nor do they ask the right person.

Take time to make $500 in the next two weeks and prove to yourself you have valuable information for which people are willing to pay. When you speak, deliver $5,000 worth of content! Rinse and repeat. As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Question: What is another idea people can do to make money speaking?

Sep 24

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10 TED Talks Everybody Should Watch

By Ryan Avery Communication 4 Comments

Jul 07

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9 Quotes You Should Pay Attention To

By Ryan Avery Communication 6 Comments

From hologram musicians to $35,000 live auction paddle raises, to meeting some of my speaking heroes, to learning about speaking bureaus, to content so good it makes your head swell and to friendships started that will last a lifetime, the 2014 NSA Convention was an event everyone should have attended (speakers and non-speakers a like).

As we move forward in growing the brand of NSA to now be referred to as Platform, I wanted to share with you quotes that if you read and implement will change your life and those you serve. They are taken from speakers I met this weekend who impacted my life. Please read these, digest these and revisit these as they are not meant to inspire you for brief moments but to light a fire in you that will help take your skills to the next level.

9 quotes you should pay attention to…

Are you trying to be perfect?
“The greatest damage to excellence is the pursuit of perfection.” – Alan Weiss (click to tweet)

Feel like you are not motivated to accomplish more?
“Always be happy, never be satisfied.” – Jim Jacobus (click to tweet)

Are you taking enough risks today?
“It pays to be risky.” – Eric Whal (click to tweet)

Are you being good, great or working to become the best?
“Everyone should ask themselves everyday… “What am I doing today, to make my craft better?” – Eric Chester (click to tweet)

What are you doing to build a loyal following?
“Give away everything you know, one bite at a time.” – Jay Baer (click to tweet)

Are you being a thought leader or someone who just passes though life?
“Create goals that don’t exist.” – Mike Rayburn (click to tweet)

What does it mean to really listen?
“When you rearrange the word LISTEN you end up with SILENT. Are you really listening?” – Freddie Ravel (click to tweet)

How are you interacting with your fans on a regular bases?
“Content is king but engagement is queen and she rules the house.” – Mari Smith (click to tweet)

What are you doing everyday to get used to change?
“If you don’t like change, you won’t like being irrelevant even more.” – Adam Witty (click to tweet)

Take one of the quotes today, write it down and put it next to your computer. You are capable of so much and sometimes all you need is a quick reminder!

Take time to consider being part of Platform (formally known as National Speakers Association) and learn how to grow your business, expand your network and provide value to those you serve in today’s changing world. As always…

Dream BIG,

Ryan

Question: Which one is your favorite and why? If you liked one of the quotes, please share this article with your friends by pressing one of the social media buttons below and let’s help them get inspired!

Jun 23

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Do You Want a Handwritten Letter?

By Ryan Avery Communication No Comments

During the World Record attempt a couple months ago I asked to write you handwritten letters so I could train to sign 5,000 signatures in one sitting.

You came to my aid and sent in your addresses and messages to request a handwritten letter all over the world. I sent more letters in two weeks than I can count! Over the past several weeks since then, the letters have arrived and you have shared with me when you got them and how much they meant by posting on Facebook, emailing me photos of you at your mailbox and even showing them to me in person when I see you. That really means a lot to me and I thought of continuing to write them!

I really enjoy writing those letters so much and hearing from each of you I thought I would do a project where I write one handwritten letter everyday in 2014. I might get more request than one a day, or might not, but I will write at least one letter a day, starting today, in 2014 and am asking for your help.

Do you want a handwritten letter? All you have to do is email me your mailing address at letters@ryanavery.com with a subject that says “I want a letter.” The first 30 people to send me an email at letters@ryanavery.com will be guaranteed to get a letter!

I think there is something special about going to your mailbox and seeing an envelop that has your name printed on it in human handwriting! This will be fun for me and hopefully it is a way I can give back in another way to say thank you for all you do for me!

I hope you are enjoying the start to your week and I look forward to receiving your emails. Remember to sign up for my blog in the top right hand corner of this page via email and continue receiving content focused on leadership, speaking and productivity every Monday and Thursday! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Question: Know someone who could use a letter? Share this article on your social media or via email and let the hand writing begin!

Jun 19

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9 Speaking Tips for Non-Native Speakers

By Ryan Avery Communication 6 Comments

According to the U. S. Census Bureau, there are more than 35 million adults in the United States who are non-native English speakers.

Many of these people are looking for work, to advance in their career and speak up and out for the causes they believe in. Non-native speakers can experience difficulties in developing and delivering their message when speaking to a group of people on stage, in a board room or during one-on-one conversations.

Non-native speakers might hear things like “I don’t understand what you are saying” or “Your accent is too thick” or “It’s hard to focus on what you are saying.” If you are are a non-native speaker who would like to improve the way your message gets translated into minds of those listening to you or you know someone struggling with their accent, here are nine tips you can use to improve the way you communicate:

Record yourself: Take the time to record what you are saying during your next speech or presentation. Then listen to it. Get a friend to listen to it. Identify the words that are hard to hear, understand or process. When you record yourself, you will pick up on things that you might not have noticed before.

Get a partner: Get someone to help you with your 2nd language who you trust. Someone who can call you out when you say a word wrong, aren’t pronouncing things correctly or using the right grammar. A partner can help you advance your communication skills by helping you see and hear the things you are not picking up on.

