What is it?
Speak Up & Succeed
Day was created as a way to encourage people to overcome their fear
of public speaking and enhance their communication and presentation
skills. (Communication is the #1-rated skill by employers and a person's
willingness to do public speaking is the #1-predictor for success.)
When is Speak Up & Succeed Day?
Annually taking place on the fourth Tuesday of January.
Who will benefit from Speak Up and Succeed Day?
Every person who chooses to participate in speaking up can benefit from
the boost in self-confidence and self-esteem which accompany tackling a
challenging situation or overcoming a fear. A person's self-confidence
rises higher and faster by learning better communication and
presentation skills than by learning any other skill!
Where will Speak Up & Succeed Day take place? Wherever you
choose! Challenge your professional association, workplace team, or
yourself to tackle your fear of public speaking. Identify a public
speaking opportunity that you would normally avoid and, instead, commit
(or push) yourself to volunteer to speak up.
How can you begin to speak up for greater success? Here
are a few ideas and examples to help you Speak Up & Succeed:
- Be the first to say "Hello" to others
- Initiate questions to stimulate conversation
- Look for opportunities to praise others for good work. (it must be genuine and sincere.)
When the focus is on the actions of someone else, you'll feel less self-conscious.
- Speak up in a positive way at a meeting (PTA, business,
charity, professional association, or social group) even if you simply reinforce an idea with a comment such as, "that's a great suggestion."
- Ask for what you want, politely and in a positive manner when in a difficult customer service situation-- if you let the business know what the problem is, you'll be helping yourself AND the business involved.
- Volunteer to greet people at a meeting or lead a group activity, even if it's only delivering an inspirational
thought, prayer, or bit of appropriate humor
- Encourage your children to order their own meals when dining out; ask at least one question at school each day, and to be the first to have eye contact and say hello to others. Praise them enthusiastically whenever they meet with success!
-
Visit, join or participate at your local Toastmasters Club (www.toastmasters.org
or contact your Chamber of Commerce or Toastmasters International); sign up for a class at your local college or extension campus.
-
As a professional trainer, join and participate in the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD;
www.astd.org)
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If you decide you would like to become a professional speaker, check out the National Speakers Association (NSA;
www.information@nsaspeaker.org)
Why speak up? Speak Up & Succeed Day is for anyone who
recognizes their fear of public speaking is standing in their way to
greater success and would like to transform their fear into excitement
so that they no longer dread speaking up in public. It's also a day for
those who may simply need a personal challenge to take their
communication and presentation skills to the next level.
Take action today and create an opportunity to Speak Up &
Succeed before the end of January and then continue to take positive
steps throughout the year ahead. You won't regret your efforts and
you'll become more confident, more effective, and more successful than
you ever thought possible!
Wishing you only the best of success as you Speak Up & Succeed!
Mary-Ellen Drummond, Founder
Speak Up & Succeed Day!
 Back to the top!
© Mary-Ellen
Drummond
Polished Presentations International, 1999
Author of Fearless and Flawless Public Speaking
P.O. Box 2104, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067
To Email Mary-Ellen:
MEDRUMMOND@aol.com
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