Are you an entrepreneur? Have you ever been invited to a conference, university or church to share the secrets of your success?

Did you scratch your head and say, “dang, but I’ve never spoken before! How am I going to do this?”

Twenty-one-year old professional speaker Pedro De Abreu shares the secrets of crafting and delivering a perfect speech that will have people talking about it and you long after you are gone.

1. Be Yourself

Do you remember back in middle school when you approached an old friend and told him that you liked a certain girl in your class? What was the first thing he told you about how to approach her?

He probably told you to be yourself. The sad truth is that we more often than not reject this and see it as a lazy advice. Quite the contrary.

Audiences can see from far away whether you are authentic or not, whether you are trying to emulate someone else or whether you are being yourself with them. The magic that happens when you are yourself is that your audience will become more open, and, in turn, be themselves with you and love you for respecting them enough and not being fake.

Have you ever heard a speech where the speaker was clearly trying to emulate someone, even faking his or her voice afraid to show his or her real self? Whoever was on that stage looked pathetic. It’s not worth it. Audiences will love you and respect you if you are honest with yourself.

Remember, they don’t care about what you have to say, but they care about whether you believe what you have to say. The way to believe in your message is to be authentic.

2. Understand your Audience

You wouldn’t go to the beach in jeans, would you?

There are a few universal principles that every audience will be able to relate to. Study your audience thoroughly. In doing so, ask yourself these questions:

• What do they like?
• What do they dislike?
• What are some issues that we both face on a daily basis?
• What kinds of solutions could I offer them?
• What kind of value do I bring to the table?
• What are their fears and how can I help them?

If you answer those questions and adapt them into your speech, your audience will listen to you and support your all throughout your delivery.

3. Involve the Audience

A speech is a two-way dialogue with the people who are listening to you. And what kills the dialogue? You kill the audience involvement when you start reading a manuscript. Why? Because you start focusing on the piece of paper more than you focus on your audience.

A simple solution I like for not using a manuscript and speaking more freely is to do what Abraham Lincoln used to do in his closing arguments: he had a small piece of paper with bullet of points which reminded him of the stories he had to tell and points to convey.

4. Dress Well

Dress twice as much as your audience does. This shows respect towards yourself and towards them. Not only that, but you will feel good about yourself and have a better delivery. After all, they are listening to you because they want to be like you.

5. Tell Stories

Out of these seven points – after “being yourself” – this is by far the most important one. You can be a database of numbers and vomit them in your audience or you can be entertaining and memorable.

People are entertained by stories. That’s why we go to the movies. Tell memorable stories with passion and enthusiasm. After you tell a story, you emphasize a point you want them to remember.

For example, say you are speaking on leadership, instead of telling them that “the second point of leadership is…” tell them about a time when you took a leadership initiative and about its outcome. Then you tell your point and how it affects them.

You will be amazed at how powerful story-telling can be. Five years after you’ve given your speech, no one will remember your name, but they will remember how you made them feel through a story you told them.

6. Think of Yourself as Valuable

The most important dialogue you have is the dialogue that takes place in between your ears. It’s also that internal dialogue that will determine how far or how short you will go in life. It’s the same for a speech.

If you ask yourself, “who am I to give them a speech?” you will certainly be doomed to fail.

If, instead, despite of your qualifications, tell yourself, “Who am I not to give them a speech?” you will achieve all the success you’ve ever wanted.

Think about this, if God considered you valuable enough to give you the struggles you’ve had, then you should consider yourself valuable enough to pass your knowledge along to others.

7. Get in Front of the Mirror.

Practice, practice, practice. Most people think that they can just get in front of an audience and wow them at no cost.

Great speakers make it look too easy. The secret here is that it is all too simple, but for it to be easy you must practice your speech until you’re exhausted.

After you’ve practiced it enough times, you’ll create what actors call “the illusion of the first time,” which is the impression you get from trained actors that they are doing something for the first time. After they have practiced a script for so long, they become natural at delivering it, creating the illusion that they were somehow born to do what they do.

The truth is, like everything else, it takes time.

In the words of philosopher Baltasar Gracian, “the crutch of Time can do more than the steely club of Hercules. What is done immediately is undone just as fast, but what must last an eternity takes that long to do.”

It won’t take you an eternity, but a few hours that will seem like it.

Pedro’s Next Post: 7 Mighty Leadership Characteristics for Entrepreneurs

Pedro De Abreu in Action!

From Nick Tart: I’ve only dabbled in speaking and it’s something I’d like to do more of. I’ve talked to a number of professional speakers in the last couple of years. Like Pedro said, there’s a lot more work that goes into it than the audience realizes. Here’s a taste of Pedro’s talk:

To book Pedro De Abreu for your event, click here.

Photo by: marcusrg.

