High Speed 21st Century IFA

6/6/10

Some members find it very difficult to prepare for their 10 Minutes. In fact, I know some members that avoid their 10 Minutes as if it were the plague. But it does not have to be like this.

The most obvious answer to the problem is to attend the Presentation Skills workshop. However, that will only solve part of the problem. Even armed with tips on how to stand, speak, where to look, layout of your presentation and much more, there is still the problem of the exact content and, more importantly, will your fellow members actually be interested enough in what you are saying not to fall asleep!

Then of course there is still the problem of confidence. For some members 60 Seconds is just about all they can manage and 10 Minutes? Well, that is a whole different world.

So, what can we do about this? Two things. Firstly, make your presentation about something you enjoy and secondly, combine that with business. The confidence will come as you are relaxed chatting about something you really understand and love.

Now, I’m not suggesting that you don’t enjoy or understand your job; it’s just that some jobs are more difficult to talk about than others! Carpet cleaning for example. But how about if you actually clean a carpet during your 10 Minutes?

A brilliant example of this type of thing happened in my chapter (Business Class) just recently. Now, Richard Bailey doesn’t lack confidence, but he is an IFA and wears a grey suit, and there are those around that think financial advice and those that give it are well, shall we just say, a little boring!

Not so Richard. After all, he races motorbikes all around Europe, and has the worn out knee pads to prove just how fast he goes and how close to the ground he gets. His 10 Minutes was a mix of personal pictures and graphs showing the performance of his clients' portfolios. Each photograph having a bearing on the next was very clever, interesting, and got his message across in a fun way that we all could grasp.

Something that he told us was that in order to get the perfect lap on his motorbike, i.e. the fastest time, it was all about hitting the exact spot on each corner, every lap. Total concentration and consistency were required - and that it was just the same when managing a client's portfolio.

So, if you have a 10 Minutes coming up, please take advantage of it. It’s one of the best ways of helping your fellow members find you referrals. Just make if fun: include something that you find it easy to talk about or to demonstrate, and you will find that not only will you get your message across, but that it will be easy, and you wished you had more time.