Friday, July 20, 2007

What's Peter reading now?

Hi Everyone,

It's time for my quarterly "what's Peter reading" e-mail.

I'm currently reading...
- Hit Me With Your Best Shot by Jackie Kallen
- Sport Marketing by Bernard Mullin
- The Public Image of Henry Ford by David Lewis
- The Most Evil Secret Societies in History by Shelley Klein
- Hypnotic Writing by Joe Vitale
- Selling the Dream by Guy Kawasaki

As I get ready for my next venture...the information in these books is proving priceless.

If you're thinking of starting a new business, you need to check out a great website I just came across here.

Enjoy!

Until next time...
Peter
http://www.peterwink.com/

PS...I've already taped my first video blog and its available here.

If you like the free articles on this blog or find them helpful, let Peter know by buying him his all-time favorite gift - an Amazon gift certificate. Just click here!

All writings here are copyrighted by Peter Wink and Peterwink.com. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

11 reasons people fear speaking to large groups!



Hi Everyone,

Before, I go too far, realize that you are a successful public speaker. Let's make a quick distiction. We are all public speakers. We all speak outside our homes in mixed company. So yes, you are a public speaker and probably do not fear it much now, do you?

So, what you may fear, like many others, is speaking in front of large groups about a specific topic. Personally, I really enjoy speaking to large groups. Maybe it's ego, vanity, or just knowing that I have the attention of so many people for a short time. Ok, it's probably ego.

At the same time, I always speak on topics near and dear to me and understand them backward and forward.

So it always puzzles me why so many people are afraid to get up and speak in front of others.

I recently came across 11 common causes of public speaking stress - and they seem dead on from what people are always telling me...
- They believe public speaking is simply inherently stressful. (It's actually quite relaxing, even fun, when you get the hang of it.)
- Worried they need to be brilliant or perfect to succeed. (I haven't met anyone I would ever deem brilliant and certainly not perfect!)
- Trying to impart too much information or cover too many points in a short presentation. (Presentations should only cover a few points at the most, or you lose people.)
- They may have the wrong purpose in mind. (You always need to be clear about what you're speaking about and what you plan to get out of it.)
- They try to please everyone. (This will never happen. Just make sure you're audience even wants to here what you have to say or you may as well go home.)
- Some try to emulate other speakers rather than simply being themselves. (Being unique is a key to individual speaking success.)
- Some believe they are failing to be personally revealing and humble. (A few personal stories is good if it supports your topic. This adds more credibility to what your speaking about.)
- Many people are fearful of potential negative outcomes. (Most people will not give you enough attention for anything bad to happen. It's important to know your audience's hot buttons/issues and work with them. Remember, "This too shall come to pass.")
- Some try to control the behavior of their audience. (Some audiences will be better than others. At the end of the day you cannot control anything in this world!)
- Some spend too much time overpreparing instead of developing confidence and trust in their natural ability to influence. (If you know what you're talking about, this should not be an issue!)
- A lot of people think the audience will be overly critical of their performance. (Believe me, most people won't notice your minor slip ups and of those who do...few will care. We're all human right?)

Good points huh? Did you notice most are fear-based? Never let fear cloud a performance. Have fun and practice. And most of all...know your topic and know your audience! In time, you will come to love speaking in front of large groups!

Until next time...
Peter
http://www.peterwink.com/

PS...I've already taped my first video blog and its available here.

If you like the free articles on this blog or find them helpful, let Peter know by buying him his all-time favorite gift - an Amazon gift certificate. Just click here!

All writings here are copyrighted by Peter Wink and Peterwink.com. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts.

Monday, July 02, 2007

Patton's one minute message on eliminating fear!

Hi Everyone,

As you may already know, I'm a student of one of the greatest leaders ever to grace our planet...General George S. Patton!



I was reading a passage from one of his speeches that was so profound, I had to share it with you. It's called...Do Not Take Counsel of Your Fears!

He said...

"Although this may seem like a repeat of the "do not fear failure" maxim, it's vastly different in meaning and context. What this means is not to let your fears dictate your actions. If you fear that something might happen and you react to that fear and plan according to it, you are letting the fear control your actions and write your orders. At that point, you are no longer in control. Fear has taken control, and will make you do many stupid, irresponsible, and foolish things. If, however, you don't take counsel of your fears, you can make your own plans according to your own goals and objectives. Don't let yourself be fooled into fighting against fear instead of fighting against the enemy."

Need me or George say more?

For more of George S. Patton's one minute messages, you can purchase "Patton's One Minute Messages" here.

Until next time...
Peter
http://www.peterwink.com/

PS...I've already taped my first video blog and its available here.

If you like the free articles on this blog or find them helpful, let Peter know by buying him his all-time favorite gift - an Amazon gift certificate. Just click here!