Thanks to guest blogger, Ava Diamond.
The Most Important Minute of Your Life
Imagine that you are near death. You’re in your last hour. And you have one minute to speak and to give your last message to the world.
What would it be? What was your life all about? What was the difference you wanted to make with your life?
Seriously. Take a few minutes away from your computer and think about this.
Because until you are that crystal clear about your core message — the one that comes from your heart and the core of your being — you will never be as good a speaker as you could be. You will never sell as much as you could. And your clients will never benefit as much as they could.
Your core message is the thing you MUST communicate. It will infuse every speech, every program, every client session. It generally comes from your personal story, another key part of your speech or program.
My own core message if you boil it down, is, “The world needs your unique voice and perspective. Stand in your power, share your message, and transform the world.”
Why Do You Need A Core Message?
You need to be really clear on this because it’s the basis for everything. When you write a speech, you start by identifying your premise. And your premise comes out of your core message.
Your premise is your big idea — the one sentence that summarizes your entire message.
“But, Ava, I have so much to say. I can’t possibly summarize it in one sentence,” my clients tell me. Let me be clear. If you can’t summarize your speech in one sentence, you’re not clear enough yet to write it.
I hear so many speakers who are not clear. They are like pinballs, bouncing around. There’s not a clear path. There’s not a clear message. And their audience is confused and annoyed. Your premise will help you avoid this.
Once you have your premise, then you identify your main points. They should “prove your premise.” You then fill in those points with stories, examples, and seeding of your offer if you’re making one.
It all flows from your premise, which flows from your core message.
So take some time…now or sometime this week. Identify your core message. Make sure it can be expressed in a minute or less. You’ll connect more, sell more, and make a bigger difference when you’re crystal clear.
Or, if you already have your core message, please share it here. I’d love to hear from you. Thanks!
About Guest Blogger, Ava Diamond: Speaking mentor and messaging strategist, Ava is the founder of Big Impact Speaking. She has created such programs as Speak Your Way to Clients and Cash and the Rock Your Speaking Academy. A professional speaker for seventeen years, she helps entrepreneurs rock their speaking so they expand their influence and reach, become known as the “go-to” expert in their field, and get all the clients they want.
