I remember my very first speaking engagement. I was excited but also a little nervous. I was faced with some of the common fears everyone experiences. Even though we may know that many of our fears are most likely not ever going to actually happen, they still have a way of trying to take center stage right before we get on stage.

The sound crew had put my microphone (lavaliere) on. I was pacing back and forth, with a few minutes still left to go, so I decided to visit the men's restroom. When I came out, I realized that my microphone had been and still was live and that all that business in the restroom had echoed throughout the whole audience. Another time, I had to give a very long presentation. I was getting toward the end without incident but still had quite a bit to go. I was feeling fatigued, so I paused to take a drink of water.

Well, to make a long story short, the liquid went down the wrong pipe and in a coughing, gasping spasm, I sprayed the whole front row with water. And yes, in regards to the classic speaker's screw-up, I have tripped and fallen on my face. My point in sharing these personal bloopers with you is to help you see that even when you make mistakes, it's OK. In spite of the momentary mortification, it's a learning experience. You will get past it, and believe it or not, it is something that later you will very likely actually find humorous. Better yet, it provides you with humorous presentation examples the next time you're in front of an audience, just as I'm doing right now.

If you're serious about being the best you can possibly be, you owe it to yourself to really take ownership of where you're at and where you're headed. To accomplish this objective, put yourself in the seat of an audience member. Do you have any irritating body language? How is your vocal projection? Do you need to sound more animated? All in all, are you someone you would want to listen to for any period of time?

Additionally, it is important to read relevant books, attend enrichment seminars, listen to cutting-edge audio programs, etc. In a nutshell, immerse yourself in the world in which you want to excel. This kind of intense focus will yield vast improvement in your persuasive capabilities. Lastly, always remember that improvement is a process. While you will have "aha!" moments, where something will suddenly click, your complete transformation will not happen overnight. Stretch yourself, but be realistic.

Often, honing a new skill is like exercising for the first time after a five-year hiatus. That is, there's some definite discomfort at first. Developing public speaking and presentation skills is no different. After you start mastering those skills, it feels great. But how do you get to that point? You've really got to treat yourself as a do-it-yourself. A simple strategy is to videotape yourself when you speak. As tedious or even painful as it may be to do so, you will gain valuable insights from watching yourself, insights that can be harnessed in no other way. Feedback from any other source will be helpful, but it will always be secondhand.

Learning how to persuade and influence will make the difference between hoping for a better income and having a better income. Beware of the common mistakes presenters and persuaders commit that cause them to lose the deal. Get your free report 10 Mistakes That Continue Costing You Thousands and explode your income today.

Conclusion

Persuasion is the missing puzzle piece that will crack the code to dramatically increase your income, improve your relationships, and help you get what you want, when you want, and win friends for life. Ask yourself how much money and income you have lost because of your inability to persuade and influence. Think about it. Sure you've seen some success, but think of the times you couldn't get it done. Has there ever been a time when you did not get your point across? Were you unable to convince someone to do something? Have you reached your full potential? Are you able to motivate yourself and others to achieve more and accomplish their goals? What about your relationships? Imagine being able to overcome objections before they happen, know what your prospect is thinking and feeling, feel more confident in your ability to persuade. Professional success, personal happiness, leadership potential, and income depend on the ability to persuade, influence, and motivate others.