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Strengthen Your Voice
By Jon Marshall, Owner of Suncoast NPI
Every week in each of our Suncoast NPI chapter meetings, we give every member something incredibly valuable. We give them a room full of professionals, thirty seconds, and a chance to practice talking about their business.
For some people, that sounds exciting. For others, it sounds like a mild form of punishment. I get it. Public speaking can be uncomfortable, especially when you are new, nervous, or convinced you are going to forget your own name halfway through your infomercial. If you have ever stood up and suddenly forgotten everything you were about to say, you are not alone.
But here is the great part. Suncoast NPI gives you a safe, encouraging, weekly place to practice. You don’t have to walk in as a polished speaker. You just have to keep showing up, keep speaking, and keep growing.
That is one of the reasons we do this. We improve our public speaking skills.
Your thirty-second infomercial, feature presentation, testimonials, and thanks for closed business all give you a chance to practice speaking about your business. Every time you speak in front of your chapter, you are building a skill that helps you communicate your value, ask for referrals, and lead with more confidence beyond the meeting room.
As your speaking skills grow, your message becomes stronger. You explain your value with more confidence. You tell your story in a way people remember. You ask for the referrals you want with more purpose, and you help the room understand what problems you solve and who you are best equipped to serve.
That matters because it gives your purpose a voice.
If you believe in the work you do, people need to understand it. If you want others to refer you confidently, they need to remember what you said. If you want to attract the right clients, you need to communicate in a way that helps people connect your work with a real need.
Sometimes, people think that means you need to sound perfect. I disagree. In fact, I think aiming for perfect is a mistake. Perfect can get stiff, boring, and a little painful before the coffee kicks in. Aim for real, helpful, and specific. Tell us who you help, what to listen for, and why your work matters to the people you serve.
When you do that every week, something awesome happens. You stop rushing through your words. The nervousness fades and you begin speaking with more confidence because you have practiced in front of people who want you to succeed. That confidence follows you into sales conversations, client meetings, community events, and leadership opportunities.
So this month, I want to challenge you to practice your voice on purpose. Before your next meeting, take a few minutes to work on your thirty second infomercial. Make sure it tells us who you help and why your work matters. After you deliver it, ask one member what they remembered. Then use that feedback to make the next one stronger.
The more you practice speaking about your business in Suncoast NPI, the better you become at telling your story, asking for referrals, and helping people understand your Purpose.
That is a skill worth building. And lucky for us, we get to build it every week.
In abundance, Jon
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