They say confession is good for the soul, so I admit it. I am, or more appropriately, I was, a lurker. I was one of those NSA Georgia members who always hung back. I approached the monthly meetings a little tentatively, uncertain of both myself and my message.
The good news is that those days are now behind me. The better news is that I learned an important lesson from them. When I joined NSA Georgia at the beginning of 2006, I thought that, since I was already being paid for speaking gigs, I could step comfortably and quickly into this organization. Boy, was I wrong! I learned very quickly what I didn’t know about the business (everything!), but more importantly, I learned how little I truly knew about what I was trying to do. Sitting in the same room with the pros of NSA Georgia was both humbling and intimidating.
At my first Chapter meeting, I heard both the Chapter leaders and the out-of-town speakers say the same thing: This is an incredible organization made up of people who truly want you to succeed. All you have to do to get help is to ask for it.
I took no action after that first meeting, but when I heard the same message repeated by different Chapter leaders and out-of-town speakers the following month, I resolved to ask for help. When I did, I was astounded to discover that the speakers were right. This is an incredible organization.
Virtually every person I asked not only shared their time, but also reviewed my ideas and offered good, solid advice. At their suggestion, I attended the NSA National Convention in Orlando, and was blown away with the quality of the ideas offered ... but even more so by the way in which I was accepted.
Beneath all this positive activity, though, I remained a lurker in my heart because I was fundamentally uncertain of my message. Like many beginning speakers, I would speak on any topic. The result was a mishmash of subjects without a central theme. The harder I searched for it, the more elusive that theme became. I was stuck on Start. My office began to look like a paper blizzard had blown through, and as I kept getting more good ideas and advice, it only got worse.
I signed up for Jim Ziegler’s Fast-Track course, but even though I got a lot from the course, I was simply not firing on all cylinders. I was bumping along until Laura Stack came to our Chapter. Although her message was not about messaging, what she said served as the catalyst for me. She said to focus on the space in which I work and clear the area so I could clear my mind. That not only resonated but, when I applied it, it broke open the dam.
In short order, I was able to find my theme, apply it to everything I already speak about, book my first gig with the theme, redesign my business cards, etc. For the first time since I joined NSA, I no longer felt like a lurker.
The impact of this change in my perception of myself was immediate. I began to receive calls and inquiries about my business and was asked to serve on the 2007-2008 Chapter Board of Directors. There are those who will scoff at the association, but I am convinced that, once I stopped thinking of myself as a lurker, my business began to take off.
The lesson I learned from the lean months was this: You may be paid to be a speaker, but you will never be a professional until you believe you are a professional.
Bill Hickman is the Fogbuster, the man who helps you “Get Your Stuff Together.” Through entertaining, customized presentations and programs, Bill helps individuals and teams identify and bust through the fog that surrounds and inhibits them. Those who think they may be operating in a fog can reach mailto:Bill@Gystgroup.com.
