104 November 2009 - Behind the Podium

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Project a Professional Image By

Putting Your Best Face Forward

By Nancy S. Juetten

I

f a picture is worth a thousand words, what does your do-it-yourself headshot say about you? Many small business owners take Nancy S. Juetten the do-it-yourself route when submitting headshot photos for media use to save time and money or meet a pressing deadline. This can work well, provided they take care to capture a winning image.

Speakers Bureaus often post photographs to their sites, and a good photo can go a long way toward inviting interest among decision makers.

Additionally, newspapers publish executive photos in their “Briefcase” sections, and readers turn to them to learn who has been promoted or moved to new positions. Readers who seek new business prioritize prospecting efforts based on these postings and follow up to extend congratulations and invite new business conversations.

Other times, owners submit images for media use that don’t put their best faces forward. Maybe these mug shots would pass for a driver’s license or passport, but not for promotional use.

As Erma Bombeck once quipped, “If you look like your passport photo, it’s time to go home.” Face it, just because you own a digital camera doesn’t mean you should use it for business. A poor portrait can reflect negatively on your personal brand and reputation.

Also, many papers publish how-to columns from area experts offering tips readers can use to make smarter business decisions. A quality headshot can turn such a column into a credible and persuasive branding tool that can live on as a professional reprint long after the newspaper has faded.

Tip of the Month Be More Proactive in Your Speaking Business With free services like Google alerts (www.google.com/alerts) and TweetBeep (www.tweetbeep. com) you can find even MORE speaking engagements! Once you set up alerts for the keywords related to your business, i.e. “need a motivational youth speaker” you’ll be able to engage in useful conversations with meeting planners actively seeking speakers.

Since your image is on the line, supply a photo that does the best that can be done with what you’ve got to

News

Vol. 1, Issue 4 • November 2009 • $24.95

You Should Know

What is the most sought-after speaking topic today?

Our LinkedIn group is a great place to stay on top of current trends in the speaking industry. With over 3,000 members, we’re one of the largest online networks of people with interests similar to your own. One of the best features of this online system is that you can get instant feedback to questions, concerns, and requests you have.

Recently, a group member posted a discussion topic asking other speakers what they believe is the most sought-after speaking topic today. A good number of people responded that topics on social media (LinkedIn, Blogging, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) were at the top of their lists. If you spend time reading through the responses, it’s easy to become convinced that this is by far the most in-demand topic. But our experience and hard data show that not to be the case.

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What’s Inside Letter from the Editor.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Discover How You Can Get More Bookings NOW in this month’s Q & A section. . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Learn the Simple Reason Why People Fail in this new series of articles from Dan Kennedy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Take Advantage of Some FREE Advice on Starting a Speaking Business in this month’s LinkedIn Forum.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

www.speakermatch.com

There are only two options regarding commitment; you’re either in or you’re out. There’s no such thing as life in-between.

– Pat Riley

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Letter from the Editor

Boost Your Sales

By Boosting Your Image

Is Traditional Media Still Relevant Part II: The Publicity Benefits of TV & The Internet

By Media Strategist & National Publicist, Annie Jennings

Bryan Caplovitz

It’s all in how you present it. As public speakers, we have an intrinsic understanding of this phrase because our success is contingent on how well we present our material and ourselves. And because how others perceive us is so crucial, it’s a good idea to take stock of the whole package every now and then.

Projecting A Professional Image is this month’s theme of Behind the Podium, and in this issue you’ll find a wide range of tips to help ensure that you are sending the right message in your appearance and demeanor.

Nancy Juetten’s article, Project a Professional Image By Putting Your Best Face Forward, offers some expert advice on capturing a winning image with your headshot, which is paramount in branding yourself. And fortunately, you can project a professional image and still have a relaxed manner. Peter Fogel’s article, Five Commandments to Get You Big Bucks for Big Yuks, shows you how to safely add a little humor to your presentations.

And as in each issue, there are many more informative articles that will help you grow your speaking business.

Sincerely,

We’d love to hear what you think about Behind The Podium! Send an email editor@speakermatch.com.

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Annie Jennings

Even with thousands of competitors how do you become the only one everybody wants?

It’s about building credibility. Here’s the thing about credibility – if you build it, they will come!

Clients or those in a position to hire you always want to earn a return on their investment that is, they are happy to invest in you, if you become the “sure thing.” No one likes risk and no one likes to pay for services not rendered. When you create certainty that you can deliver the outcome your client wants to purchase and back it up with being known as the thought leader in your field as demonstrated by your association with impressive media outlets, you become the investment. You become the “sure thing.”