Be proud of your accent: Many of my non-native speaking clients say, “I need to get rid of my accent.” I think this is the wrong way to look at your voice. You should be proud of your voice and where you come from. You should’t get rid of your accent, you should embrace your accent. Keep the accent but make it so others can understand what you are saying. When you are proud, others will listen. This also will help you build confidence in what you are saying and remind yourself you speak two languages! Not many people can say that!

Be open to feedback: Listen. Listen. Listen. Ask around for feedback. When you are giving a speech or presenting a proposal at work, ask three or four of your colleagues to take notes and give you feedback on specifics you can improve on. Listen to what they say. Be open to asking for feedback anytime you are speaking to get better at communicating.

Find synonyms for words you can’t pronounce: There are words in English I have trouble pronouncing (I am no longer allowed to say prerequisite and familiarity in public). I avoid them at all cost. There are words some people cannot pronounce. You are not alone, just don’t use them! Find words that are similar to them and use those instead.

Speak slower: This is for all speakers and communicators. Slow down! Most of the time you are speaking too fast and it is distracting. It slurs your words together and on top of your accent it can be hard to digest what you are saying. Remember to pause, slow down and enunciate your words.

Practice one letter at a time: Find the letter that is the hardest for you to say (V or R or W or P). Practice just saying those letters over and over again. Pick words that have those letters in them and get your mouth comfortable with finding out how to properly say them without being distracting. Practice one letter at a time.

Find speakers you like: Find speakers who are speaking like you want to be speaking. Find speakers who might even have the same accent as you but are doing it the way you want to. What are they doing to get their message across or communicate in a way that people are focused more on their words than how they say them? Find speakers you like to feel more confident in knowing that if they can do it, so can you!

Practice everyday: Practice. Practice. Practice. Get good at practicing. Remember, how you practice is how you play so use these nine steps everyday to get better at speaking in your non-native language.

Please don’t think you ever need to get rid of your accent, you only need to focus on making sure you are speaking in a way that adds value, people understand what you are saying and enjoying your message. Keep using your voice to make a difference and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

P.S. Know someone, or a group, who could benefit from this article? Share it with them on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn by clicking on one of the buttons below!

Apr 03

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6 Things to Do After You Publish Your First Book

By Ryan Avery Communication, Motivation 9 Comments

My first book arrived on my doorstep and I felt like a stork dropped off a baby! It has a glossy finish, the red cover makes it stand out and when you fan the pages, you can almost taste that “new book” smell!

After my wife and I jumped up and down for a good three minutes, we shared our joy on Facebook and you have been so amazing to share your support. Thank you!

I want to write this article to help published authors, or those looking to publish, know what to do once they get their book in hand so they can sell more copies, help more people and continue to grow as an author.

Here are 6 things to do after you publish your first book

1) Celebrate!
Seriously, this is the first thing you should do. Take time to reflect on what it took to get that book in your hand. Go get a drink. Go get fro-yo. Shoot, go do both! You spent so many months or even years of your life writing, editing, researching for this book, it is now time to go and celebrate with those you love!

2) Send copies to influencers
Before your book comes out, make a list of all the people you know who will be able to help market your book to their lists. Send them a free copy once you receive your book (or ask your publisher to send the copies with a note on their letterhead). Ask them to share it with their fans, friends and/or family to help get word of mouth promotion and social credibility.

3) Get reviews on amazon.com

On a continual basis, have those you know who have enjoyed your book and have reached out to you if they would consider writing a review on amazon.com about the book. The more reviews you have, the more social proof you build for those who don’t know you as an author but are interested in purchasing your book. It just might be the tipping point for them to press buy now!

4) Write handwritten thank you letters
Books are not written alone. In fact publishing one book can take a team of up to fifty people. You can have editors, line-editors, copy-editors, researchers, assistants, agents, publicists, co-authors, marketers, designers and whole lot more people behind the scenes helping to make the book a success. Remember you wouldn’t have a book if it was not for them! Take time to write handwritten letters to everyone who has been part of the team and share with them how thankful you are they were part of the project. Remember to always be building your relationships!

5) Promote it
Before your book launches, you should put together a promotion strategy. How many interviews do you need? How often will you post on social media and what will the content consist of? Are you going to have a giveaway? Multiple giveaways? Can you get on TV, the radio, in your local newspaper? Are you reaching out to companies, organizations and associations who could benefit from your book? Create a strategy that has a pre-launch, first week and post-launch promotion plan.

6) Package a keynote, workshop, community based off of your book
Your book should not stand alone. Create a keynote, workshop or even a community around your book that you can sell, market and help even more people. Don’t let your book be the last interaction they have with you. How can you write a speech that enhances your book but they still want to read it? How can you teach a workshop that teaches what you say in your book but they want to buy a hard copy for their friend, family member or co-worker? How can you build an online community around your book that brings like-minded people together to continue to work on what you are passionate about? Package these items together and promote them on your website, LinkedIn, word of mouth and start serving even more people with your words!

Follow these 6 things to do after you publish your first book and watch your sales go up, your reach broaden and the offers to keynote at conferences come in. Congratulations on your first published book- you are one of 0.05% of American’s who write a book each year! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

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