Last Friday night I was sitting in a Chicago hotel room and had just paid $10 to access the internet.

I opened my Gmail and there were about 100 more emails than I was expecting. Our book’s website had an extra 5,000 pageviews and JuniorBiz boasted an extra 2,000 pageviews.

After a few minutes of Sherlock Holmes-ing, I realized that “finance.yahoo.com” had sent a couple thousand people to our sites. It took me all weekend to figure out what happened.

Here’s the down-low on how we got on Yahoo’s homepage, the fourth most popular website in the world.

Guest Post for Under30CEO

Scheidies's original guest post on Under30CEO.

After a few days of being on Under30CEO, with the article earning a couple hundred tweets and likes, Matt decided to repost it on another massive site.

You can see the original guest post here.

Article Featured on Business Insider

Guest post reposted on Business Insider.

Within a day, it received 70,000 views.

You can see the article here.

Andrew Fashion’s Interview Going Viral

Andrew Fashion interview on Business Insider.

On Thursday, October 14th I sent her Andrew Fashion’s interview to post. An hour later, it was up. Within an hour it had 12,000 views. By the end of the weekend it was up to 80,000 views.

Andrew’s interview was also picked up by Gawker (another 100,000 views) and MSN. Since, Andrew has been interviewed by The Times UK and an Australian news show.

You can see his interview on Business Insider here.

My Talk with Alyson

My Business Insider interview.

On Thursday, she posted the interview on Business Insider here.

Interview Picked Up by Yahoo! Finance

The interview on Yahoo! Finance.

The next morning, two of my friends said they saw it on Yahoo’s homepage. By the end of the weekend it had over 400 comments and God-knows how many views.

You can see the article on Yahoo! here.

Lessons Learned

Matt Wilson and Alyson Shontell

We spent months contacting some of our interviewees to make sure we created the best book we possibly could. I’ve known Matt for years and that’s why he wanted to help. Scheidies tore through every word in that Under30CEO guest post for hours when he could’ve pumped it out in 30 minutes.

It may have happened overnight, but much like our interviewees, this overnight triumph was years in the making.

Recovering from a Jolly Weekend

Nick and I in Chicago with Syed Balkhi.

Today, I’m finally caught up on book orders, those 100+ emails, and sleep deprivation from our trip to Chicago. Later this week I’ll post more outcomes. Stay tuned!

Who is Syed Balkhi?

He made $70K as a 13-year-old. Find out what he’s done since:
Syed Balkhi Interview: WordPress Wizard and Social Media Prodigy >>

“So… What do you do?” Imagine if you nabbed a hundo every time someone asked you that question. You’d be sleepin’ on a bank.

It’s not that far-fetched. Quickly explaining your biznezz to another person is called making an elevator pitch and you need to do it daily if you want to be successful.

Here I’ll give you seven tips for perfecting your elevator pitch to sell your product, service or business idea to almost anyone, anywhere. Let’s make it breezy.

1. A Hot Minute

You have 60 seconds before they pack it up.

2. Hook ‘em with Yo’ Story

20 seconds.

The first thing people want to know is who you are and why you started. Plus, this will build a personal connection with ‘em.

People do business with people, not businesses. [--> tweet this]

3. Reh-cug-nize the Problem

15 seconds.

Introduce the problem that you want to solve. Then, make them realize how big it is with stats and numbers. The fact that you have facts will show them how serious you are and the facts will put the problem into perspective.

A good stat should make someone’s jaw drop.

4. Treat ‘em to the Solution

15 seconds.

How are you solving this problem? What is your product, service or business idea? And why are you able to do it better than anyone else? This is where you build credibility.

People open their wallets to close their problems. [tweet it out]

5. Bring Home the Kool-Aid

10 seconds.

What’s the point of the conversation? Why you even talkin’ to this homie?

You need to end your pitch with an offer or request. Tailor it. Usually, this is a request to set up a meeting to sell them on your idea further. The follow-up meeting is where you’ll make the real scratch.

6. Use it on All the Peeps, Everywhere

Everyone and their mom needs to hear this pitch.

1. You never know who could become a customer.
2. The more people who know about you, your business and, most importantly, your story, the better.
3. Practice makes perfect.

Every time someone asks you about yourself, your elevator pitch needs to be your answer. Don’t be sweatin’. I get nervous too. It’s tough. And more often than not, it doesn’t come out. But I’m working on it.

See if you can get this out at least once a day. [out of context tweet?]

7. Show ‘em Yo’ Grill

Be passionate. Decisions are based on two things: logic and emotion.

The best way to make people emotional, is to express your emotions. Passion is a very powerful emotion. They might be impressed by your logic, but they’re going to fall in love with your passion.