Media helps you create national expert status and become a thought leader in your field. In our last article that appeared in Behind The Podium issue we discussed the publicity benefits of Radio & Print. Now let’s explore the benefits of TV and the Internet.

Why TV Traditional media creates a comprehensive media outreach and helps position the author, expert or your client as an authority in their field who understands the issues they are commenting on in depth as they relate to issues facing our society.

The expert is placed in the national conversation

in a socially relevant way. Below are the benefits of TV for you: TV Creates Thought Leader Status From a business or career point of view, being known in your industry as an influencer and thought leader leads to major opportunities. You have demonstrated your knowledge and wisdom personally with your viewers, some of whom are in a position to hire you.

Credibility Builder – Your Point Of View In Demand Getting booked on these shows is a big deal. You don’t just walk on the set and sit down. Guests are carefully selected according to their credentials, point of view and media history. You must qualify for the segment and be able to prove it.

Your publicist has jumped you through a lot of hoops to get on the show edging out others who wanted to get on as well.

Congrats!

Association with MEGA Brands and Celebrity Hosts Potential clients or those in a position to hire you as a consultant may not know you personally but they know FOX NEWS, the know CNN, they know Kiplinger’s and hey, if you are good enough for Associated Press, well you are good enough for them!

Creates Huge Competitive Advantage The question is this, if it was your job to select a consultant for your company and you had the following candidates to choose from who would you choose?

Candidate A who was seen on FOX News and CNN discussing what the latest employment figures mean to our economic recovery who is also a regular columnist on TheStreet. com and recently seen in the Wall Street Journal or Candidate B who has the same academic credentials continued on page 3

News and Information for the Speaking Community by SpeakerMatch

Is Traditional Media Still Relevant Part II: The Publicity Benefits of TV & The Internet continued from page 2

but has only been seen on Twitter and Facebook or their own blog. Who would you hire? The expert who has the bigger media bio showcases their skill set much better and is usually in a position to seal the deal. No one who is in charge of hiring wants to hire a risky candidate and your media helps create certainty that you are the best choice.

TV Can Lead to Mega Opportunities Such as Becoming a Regular Expert Many of our clients have landed additional or expanded opportunities such as becoming a regular contributor to a major internet news site, that can be leveraged into more opportunities or becoming a regular expert on a TV show in their market or a regular guest on a major radio show.

Real Story: Client increased his demand so much he TRIPLED his speaking fees and sold 50,000 books as well. Plus, he landed an ongoing segment in his hometown market as well, basically,

positioning himself at the top. There’s just no stopping him now!

Real Story: Client landed a regular TV segment as the expert in one of the TOP 5 markets in the country. Imagine their positioning as a TV expert in their in their city? It’s huge. This expert now has created the ultimate competitive edge for themselves. Publicity pays off big when you know how to leverage it.

Why Internet: The big question right now is does getting booked on radio or TV shows, as the quoted expert in newspapers and magazines or on Internet sites really matter as compared to being active in social media. While social media allows you to get up close and personal with some or many of the people in your social media network, one thing remains true, the benefits of traditional media just can’t be beat!

In previous articles we examined Radio, TV, Print media to establish their relevancy in your media outreach and now let’s take a look at the deliverables of an Internet media placement. Here are the benefits to you of getting booked on Internet media: Name Brand Platform Builders & Media BIO Builders Can access the major players easier than strictly traditional media – they need a lot of content and are open to more experts.

Search Engine Optimization - May Link Back to Your Website Imagine being the quoted expert on a site with millions of visitors and the site links your name back to your website, thereby potential driving numerous

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Behind the Podium (ISSN 1949-5544) is published 12 times a year as a resource for emerging professional speakers, business leaders, technical gurus, educators, and other subject-matter experts. Editor Bryan Caplovitz welcomes your input. Please e-mail any comments or suggestions to Bryan at editor@speakermatch.com.

Panel of Experts Annie Jennings, M edia Strategist and National Publicist David Newman, Marketing Expert Nancy S. Juetten, Public Relations Consultant Dr. Donald E. Wetmore, Time Management Expert Anita Boser, Practitioner Kelly Swanson, Motivational Speaker and Corporate Comedian Dan Kennedy, Speaker, Consultant and Coach Dan Fogel, Speaker and Humanist Behind the Podium publishes the opinions of experts and authorities from many fields; however, the use of those opinions is no substitute for accounting, legal, investment, or other professional services. Material may not be reproduced in part or in whole in any form whatsoever without the written permission of SpeakerMatch. SpeakerMatch is the world’s largest source for speaking opportunities.

