that door quickly closed on me. “Speaking is Selling” is not only about opening doors, it’s about being able to walk through them and into the life you desire and deserve. Good luck living your dreams.
Craig Valentine
1999 World Champion of Public Speaking and Author of World Class Speaking
-PART 1-
Your mother provided you invaluable
insights into the framework, structure,
and mindset that are required to
support your path to success.
You ARE a
Speaker and a
Sales person!
No, that’s not right.
Everyone knows that speaking
is one of the top 3 fears most
people have
and
I would NEVER be a
salesperson. I can’t sell and I
really don’t like salespeople.
If you can open your mouth, move your lips and tongue, and force air past your vocal cords GUESS WHAT . . . .
You are a Speaker
You may not have stood up in front of a large audience, but you have spoken. You are a speaker, and you deliver important messages every day.
I have talked with Corporate Executives, School Teachers, and Salespeople who claim: “I am not a Speaker and I could never be a Public Speaker.”
Well, that’s just ridiculous; you are speaking ALL the time.
Why not acknowledge it, improve it, and become more effective at something you do EVERY DAY?
Your Success Depends on It
Regardless of what job you do, your ability to clearly communicate information and motivate people to take some form of action will determine your success.
It is hard to argue that you are not a speaker.
Okay, but I will NEVER be a Salesperson
Somewhere along the line, being a Salesperson got a bad rap.
Maybe it was Infomercials, the stereotypical “Used Car Salesperson”, or someone who was just too pushy, but something caused you to believe:
I don’t want to be a salesperson
I am not a salesperson
I don’t like selling
I could never sell
The reality is that:
You are selling EVERY TIMEYou say ANYTHING.
Unless you are talking about the weather or discussing last night’s reality TV, you are selling something when you speak.
You started selling the minute you learned to talk.
Your initial attempts at selling occurred when you asked for something (selling the idea that you needed it).
Sometimes you were successful, sometimes not . . .
Did your mother ever ask:
“Do you REALLY need another cookie?”
You made what you thought was a compelling argument as to WHY you would simply DIE if you didn’t have one more.
Apparently I started flexing my speaking skills early.
Did it work?
The older you got, the better you got at selling your ideas, desires, and plans.
Think of all the ideas you sold before you were 16 years old:
The case for that new pair of designer jeans or shoes.
The case for spending the weekend with friends (it’s okay their parents know about it)
The reason you NEED a car
The justification for bad grades (the teacher was bad).
Washing the car should be worth at LEAST $15
Each of these and thousands more were your first attempts at Selling Ideas and Concepts through your Speaking Skills.
You learned how to speak AND sell, at the same time.
Every week I have an opportunity to work with incredible Trainers, Speakers, Coaches, Salespeople, and Executives. Many of them will tell me “I just don’t like Selling” or “I’m not good at Selling”.
In the end, it is that belief that keeps them from achieving everything they could. It’s not that they can’t sell; the issue is they don’t BELIEVE they can sell.
Take a look at what you are already selling:
Trainers—You are selling new ideas, techniques, and concepts all day long, not to mention the need for continued learning.
Educators (at any level) – You are selling the importance of new information, techniques, skills, and the importance of practicing those skills.
Speakers—Every time you are in front of an audience you are selling yourself, your message, and some course of action.
Salespeople – You are selling products and services to your customers.
Coaches – You are selling your services, your ideas, and the need for continued development and improvement.
Executives—You are selling business plans, objectives, company standards, policies to your employees, the company image, products and services, to those inside and outside your business.
If you were not already selling, you would not have your job because you would not be able to achieve the most basic objectives of your position.
You are already a Speaker and Salesperson
When will you become a GREAT SPEAKER AND SALESPERSON?
When I look back at the early days of my career, I would have told you that I would NEVER be a salesperson. What I have come to realize is that I have always been a salesperson.
By the time you were 16 your mother had already given you all of the insights you needed to be successful as a Speaker and Salesperson.
These simple timeless truths are often forgotten.
This book is for YOU, the person who speaks to others and sells ideas, concepts, products, and services to THEM.
For purposes of this book, “them” is whoever you are talking to which includes any and all of the following: