Opening Keynote

No More Off-the Shelf

2009-07-07T09:42:00.001-05:00

Today, every audience requires at least some form of a tailored presentation. There are no more off-the-shelf programs that fit every audience every time, even when the topic is as generic as management, leadership, or stress. The speaker has to take time to know the audience, what they're specifically facing, their daily challenges, and so on.

The true professional speaker will spend more time asking you about your audience than conveying the essence of his or her message, at least at the outset. Be wary of any speaker who claims to have just the right message but who does not ask you a lot of questions.

The How of Wow

2009-06-29T10:17:00.002-05:00

Notes from The How of Wow by Tony Carlson

* According to Tony Carlson only 1 in 500 speeches is good enough to be remembered. To be among those remembered, Carlson says you need to give audiences insight, enlightenment, meaning, stimulation, wit, and entertainment.

* Emulate the greats and soon your own style will take over but with the power of the greats

* Few speakers ever rehearse enough. Every extra moment you have ought to go into rehearsing.

* Your opening line can be a shocker that lets the audience know you mean business. Don’t be afraid to say something that people already suspect, but noone will say except for you.

* Show your vulnerability early in the speech. I recall when Tom Peters said at an NSA convention. “It’s intimidating to think about speaking to a roomful of speakers.”

* Keynotes benefit by a strong start, a rising middle, that grows and grows until you feel a sense of catharsis, a climax of emotion that your audience enjoys.

Top Bureaus, Great Results

2009-06-14T08:42:00.001-05:00

As a professional speaker, I have had the privilege of working with many outstanding bureaus. Among the many traits that excellent bureaus have in common, these seem to show up often: they return phone calls properly, keep advised as to the status of held dates, gather comprehensive background materials from the client, collect fees as originally negotiated, and have a well-developed follow-up procedure in practice.

Think of using speakers bureaus in this way: You use a lot of professional services in your organization and your life, including attorneys, accountants, bankers, computer consultants, and tax advisors. The essence of any good professional is that the price you pay for his or her services is more than justified by the benefits. As it turns out, dealing with speakers bureaus works exactly the same way.

Relying on Bureaus

2009-06-09T18:07:00.000-05:00

Why Would You Want to Use a Speaker Bureau?
* because the agents are dedicated professionals and among the tops in the field.
* because they work with only the best speakers who do a consistently outstanding job at every speaking engagement.
* when they've been in business for at least 10 years and know how to serve meeting
planners effectively.
* because they are efficient, responsible, flexible, and stay highly attuned to your needs.
* when their bureau representative will meet with you on site at your location.

Save Time & Money

2009-05-25T10:44:00.001-05:00

Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE offers eight tips for corporate meeting planners to save time and money:

Tip #1. After every meeting and event, do an "after action analysis." Write down what went right, what went wrong, what you would do differently if you were planning the meeting today, and who the vendors were who made your life easier.

Tip #2. In hiring vendors, do not always go for the lowest price. Whoever you hire, it affects your image. Reliability and follow-through are more important than a lower bid. Everyone is downsizing and looking for new ways to cut costs, but a vendor at a lower price may not be the answer.

Tip #3. Learn to make other people heroes. Whether dealing with vendors or people in other departments of your own company, if the person works hard and well, write a note of thanks to them and send a copy to their boss.

Tip #4. Make sure your speaker knows the terms used in your associationi.e. these people use "clients" not "customers." Also, alert the speaker to particulars of his/her audience...for example, mention the women in the audience are members, not spouses. One professional speaker was not warned and spoke "down" to his audience, making them feel bad, and the meeting planner look bad.

Tip #5. If you do mailings before a meeting or convention, be sure to put the speaker on the mailing list. This way the speaker knows what else is going on at the meeting, what the various topics are, if the schedule has been revised, and if his/her speaking time has been changed and no one remembered to tell the speaker.