Behind the Podium is published monthly, by SpeakerMatch, 4807 Spicewood Springs Road, Suite 2118, Austin, TX 78759-7944. $149/yr, $24.95/issue (US funds). Periodicals postage pending at Austin, TX and additional mailing offices. Behind the Podium is a trademark of Simply Speaking, Inc. Copyright © 2009 by Simply Speaking, Inc. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to SpeakerMatch Subscription Department, 4807 Spicewood Springs Road, Suite 2118, Austin, TX 78759-7944.

Subscription information: Direct subscription inquiries, payments and address changes to SpeakerMatch Subscription Department, Behind the Podium, 4807 Spicewood Springs Road, Suite 2118, Austin, TX 78759-7944. To resolve service problems, call (866) 372-8768 or visit our Web site at www.speakermatch.com. On occasion we make our subscribers’ names available to companies with products or services in which you may be interested. If you do not want to be included in these mailings, please notify us in writing.

Call us toll-free at: 1 (866) 372-8768 Outside the United States: +1 (512) 372-8768

SpeakerMatch Teleseminar Agenda November Tuesday, November 10 at 12 CST

Topic TBA GUEST: Annie Jennings

Thursday, November 12 at 12 p.m. CST

Creating A Successful Business Model GUEST: Jane Atkinson

Visit speakermatch.com/radio

to view the most current information.

Schedule is subject to change.

www.speakermatch.com

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Project a Professional Image By

Putting Your Best Face Forward work with. Then, when editors see your photo, they won’t quip that you have a face for radio. Worse yet, they won’t exclude your photo from the mix in favor of others of better quality.

Avoiding Common DIY Photography Mistakes

Some of the most common missteps with do-it-yourself headshot photography include: • Unflattering lighting.

• A non-neutral background (plants that appear to be growing out of an executive’s head).

• Poor wardrobe choices (bold patterns and dated clothing).

• Too much blue eye shadow.

• Dated or messy hairstyles.

• Far more person showing than the standard head-and-shoulders view.

• Somber facial expressions.

• Submitting a photo from five or 10 years ago. This can backfire when folks meet you for the first time.

If you are not truthful about your appearance, what else might you fib about? Keep in mind that hairstyles, hair colors, and fashion trends change as time marches on. If your reflection in the mirror today doesn’t match your photo, it’s time to sit for a new one.

News

You Should Know

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A Professional Photographer Shares the Secrets of an Eye-Catching Shot

Technique: Framing in the camera should be from the bottom of the breast pocket on a man’s jacket, or just above the “V” where the blazer meets when buttoned. Allow a few inches of background above the head. Always use your “on camera flash” to take the picture, whether in daylight or inside. Let the subject know when you snap the photo.

Saying “cheese” or a similar phrase really works because it tends to put a twinkle in the eye and a smile on the face of the person being photographed.

Personal Grooming:

Cropping: 4x5 or 5x7 inch images are adequate for most uses.

Henry Schulz, principal of Henry Schulz Photography, has photographed Miss Washington candidates for numerous years along with many executives for a wide range of publications. Based on his copious years’ experience photographing the bold and the beautiful, the shy and retiring, and those who are growing older and wider, he offers these tips: Women - Pay special attention to hair and make-up. Apply more blush than usual to avoid appearing washed out.

Men – Hair should be neatly styled, and facial hair should be precisely trimmed.

Clothing: Solid, medium-to-dark toned business attire works best. Faint pin stripes or subtle patterns are acceptable.

Background: A smooth neutral-colored background works well. You should be situated at least three feet away from the background, and six feet away is preferable. This helps keep the background out of focus.

Posing: Turn away from the camera at approximately a 45-degree angle. Turn your head directly to the camera with the shoulders still facing away from the camera. The back should be arched slightly with your shoulders back.

Digital Quality: Most newspapers and magazines prefer digital photos of at least 300 dots per inch (DPI).

Labeling: Label the images by first and last name and the date.

If you insist on do-it-yourself photography, follow these tips.

Alternatively, hire a professional photographer to capture a winning image.

The time and money investment is modest and the end result will put your best face forward so folks beyond your mother will notice.

Nancy S. Juetten is a work-in-thetrenches publicist, speaker, newspaper columnist, and the author of the MediaSavvy-to-Go Publicity Toolkit. She is based in Seattle, Washington. Visit www. localprforme.com to learn more. Contact Nancy by phone at (425) 641-5214 or via e-mail at nancy@nsjmktg.com.

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What is the most sought-after speaking topic today?

Over the past few months, there has been a surge in requests for topics relating to overcoming slow sales in the current economy. That topic is beginning to wane, but there aren’t really any detectible surges in other topics we can see now. However, motivation is by far the most requested topic. In fact, that’s been the case since we

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began tracking requests about seven years ago.

