Why 70% of Americans Feel Optimistic After President Trumps Speech to Congress.

Today, I woke up in a new America.

Like many Americans, last night I watched President Trump address congress for the first time and had no idea what to expect besides what I assumed would be a lot of the usual rhetoric. However, as a first-generation Hispanic-American, born from immigrant parents, I came away with a renewed sense of optimism for our country joining 70% of Americans (according to a CNN poll) who felt the same way.

“Knocked it out of the park.”
“Professional, direct, never attacked anyone.”
“It was the best speech I’ve ever seen in my lifetime.”
“Last night he became the President of the United States.”

These are just a few of the comments I saw on Facebook this morning in regards to Trump’s speech last evening, further showing that Americans might finally be warming up to our new Commander-in-Chief.

So why does Trump’s speech to congress feel different from other campaign speeches leading up to last November’s election? Perhaps it’s because there’s no real “opposing side” taking jabs as we saw during last year’s debates against rival Hilary Clinton, or maybe it’s because America is passionately searching for a glimmer of hope. Perhaps President Trump is actually showing us the part of himself that helped him become one of the world’s most well-known businessmen.

Last week I wrote a piece: Do These 5 Things if You Want to Become a Public Speaker. If you’re to take notes from the speech, here are 3 key takeaways and what you should learn from them:

1. Have confidence and conviction.

Last night, President Trump was cool, calm, and collected. There were no verbal attacks toward any racial classes or groups, and his tone remained steady around issues that are critically important to American citizens, such as healthcare and education. The key to effective public speaking is one’s self-confidence, in order to get others to buy in, and selling the message (ex: “Make America great again and here’s how…”) with authority which President Trump eloquently communicated yesterday.

2. Use your platform to take action and command attention.

There’s been plenty of criticism from liberals and conservatives alike after Trump took office. However, whether you voted for or against him, as Americans it’s in our vested interest to see the United States prevail as a country and Donald Trump succeed as our President. Last night, President Trump called for unity between Republicans and Democrats to come together on the issues that affect all Americans stating, “If we are guided by the well-being of American citizens then I believe Republicans and Democrats can work together to achieve an outcome that has eluded our country for decades.” Often, at a business conference, I will see a person on stage and automatically give him or her a certain level of respect and credibility as an expert in his/her field. The President of the United States should be no different. Last night I didn’t just see a President fulfilling his duty to the office and unifying his nation, but I saw an esteemed businessman clearly touch on several key points which affect every American regardless of race, religion, gender, or political affiliation. The point is, when you’re on a stage, you have power to command the room, and you better come forward with action which Trump clearly did.

3. Be clear and tailor your message to your audience.

I firmly believe that elected officials are put into office by the people in order to drive results. During his speech, President Trump was quick to call out that the stock market gained almost $3 trillion in value since the election which sets forth a record. Trump specifically called out companies like Ford, Fiat-Chrysler, General Motors, Sprint, Walmart and others by name as corporations that intended on investing billions of dollars in the United States which will create thousands of new jobs for our country. Whether you’re speaking to a room of one hundred people or to one hundred million watching remotely, tailoring your message to your audience in a clear and concise manner is the key to any speaker seeking audience approval. Trump did a remarkable job at touching the hearts of both Republicans and Democrats by making his plans about us, the people.

Leading up to the election, President Trump loudly proclaimed that he would “Make America Great Again.” If last night’s speech and positive public reception is any indication of what’s to come then we are well on our way to a greater America.​

This article originally appeared on Inc.com and may not be repurposed without consent.

The post Public Speaking Skills You Can Immediately Learn From Trump’s Best Speech Yet appeared first on Carlos Gil.

Discover five actionable insights to help you become a public speaker within your industry.

Public speaking can do wonders for one’s career in terms of positioning as a thought leader within your industry and having exposure to countless executives in the audience which is advantageous for anyone that’s looking to grow a business or advance in their career.

However, the journey to becoming a public speaker isn’t one that comes overnight. Like anything else, it requires years of hard work, mastery of a topic, and a lot of patience.

Sure, it’s easy to watch well-known speakers like Gary Vaynerchuk or Tony Robbins take a stage and think to yourself “Oh, I can do that!” But the reality is that these individuals have invested years in speaking on those stages.

Having spoken at over 30 industry events and conferences such as SXSW and Social Media Marketing World in the past two years, I am often asked by aspiring speakers in my social network how to get speaking engagements.

Below is a breakdown of what it takes to become a public speaker in 2017:

1. Able to Teach and Drive ROI

Conference and event organizers aren’t looking for just someone who can come in and recite a blog post that they read online or provide vague, general content (a “theory”).

Instead, they are looking for subject matter experts or thought leaders on a particular topic or platform (i.e. social media, SEO, email marketing, etc.) who have performed the work previously and are able to teach an audience how to do it themselves in order to drive ROI for their business.

Conference organizers are hypersensitive to the fact that attendees often pay upwards of $1,000 or more to hear from seasoned experts, which is why you should not bother applying to speak at an event if you haven’t performed the work that you intend on speaking about. Ask yourself, what makes you qualified to speak on a particular subject matter?

2. Gain Experience in Your Community

Before speaking in front of thousands, I spoke at events at technical colleges in my community to a dozen or fewer individuals. Sure, it’s not as sexy as headlining a stage at a major industry event but it’s where you realistically need to start to gain experience speaking in front of professionals who can easily spot the difference between someone who knows their subject matter and fluff.

My advice to anyone reading is to get started with your local Chamber of Commerce and industry events within your community or host a small meet-up where you can speak about a topic.

3. Volunteer at Industry Conferences

If you want to get on the radar of the decision makers who organize top-tier events in your industry, be sure to volunteer your time at these events. As a volunteer you will get a free conference badge which will give you access to everyone attending, including speakers, and may even present you with an opportunity to speak–sort of.

Almost every conference that I have spoken at in the last two years has track leaders who introduce every session and speaker. What better way than to get your name in front of conference attendees and time on the microphone than by being a track leader? Events like Social Media Marketing World often will have up-and-coming speakers start off by being a tracker leader at their event before moving onto panels or solo sessions.

4. Email Event Organizers

Anytime someone asks me how do I get speaking engagements I let them know, in short, I email conference organizers. You don’t need an agent or virtual assistant to do this for you. Simply identify a dozen or so industry events that you want to speak at over the next year and send an email to the committee or individual responsible for selecting speakers (which is often posted on their website) and make your pitch.

My advice is to write an email or submission which clearly states who you are, what you’d like to speak about, why you’re the best person to speak on this topic, and examples of where you’ve spoken before.

5. Gather Testimonials and Speaking Examples

Having testimonials and examples of your work on stage is a key to success for any speaker. Throughout 2016, as I applied to speak on bigger stages, I was often asked for speaking examples so I invested in having a freelance videographer record a couple of my talks. You can find help on the Thumbtack app or find out in advance if the event you’re speaking at is equipped to record your talk.

Most importantly, have a website which showcases your work including testimonials from prior speaking engagements where you can send prospective organizers to.

This article originally appeared on Inc.com and may not be repurposed without consent.

The post Do These 5 Things if You Want to Become a Public Speaker appeared first on Carlos Gil.