Your Moment in the Spotlight

You can spend all day, maybe all week, getting ready for your moment in the spotlight. That time when the attention of a crowd turns to you and you have a small window to make a big impact.

Waiting for that moment to arrive creates anxiety. And if you let that anxiety show when your moment comes, you’ll waste it. People won't hear your message, they'll only hear your anxiety.

So, as anxious as you feel, and as unexpected as your time to shine hits you, when your moment arrives, you must look and sound effortless.

How do you do that? In my experience you do two things. You make sure you know the facts of the situation, and you make sure your message is directly on point.

And then you practice, practice, practice. So when your time comes you can say what needs to be said, clearly and calmly.

It works for me, whether I have a week, a day, or even five minutes to prepare. Time and again, it works, especially when I only have five minutes to prepare.

So take my advice. When you see your moment approaching, calm down, decide what you need to say, and speak slowly. Far more people will actually hear you.

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This post was written by Eric Lanke, an association executive, blogger and author. For more information, visit www.ericlanke.blogspot.com, follow him on Twitter @ericlanke or contact him at eric.lanke@gmail.com.

Image Source
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/savings/9356262/Rate-alert-the-latest-savings-and-mortgage-deals-put-under-the-spotlight.html