The Wake Up Call - "it's an EXPERIENCE not a speech"

Have you ever had a wake-up call, the kind that makes you aware of something you may not have been aware of before?  Sometimes it is so profound that it teaches you something that will stick with you for the rest of your life.

Over the Memorial Holiday I had the pleasure of presenting The Wake Up Call,  "it’s an experience not a speech", where I take my audience on a journey through the life of a PI and into the world of….. let’s just say I gave them a glimpse of what goes on around them every single day that they are most assuredly unaware of.  

I presented my rehearsal presentation to a handpicked audience of about 65 that included an Appellate Judge, attorneys, physicians, teachers, and business owners, among many others and was designed specifically for the purpose of digitally recording with an audience.  The recording will be used for my website and applications for speaker series, a tool all speakers should have in order to increase their chances of gaining employment especially with large audiences. 

 In the beginning I walked across the stage several times in order to attract attention and stimulate the visual senses BUT, and this is a BIG BUT, I did not want to block the projector so it appeared as if I was pacing the floor v e r y  s l o w l y.  I walked from one side of the stage to the other, stopped for a minute or two, then moved to the other side of the stage and all while delivering my speech.  And, of course, it goes without saying, I had some nervous tension as all speakers do.  I have never met a speaker who does not and if one claims not to be nervous they would be lying.  Fortunately, I received compliments for this somewhat intentional move and for various reasons however, one person thought it was distracting and another misunderstood the purpose.  I was glad that most were aware that it was simply a rehearsal and not a full blown polished presentation and that it was all for the camera.  I could not have done it without them and was so grateful for their support!

The nervous tension I had, despite what people might think, was not from speaking in front of people.  I have absolutely no problem speaking to or in front of a crowd.   One of the first things I learned in one of my college composition classes was that most people would rather die than speak in front of people.   As I recollect the only times I got nervous speaking in front of people was when I gave speeches in classes where I was being graded.  During The Wake Up Call I was nervous because I didn’t want to leave anything out and everything I said had a purpose.  If I had left anything out it would have changed the course of the presentation.  Speaking for thirty plus minutes without a script is not a cake walk for any speaker.  It's fun but hard work.

The Wake Up Call was conceived during college after I was assigned to give an informational speech in my Communications class of which I received a 99%.   My Professor said he deducted 1% because I showed emotion during my delivery.   God forbid he give me a perfect score!  I had a lot of respect for my Professor who had an incredibly talented and challenging profession outside of teaching and had a teaching style that seemed somewhat confusing at times.  But, he did say that this speech was his favorite and that meant more to me than the score.  With that, I knew I would take this speech to an audience one day.

According to testimonials, some listed on my website, it was riveting, informative and an edge of your seat presentation to the very end.  I couldn’t agree more considering the content that comprised of some of my most compelling cases including my work on the Shawn Hornbeck case, how to tell when someone is lying, how to protect oneself from the most common menace in society, against scams, and more.  I was happy that all of the hard work I put into it was effective. 

My target audience is EVERYBODY.  Everybody will benefit from The Wake Up Call because of the dangers everybody faces every day at school, work, when we invite contractors into our homes, when we shop at the malls, and society in general.  Our elderly parents who live alone and young adults who use the internet to find jobs will also benefit from this experience. 

I am not a writer but I like to write and I am not a professional speaker but I like to speak.  I am a Private Investigator with a message who learned how to delivery it clearly and effectively.  To get your wake-up call please visit my website.

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