#1093 Who not How

There are how-to's out the wazoo! You can learn anything if you have a phone or computer and access to YouTube.

That's great if you want to miter some molding or weave a basket out of straw, but think "Who-to," not How-to for business advancement.

Dr. Rob Gilbert is my mentor in the speaking business. An experienced speaker, Rob shaved five years off my learning curve by relating real-life, tried and true techniques for relating well to any audience and finding my footing on stage.

The Amazing Jane Atkinson is my coach. She has 30 years as a speaker's coach and has clients who, under her tutelage, went from free gigs at the local Kiwanis club to $30,000 for a 50-minute keynote address. By connecting with Jane, I benefitted from her expertise and got connected with dozens of other speakers in various stages of their speaking careers. My presentation style, format, content, and collateral were all developed using Jane's lessons and their triumphs and failures.

I researched, read, and watched videos, which was all constructive. Still, my association with Rob, Jane, and all the speakers I met through Jane moved me further and faster than if I'd been an Evelen Wood speed reader living in a library filled with "How to be a Great Speaker" books.

Go ahead and read "How-to" books. I do; I even wrote one on how to sell and communicate better, but for accelerated advancement, remember to look for your Who-To's to share their How-To's and, equally as important, their "How-Not-To's so that their hindsight can be your foresight.