What Meeting Planners Really Want While the topic of motivation is vague, meeting planners want a speaker who is motivational, inspirational, and entertaining. They want someone who won’t put their audience to sleep. And they don’t want someone to read from

PowerPoint slides or stand at the front of the room holding on to the lectern for dear life. No matter what your speaking topic is about, be sure to communicate to the meeting planner that you will be “motivational.” That’s what they want.

If you haven’t joined the SpeakerMatch group on LinkedIn, visit www. speakermatch.com/linkedin.

News and Information for the Speaking Community by SpeakerMatch

Maximizing Your Hireability NOW! Interviewed by Bryan Caplovitz

David Newman is a marketing expert who specializes in working with speakers and consultants who want to attract, engage, and win more clients — David Newman even in this economy!

The author of eight books on marketing and business growth including “Relish for Business” and “21 Secrets of Simple Marketing Success,” David is also a professional speaker and the incoming President of the National Speakers Association, Philadelphia Chapter. He works with a small number of speakers in his year-long Marketing Mentor program, and he's the creator of the 10-week Speaker Marketing Toolkit Coaching Program.

Q. David, you talk about the importance of speakers "labeling" themselves - what do you mean by that?

A. Decide who you are – negotiations

speaker, customer service speaker, sales speaker. Don’t be afraid to specialize and focus your business on mastering ONE topic. And stick with it. Don’t be afraid of labels. Labels are good! Meeting planners BUY labels! Label yourself early on, and focus on getting expertise that is DEEP

Members Only Discount Renew your membership by November 22 and receive the following bonuses:

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rather than BROAD. Wannabes know 10 topics one foot deep. Experts know one topic 10 feet deep – and beyond!

Q. What's your take on speakers writing books - and also, what do you see as the main differences between selfpublishing and professional publishing, from the perspective of getting hired to speak?

A. Write a book – or write several books. I made the mistake of writing eight books on eight different topics – if you’re going to write eight books, you should write eight books on ONE topic!

Also, decision-makers like to see at least ONE professionally published book.

From a meeting planner perspective, your REAL priority should be producing a professionally published book. Focus on that first, for credibility and visibility purposes, and THEN create your selfpublished products, ebooks, and audio programs to add additional revenue streams to your business model.

Q. How should folks be using SpeakerMatch - think back to when you were sitting on the receiving end of speaker inquiries - what worked and what didn't?

A. Well, being totally generic doesn’t

work – looking like, sounding like, and presenting yourself like every other motivational speaker is a recipe for disaster. Also, the phrase “everyone needs to hear my message” is deadly – you need to pick a lane and focus your offering on a very specific target market. Show me who is hungry for your message, your tools, your strategies, and your content – show me who has paid good money for it in the past and that will help me determine if my audience is willing to pay good money for it, too. The mistake I see a lot of my clients make is that they present meeting planners with topics they are passionate about – present meeting planners with topics that the meeting planner’s audience will be passionate about. Make the outreach about audience value, not “speaker passion.” www.speakermatch.com

Q. If speakers are best served by being a subject matter expert in ONE arena, how are they supposed to get multiple bookings from the same client - and won't they have trouble generating repeat business if they're a one-trick pony?

A. Offer DEPTH with VARIETY –

Once meeting planners find someone who delivers great content and is easy to work with, they want to be able to plug them into all their DIFFERENT audiences – different levels, different industries, different durations. Remember – you want to be invited back to clients who know you and love you for a 2nd or 3rd presentation to the SAME audience, so carefully “packaging” your expertise into a variety of programs will serve you well.

For example, if you spoke at a company’s annual conference last year on Mastering the Art of Price Negotiations and it was a huge hit, you want to be able to go back this year with Advanced Negotiating for Purchasing Professionals.

Q. David, any parting words of wisdom?

A. Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes

and ask if YOU would hire you. Think like a corporate executive or conference programs chair and then do everything you can to become the speaker you would be thrilled to hire! Save yourself the trouble of working as a meeting planner because I can tell you that being a full-time professional speaker is way more fun and it pays a lot better. To recap everything we’ve covered in this program, my closing advice to you is - get known, get expertized, get published, get internetized, get focused, get branded, get specific, get deep… and most importantly - get going on this stuff right NOW. Thanks for listening.

For the complete interview, visit speakermatch.com/radio. You can visit David Newman’s Web site at www.doitmarketing.com.

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Time Management

Knowing What’s Important is Key to Better Time Management

By Dr. Donald E. Wetmore

We all have too much to do. Almost everyone I speak with tells me they have more to do than time permits. This says a lot of good things about you. Having too much Donald E. Wetmore to do means that many have entrusted a lot to you. People who seldom have enough to keep them busy and are always looking for things to do may not

have earned this level of confidence from others.

