As many of you know this past week has been National Clown Week.

Just kidding – Most of you have no idea that it was national clown week.

It’s the year 2018 and I’ve been become known to many as a speaker and a trainer and spend most of my time in front of the classroom or an audience. I have spent most of my life on stage.

However, you might be surprised to know that, from 1990 to 2000, I toured the world as a professional clown.

Those days were some of the best days of my life. I truly had a tremendous passion for being clown. It is the greatest job in the world…making people smile and laugh is a perfect way to make a living!

Those days of wearing the big red nose the orange wig the colorful outfits and, naturally the big shoes, taught me a lot about what I use in business today.  While I loved doing the shows, I knew that to be in “Show Biz”, I would also have to do the business of selling my performances!

I needed to be hired.

So, every day I practiced, practiced, practiced. And, when I was done, I practiced some more. I brought myself up to what I believed was a professional level.

Soon I was able to catch the attention and sell myself to the New York Yankees. I became the head entertainer for all the Yankees events performing for the players and their families.

Working with the Yankees brought me something even more exciting. My name was getting out there and people were really enjoying what I was doing.

Like a dream come true, I was recognized for my talents and I was asked to represent the United States at the International Clown Festival in Nagasaki, Japan.

What an honor.

I got to share the stage with performers from all over the globe – Russia – England – Argentina – Belgium – Germany – Holland – Canada.  It was a great experience and something I will never forget.  I also learned some valuable lessons from that experience.

I was somebody from New Jersey heading for my first time to perform in Japan.

Boy did it make me nervous.

Why?

Plain and simple, I didn’t speak Japanese.

What was I going to do? What was my show going to be like?  How am I going to perform in front of these people?

It was there I learned a great lesson that I have carried with me through my business and public speaking career and a lesson I want to share with you!

You don’t have to say a thing to make an impression on your audience.

In preparing for Japan, I learned the power of non-verbal skills and how to communicate with an audience without saying a single word. You see, as clown, when you have an audience of anywhere from 500 to 1000 people, you must learn how to appear bigger than life.

You must stand out simply because everyone is paying attention to you

The same goes when you’re a speaker… you must to be bigger than life.

You’re on the stage and everyone is paying attention to you.

Well, you better hope they are. If they’re not, you’re certainly not doing your job well and will soon lose your audience.

A Speakers Nightmare!

Whether you’re a clown, speaker or trainer or just someone in front of an audience, there are certain things you must remember to get your message across.

• A public speaker should appear “bigger than life.” (This has to do with demeanor, using space, stage presence and an inner mind-set.)
• Members of an audience will size you up from the moment they see you and decide, at least subconsciously, if you’re worth listening to or watching.

Here are some of my tips on how to make yourself bigger than life by using non-verbal skills.

GESTURES

Your hands can be a great tool for getting a point across. Learning to use your hands for emphasis is invaluable to a speaker.

• Gestures can be used to emphasize the main points of your presentation.
• Good gestures allow your audience to better follow your presentation and to follow your train of thought.
• Gestures may be used to involve your audience in what you’re saying. (Gestures Add Impact to the Presentation)

EYE CONTACT

• Eye contact forms a very personal bond with another person.
• It’s essential for establishing good rapport with an audience.
• Looking down and glancing around gives the impression of being scared and not wanting to be there.

FACIAL EXPRESSIONS

Proper facial expression will add emphasis to all presentations and are one of the biggest components of non-verbal skills.

As a clown, one of the first things you learn to work on is how to have an expressive face that works for you.  Your face must be welcoming to your audience.

When applying clown make up, you are taught to look in the mirror and make silly faces and so you can see which part of your face moves the most.  Your eyes? Cheeks? Mouth? Does your forehead have its own personality?

Certainly, as speaker you get to use facial expressions to connect with your audience. They are essential.

As a speaker, you’re delivering a message. Just like any other clown, actor or entertainer, you are being watched from the moment you STEP UP. Facial expressions will help you convey your message and connect you with your audience.

The expression on your face reinforces what you are saying.  It adds nuance to your meaning and can go a long way toward keeping the attention of your audience.  Animated facial expressions are potent tools for involving your audience with you as a presenter.

• Set the Mood with Proper Expressions
• Use Facial Expressions to Support Points
• Practice Making Facial Expressions Naturally

Research has shown that a very high percentage of learning takes place through the sense of sight.

In fact, we are told that the average person learns 83% by seeing.

Hearing is next highest with only 13%.

