The Message of You

Your greatest speech has already been delivered in front of a live audience.

Your greatest speech has already been delivered in front of a live audience. Discover your unique message. Your life experiences, both personal and professional, have formed a narrative that is your Message of You. This message is often invisible to us, but it's what makes people want to listen. To uncover it, examine your life journey, successes, and failures. Ask friends and family what they've learned from you and what stories you tell repeatedly. Your Message of You is not just about you – it's about how your experiences can inspire and help others. Qualify as an expert. While your personal story is important, you also need professional credentials to establish expertise. These can include traditional qualifications like degrees or job experience, but also non-traditional ones like overcoming adversity or unique life experiences. The key is to show how your journey qualifies you to speak on your topic and help others.

You've got exactly one minute to win over your audience, otherwise you'll be spending the next twenty-nine or fifty-nine minutes in a flop sweat, frantically tap-dancing your way through the awkward and painful silence of a hostile room. Know your audience intimately. Before your speech, research your audience thoroughly. Call the event organizer and ask about the audience demographics, their challenges, and what happens before your speech. Interview a few audience members to understand their specific problems and frustrations. This research will help you customize your speech and connect with the audience from the first minute. Address their problems. Use the information you've gathered to speak directly to your audience's concerns. Show that you understand their challenges and can relate to them. This creates trust and makes the audience more receptive to your message. Remember, it's not about you – it's about them and how you can help solve their problems.

Your Core Promise is a succinct, one- or two-sentence statement that includes the problem your speech will address and the solution you will present to your audience. Develop your Core Promise. This is the foundation of your speech, combining your audience's problem, your expertise, and your solution. Use this formula: "You know how... (insert your audience)" "... have this problem, they... (insert problem)" "From my experiences... (insert professional experience)" "As well as... (insert personal experiences)" "I show the audience how they can... (insert the expected results)" "By... (insert your solution or methodology)" Make it relevant and impactful. Your Core Promise should directly address one of the three big problems that motivate audiences: wealth, health, or relationships. Make sure your promise is specific, achievable, and based on your real-life experiences and expertise.