Tip #6. If you are expecting a speaker to arrive the night before an event, leave them a note asking them to let the meeting planner know they have actually arrived. If you know the speaker has in fact arrived, you will undoubtedly sleep better. Leave an emergency number where you can always be reached.

Tip #7. Don't save the best for the last. Often corporations take their top performers to a fancy resort for a meeting of several days. They have one important outside speaker and they want to send the employees back to work with a bang. You will get more value for your money if you schedule the speaker the first day instead of the last. At the end of the conference the employees may be tired, hungover, or worried about packing and making the plane.

Tip #8. Use E-mail. Get on-line with networks of meeting planners who can share their experiences. Find a group similar to yours and find out the names of the most successful speakers they have used and which vendors made their lives difficult or easy.

Call 800 634-3035 or email PFripp@Fripp.com to request other articles.

Follow the Introduction Verbatim

2009-05-19T09:43:00.000-05:00

Many introducers offer an ad-hoc lines, which squelch a speaker’s planned opening. One of my introducers once added his own line to my introduction. It was his attempt at a joke. It was lame, fell flat, and went nowhere. It also conflicted with my intended opening line, and I had to quickly say something else.

Do your conference speakers a favor: tell your introducers in no uncertain terms not to improvise. I know of one meeting planner who asks, "Can you deliver this introduction as the speaker has requested?" If the introducer does not pledge to deliver the introduction free of these remarks, she suggests another introducer.

Speaker Ethics

2009-05-07T17:21:00.000-05:00

Open up the National Speakers Association Directory and you'll see thousands of speakers, most eagerly awaiting the opportunity to work with you. Log onto any major search engine on the Internet, type in the word "speaker," and you'll get 100's of hits. It's not difficult to identify speakers on all topics, from all geographic locations, of either gender, in all shapes and sizes, and at varying prices.

Of the 11,500+ speakers in the profession today, however, how many have a well-developed, written ethics policy and operating procedures that succinctly define their working relationship with bureaus? The answer: less than one in ten.

A Working Model

The following 19 provisions, drawn from my own Code of Ethics and Operating Procedures can serve as a working model. You can use it to determine what to look for when adding another speaker to your line-up of speaking professionals, whom you feel confident in recommending to clients:

1. We will not take on any speaking engagement if we have any doubt that Jeff Davidson is less than the best speaker that the client could retain for the engagement. When we say yes to a lead that you provide, you can be assured that Jeff is qualified and capable, and intends to give a presentation that exceeds the client's specific needs.

Fees and Expenses
2. Our fees are consistent with what you would pay if you booked Jeff directly. We never raise client fees for bureau-generated engagements.

3. If you pre-arrange a quantity purchase of our products, we agree to offer you a 20% commission on the gross amount of products sold. We follow your directions regarding any product sales.

continued…

Meeting Industry Resources

2009-05-03T10:23:00.000-05:00

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Life a is Desk. Clear Yours!

2009-04-27T16:38:00.001-05:00

To prehistoric man, life was a spear. Today life is a desk. Joe Sugarman, in his book, Success Forces, explains that by clearing your desk every evening, you automatically have to choose what to work on the next day. This is a discipline that yields a marvelous sense of breathing space with which to start each day.

To ensure that your desk and office environment supports you, invest in yourself. If you need them, room dividers and sound barriers are available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes and can improve upon any existing sound barriers.

Use the end of the day and slow periods to keep your desk orderly and better prepare yourself for high octane output when you're ready to get started again.

Every evening, after you've cleared your desk, acknowledge yourself for what you accomplished that day. Don't beat yourself up for what you didn't do. If you can do better, you will, maybe not at once, but soon enough.

Accessible Speakers

2009-04-09T07:36:00.000-05:00

There might be some mystery and allure surrounding the speaker who doesn't interact with audience members prior to the speech. Increasingly, however, attendees want to see the speaker as a fellow professional, certified member of the human race, and someone who is accessible. Are your speakers willing to meet with audience members prior to their actual presentation? If they'll be attending your conference or convention, are they willing to rub elbows with members or staff in the hallways, at other meeting events, just prior to going on stage, and afterwards, if time permits?

The functionally competent, oratorically stirring speaker who is aloof to your audience before and after presenting does not win over hearts and minds in the way that the fully engaging, personable, and accessible speaker does. Ask about this consideration when you're in the negotiation stage. You may be surprised as to the answers you receive.

Offering Your Sharp Attention

2009-04-01T14:53:00.000-05:00

Science has shown that your brain works best when it gives sharp attention in one direction, so such as when you practice doing only one thing at a time. If you doubt that this is sound advice, then you can set up a very easy test in your own home.

Take any three tasks, such as drawing stars on a piece of paper, linking paper clips, and stacking pennies. Now play against someone in your family. Each of you has to do the same number of tasks, perhaps it is to draw twenty stars, link twenty paper clips, and stack twenty pennies.

One person proceeds doing each task individually, by drawing all twenty stars on a piece of paper, linking all twenty paper clips together, and stacking all twenty pennies. The other person has to rotate between the three tasks, doing three or four stars, two or three paperclips, three or four pennies. All other things being equal, who is going to win every time? The person who doesn't switch tasks frequently will be the winner.

Arriving Well in Advance

2009-03-12T08:52:00.000-05:00

It might be semi-comforting to retain a speaker who's very busy. After all, if many other groups are hiring this speaker, he or she must be good, right?

If the speaker doesn't arrive the night before, or at least two to three hours in advance of the presentation, watch out. Professional speakers arrive in advance, work out the room logistics, meet with the production and audio-visual personnel, walk the room, give equipment a test run, and in general make themselves thoroughly familiar with the meeting venue.

No matter how good the speaker may be, if he or she expects to get off a plane, jump into a taxi, and make it to your site with moments to spare, be on guard, for you may get a performance that is not quite up to par or doesn't fit the needs of your audience.

The Meeting Wizard

2009-03-02T09:55:00.000-05:00

The Meeting Wizard offers tips on how to conduct effective meetings, schedule meetings, and prepare meeting agendas. It also recommended several books on conducting effective meetings.

Speakers Bureaus: More Reasons

2009-02-20T15:08:00.000-05:00

Some meeting organizers fear that a speakers bureau representative can't know enough about the industry, the audience, and the particulars to find the right person. Among the larger bureaus, however, many of the booking agents have developed specialties. Such agents can do an outstanding job of finding the right speaker based on your industry, your audience, and your particular needs.

In many cases, such agents have a better grasp of the situation than you do because they have encountered similar situations on many past occasions. Fortunately, it only takes a few minutes to ascertain if a booking agent has sufficient background to assist you in very precise ways.

Flying to Your Next Conference?

2009-02-13T12:28:00.000-05:00

Airline Travel Trips

If you're flying mid-day, wear your sunglasses because ultraviolet rays from the sun are more potent--especially if you're flying above the clouds. To read, lower the window cover and use the overhead lighting.

Carry your own small water bottle on board to avoid having to ask flight attendants for drinks. Also, when the meal is served before the beverage, you're able to wet your whistle while you eat. Half the battle of flying is remaining hydrated. It's better to go to the restroom four times
because you've been hydrating yourself than to land exhausted and need four days to catch up.

Bring your own snacks (carrots, sliced cucumbers, other watery vegetables; apples, pears, and other fruits), but not candy or dead carbohydrates such as chips, crackers, or dehydrating foods. Even the worst of airline meals will go down more easily if you eat your own nutritious snacks before or after. These will help keep you regular, and your whole trip will go better.

Excellent Meeting Resource Books

2009-02-02T14:43:00.001-05:00

Event Planning by Judy Allen

Planning Successful Meetings and Events by Ann Boehme

Complete Idiot's Guide to Meeting and Event Planning

How to Start a Home-Based Event Planning Business by Jill Moran

Complete Guide to Public Speaking by Jeff Davidson

Speakers Who Go Beyond

2009-01-22T10:06:00.003-05:00

What type of speaker routinely pleases meeting planners? The speaker who:

1.) Knows how to make the meeting planner's task easier and more enjoyable.

2.) Researches the audience in advance through interviews.

3.) Offers subject matter that directly coincides with audience needs.

4.) Is a lively and compelling presenter who engages the audience the whole way through.

5.) Offers value added services which may include posting handouts on a blog or website, making follow-up calls, or offering desired bonus items or information.

Four Basic Audience Needs

2009-01-15T10:11:00.001-05:00

Since my first paid presentation in 1983, I’ve learned a great deal about what audiences need, want, and expect, which primarily boils down to four vital ingredients:
* to be informed,
* to be entertained,
* to participate in some way,
* and most of all to be inspired to take action.

Over the course of 26 years, remarkably, these four basic needs prevail.

Hopefully not During Meetings

2008-12-29T12:00:00.002-05:00

Workers waste more than two hours a day on average by surfing the Web, conducting personal business, chatting with co-workers, and just zoning out, according to an online survey conducted by AOL and Salary.com.

America's Healthiest Airports?

2008-12-18T08:16:00.006-05:00

Health Magazine has picked America's top ten "Healthiest Airports," but you'll have to decide the merits of the selections.

Keynotes: Less is More

2008-12-04T11:36:00.003-05:00

In a keynote speech it is better to present one key idea four different ways than it is to cram your keynote full of material that is guaranteed to miss the mark with 75% of the audience.

Conference follow-up

2008-11-15T10:10:00.002-05:00

Conference follow-up is as rigorous as anything else for a meeting planner! When the convention is over, in addition to addressing hundreds of details, you scamper back onto the plane or into your car and head home.

You still have tasks to fulfill or requests to honor. There are items to box up and ship back. Checks need dispensing to vendors, service providers, speakers, rental companies, and the meeting facility. Notes need to be typed up and reports written, updates made, membership categories modified, and next year's convention plans altered.

Realistically, however, there will be time for the post-meeting tasks even if you take a day or two off. So for now, let the meeting be over. You're proud of your accomplishment, but you're worn to a frazzle. What steps can you take to ensure you'll get the rest and relaxation you deserve?

Rather than trying to take care of all your paperwork on the fly, pack up at the speed of sound, and drive or fly back to your office along with the rest of the participants, why not plan your next meeting so that you can spend an extra day or two resting and recuperating before heading back?

The Fear of Speaking

2008-11-06T13:31:00.001-05:00

A clarification!: It has been said that speaking before a group is the number one fear of adults – a statement which daily is widely misinterpreted. The number one social fear of adult is speaking before groups.

Given the choice of speaking before a group or trying to scale a 500-foot vertical sheet of solid rock, being operated on for a brain tumor, or being held-up at gunpoint, most adults find speaking before a group to be far less frightening.

Allow for More Networking Time

2008-10-27T18:10:00.002-05:00

At San Jose University in San Jose, California, researchers Charles Darrah, J. A. English-Lueck and James Freeman have observed “that constant ‘life-on-the-go’ can make people feel a lack of control over their lives.” At conferences and convention, perhaps it’s better to allow more time between sessions; chances are participants might feel more in control!

Entire World has the Travel Bug

2008-10-13T12:19:00.004-05:00

The Washington Post report that the "The whole world has the travel bug. And it's ravaging the planet."

"The world has shrunk -- and the tourist legions have exploded. The streets of Paris and Venice are so crowded that you can barely move. Cruise ships are filling harbors and disgorging hordes of day trippers the world over. Towering hotels rise in ever-greater numbers along once pristine and empty beaches."

The upshot for meeting planners: finding that special, out-of-the-way place is growing challenge.