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10:35 PM Nov. 20, 2008 -
0 comments
I enjoyed my time in Spain and had two very good sessions with the Self Storage Association of Spain doing "Inside the renter's mind" and " Sales 101". I got a very good reception and even a few laughs from the audience. Tron |
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12:38 PM Aug. 14, 2008 -
3 comments
If you hit Chicago just right in the summer, you can get some beautiful weather. It is also interesting to see the tourists on the move on Michigan Ave. I don't know how all the businesses in the tourist area are doing this year, but the place sure seems to be bustling. |
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3:47 PM Jul. 17, 2008 -
4 comments
I had a client tell me that she thought our knock knock jokes were unprofessional. This is the first comment like that I have gotten. most people are relieved to not get the usual boring music and messages. I know it has helped keep people on hold. i know many people make a positive comment when we talk to them. I hope I can convince them that corny knock knock jokes make for good marketing... Tron |
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10:24 PM Jul. 15, 2008 -
1 comments
Filed under: Self StorageI went down to the water to visit the beach people today. I am staying near the Dana Point campground in southern California. There are a lot of people cramped into the camping area by the beach and they all look like they are enjoying themselves. They are enjoying what little bit of natural beauty is left here. But I did notice that they all have a lot of gear. They probably keep all of their gear in a self storage unit while they are a their regular lives between beach trips. That makes senese, doesn't it? |
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7:44 AM Jun. 28, 2008 -
1 comments
I felt like we had a good week in the call center. We did not get the kind of rental demand i would have liked, but we had strong answer rates. I heard a lot of good attitude from the reps. even though storage unit rentals are down. Many of the newer trainees are really starting to sound good. I look forward to another good week.
Tron
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6:35 AM Apr. 8, 2008 -
1 comments
Professional Speaker Commercialize, commercialize and commercialize! The key to success as a professional speaker depends on how efficaciously you market yourself. For instance, in the beginning of any new business at least eighty percent of your time needs to be spent on selling so your target market recognize you. One of the first steps is to establish your target market. You've built up your saleable speech and subjects (not several of them). What group or groups would profit the most from picking up your message and would be likely prefer to hear your message? To build your believability, you can give a few free demonstrations to these groups. I'd advice, however, that these demonstrations wrap up the topic and or subjects you speak about. Once you speak free of charge, demand for a testimonial letter that you'll be able to use in your marketing packet. Highlight the most essential and shining words as you make copies of it. Written words has incredible strength. As you start climbing up the ladder, the necessity of you having a short and effective video of you speaking will arise. You will find more tapes and information on how to approach this in the National Speakers Association. They also have great marketing ideas to present your self as a professional speaker. The presentations and workshops which are provided by the Been There Done That (BTDT) professional speakers who belong to the organization are priceless. It is a good idea to get a website. The site doesn’t have to be too flashy but simple, just to highlight you and your professionalism. Try to create your own product and sell them. Most of the fulltime professional speakers earn by selling products. It is not necessary to always go to multinational company and present yourself. This can be at one corner of your room in front of the mirror, at small trade-shows, during catalogues and/or publications, and on the Internet. Many professional speaker of today used to buy second hand products and sell them to audiences by delivering attractive speech about the use of the products. Reflect on fees. It will be completely meaning less to say that professional speakers earns only a lump-sum of money just for their leaving. In fact they earn “big truck”. However, this is not always the case in the beginning as a professional speaker, with the rise of the experience the charge raises. It is always a good idea for a beginner to charge less than you’re worth and let the 2nd party feel it’s a good deal. Study on speakers’ agents and bureaus. It is necessary to keep knowledge about the speakers’ agents and bureaus. They are like banks. Practically they do not want you until you need them. It’s like when you are famous they frequently come to you. Be very alert here. Sadly, there’re many crooked headed people whom you will face as a professional speaker who are willing to represent you even if they have never heard your speech. When you find someone saying they have a bureau and are an agent, but require money “up-front” to comprise you in a brochure or directory, simply run the other way. |
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9:05 AM Mar. 21, 2008 -
2 comments
Professional Speaker Speaking in front of the public builds confidence. It can be a meeting, a conference, a debate, or even a speech on the street to the general public. When you practice the excitement of controlling an audience in the palm of your hand and obtain their thankful appreciation your self-confidence rises. This is only possible when you prove yourself to be a professional speaker. In business, whether one speaks for a free or for a fee, speaking like a professional speaker and presenting oneself aids to achieve the purpose of positioning themselves as an expert in their field and it leads to potential joint-ventures and new customers. If you really want to be a professional speaker then there are many techniques that you can try to increase their speaking proficiency. Some of these are listed below: - Find a companion – create friendship with other speakers who are at an equivalent level like you. This will help you to share questions, frustrations, ideas, and wins with them.
