Yesterday, I shared that one secrets of self-made billionaires was being a powerful, persuasive communicator. Read that post here.
Let’s look more deeply at this number one skill of communication. Is that a really important skill for me, for you? I’ll be exploring that today, and sharing how 20 minutes changed my life. Read on, or watch this video.
One pitch created a quantum leap in income and influence. The right words, at the right time, to the right audience changed everything. It took my life on a whole new trajectory. But I get ahead of myself.
If you’re starting over or launching a new business, one great pitch could potentially do the same for you, so read on. Let’s look more deeply at this number one skill of communication.
To recap, self-made billionaires Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Reed Hastings are all powerful communicators with a vision. Their clear, compelling vision attracted capital, clients, partners, team, and media coverage. And they grew their little companies into VERY big companies.
What difference can a great pitch really make if we’re not self-made billionaires? Well, before they were self-made billionaires, they were actually just like you and me.
I know what it’s like to start a business with nothing and to only have my words to communicate my vision and inspire others.
Fresh out of college, I was broke and so was my husband. But we were madly in love, so we started a business. Not because we wanted to make money, really, but because we wanted to be together. That little business that was started with so much love grew to be a seven-figure business. I remember, one Christmas, we had $1 million cash in our bank account! We looked at each other and smiled and said, “Should we run away to the Bahamas?” Of course, we would never do that. But that was a fantastic success.
We sold that business. We were building our dream home on the lake, we had a beautiful, adorable four-year old son. I’d just launched my brand-new career as a screenwriter, a TV writer-producer, and I’d just met Mel Gibson, Goldie Hawn, John Badham, who directed the movie “Stakeout” and I was hired and paid real money for my first screenplay. Wow! I was thrilled. Life was good and about to get even better.
But — then something really unexpected happened. I went from feeling on top of the world to absolutely devastated. My 33-year-old husband dropped dead suddenly, for no apparent reason, right in front of me. My entire life was shattered. I felt like Humpty Dumpty. I felt like I’d fallen off the wall and smashed into a million pieces. I had no idea if I could ever put the pieces of my life back together again. And sometimes I didn’t even care to do so. But I had a compelling reason to do so — my little four-year old son.
But I also had some really pressing problems. I didn’t have a job, I didn’t have my business partner, I didn’t have my husband and best friend. And I DID have an urgent need to provide for my little family of two.
Well, at that moment, I was given an unusual opportunity to pitch at the Banff Television Festival, now called the Banff World Media Festival. This was a big opportunity but I was also scared. I had the opportunity to present my ideas to 600 of the “movers and shakers” in Hollywood and around the world. This could make a world of difference … or it could go the other way and I could ruin my reputation forever. And if they weren’t in the room, they could always watch it later because my pitch was going to be televised. A documentary filmmaker was going to follow me and around and film what happened leading up to my pitch and after the pitch.
So I was very nervous — but it was a big opportunity. So I practiced, I polished, and then I pitched.
It went even better than I thought it possibly could in my wildest dreams! My agent was fielding offers on my behalf. It sparked a bidding war, created six figures of income, launched my career in film and television, and also changed my reputation, brought me media coverage. They turned that televised pitch into a documentary feature film which was aired on national television and was later used to teach the art of pitching at the Banff Film School.
What does this mean for you? What this means is that the right words, at the right time, to the right people can change your life. It can change your income, your reputation, and the trajectory of your life forever, as it did with me.
That’s what I want for you. I now love training entrepreneurs how to powerfully present their ideas, how to pitch their ideas, communicate effectively, and step fully into being the thought leaders that they truly are. That’s my love and my passion to contribute that to the world.
Just know that “the little hinges that swing big doors,” like W. Clement Stone said, are your words, but not just your words, your authenticity, your passion, your conviction, your purpose behind those words.
If you’d like more help mastering your message and learning what those little hinges are that swing big doors, go to www.yourmilliondollarmessage.com and there, for free for a limited time, you can watch a masterclass on the five-step game plan that my clients and I use to reach, raise and make millions.
I’m Aurora Winter, TV producer, author, marketing mentor to extraordinary entrepreneurs, and I’d love to help you master your message.
We Launch Thought Leaders
If you’re an entrepreneur running a 6+ figure business and you’re ready to step into the spotlight as a thought leader, you qualify for a business breakthrough session. Schedule your call here.
Leaders are learners! In today’s rapidly-changing world, it is more important than ever to continually improve your skills. The more you learn, the more you earn. But even more important, the more you can make a difference.
Back to school is not just for kids. Our “back to school” special is ending soon, so don’t delay. Find out more today.
The “Your Million Dollar Message” training has made a world of difference to our clients. But you don’t have to take that from me. Hear from our clients here:
YouTube: Celebrating Our Clients’ Successes
Find out if this training is just what you’ve been looking for. Schedule your business breakthrough call here: http://www.bookcall.biz
Aurora Winter, MBA, TV producer, author, trainer
YouTube: Celebrating Our Clients’ Successes
Watch the 5-Step Game Plan To Attract Capital, Clients & Media:
www.YourMillionDollarMessage.com
We launch thought leaders
PS Leaders are learners. Our “back to school” special is ending soon, so don’t delay. Find out more today. The “Your Million Dollar Message” training has made a world of difference to our clients. But you don’t have to take that from me. Hear from our clients here: