CHAPTER 1WHEN ARE YOU A PROFESSIONAL?
AFTER ALL, WE’RE ALL SPEAKING, OFTEN SIMULTANEOUSLY
I WAS speaking at a small business awards ceremony at the Westin Hotel in Providence, Rhode Island. It was a 45-minute after-dinner, post-awards speech, a tough position. I was originally asked to do it for free, since I live 15 minutes away, but I pointed out that the three huge firms that were sponsoring the evening never gave their products away for free, and I was being paid my full fee.
I had prepared my varsity game for the tough closing segment, and 400 people rose (some rather unsteadily) to their feet, either happy with my performance or glad that it was over. As usual, a couple of dozen people waited to chat with me.
“You’re the best speaker we’ve ...
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