Logic makes people think about doing something. Emotion makes them actually do it. [<-- tweet that!]

If you can shed a tear, you’re golden.

Elevator Pitch Sample

Hook with Personal Story (20 seconds)

“When I was 12 years old, I started a lawn mowing business. Beyond cutting grass, I had no idea what I was doing and the business piddled out. It just piddled out, Mikey! Then I went to business school and learned everything I should have done.”

Problem with Stats (15 seconds)

“Get this! 43% of teens perform a freelance job by the age of 14. 69% of high schoolers want to start a business. But 90% rate their entrepreneurial knowledge at poor or fair at most. Entrepreneurship is something they want, but they don’t know how.”

Solution with Credibility (15 seconds)

“So I’m going to offer all the resources and tools that young entrepreneurs will need to start, run, and build their businesses. I started with a blog. Then we interviewed the world’s top young entrepreneurs and wrote a book. Now we’re getting out and speaking.”

Conclusion with Call-to-Action (10 seconds)

“I have a few more things in the works, Mikey, but I can’t get into them here. Can we schedule a meeting so I can run them by you? I’ll pull together a few ideas on how we can help each other.”

That was one hot minute.

You feelin’ me? Let me know in the comments area below.

Fo’ shiggidy mah weeble,
G. Money Mikey

Photo by: bit ramone/off

Have you ever called your crush for the first time and it rings forever? Then it stops ringing and you hear their cute, little voicemail message?

At this point, your palms are getting sweaty and your voice is about to get babbly. But you can’t hang up because they’ll know you called. You have to tough it out. After all, you probably pumped yourself up with rap music for several minutes leading up to the phone call and you can’t let that time go to waste.

On the other hand, if you leave a voicemail that makes you sound like an idiot, that could change the outlook of the relationship forever. This is a life-shaping moment.

As an entrepreneur, you’re going to be making important phone calls like this on a regular basis. Whether it’s a prospective customer, potential mentor or possible business partner, you have to give them a great impression.

In this post, I’ll give you a script to make sure your nerves don’t get the best of you and breakdown the voicemail script so you know why each component is important.

Voicemail Message Script

“Hi (their name)! My name is (full name) and I’m (i.e. the founder of JuniorBiz). The reason I’m calling is because…(one or two sentences). Could you please call me back? You can reach me at (XXX) XXX-XXXX. Again, my name is Nick Tart and my number is (XXX) XXX-XXXX. I’m looking forward to hearing from you and have a great day!”

Practice saying this a few times right now while no one is listening. Think of it as kissing the back of your hand for practice. It’s going to be weird but it’s for your own good.

It should last 30 seconds. The voicemail, that is.

Components of an Effective Voicemail Message

1. “Hi Jaime/ Mr. Jones!”

   Address the person you’re trying to contact with enthusiasm. It’ll set the tone for the rest of the voicemail. What’s the first thing you do when you see that cute girl or handsome guy? You say hello and put a big smile on your face.

2. “My name is Casanova Joe and I’m the taker/founder or your heart/JuniorBiz.com.”

   When you introduce yourself and who you are, make sure you use your full name and give them a tiny bit of relevant information about yourself. If that girl or guy has never met you before, the first thing they’ll want to know is who you are.

3. “The reason I’m calling is because I’m in love with you/I’d like to talk to you about your website.”

   After they know who you are, they’re going to want to know why you’re calling. Make sure this is succinct (one or two sentences). Also make sure you don’t give any private information because you don’t know who is going to listen to the message. When you’re leaving a voicemail, it’s best to get straight to the point.

4. “Can you please call me back?”

   This politely lets them know that you would like to talk to them. It’s the call-to-action.

5. “You can reach me at (XXX) XXX-XXXX.”

   When you leave your phone number, make sure you include your area code. Don’t assume that that fine young lady or man knows where you live.

6. “Again, my name is Casanova Joe and my number is (XXX) XXX-XXXX.”

   By this time they have a pen and paper handy. They might have already forgotten your name so you want to say it again. Then repeat your number slowly as though you’re sweet talkin’ your baby. This gives them time to write it down.

What about caller ID? Some phones don’t have it and some people get multiple phone calls per day from random numbers. Don’t make them guess which number was yours. Wouldn’t it be a shame if you put all this effort into contacting your crush but you didn’t properly give them a way to call you back? That would drive both of you crazy.

7. “I’m looking forward to hearing from you and have a great day.”

   End the voicemail by letting them know that you expect to get a phone call. As an act of kindness, tell them to have a great day. Maybe it’s the first time they heard it all day.

Let me know if you have any information that should be included in a voicemail in the comments area below. If you like this article, consider sharing it with your crush/business partner. They might get the hint .

