Public Speaking Can Make Your Business a Success

Many business owners aren’t aware of the importance of successful public speaking.  The art of public speaking is a fantastic way to help grow your business and shine awareness on your company’s ideas and messages. Alex F. Bouri, founding father of the highly successful cement holding company, Seament, agrees that public speaking is an effective marketing strategy for any business. The below tips will help anyone improve their public speaking skills.

• Stay Focused - When writing the content of your speech, it’s important to stay on point and focused throughout. Through your engagement, you should ensure that you are answering the following two important questions:  “what do I want my audience to know?” and “what do I want them to do with the information?”  Through developing thoughtful answers to these questions, you will inspire your audience and call on them to take action. 

• Practice, Practice, Practice - The only way to get comfortable speaking in front of people is to do it.  In the beginning of your public speaking career you should really take advantage of speaking to whoever will listen.  Don’t miscount speaking in front of friends and families because these opportunities certainly are a great way of getting your feet wet and will help develop your craft.  As you continue to speak to smaller groups you will become more and more comfortable addressing people and your speaking technique will improve with each delivery.  Also, don’t forget to get feedback from each group you address because their criticism will help make you a successful public speaker.

• Be Passionate - When people evaluate public speakers they put great emphasis on whether the speaker was passionate about the topic or not.  When the audience senses someone’s excitement about what they’re discussing, you can’t help but become engaged.  Listeners have admitted to being able to overlook technical errors when the speaker has passion and a clear message.  While addressing an audience always remember to think about why you care about what you’re talking about and let that shine through each and every word.

As a leader, Alex F. Bouri understands the importance of addressing an audience. He urges business owners to brush up on their public speaking skills so they can motivate and excite whomever they speak to. Being an effective public speaker is also a great tool to have when addressing employees because it’s a great way to motivate everyone involved in your company.

Is Your Company Ready to Go Global?

People often chuckle when they hear bands and actors say “we’re really big in Europe.” Although this may be comical to some, going global is becoming necessary for companies that are interested in expanding and becoming more successful. Alexander Bouri, owner of Seament Holding, an international cement products company, has been very successful in increasing his company’s client base by expanding into other countries. Below are questions you must ask yourself to determine if your company is ready or not:

• Is there a demand? Prior to getting involved internationally, a business needs to determine whether there is a big enough demand for their services outside of the United States. In some cases there may be too much competition in other countries or not enough potential revenue to be made. If you’re unsure of what is out there, plan a visit to the countries you’re considering reaching out to so you can get a better feel for the market. 

• What are the rules and regulations? Whenever you choose to consider doing business outside of the Untied States you need to familiarize yourself with each country’s legal issues surrounding foreigners establishing companies. There is a lot involved with this and you should obtain a lawyer to help guide you through the process. Contact the Department of Trade to get more information on what is involved in doing business over seas. Many international business owners like Alexander Bouri suggest obtaining local help so you have assistance moving things forward while you’re not present. 

•  Can you find a supportive team? While a great team in the United States may surround you, you need to ensure that you can duplicate that success in other countries. Determine whether you will be able to deliver your product to customers in other countries with the same accuracy as you do in your current market. 

Going global should only be achieved when a business can stand behind their products, regardless of where they’re being sold. If you’re looking to create a successful global brand that is known world wide as a company that is consistent and reliable you have to be able to deliver on it, regardless of where your product is being used. If you can’t commit to that then it’s likely that you should wait to spread your wings in the global marketplace.

Four De-Stressing Tips for Entrepreneurs

If you own a business, you know how it feels to think that there just aren't enough hours in the day. You want to do it all – sometimes at the sake of your sanity. If you want to have a business and a life outside that business, you have to de-stress and take some time for yourself every now and then. Take it from Alexander Bouri, a man who owns a global country and still finds time for his hobbies, like gardening and playing chess. The more balanced your life feels, the more productive and successful your business will be, so when you're feeling stressed, try one of these tips.

Get Out of the Office for Lunch

If you spend long hours at the store or in the office, you're going to grow weary of it really quickly. Instead of taking your lunch break in the breakroom, go get some lunch at a nearby restaurant or simply eat outside. You need to change your environment in order to truly feel like you're taking a break, and it's an easy way to de-stress.

Make Time for Vacations

Your business may be your livelihood, but it's not your entire life. Don't give up on vacations with your family or friends just because you feel like you need to be there 24/7. As long as you have a partner or manager you trust, the business will be fine without you for a week or two.

Take Up Meditation or Yoga

Meditation and yoga both require clearing your mind to focus on your body in the present moment. A lot of people find it hard to stop the racing thoughts about what needs to be done, but meditation and yoga are actually practices in clearing your mind. You'll feel much better after taking a break from your buzzing thoughts and ringing phone.

Make Personal and Business To-Do Lists

Always make checklists so that you can prioritize to avoid stress, but be sure to keep your "business" and "personal" checklist separate. Figure out what are the biggest priorities on each so that one does not take precedence over the other. For example, don't skip your child's championship game just to make the schedule at work.