With his upbeat, interactive delivery - laced with plenty of tasteful humor and relevant anecdotes - Jim brings his leadership, sales and personal development concepts to life for audience members. His aggressive, after-the-event follow-up process helps clients and their staff adapt and implement the concepts included in his keynote presentations, leadership development training seminars and sales training programs.

Holder of the prestigious Certified Speaking Professional designation from the National Speakers Association, Jim has been a professional speaker for more than 20 years. During that time he has conducted training and delivered presentations for corporate audiences, trade and professional associations and government agencies in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Jim Bearden, CSP,is one of America's most dynamic, captivating speakers and trainers and, with his aggressive follow-up process, he is also a powerful agent for change.

Looking Back:

Have you ever had an experience that, while relatively short in duration, made a lasting impression on you? Such experiences and the impressions they leave can have an impact on us - and what we do - for the rest of our lives.

One example in my life is the time I spent in Vietnam as a Marine officer. It was only 13 months (out of more than 60 years, so far), but the impressions it made and the lessons which it provided have served me well in many areas of my life. Perhaps the most indelible mark it made was on my perspective.

I've just completed a three-year experience that has also served to expand my perspective; some might say sharpen it. In retrospect I can say, without hesitation, that it was time well spent.

"The Belly Of The Beast":

For 14 years (1987-2001) I was a full-time professional speaker, in partnership with my wife, Barbara. In the early days, our clients were primarily small, "mom & pop" companies in Texas. Within five years, I was speaking for corporate audiences all over the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Our speaking business had literally taken off.

In 2001 one of my corporate clients, the president of a services company, heard me deliver a keynote presentation for one of his divisions. After the session he introduced himself and asked if I would be willing to meet with him to discuss my doing more work for them. More work always sounds good, so we met several times over the next few months.

Long story short, he ultimately offered, and I accepted, a position in his company, Vice President of Strategic Development. During the ensuing 3 years (2001-2004) I learned some extremely valuable lessons about life in corporate America. During that time I also continued to do a limited number of speaking engagements and I found myself incorporating the lessons I was learning into my presentations. Encountering and dealing with the same type of circumstances my audience members were facing served to expand my perspective and enhance my effectiveness as a speaker. I had been away long enough so in June 2004,I returned to the work I truly love, professional speaking.

The practical lessons I've learned - and relearned - during my stint as a corporate vice president have enhanced the value I'm able to deliver as a speaker and consultant. For example, I've made the following modifications to my content:

1.More real-world insights on key topics such as:

Leadership, Culture, Change, Teamwork, Personal/Professional Accountability, The Relentless Search For Better Ways, Sales.

2.New, more relevant - and, of course, funny - anecdotes/stories for bringing concepts and principles to life (capturing and holding participants' attention). Theory To Practice:

But the improvements go beyond content. My three years in "the belly of the beast" have provided stunning proof of the gap between theory (what sounds good from the platform) and execution (what gets done after the speeches are over).

In order to help my corporate clients facilitate implementation of the ideas I present, I have developed and am currently delivering an aggressive, multi-week follow-up process. In that process I partner with clients' managers to develop and implement strategies that will help them and their associates bridge the gap between theory and practice. I use my influence and credibility as the person who presented the theory to facilitate adaptation and implementation of the things that sounded so good from the platform.

In summary, my three years back in corporate America have provided the lessons I needed to make significant improvements in my materials, my presentations and my follow-up. Those improvements reflect my commitment to being more than just a speaker.

Programs:

Leadership, Teamwork And Winning:

Drawing on his personal leadership experiences (U.S. Marine Corps, Corporate America, parent of three children), Jim offers practical insights on the requirements, characteristics and roles for leaders as facilitators of essential organizational activities.

Happily Ever Afters Don't Just Happen:

Acknowledging and abandoning illusions about Happily Ever After(s) is a prerequisite to winning. The hope (delusion) that they actually exist will cause us to squander time and energy on these frantic but futile searches for Happily Ever After alternatives to hard work and perseverance.

Selling vs Hoping To Get Bought:

Contrary to what most of us have seen from many of the salespeople who call on us, selling is a process, not an event. When selling is viewed and practiced as a process, the quality of the selling experience (for salespeople and their customers) will improve dramatically. So will the sales results.

Personal Accountability:

Individual accountability the alternative to victimhood is the first requirement for individual and organizational success. Accountable people recognize the impact of outside factors on them and their situations, but they also understand that the choices they make about those outside factors are often more powerful, and have more impact on them, than the factors themselves.