P.S. Let’s say you own a web development company and you find someone who doesn’t have a website but needs one. If you leave a voicemail that says, “I’d like to talk about your website.”, that person is going to call you back out of confusion. This also raises their awareness that they don’t have a website and might need one. Perfect leeway into your services!

Photo by: Head in the Clouds…

As a young person, clients and customers are naturally going think your business is wanksta’ and you have to convince them that it’s gangsta’.

It’s not fair, but you have to give them a reason to trust and hire you. It’s one of the biggest problems that young entrepreneurs encounter and you need to know how to deal wit’ it if you want to have a successful business.

In this post I’ll explain exactly how you can build your street credz (a.k.a “credibility”) as a young business owner and how you can use their lack of trust to make yourself more impressive. I’ve broken ‘em down into offline and online techniqz.

Aight, let’s stop kickin’ it and keep it 100 by getting down to the nitty gritty of how you can get mo’ scratch for yo’ biznezz.

Offline Street Credz

If your customers are actually out on the streets (i.e. in your neighborhood), then there are four things you can do to attract them to your business.

1. Fitted wit’ Threads

When you approach a potential customer for the first time, they’re going to judge your appearance. So you need to look as professional as possible. You need to be reppin’ your nicest shirt, some professional slacks and nice shoes. The more professional you look, the more seriously they will take you.

2. Biznezz Cards

No matter your age or your business, every young entrepreneur needs to have business cards. If someone asks for your card and you don’t have one, you’ll lose credibility. But more importantly, you’re going to be coming across tons of potential customers in your daily life. Make sure you can give them an easy way to contact you.

3. Sick Flyers

In addition to sweet-lookin’ business cards, you need to have fly-lookin’ flyers. If your primary way of marketing your business is with a flyer, poster or door-hanger, that flyer needs to look professional. They will base the quality of your work on the quality of your flyer.

4. Swagtastic Pitch

Your sales pitch needs to be rock solid. You need to walk up to that potential client with confidence knowing that what you’re about to say is going to convince them to give you their business. You need to have a response prepared for every possible objection. The only way to perfect your pitch is to practice it whenever you can.

However, this doesn’t mean you should approach people wit’ yo’ hat turned sideways and yo’ pants on the ground (a.k.a. “arrogantly”). Just know exactly what you’re going to say, how you’ll respond to their questions, and be courteous about it. The same applies for every situation in which you talk to your customers.

Online Street Credz

If you want your customers to find you on the internet, then you have to have a sick online presence. They need to be able to find you and when they do, they need to be impressed. Yo’ skillz need to be drippin’ like a hot, freshly painted e-class that looks like candy.

5. Prada Yo’ Blog

A blog is the most powerful tool a freelancer could ever have, period. As a freelance (whatever), your blog is your storefront. Write about the services you provide, how you provide them and examples of your work. People who are interested in the work you provide will find your site, be impressed, and beg you for your services. If you want to attract customers online, your blog (not just a standard website) needs to be snug.

6. Flossin’ It Wit’ Social Media

Social media (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) is the best way to connect with people in the world. You need to use it to seek out your clients. If someone tweets, “I’m looking for a freelance logo designer”, you need to be the first to respond with, “I’m a designer. Check out my site, my portfolio and let me know what you think.” They’ll check you out, find a sick lookin’ blog, and ultimately hire you. That’s some of the cheapest marketing in the world.

7. Display Yo’ Kool-aid (Portfolio/Previous Work)

You know what? I’m going to eat my words. A strong portfolio is the most powerful tool a service-provider can have. It’s proof that people have hired you before, that you’ve done a good job and that you want to continue to do a good job.

8. Word Up Wit’ Testimonials

Testimonials validate your work through other people’s opinions. You can say that you provide a quality service, but when other people say it, their word carries a lot more weight. The standard structure for a good testimonial is:

1. This is where I was before.
2. This is what happened when I hired (your name).
3. This is where I am now and “I couldn’t be happier.”

The more testimonials you have, the better.

Use Their Lack of Trust to Make Yourself More Impressive

There’s an old-skool marketing concept that explains that a customer is satisfied when their perceptions are greater than their expectations. How does this apply to you?

Well, when you first approach a customer as a young person, they’re going to have low expectations. This is good for you. When you establish your high-rollin’ street credz, it’s going to blow their expectations out of the water. They’re going to be super impressed because they weren’t expecting much.

Despite the colloquialisms, I hope you take this advice seriously. In most cases you’re at a huge disadvantage simply because of your age. Let’s prove ‘em wrong!

You feelin’ me?

Fo’ shiggidy mah weeble,
G. Money Mikey

Want more G. Money Mikey?

Find out how to sell you idea to everyone, everywhere:
Elevator Pitch: 7 Salty Secretz to the 60-Second Sell >>

Photo by: Auré From Paris