The speaking business has evolved over the years and now requires advanced study for the highest fees. Unless you’re a celebrity, you’d better be studying books beyond Think and Grow Rich and How to Win Friends and Influence People. Today’s million-dollar speaker must be well versed on a number of subjects in order to please the increasingly demanding customer of 2013 and beyond. Watch this short post I taped in San Jose, Costa Rica for the short list of what the richest speakers are now studying.
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Great information Steve. Thanks for keeping us up to date on what the top speakers are studying. I don’t know if I would have thought to study those topics as an aspiring speaker. It’s a good thing I enjoy learning about them anyway. Then it doesn’t seem so much like work.
Finally, a breath of fresh air. Somebody who actually speaks the truth that this business requires serious effort to build and scale up. Becoming an overnight success takes years or decades of diligent work. If it was easy, everyone would do it and it wouldn’t pay well.
Thanks Steve, another great reminder that speakers need to constantly be learning and updating their knowledge, skills and abilities. One area I am learning in Social Media and how to use it. It seems to fit directly into all of the topic area you mentioned in your blog.
I agree with you now that you mention it – but I wouldn’t have thought of it if you hadn’t mentioned it. For example, I think it would be important to be up to date on current events like the recent Tornado in Oaklahoma and how that will affect the people and their ability to rebuild their lives. It certainly will take Mental Toughness and Resilience. Dana
Hi Steve–I agree 100%! Not only for our business life but our personal development as well. In todays world with the most inane and useless stuff that most of the TV stations have on it is even easier to put that aside and build our minds, and spirits! What amazes me the most is that with the availability of more human knowledge than we have ever had access to in our history—- accessible at the touch of our fingers– the average person does not have the equivalent of a 10th grade education a mere 20 years ago! Have you ever asked a public high school student any history questions?? It is the way it is– and for me that is a fantastic opportunity as we who strive for more knowledge will keep standing out above the crowds. Personally I have studied the U.S. Constitution much harder than I did in school, not only for my personal knowledge but also because I felt I have no right to complain about things being the way they are without a deeper understanding of the founding of our country. I am re-reading Psycho-Cybernetics and it seems more relevant than when it was written in the 60’s.
My work here in Costa Rica and being part of this countries growth and change has been fantastic. To watch a country elevate itself out of 3rd world status has been an experience I will never forget and I am so glad I chose to leave the mundane and everyday experiences I had been living in favor of a relevant and exciting lifestyle! Thanks for the reminder Steve!
Gill Phelan
Steve,
great topic, especially for an European. I was still lucky enough to go to school in the ’60, when we really had to learn European history, politics and economics, from Egypt, thru Greece, Roman, all the Middle Ages, French Revolution through WWI and WWII. Additionally we had to study geography and philosophy for the same time periods.
So keeping up with current political and economic news in a European setting, with so many states in such a small area, becomes second nature and survival mode. Now, living in the US for over 30 years, one just can’t shut off this thirst for knowledge of current events.
Thru my restaurant I have met MANY people, who had not even a basic understanding of any of these topics, which is really sad, as they will make all kind of life decisions based on emotion and not facts.
Thanks for keeping us on our toes.
Mike
Steve,
great topic, especially for an European. I was still lucky enough to go to school in the ’60, when we really had to learn European history, politics and economics, from Egypt, thru Greece, Roman, all the Middle Ages, French Revolution through WWI and WWII. Additionally we had to study geography and philosophy for the same time periods.
So keeping up with current political and economic news in a European setting, with so many states in such a small area, becomes second nature and survival mode. Now, living in the US for over 30 years, one just can’t shut off this thirst for knowledge of current events.
Thru my restaurant I have met MANY people, who had not even a basic understanding of any of these topics, which is really sad, as they will make all kind of life decisions based on emotion and not facts.
Thanks for keeping us on our toes.
Mike
I recall from Steve 10 segment Public Speaking course the emphasis that was placed on the necessity of creating a demand for one’s speaking ability by becoming an accomplished writer in one’s own right and thus creating a demand for one’s speaking talent as well. That is what I seek to do; I have just completed a manuscript and am currently exploring publication options. I know that there is a sales/marketing process involved in stimulatiing acceptance and popularity in new publication efforts-particularly in the case of novice efforts such as mine. It seems possible that the effort to both generate sales for a new publication, as well as the effort to generate recognition, acceptance, and popularity as an accomplished public speaker are and can be mutually-supporting. I shall attempt to do both through my own efforts.
Speakers need to constantly be learning and updating their knowledge, skills and abilities. One area I am learning in Social Media and how to use it. It seems to fit directly into all of the topic area you mentioned in your blog.