- Find an advisor – Try to find out a professional speaker who is already mastered at this field and is eager to give you an hour a month for around 6 months. Make a schedule before each time you meet your advisor, and before the mentoring begins set up your goal and recompense them with your loyalty, honesty, and whenever you have an opportunity advance them to others.
- Form a group – Make a group with 3 to 4 other new speakers, who’re ready to meet every month to support each other in the long run to become a successful professional speaker, share learning, provide tips, and brainstorm ideas. It is better to plan your meeting to occur before your monthly NSA (National Speakers Association) meeting.
- Stay in touch with speakers you respect – Write, phone, or email to speakers you like and tell them you want to learn from them and you’re new. They are mostly eager to share their information with you, give you time, and provide advice.
- Be present at all NSA meetings – to develop your skills make a habit to be present at these meetings every month. It helps to represent you to talented professional speakers, meet people who are achieving their speaking goals and build relationships with people in your industry. It is also a good idea to combine this with a vacation to an overseas destination.
Professional speaking increases your self-esteem. Once you see the audiences speak about you as someone who actually knows what you’re talking about your self-esteem boosts-up. It gives you a positive image in the eye of audiences. Even if, in giving formal presentations, you never use your professional speaking skills, people will still take notice of the fact that you’re more confident and fluent in sharing an insight or expressing an opinion. As you start using the ability concerned in professional speaking you will notice that you eventually start talking to yourself in a more positive way. You begin to see yourself as confident and capable. |
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8:13 AM Mar. 11, 2008 -
1 comments
Professional speaker If you look for a speaker, you will find a lot of people around. Actually almost all human beings are speakers to some extent. But if you look for a professional speaker who can convince an audience; you will find a few. Most of these few will charge you a lot. This means, it is worthwhile to become a successful professional speaker. So, what do the professional speakers do that most of us do not? Well, they deliver a smooth speech, control audience, generate enthusiasm or interests and most importantly, prepare the right speech for the right group of audience. Additionally, professional speakers are thought-provoking and action-oriented. Now the question is; how you can polish yourself as a professional speaker and become successful in the coming days. Here are few tips: 1. Always take strategic decision when you are planning the speech. For example, at first ask yourself what is your aim and then proceed. Remember, a well prepared speech makes things easy like anything. 2. Try to arrange regular speaking occasions. There is no doubt that regular professional speaking increases self-esteem of the speakers. The more you speak in public, the more confident you become. 3. Be thought-provoking and action-oriented. It has been seen that speakers who are thought-provoking and action-oriented do really well in their career. 4. If you are new in the industry, find a good mentor who can give valuable advices. Learn the ins and outs of professional speaking from them. Have regular contact with them. 5. Try to analysis, during the delivery of the speech, whether the audience likes your speech or not. 6. Once you feel that the audience likes your speech, your self-esteem boosts-up. And if you feel that you need to divert your speech a little, do that. 7. Build your standard. Setting up professional standards is the main key in becoming famous in the field. Try to be unique. Follow certain style. 8. Understand your audience. There are many types of people that you have to deliver lectures to. Identify their attitude, needs, perception in advance and find the best way to make them understand the topic. For instance, people with low level of education will like easy and common words rather then hefty vocabularies. 