Most of us were told that it impolite to discuss religion, politics or money at the dinner table. Yet whether we like it or not money, or the lack of it, is the hot subject for discussion these days. That’s understandable because we are living through a recession. People are losing their homes, businesses are going to the wall and budgeting is something we will all have to do if we are to survive the current crisis.
We need to think of long term solutions rather than quick fixes. Students should learn not earn because in doing so they improve their job prospects by getting better results. So it will pay them in the long term to be better educated. That is not to say that we should not tighten our belts. It’s a challenge to see whether we can cut the electricity bill or
eat better for less. Certainly it would do most of us no harm to leave the car at home and take public transport thus saving the environment and our pockets as well. Most of us have skills or talents we could barter for services we need instead of using those expensive credit cards. It will pay us all to be better informed about money matters or to consult the experts who can help us manage our money. Things are bad at the moment but if you try there are lots of ways you can dig yourself out of debt.

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We all like to be made feel welcome but have you ever thought of the many ways that happens in an ordinary lifetime? If you are born into a Christian family you will be welcomed into the church with a Christening/Baptismal speech. As a small child you feel comfortable and welcome every time your parents hold out their arms to you although, of course, you cannot express that feeling in words. You are probably gladly received at birthday parties too but again you take it for granted and don’t realise that you are being welcomed. When you go on visits to doting grandparents it will seem natural that they gladly receive you into their hearts and home.
As you grow older you will go to school and a teacher will usually give a welcome to students at re-opening of school year speech. You will also be made to feel wanted at any clubs and societies you may join. You may get married and on the day of your wedding your future father-in-law will usually welcome you into his family. When you begin work there is the staff welcome or induction speeches. In fact all through your working life there will be conferences and meetings at which you will be received with open arms. So if and when you yourself are rolling out the red carpet for guests ensure that you make them know how much you value their presence. In other words make them feel as welcome as those proverbial flowers in Spring.

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Most of us want to be successful whether it’s in our business or our personal lives. We read articles about people who have managed it and we want to be like them. In business there are few of us who wouldn’t like to be a Henry Ford or a Bill Gates. Golfer’s dream of being another Tiger Woods and no footballer would mind being as successful as Pele… A singer might aspire to be a Bob Dylan or to form a group like the Beatles. For most of us, of course, being famous is just a dream but if you believe you can achieve success you will. How did those household names do it? Persistence, patience and passion are the secrets of success. There is no doubt too but that creativity is crucial to success. Obviously hard work and determination are factors but if you find a business mentor it’s a shortcut to success. So if you do get around to starting a business and you make a go of it always remember how much your staff has contributed and work on the basis that everyone should share in success. That way you will truly be a real achiever.

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If anybody asked me I would say the most important thing about our business is the personal touch. We answer every email and every query within hours. In fact one client was so impressed at getting a personal answer he immediately sent an email saying “Wow you are a real person!� In this day and age most of us are used to having answering machines take our telephone calls and automated service on the internet. It appears that we all prefer to deal with another human being. Why can’t utility companies take note?

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I was lucky. My husband believed in my abilities and he was an expert on the internet. In fact he owned an Internet company. He was selling Irish Shamrock on the Internet long before most people thought of it as a sales forum. He decided he would set up a website to sell my speeches. He would offer my ready to go wedding speeches but also offer a personalised speech service. My daughter being a drama teacher could answer any queries on speech or presentation. We had, in fact, by sheer chance, the three essentials for a public speaking business under one roof. I could write, she could coach and he could have a website designed and manage it for us. We were set up in business! That was 12 years ago and we are in business ever since.

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I was no longer afraid to speak in public but what would I do with my new skill? Having five children meant I was confined to the house a lot. One day I noticed a sign for a wedding fair. I mentioned to my friend that I could write speeches for weddings and her answer was “Do�. We made enquiries, booked a table at the fair and I went home and wrote 20 wedding speeches. My daughter, a speech and drama teacher accompanied me to the fair. My business idea was not a great success because people did not buy the speeches that day. The idea was too new and too strange. A few days later though there was a radio programme about weddings and a speaker said people should not have to give speeches at weddings because it was a nightmare for them. My daughter telephoned in and said he was trying to put us out of business before we even got properly started. The announcer thought our idea of selling speeches was a good one. She asked me to read one on air and afterwards the phone started hopping with orders for speeches. So my speechwriting venture took off the ground. That was 12 years ago now.

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Today I was asked to write an appreciation of staff speech. Obviously you cannot mention everyone individually but some deserve mention for some outstanding contribution. It’s a delicate balance and you have to be very careful not to keep saying “And I would like to thank” because that makes the speech boring. It’s always good too to add in a personal story to illustrate the fact that the company is about people rather then merely profit. This kind of speech should leave the all the staff feeling appreciated and motivated.

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“Know your stuff� is probably the most important rule for a speech-writer. It is critically important that you check and re-check your facts and figures if you are giving a speech that relies on these. If you are giving a business speech of course you should know about the company and its products. So do your research and your speech will have that touch of authority that makes it worth using.

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Motivating and Business speeches

Today I’m in a motivating speech mood. ‘Simplicity’ is the keystone. I like the sound of simplifying everything down. So I’m reseaching the word, the topic, the religion (Quakers and Taoists) and can you believe the language? It’s called Toki Pona and was invented in 2001. It has something like 118 words in total. Incredible. If I ever have to study languages again, I’m electing for this one. Anyway I came across a guy Bill Jensen whose written a couple of books on simplicity in business and life. There is a stat along the lines of 80% of business communication has absolutely nothing to do with getting things done. Wow.

That includes meetings, e-mails and presentations, which is where I come in writing business speeches. He talks about getting people engaged being the key to simplicity. So you make a business speech like a story. You describe where we are, where we want to be and how to get there. I’ve adapted that last bit a little as I think it sounds better.

If you have anything else in your business speech, it’s probably in the 80%. I’m going to bear it in mind. As for the motivational speech on ‘Simplicity’. I’m still working on it. It’s more complicated than I thought.

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