While there’s never enough time for everything, there’s always enough time for the important things. And you don’t have to wait until circumstances force you to attend to them. You can do it now.

Each day in your daily planning, identify the most important things you want to get done in your day. Place a high priority of

those items and leave the less important things undone.

The secret’s finally out.

Dr. Donald E. Wetmore is a time management expert and founder of the Productivity Institute. Contact Dr. Wetmore by phone at (800) 969-3773 or by e-mail at ctsem@msn.com. Visit the Time Management Web site at www. balancetime.com.

Support Your Presentation with Believable Posture

By Anita Boser, LMP, CHP

You’ve prepared the presentation down to the last detail. You examined the A/V equipment, and it’s operational. Your hairstyle, clothing, Anita Boser and attitude give the right impression. Your voice and facial expressions will connect you with the audience. Can anything possibly interfere with your delivery?

Yes, posture along with underlying gestures and outward appearance will either detract from communication or emphasize a speaker’s credibility.

Just think of Al Gore. Whether you like his politics or not, you can’t help but notice that his wooden mannerisms hinder his ability to connect with people. A stiff spine and jerky movements take away the audience’s attention. Natural, full body movements bring people closer to the message.

Follow these three tips so your body language matches your words. Your audiences will feel more comfortable with you and be more absorbed by your delivery.

A Heart-Centered Poise Helps You to Connect with Others You know the quote by John Maxwell?

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

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Caring is about feeling, not thinking. If your attention is focused on your mind, remembering what to say, or wondering if the audience is listening, then you can’t connect. It takes being in your body, present with your sensations to relate to others.

you need to regain good posture, focus on the connection between your feet and ground and grow tall from the bottom up.

This method builds core strength, leaves the upper body relaxed, and is sustainable for up to an hour.

Next time you meet someone, stay in your head. Notice how impersonal the connection is, the handshake mechanical.

But when you’re heart-centered as you meet someone, you’ll feel more like you know them (and vice versa), and the handshake can more easily meld into a hug, if appropriate.

Smooth Body Flow Links to Smooth Word Flow

Before you get on the stage, feel your chest and connect with your own heart and feelings (yes, even the nervous ones).

Breathe deeply and let your heart lead the way into your presentation.

Disconnected and uncoordinated body movements are the physical equivalent of stuttering and unnecessary filler words. As your ideas flow into each other, so should your movements. This level of grace starts in the spine with easy articulation and balanced strength and flexibility. Here’s an exercise that will relieve stiffness so you can glide as you speak.

Modified Upright Posture Provides a More Natural Stance Posture underscores the integrity of your words. An upright, relaxed stance is pretty rare, since it isn’t taught. Do you think the correct way to stand up is to pull your shoulders up and back? That creates strain in the spine and tires the body quickly.

It also poses an additional problem for speakers, because it limits the movement of arms and gestures.

See if this way isn’t easier: bend your knees a bit and let your torso drop forward. Then press your feet into the floor and grow to your full height. When News and Information for the Speaking Community by SpeakerMatch

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Lesson of the Month

Finding the Story in You

By Kelly Swanson

It’s all about the story.

That signature piece you’re known for that defines you as a speaker and sets you apart.

We’re told that over and over as speakers, but Kelly Swanson nobody tells us how to find the story. And you can’t take someone else’s story because aside from being rude, it won’t wear the same on you. So how do you find the story to put into your presentations? Here are some tips to get you started: Don’t Over-Think It For those who aren’t writers, the idea of coming up with a story can bring on a serious sweat — because you’re over thinking it. You’re not required to come up with a short story that rivals Shakespeare, and your story doesn’t have to have a complex plot or complicated characters. In fact, your story doesn’t even have to have a beginning, middle, and an end. You can condense it into one moment in time and be just as effective.

Start by changing the way you define story. Technically, it is a narrative account of an event, either true or fictional. But in this case, let’s think of it as anything that uses details, characters and events to become a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Anything that adds a human element to the information you want to share. It

?

Do you participate in online discussion forums?

Post your response online, and see how you compare to others at www. speakermatch.com/survey

can be an anecdote, a joke, a metaphor, or something your grandmother used to say when she had too many gin and tonics.

"It began when …

Start a Journal Sometimes referred to as a life journal, this type of journal is a place where you can document various aspects of life such as things that strike you as funny, touching, and aggravating.

It’s also a good place to document joke and story ideas, as well as writing exercises to trigger the imagination. Keep one handy at all times.

