Terry Vaughan was nearly attacked by a group of young men who wanted his boots, and were willing to remove them by force. But he had a plan to keep his boots, and his life.

Before the attack could occur, he started looking and acting like someone who was clinically insane. The would-be boot thieves wanted nothing to do with him.

As a personal safety expert, Terry tells this story in his speeches and seminars. Why? “I’m a former British Royal Marine Commando. I do not expect to be targeted for a crime,” he told me, adding that no one expects to be a crime victim.

His purpose in sharing that story is to show that it canhappen to anyone.

Terry’s mission is to help people avoid being victims of a crime. But most people simply don’t think they’ll be a crime victim. So he needs to inspire them.

How does he do it? By using three essential skills to get their attention and help them understand why making a change is important.

These are also skills you can use to be an inspiration to the people you need to reach, whether they are customers, employees, students or anyone else.

Empathy

People are inspired when they can relate to the people doingthe inspiring.

You have to meet people where they are. By understanding where they are coming from, what their fears, pain points and assumptions are, you can better craft your message.

Storytelling

It’s easy to spout out facts and data to support your position. But it’s not effective. Facts and data are boring.

When people hear a story, they can more easily see the message or lesson it contains. They might see themselves in the story, and are more likely to be inspired to make a change.

Speaking

Public speaking is one of the most important skills you can have. It not only helps you communicate with a large audience, but it also makes you a better overall communicator.

When you learn to speak well, it also helps your listeningand writing skills.

You can be an inspiration, just like Terry is. You have thestories and experiences that can inspire customers to try something new, inspire your team to follow you, or inspire people to change their thinking.

If you’re not sure where to start, set up a free, 15-minute call and I’ll be happy to talk it over with you.