Here are some tips that you will help you overcome your biggest obstacle – yourself:

Visualize Success.

You must have a clear vision for your business. Your business model and ultimately your business plan will be based on your vision. If you stumbled into your business like so many people do, there is still time to refine and focus your vision.

Surround Yourself with Positive People.

This is something I come back to again and again. We all have those days when everything seems to go wrong and it’s so hard to keep pushing forward. That’s when you need to turn to your family and friends and absorb their encouragement and positive energy.

Seek Expert Advice.

If you have a mental block, need to solve a problem or develop a specific area of your business then get help. I have a business coach in one key area of my business. I’m actually surprised by how many entrepreneurs feel they know everything and can solve every problem alone. That’s just ridiculous! Reach out and get an expert to help you.

Stop Being Afraid.

Are you scared of failure, success or something else? Regardless, get over it! Fear holds you back, stops you from taking risks and seeing new opportunities. I know it’s easier said than done, but if I can do it then so can you.

Believe in Your Vision.

We come full circle with this one. You have a vision, now you have to believe in it with every ounce of your being. Pour your heart and soul into it. Don’t allow doubt to enter your mind for even a moment.

Recently I’ve had so many people ask me what the secret to my success is. So listen up, here it is – a change in mindset. After years of self doubt and fear, I finally believe in myself and the power of my dreams. You have what it takes, but now you need to take that leap of faith and believe that you have the power to realize your dreams. So rip out the fear and self doubt that has been plaguing your dreams and allow faith and positive energy to propel you towards your true destiny.

Because what I do is so visual by it’s very nature and I’m in the public eye, it’s essential that I stand out and make an amazing impression every time. So I only wanted to partner with the best and was delighted to find out that the executives at Bellissima felt the same way. 

“Bellissima is very proud to be sponsoring Narges Nirumvala.  Narges has a vivacious personality and projects the kind of ideals and professionalism that we look for in a partner.”  John Kwei, President of Serena Fashions Ltd.

Here are two of my favourite looks so you see what I mean.

Love this jacket from Bellissima - it really 'pops' on stage! Here I'm relaxing before a keynote at the Renaissance Hotel Vancouver.

Wearing a gorgeous Bellissima private label tunic and leggins while wine tasting with my family in the Okanagan!

Remember that non-verbal communication makes up a huge part of any interaction (public speaking or otherwise) you have with people. 

“Sight makes up 83% of the impact on the brain of information from the senses during a visual presentation. Taste makes up 1%, Hearing makes up 11%, smell 3% and touch 2%.” according to Pease B., Pease A. (2004). The Definitive Book of Body Language. 

So my question to you is what kind of first impression are your clothes making?  Visit any one of their many locations in Alberta or British Columbia to see how they can help you put together a showstopping look for your next event.

1. Write killer content.

Great speeches begin with great writing. This always surprises my clients. The last thing people think of when you talk about public speaking or presentation skills is good writing. But at the soul of both speaking and writing is the ability to communicate your thoughts and emotions with clarity and power. That’s at the heart of what I help my clients do. With these tips you will be better able to do that yourself.

2. Make eye contact.

Let’s assume you’re speaking to a small to medium sized group; then it’s essential to make eye contact and connect with your audience. Don’t think of them as potential clients or investors first, but as people just like you.

3. Dress to stand out.

About 8 times out of 10, I see people on stage wear the standard boring black suit. Why would you do that when there are so many beautiful colours in the Universe?

4. Act out.

Don’t just tell me, show me. Use your entire body to describe what you’re trying to say. I spend hours working on body language with my clients. It’s a huge part of any speakers’ repertoire and something that people often under utilize.

5. Use your voice.

A flat monotone voice is so dull. Imagine that your voice is a landscape – you want mountains and valleys. That way you’ll make your audience’s journey more interesting.

6. Respond to your audience.

It’s important that throughout your presentation or keynote you take cues from your audience. This takes attention and experience, but start with the basics. How do they look? Interested and engaged or bored? Are they asking questions? Be flexible and respond to their needs.

7. End BIG.

You want to end with something that will be both powerful and memorable. An emotionally charged personal story or a bold call to action. Something to remember!

We’ve gone through seven ways to make a more commanding impression the next time you have a sales presentation to give or are delivering a keynote. The key is to take one idea and implement it each time you take the stage (or the front of the boardroom). You can become a much more powerful speaker, with a lot of hard work and a little help from me.

I’m going to remain positive and only focus on their strengths (based on my casual observations and perceptions), so let’s go through each one:

Rick Santorum: Mr. Santorum was the only candidate who was able to express emotions such as compassion, passion and outrage to his advantage. You could see it in his eyes, through his facial expressions and the tone of his voice.

Mitt Romney: Mr. Romney showed grace under fire and managed to remain calm regardless of what was being said to him, or about him. That is difficult for anyone to do, much more so with millions of people watching.

Newt Gingrich: Of all four candidates I felt Mr. Gingrich and his team had done the most research and planning. You could tell by the amount of detail in his answers and his frequent ‘power statements’  that were meant to look spontaneous, but in my opinion, were written ahead of time by expert speech writers (and why not?).

Ron Paul: Mr. Paul did not get as much time as the other candidates to speak during this debate, but when he did speak he used his sense of humour and honest demeanor to endear the audience.

All Four Candidates: All the candidates used personal stories and examples to add emphasis to what they said. That’s an essential skill in public speaking that I focus on with my clients.

Remember that every politician on this level usually has a team of people like me behind the scenes, to make them look and sound great – speech writers, public relations consultants, researchers, image consultants and public speaking coaches. Public speaking is an art and a science that can be harnessed to gain power and lead empires.  So my question to you is – why aren’t you using it?

People had the opportunity to ask questions of the Premier. Most of the attendees were small business people and questions ranged from the economy and affordable day care to transit and health care. What I appreciated the most was that she took the time to speak to me before the event and answer my questions and concerns personally.

If only you could read minds it would be so much easier! When people meet you for the first time do you make a positive first impression? Do people think, “Wow, that’s a confident woman”?

People are making assumptions about who you are and what you do before you’ve said a single word. Of course they notice your hair, make-up and the way you dress. In addition to that you are sending out, like radar, subtle non-verbal cues through your body language.

To read Narges’ complete article as it appeared in Entrepreneurial Woman Magazine and learn all five secrets click here.