9. Be loud and clear. Make sure that everyone in the audience can hear and understand you. Consider the fact that in a room full of people, everyone might not be with the same capturing quality. 10. Become a great storyteller. People like stories. If you can deliver your speech like a story, people will find it interesting and will never lose interest. 11. Deliver your speech in a soothing way. It is a natural human instinct that any speech sounds good, if told in a soothing pace. 12. Keep good relations with agents and bureaus. These agents and bureaus will connect you with organizations searching for professional speakers. Keeping regular contact with them will bring you offers from various fields. Becoming a professional speaker is not an easy job; but it is not something impossible to accomplish. If you are determined to become one, you certainly will. Good wishes. |
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2:15 PM Mar. 4, 2008 -
1 comments
I came across these good tips on becoming a Professional Speaker Becoming a professional speaker is no walk in the park. Determination, hard work and creativity are required; not to mention willingness. Here are some tips that will certainly help you in becoming a good and articulate professional speaker: - Prepare yourself. Before stepping into a conference hall or before entering a seminar, prepare well. Do not try to speak without preparation. If possible, give several demo speeches in advance. Figure out the faults and eliminate them in the final show.
- Research. Research is a vital thing for the professional speakers. Without a through research, you are basically in nowhere. Once you know the topic that you will be speaking in your next session, carry out a research. In times, you will feel that you already know a lot; do research there as well. A complete research will form the basic platform.
- Always try to deliver a salable speech. Do not try to talk about something which is in no interest to the audience. Talk about something that the audience has interest on. Pick most happening topics. In times, when you are giving a speech that is rather complicated, tell stories in between.
- Focus your attention on the audience. Focusing is the key to become a professional speaker. The more you will focus, the more you will convince the audience. Your extra focus will retain audience’s interest as well.
- Keep in mind that, one of the main objectives of a speaker is to fill the needs of the audiences. Therefore, have some backup plans. Try to be flexible. Change your speech according to the audience’s attitude and feedback.
- Always try to improve yourself. Do not fell reluctant once you fell that you are a good professional speaker. There are always rooms of improvements so you better find that out.
- Form a group. Create a speaking group with other speakers, who are ready to help and be helped. Share learning experience, tips and ideas. Meet regularly.
- Stay in touch with speakers those you really respect. Write to them, phone them or email them and tell them that you want to learn from them. Most of them will show eagerness in sharing their information with you. Utilize that.
- Track down affricative agents and bureaus. It is necessary to keep track of the agents and bureaus. They will not want to promote you until you face them. It is like; when you are famous they frequently come to you and vise versa. These agents and bureaus will connect you with organizations searching for professional speakers. Unfortunately, there are many crooked headed people whom you will face. They will be willing to represent you even if they have never heard your speech before. Avoid such agents. For example, when you find someone saying, they have a bureau and require money “up-front” to comprise you in a brochure or directory, simply run in the other way.
I wish you all the success and hope that you become a famous professional speaker in no time. |
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11:04 AM Feb. 27, 2008 -
1 comments
Here are some good tips I picked up.....
Professional Speaker To develop personal success rate and business success stories, it is necessary to be able to speak and present in front of an audiences. However, there are only a few people who can get personal assistance or an advisor for presenting and speaking in public; in most of the time, she /he has to do it by herself / himself. Hence learning how to connect with an audience, even if the number is 4000 to 10000 people in the hall room or at any event like teleconference is quite important to gain personal and business success. Being able to deliver a clear and inspiring message is the perfect way to build your brand image and reputation. It is necessary to always remember to deliver a salable speech. If you focus well, then you will find that there are many questions that you can actually ask to yourself. For example, how am I unique than others? What is my passion? What are the special talents that I have and can use when presenting a speech? What are the compliments that I want to here from my audiences when I present speech in front of them as a professional speaker? Why is the purpose for me being hired instead of someone else? What are the unique techniques that I can use to customize my presentation for different organizations? What value added content will I give? - All these questions will help you to find all your need. Additionally, it is always a good idea to limit the number of topics when giving speeches. Build yourself up as a speaker. Generally there are three basic stages that professional speakers go through. The fresh beginner is mostly concerned with what he or she is going to deliver in front of the audiences. In addition, whether or not they will be able of say exactly what they planned to. The speakers should always keep in mind, that the audience does not know what you planned to say and what you forgot during the speech. After passing the beginning stage when you reach to advance level, they are most likely to be concerned with how you are progressing. For instance, think about, ‘what does the audience think of me, my speech and my performance as a whole?’ Also thing about, ‘are they getting the correct message from this presentation or not?’ ‘Will it make any difference in their lives?’ If you want to earn a lot of money by becoming a efficient professional speaker than it is essential to pre-plan on how you want your image to build up to your audiences and customers. After building self esteem, you can either go for a commercial advertisement, which is more “dignity maintainable”, or you can simply create your own website and slowly improve your site once you become famous. You can also go for speakers’ agents and bureaus. Some times they are very helpful recourse to build up your career image as professional speaker. But once you become a professional they can become very painful! So get rid of them, when the time comes. |
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3:11 PM Feb. 21, 2008 -
1 comments
Professional Speaker We human beings are always attracted to those speakers who are action-oriented and thought-provoking. It is in our nature that we only give importance to the renowned speakers who have achieved local and international identification as professional speaker in their respected fields; may it be technology business or society. This article is for you; if you wish to become one professional speaker. There are in point of fact, many tips and strategies that enable people to be a professional speaker. There are guides to make their dream come true. But it is certain that they have to stick with their goals. Below are some techniques that will help you to improve your speaking career and will lead you to be a professional speaker in a short time: - Improve yourself! You should try to speak three times a week, even if you have been practiced speaking in front of the audiences for awhile and received compliments. This basically improves your speaking, improves your own level of confidence, and of course, increases self esteem. - In speaking profession there is more competition in today’s world than there has been ever before. So joining a Toast-masters International group will get you a chance to practice speaking once every week in front of a large number of audiences. Try to present yourself at a conference and volunteer for that — either at local or International Conference, at Toast-masters’ or at some other reputed organizations. This will increase your level of experience and will develop your future preparation. Continuing academic/professional education classes is another place to test your skills. You can present your speeches at colleges or at local schools. - Be a member in National Speakers Association (N.S.A.). This is an institute for Professional speakers. You can easily know their entry requirement needed to become a member by accessing their website. Across the nation there are many chapters where you can belong on an associate basis. And if you are looking for an advisor then NSA is the perfect place for you. NSA helps your to learn the cost and benefits of becoming a professional speaker, in addition it also teaches you how to market yourself. Just keep in mind that setting professional standards is the key to becoming a professional speaker. -Always take strategic decision when planning. At first ask yourself what is your aim. Which means do you want to speak part time or full time? Do you prefer giving keynotes, seminars, or workshops? If you fail to find out the differences then you should consider the fact that you are not ready yet. -Most of the professional speakers prefer workshops, because the participants are willing to make more changes than those who attend an all day seminar without a motivational keynote and experience. - Are you willing become a regional, international, or national speaker? No matter what you chose, all have some advantages and disadvantages. Be present at as many presentations as you can and speak to the presenters. I wish you all the success |
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10:42 AM Jan. 25, 2008 -
2 comments
Why not have a space for self storage porfessionals and cusotemrs to discuss issues and concerns? It also seems like a good place to brag on ourselves and our stores. What do you think? Tron |
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