As presenters, those figures should have a tremendous impact on what we do.  Obviously, we must give our listeners something to see as well as to hear. (They must go together.)

Start clowning around and use these tips to help you – STEP UP – STAND OUT and SELL MORE!

See you “Center Stage”

Tommy

P.S. For more tips, download 10 Tips for Better Public Speaking or contact us learn more about individual and group coaching programs for building public speaking and presentation skills.

Many times, when I’m giving a presentation skills workshop or teaching people how to have public speaking confidence, people will say to me, “It’s easy for you. You’re such a natural.”

Well, the fact is, I’m not a natural.

Everything I’ve ever done in public speaking has been learning by doing.

That’s right, when it comes to public speaking, the learning is in the doing.

Sometimes we must get up and DO IT!

I was afraid, I was scared.

As matter fact I still get butterflies after 29 years of being on stage. The secret (I learned this from my friend Bryan Flanagan) is to learn how to get your butterflies to fly in formation

Yes, I had to take a different look at public speaking. I realized that, most of the time, I am an introvert, but for the sake of my business I had to start doing extroverted things – public speaking being one of them. I understood that if I was going to be on stage and teach presentation skills, then I had better come out from behind the computer and show people how it’s done live.

If you identify as an introvert, public speaking can seem almost impossible. In fact, it’s exhausting and emotionally draining to express a personality that isn’t yours. It all comes down to doing a different behavior and not actually being anyone but yourself.

I created my “confident” character and behave a certain way as I stepped on stage with confidence. I learned to think of public speaking as a performance in which I was the lead actor. My character enjoys being in the spotlight and speaking in front of an audience and making people smile.

You may be an introvert…but that doesn’t have to stop you from doing public speaking. There are many introverts who have learned how to be become wildly successful public speakers, including, Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela, J.K. Rowling, George Stephanopoulos and Emma Watson. The benefits of public speaking are enormous! If we want to be compelling and memorable and enjoy our time on stage, we must burst through our comfort zone.

I’ve discovered that nearly everything we do in business is going to be found outside of our comfort zone, so public speaking had to become a way of life. Introverts can become comfortable with public speaking with continual practice. Indeed, there are times when introverts should step outside of their comfort zone and act out of “character” and step into their new “PUBLIC SPEAKER CHARTACTER” — especially when they need to take on a leadership role.

“Speaking is not an act of extroversion. People think it is. It has nothing to do with extroversion. It’s a performance, and many performers are hugely introverted.” ~Malcolm Gladwell

I failed public speaking in grade school, ’cause I was so nervous and scared.                                                

                                                                                                                        – Gary Clark, Jr.

It has been said that the mind is an amazing thing! It starts to function the moment you are born and stops functioning the moment you start to think about public speaking.

Last week I taught a half-day workshop entitled “The Art of Public Speaking” at the Morris County Chamber of Commerce to a room of successful professionals.

Looking back on it and reading the feedback, I think I will start calling it “How to Talk in Public Without Having a Heart Attack”.  After 15 years of teaching public speaking skills, I no longer wonder what the #1 reason is that people attend…It is to TRY to get over the fear!

I hear things like…Please help me:

• Reduce my nerves
• Get out of my head
• Lose some of the “Sheer Terror” of public speaking
• Manage my anxiety
• Stop my heart from racing

When I am asked about how to get over the fear of public speaking I generally answer the same way.

JUST DO IT!

Most things seem scary at first. We feel we are being judged… (We are)!

The learning is in the doing. It really is. The more you go out and do it the more comfortable you will become.

Here are some things you can do to ease your mind!

1. Get to know your audience – Then it will be like talking to friends
2. Be prepared – Write out your presentation
3. Plan to give a knockout presentation (practice…practice…practice.)
4. Expect to deliver a good presentation
5. BREATHE

The biggest fears are always based on our mindset and the scary stories we tell ourselves.  These stories usually start with the What If’s — What if I stumble…What if I don’t remember something.

I ask people to look at their story from a different perspective and start saying something like …What if I give the presentation of a lifetime!

Don’t let opportunities slip by because you were afraid to STEP UP & STAND OUT!

For more tips, download 10 Tips for Better Public Speaking.

Tommy Hilcken Productions offers individual and group coaching programs for building public speaking and leadership skills.  Contact us for a no-obligations meeting to learn more.

Throughout my career as a speaker-trainer-entertainer I have had to connect with hundreds, if not thousands of people. Whether it was one-to-one or speaking to a roomful of people, I have realized that the secret to connecting and getting your message across is rapport.