Real Life Has More Material Than You Can Ever Make Up If you just pay attention and get into the habit of looking for the humor and other emotions in life, you won’t be able to write it all down in time. Listen to conversations on the bus. Watch how people interact. Pay attention to those times when you’re emotions are triggered.

Find places where you can watch people like the airport or an afternoon wedding in a small southern town.

Recall Past Experiences Think of your first job, your first car, or your first girlfriend. Also think of how you thought and felt as a child, and what

life was like when you were growing up.

Think about the lessons you have learned and you will find that the messages you have to share with the world have a story attached. These are the stories that color your life.

Just Tell It Don’t worry about how it sounds or whether it’s good enough. Just tell it without fanfare. And don’t add a bunch of unnecessary information or worry about what words you use or how they flow. The story will speak for itself.

Stories are there for the taking. Just look around to see what stories are waiting for you to share in your next speech.

Kelly Swanson is a motivational speaker and corporate comedian. Visit her Web site at www.kellyswanson.net.

Make a gift of your life. Lift all mankind by being considerate, forgiving and compassionate at all times, in all places, and under all conditions, with everyone as well as yourself. This is the greatest gift anyone can give.

– David Hawkins

www.speakermatch.com

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What Will You Accept?

“He Smashed His Head Bloody Pounding It On His Locker Door – And Broke Off Two Teeth Biting On It.” You may recall a story like that from Dan Jenkins’ football novel, Semi-Tough, which was made into an ok movie.

The story is reportedly based on actual behavior of Howie Long when he was playing for the Oakland Raiders. You now see a mild-mannered, pleasant Howie on the Sunday morning football show on FOX. That is not the Howie teammates and opponents saw on the field. There, they saw and encountered a man who hated to lose. In his newest novel, about the LPGA, The Franchise Babe, Jenkins again talks about the hate-to-lose element.

I find fewer and fewer people exhibiting this especially in pro sports and in business. Most are all too willing to accept losing and losses, to shrug them off, to end days without productive accomplishment, to miss sales, to let revenue escape, to let customers disappear, to bank excuses instead of money. Well, you get what you accept.

I have always hated not doing well.

Hate is, or is supposed to be, a very strong word. Hate is dark and violent and intense.

I mean it that way. I hate not doing well.

People interfering with my ability to do well, through negligence, incompetence, stupidity, have seen and felt my wrath.

Like Howie, I have actually, physically injured myself – smashing fist into wall, steel file cabinet; kicking car fender repeatedly; etc. – all in an unchecked rage after screwing up badly.

When I set out in the morning with a to-do list, I resist with every fiber of my being, carrying an item on it over to the next day. I hate that. When advertising, marketing or sales campaigns are slowed or sabotaged by people’s sloppy or careless implementation, I immediately begin scheming to rid my life of the culprits. I hate people who don’t hate things being screwed up. I approve of the Oriental tradition of falling on one’s own sword when performing badly. By normal standards, I suppose I am emotionally unstable or dysfunctional, and might be diagnosed as mentally ill, but then normal standards lead to normal results, which suck.

By the way, every doctor always expects me to have high blood pressure. I do not. I cause high blood pressure — I don’t have it. Seems to me, if you don’t care deeply and passionately about getting whatever you’re doing done right, done fast and on time, and done in a way that produces the best results, then you ought to find something worth caring about to do – or find a way to do nothing at all. If I had a team, I’d much rather have a Howie Long, and have to pry the damaged locker door

Support Your Presentation with Believable Posture Sit or stand and sway your spine from side to side. Notice where the movement is easy and where it is stiff. Stop and start again from an inflexible place; let it lead the movement. Continue to sway and bring movement, even if it’s awkward or small, into the tight places. See what it takes to get the unyielding places to participate. In just a few minutes, your spine will free itself and you’ll be able to

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from his hands and talk him out of the depths of rage, despair and depression over losing, than have a modern-day, laissez-faire, stuff happens, we’ll try to do better next time wimp that has to be to talked into performing. When I look around the ranks of the rich, I see people like me who hate losing. When I look around everywhere else, I see loads of good losers.

At the moment, a lot of willing-toaccept-not-doing-well folks have been handed an extra supply of excuses – gas prices, real estate slump, Lehman Brothers’ bankruptcy, etc. – and many are unconsciously delighted to have them. Be careful. Their mental illness is contagious.

The Why People Fail articles are provided by Dan S. Kennedy, serial entrepreneur, from-scratch multimillionaire, speaker, consultant, coach, author of 13 books, including the No B.S. series (www.NoBSBooks.com), and editor of The No B.S. Marketing Letter.

SpeakerMatch has arranged a special free gift from Dan for you including a 2-Month Free Membership in GlazerKennedy Insider’s Circle, newsletters, audio CDs and more. For more information and to register, visit www. speakermatch.com/dankennedy.

continued from page 6

flow as smoothly as your words.

