It is flattering to be invited, and even more flattering that people actually turn up to listen to what I have to say. In January I was invited to speak to IFP members in the Nottingham area, and a couple of weeks later I was in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
For someone like me who is not a professional (paid) speaker, and has nothing to sell the audience, you might wonder what benefit there is in giving up a day here and there to talk to one’s peers. I have often had the same thought, but at the end of presenting I have found the experience to be as beneficial for me as it has been for the audience.
Anyone who has heard me speak can probably confirm that I do not try to present myself or my business as perfect. In fact I go out of my way to include as many of the ‘bad bits’ of the journey I have been on. I have made as many mistakes as the next person, and possibly more. The idea of allowing others to make the same mistakes seems fairly selfish to me. Yet by sharing these with an audience it helps me remember and reinforce the errors so that I do not make them again.
Likewise, when I am talking about where my business is today, and plans for the future, talking aloud to others helps bring them to life. If we only have internal dialogue with ourselves we can sometimes skip over the things we do not want to hear, or dreams simply remain as dreams. Talking aloud certainly helps things appear more real to me. The benefit of talking about some things aloud is that things that seem perfectly normal inside your head can sound crazy when spoken. Better to find out the crazy stuff before it becomes real.
There are other benefits too, such as finding out that you are not the only one who has done something stupid – it is lonely being the only idiot out there – fortunately as I am finding out, there are many others. Sharing experiences that have not gone to plan encourage others to share their bad decisions, which might help you avoid them making the same ones in the future.
When I reflected on my recent talks I replayed those where I had the most energy, the things that I spoke about with passion. I found myself re-energised and returned to the office with more vigour ready to turn my thoughts and ideas into something more concrete. And that has got to be worth a day out of the office in anyone’s book.
When I reflected on my recent talks I replayed those where I had the most energy, the things that I spoke about with a passionDennis Hall is managing director of Yellowtail Financial Planning