Rapport must be established early on in any presentation. It is the connection between two people that keeps someone listening and more importantly care about what you have to say.

Two things I’ve always used to build rapport are mainly on the physical level: eye contact and facial expressions.

Eye contact is a vital skill that must be developed to be a successful connector and communicator. It goes a long way toward demonstrating that you are competent, personable, honest, and in control.

The proper facial expressions connect to any type of presentation. Facial expressions allow you to convey that you are listening and highly interested in the other person or persons (if speaking to a larger crowd).

The expression on your face also reinforces what you’re saying, adding subtle facets to your meaning and helping you keep someone’s attention.

Eye contact and facial expressions can be a very profound tool when it comes to building trust and rapport.

It really is true that the best way to connect with someone is to show great interest and look them in the eye.

PS… A smile goes a long way too!

The right administrative assistant can help any organization flourish. When people think about a successful business, they tend to focus their attention on the importance of good leadership, but the value of the people working behind the scenes cannot be underestimated. Administrative assistants can help keep everyone on task and prepared to progress.

When seeking a new administrative assistant, here are seven traits to watch for that ensure you’re hiring a team member who will help drive your group forward.

1. Industry savvy

The best administrative assistants are accustomed to working within a specific industry and bring the knowledge needed to excel. Industry jargon, background knowledge about the field and an understanding of the latest trends differentiate a seasoned professional assistant from an entry-level hire who will need to learn on-the-job. You’re ahead of the game when you hire someone who can already serve as a knowledgeable resource and an integral member of the organization.

2. Technologically knowledgeable

Technology continues to change at lightning speed. Social media, blogging and online communications are now essential for most businesses to remain competitive. Assistants familiar with these tools can help organizations remain visible, particularly smaller companies that lack the resources to hire separate professionals for these different roles.

Technology within most fields is also becoming more advanced as an increasing amount of standard tasks and communications are done online. Assistants who know how to take advantage of some of the latest tools, such as running online meetings, creating webinars or utilizing cloud-based technology, can help their organizations move forward.

3. Excellent communication skills

Communications skills are imperative for an assistant, as they are often the first point of contact between their organization and partners and clients. Administrative assistants who are personable and professional will be able to start building a rapport with others and set the stage for the brand’s success. The right assistant also understands how to handle people who are frustrated or angry and knows how to diffuse the situation and avoid responding in kind.

These skills are also critical for within the office. Administrative assistants should be able to clearly communicate with everyone from the c-suite leadership to assistants in other departments. These skills will help the entire organization run smoothly and successfully.

4. Organized

Administrative assistants are often called upon to handle a variety of different tasks at the same time, so organization is crucial. Skilled assistants will help everyone at the organization stay on top of their priorities.

Organization also applies to the need to keep meetings and events on point. Modern technology offers a variety of apps and tools that the assistant can use to keep themselves and others in the business organized. Evernote is excellent for taking notes, scanning business cards and an assortment of other office tasks. For businesses that have a lot of travel, Tripit is useful to track schedules and flight information.

5. Proficient at time management

Time management is also a critical part of running a successful organization. It is easy for meeting participants to go on tangents or for people to get distracted by side jobs, leading to the possibility of neglecting those most critical to organizational performance. Administrative assistants who understand how to keep everyone on task will make efficiency significantly easier.

Assistants can help those at the organization prioritize their tasks. By breaking down the most critical jobs and providing help when possible, everyone will be able to maximize their time use at the office.

6. Financially astute

Administrative assistants help to oversee what goes on in the business day-to-day. From ordering office supplies to booking vendors, their choices have considerable influence on the organization’s bottom line. Administrative assistants who know how to negotiate costs and minimize expenses are extremely valuable to any company. These support personnel possess good judgment and can be trusted to make the right call to advance the organization as a whole.

7. Brings the team together

Companies work best when they are able to coordinate and communicate. All too often, however, it is easy for everyone to get involved in their own tasks. An assistant who can help bring everyone together will improve the function of the group and help them reach their goals. This can be done by organizing office meetings, keeping intra-office communication tools—such as common calendars—functional and being an enthusiastic go-between to help everyone understand the organization’s tasks and the progress being made.

The right administrative assistant can make an incredible difference in the success of an organization. Through their administrative expertise and industry insight, they are able to provide the fuel that keeps everyone moving forward.