As you prepare to connect with your audience, sway as you mentally prepare.

Then get grounded and tall. Finally, connect and lead with your heart so you will win your audiences’. At a minimum, you should have a more satisfying speaking experience.

The exercises in this article were adapted from Undulation Exercises and

Relieve Stiffness and Feel Young Again with Undulation, www.undulationexercise. com. (1) Tree Tops and (2) Easy Sway.

Anita Boser is the author of Relieve Stiffness and Feel Young Again with Undulation, a book with 52 undulation exercises, and a Professional Structural Integrator. For more information or to see undulation videos, visit www. undulationexercise.com

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Is Traditional Media Still Relevant Part II: The Publicity Benefits of TV & The Internet continued from page 3

visitors to your site? This is a great outcome and can happen. Some sites will link back to your website and be sure to ask if this feature is offered when booking your internet placement.

Good Building Block to Bigger Media You can get started on your media bio that leads to the bigger opportunities showing you have experience. It may be a little easier, as the demand for content is very high, to get your name, your book name or your business mentioned in the online version of a big TV network, major newspaper or magazine. And you still get to associate yourself with the big name brand media Become Columnist or Ongoing Contributor The demand for content helps experts build up quickly and in some cases, if you are good, you can be asked to contribute on a regular basis which build you are social relevancy and national expert status, leading to more opportunity. Usually the

columnist opportunities include contact info so not only can you showcase your wisdom, experiences, point of view and credentials you can lead people back to your site to connect with you and join your community.

Highly Visible Sought After By Major Publishers: Why? They have proven they are active experts, able to sell books by getting out there and getting heard and seen. They have proven they are “in the middle of the conversation” contributing valuable insight and commentary and their opinion matters.

advantage of having no competitors. When his clients call him, they want him and expect to hire him.

Annie Jennings is founder of Annie Jennings PR, a national publicity firm that packages and develops speakers for their optimal success and promotes authors and experts to national radio shows, major network television, top level print, and name brand internet media. She can be contacted at www.anniejenningspr.com or 908.281.6201. Listen to real stories of client success at www.anniejenningspr. com/publicitypro.htm.

Real Story: Client landed a regular columnist opportunity for a mega site and was spotted by a major company in NYC who is flying him in for the opportunity of a lifetime. Client reports that being associated as a thought leader for this well known, name brand site that garners the respect of the industry has wiped out his competitors. He now has the ultimate competitive

The difference between whether you say, “I wish I would have,” or “I’m glad I did,” at the end of your life is whether or not you take decisive action during your life.

– Chris Widener

Crossword Across

M

The headline is a clue to the answer in the diagonal. Key on page 12

M E V

1. ___ Victor 4. Pub fixture 7. Hitching place 9. “The ___ Ranger” 10. Isinglass 11. Bit 12. Personable 14. Chemical ending 15. Takes’ away the weapons from 19. Almanac tidbit 20. Tugboat sound 22. Lunchbox treat 23. Christmas season 24. Finish 25. Sushi bar order

www.speakermatch.com

Down

1. Engine speed, for short 2. Spring 3. Fungal spore sacs 4. Hammer or saw 5. ___ meridiem 6. Podded plant 8. Fancies 9. Freedom 13. Gasteyer of “Saturday Night Live” 15. “Fudge!”

16. Decorated, as a cake 17. Grimace 18. Exclusive 19. “Them” 21. Rolodex abbr.

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Linked in Forum How do you start a speaking business?

I would like to add speaking to my business plan. I do not know with whom to connect within a company to provide my services. I would also like to know what subject would go best with awareness. I can articulate how to reduce stress in both the body and mind. ~ Karen Toth The great Zig Ziglar is reported as saying, “if you want to speak — then speak!”

As a member of the NSAA (National Speakers Association) in Australia, we run the Speakers Academy for people who want to be professional speakers. You might want to talk to CAPS (Canadian Association of Professional Speakers), as I see you are in Canada. ~ Geoff Kirkwood I also recommend joining CAPS and hanging around with other people doing the same thing — the best way to learn is from others who have done it before you. ~ Ric Willmot At what level platform are you wishing to speak from? What does you business plan describe? Do you see a large venue or a smaller, more focused group?

Who do you connect with in a company? Well, the obvious of course would be the CEO/Owner, or you can start with the receptionist. If you can build a good rapport with the gatekeeper you can usually find out who the right person is for your needs. Build great rapport and they will literally open the doors for you and make the sale.

