I get one more shot at this competition

So…

I promised we’d talk about Russell Brunson's direct response speech next.

That starts tomorrow.

But first, I have an update for you.

I told you I had a speech competition a few days ago.

I’ve got good news and bad news.

The good news?

I qualified for the next level of the Toastmasters International Speech Competition!

The Toastmasters competition has seven levels: Club, Area, Division, District, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and the World Finals.

I’m now set to compete at the Division level.

The bad news?

I didn’t finish first place, I finished second.

Not to downplay my performance, but the person who won has been a Toastmaster and speaker for over 30 years (three years before I was even born).

From what I learned afterward, he’s a regular contender, making it to the worlds finals every 3-4 years.

Here’s what’s encouraging, though: our scores were incredibly close.

Naturally, I wanted to know what tipped the scales in his favor.

So, I asked around after the competition to figure out what made the difference.

Turns out, he did a few things I didn’t.

For example, he used a relatable, everyday story that almost everyone could connect with.

His story had the audience envisioning themselves making pizza dough with a close friend.

Me on the other hand?

I shared a story about a business struggle and how my own self-confidence got in the way.

It resonated with some people… but not everyone.

The good news?

I get another shot next month at the Division level.

I’ll be working hard to make my speech even better than what it is today.

After compiling all the advice and feedback I received today, here’s the conclusion I’ve come to:

Have a heartfelt, casual, funny conversation with the audience.

This one sentence will guide me as I rewrite my speech.

And as I thought about it more, I realized… this principle doesn’t just apply to speeches.

It’s the key to crafting great sales pages, ads, and emails too.

Making your sales message relatable means you will enter the conversation the customer is already having in their mind way easier.

It's what separates a good sales message from a truly great one.