Tommy’s role as a Sandler Associate is helping his clients break through the fears and challenges that are holding them back and help them move toward what they really want utilizing the Sandler Selling System.

Additionally, Tommy also helps clients’ presentation skills through our “Presenting Yourself with Impact” program along with individual coaching. Click here to talk with Tommy.

Many years ago, I was taught a valuable lesson.

If you want more from life, sometimes you must change people places and things.

Are the people you are following going where YOU want to go?

Have you ever asked that question of yourself? 

Who can help you get where you want to go?

Who are the experts?

Where are they?

These are questions you need to ask yourself and answer for yourself.

After you get some answers…here are some action steps.

• Start finding people who are already where you want to be.
• Start surrounding yourself with people you aspire to be like.
• Hire a mentor or coach; someone who will be objective in helping you work through your challenges and get you where you want to go.

You will now have someone to help you brainstorm your ideas and put them into concise action steps.

Working with a thought partner will accelerate your success by inspiring your creativity and holding you accountable to the action it will take to achieve success.

“Be careful the environment you choose for it will shape you; be careful the friends you choose for you will become like them.” W. Clement Stone

As a Certified Life Success Consultant and a Sandler Training Associate, Tommy works with his clients on breaking through the fears and challenges that are holding them back while helping them move toward what they really want.

Additionally, Tommy also helps clients’ presentation skills through our “Presenting Yourself with Impact” program along with individual coaching.

 Click here to talk with Tommy.

While working with small business owners and individuals on goals, I have noticed a couple of things.

Everyone means well and has good to great intentions, yet don’t get what they have in mind.

What takes people from being a goal setter to a GOAL ACHIEVER?

The answer might surprise you.

It has very little to do with what you are doing and very much to do with who you are being.

The truth is the image we hold of ourselves controls what and when we will do things.

A goal achiever has a winner’s image and is willing to set goals and stick with them to completion.

Your entire life evolves around images. Just as every company has a corporate image, every individual has their own SELF-IMAGE.

One of the prime causes of Success or failure in life is caused by the HIDDEN self-image you have of yourself.

It controls your mind just as surely as your mind controls your heartbeat.

To remake your hidden self-image for success and fulfillment is to remake your entire life.

Your success in any undertaking will never be greater than the image you have of yourself.

Your self-image is your own conception of the sort of person you are.

It determines what you believe you can accomplish.

To go from being a goal setter to a goal achiever, one must Be before they can Do.

Let me know if you would like to further the conversation on “The Winner’s Image”.

I am an email or call away!

Keep on rocking!

Tommy

“Fears are nothing more than states of mind. 

As has been demonstrated repeatedly in the chapters of Think & Grow Rich one’s state of mind is subject to control and direction.“

1. Fear is, in essence, just a flashing red light or a warning signal
2. Fear is NOT a cause to quit
3. Ironically, we should be grateful for a good dose of fear, as this is what heightens our awareness, intensifies our thought and gives us a bit of an edge
4. We should also be grateful when we experience fear, because it’s a strong indicator of change
5. Whenever everything remains the same in our lives (even if it’s poverty or something else we don’t want in our lives), we become comfortable with it.
6. Some people begin to experience fear when they take the actions to eliminate or change those things they don’t want in their lives and they will “curse” the fear.
7. To the contrary, we should embrace the fear, as it is the first indication of the initial steps of change

Thank you Napoleon Hill!

Don’t Miss a Tip!

#7 – Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Although risky for your bottom line, consider offering your customers a sales guarantee. For example, stipulate in a contract that if you do not reach the goals agreed to between both parties, you would offer a percentage refund or discount on future services.By putting some of your own skin in to the sales game, your clients see that you believe in your product or service so much that you are backing it with a guarantee. This increases their trust in your relationship and can lead to future business with the customer. By promising customer satisfaction, you build a stronger business bond.

Once you shift your perspective on the sales process, you discover that there are many other approaches to sales that may actually be more effective than traditional methods. With online reviews and offers, the sales cycle is constantly evolving. Getting out of your comfort zone teaches you new sales techniques that have the potential to increase your sales exponentially. Try some of these tips to shift your sales focus and drive new revenue for your company.

Tommy’s role as a Sandler Associate is helping his clients break through the fears and challenges that are holding them back and help them move toward what they really want utilizing the Sandler Selling System.

Additionally, Tommy also helps clients’ presentation skills through our “Presenting Yourself with Impact” program along with individual coaching. Click here to talk with Tommy.