Most entrepreneurs are corporate refugees. All they know is the corporate model. It's kinda ironic; they choose to leave corporate life to be an entrepreneur, to blaze their own trail and then they fall back on all the boring corporate ways that made them escape from corporate life in the first place! Things like the corporate way of dressing and the corporate way of speaking and the corporate way of eating lunch alone in the food court with the sports section of the paper, unless of course they are taking a big fish client out to lunch or twiddling their thumbs at a business function eating rubber chicken.

The beauty of being an entrepreneur is that it doesn't have to be that way any more. Why? Because you're the boss!

There are no rules! Even if there are, you can break them. Why?

Because you're the boss. Want to start feeling like you really are living the dream? Running your own show? Attracting instead of chasing clients? Here's the best kept secret in business!

Lose the Corporate Speak!

What's Corporate Speak?

“Hi, I'm Johnathan Snooze from Boreme Some Moreme and Snore. Our company specializes in the facilitation of soft skills solutions in a proactive environment. I'm the project manager. We're a one stop shop for small to medium sized business and our client say we provide excellent customer service. Our core competencies lay in the fields of…”

Don't be doing that!

Speak to prospects like you are speaking to a good friend. Use simple, direct, colorful language and don't be afraid of humor. Too many entrepreneurs suffer from Professionalitis. Fortunately, it's curable. Just talk to the people!

Even though I teach 'em, I don't get why we have to have courses in public speaking. You've been speaking since you were 2. You were walking since you were 2 also. We don't have courses in Public Walking!

Remember that the corporate guy in the 3 piece suit stops off for a beer on the way home from work just like everyone else. And I guarantee he's not speaking corporate mumbo jumbo to the bartender or to his buddies when he's watching the big game.

If you're preparing a speech and want to test it out, ask a kid. Kids have a natural immunity to professionalitis. Don't use any words with your business prospects that you couldn't use with a bright 10 year old. Just be yourself!!! Just talk to people. You'll connect. In our natural state, we are entertaining and fun and attract naturally. I don't see many boring kids. But as we get older, especially after we get our first “real job”, we systematically bury our color.