For example, mind and body in this economy would be great for anyone who depends on their commission to pay the rent. You may want to speak with the GSM or VP of sales, or you may have to start with selling a manager on your service. The outcome is to see if you can get in on their weekly morning meeting or set up a lunch meeting and give a free 30-minute session, which is a build-up to your paid event.

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Your value is your free 30 minutes will bring them value, and value for them is increased sales. If you are going to the corporate world to promote your service, increased sales is always the value.

The subject in a company environment may be increased mind and body = increased client relationships, increased self-esteem = increased sales, etc. Always revert back to their business. ~ Darek Figuera Consider writing articles for journals in the area of your expertise as well. If you have ever written or are in the process of writing a book, include that in your bio.

It helps to be able to forward something published when you are making contacts. ~ Sheryl Hardin I also recommend CAPS. As a member of the National Speakers Assn and the International Federation of Professional Speakers, I can tell you that the learning curve is steep. But with the help of these associations, you’ll move ahead much more quickly. Good luck. ~ Jean Palmer Heck I find it helps to identify your target audience. Who do you want to help?

Who is the ultimate beneficiary? What individuals do you want to help and what companies? Realizing that you could help anyone, it is vital to narrow down a sub-population. It helps you market your business and your speaking.

Who do you target in your business?

What associations do they belong to?

So many need speakers for conventions, annual meetings ...

When you know WHOM you serve and WHAT you do for them, you will more easily find your audience and your topic(s). I use speaking to market my business to find women solopreneurs, and to help me find training/speaking opportunities.

Here are four resources for you: 1. “Speak and Grow Rich”— The classic book by Dottie & Lily Walters of Walters International Speakers Bureau.

2. “Money Talks: How to Make a Million as a Speaker” — A great book by Alan Weiss, one of the smartest, most successful speakers in the world.

3. “Essentials of the Speaking Profession” — A four-CD set produced by the National Speakers Association (www. nsaspeaker.org).

4. “From Free To Fee: How To Go From Pro Bono To Professional” — An audio CD by Ed Tate, a former World Champion of Public Speaking (www.

EdTate.com).

The single best piece of advice I can give you (apart from joining CAPS, as others have already suggested), is to speak for free anywhere, anytime, to anyone.

Speaking for free gives you the opportunity to develop your content, practice your delivery and expose yourself to potential buyers. I’ve even written an article listing 27 things you ask for in exchange for a free speech. If you’d like a copy, just e-mail me at Don@DonCooper.com.

Speak up and speak out!

Everywhere I go — on the bus, in the mall, at the gym, in the cafe — literally everywhere I lead conversation, and eventually I am invited to tell others what I do.

There is no underestimating where seemingly random encounters often lead.

Catherine White All the comments above! At least aim to get your expenses paid and when you invoice your client add your ‘full fee’ and then a discount for the ‘full fee.’ If your speech was good, the organizers will be pleased that they got a great deal, and word-of-mouth follows.

Sean Chapple

~ Gail Sussman Miller

News and Information for the Speaking Community by SpeakerMatch

Humor Column

Humor Techniques for Keynote Speeches Five Commandments to Get You Big Bucks for Big Yuks

By Peter Fogel

W

ith over 24 years’ experience performing standup comedy, writing comedy, and doing audience warm-up on sitcoms, I’ve learned Peter Fogel that using humor in a corporate setting is a lot different than in a comedy club. You must tread carefully for success. To that end, I offer you my five writing commandments for delivering humorous keynote speeches.

Fogel’s First Commandant: Thou shall know your audience. Are they young or old or mixed? Remember: Humor is subjective.

A youngster of six might laugh at a good making-potty-in-your-pants joke. On the other hand, an elderly senior may find it offensive having just made potty in his pants himself and feeling a tad embarrassed.

Fogel’s Second Commandment: Thou shall test a new joke — but never in your opening line. If it bombs, you better have a good saver. I once performed on a cruise ship where I quickly learned that seniors sometimes lose the sarcastic gene once they hit retirement age.

The night before they had seen a juggling and fire eating team called The Village Idiots. At my show the next night, I looked out at the audience and asked them, “Hello folks, did you enjoy The Village Idiots last night?” They applauded.

Then I said, “Great guys. I’ve known them for years. I’ve known them since they were morons.” Nothing! Crickets stopped chirping to listen to the silence. The audience just stared at me taking what I’d said literally as if I was actually calling the comedy team morons.

They were thinking, “We liked them.

Why are you calling them morons?” I kid you not. That joke was funny. I know it’s funny, because I’ve used it and received great response in other venues. However, I learned it was the wrong joke for the

wrong audience at the wrong time. Always test a new joke or story in the middle of your speech.

Fogel’s Third Commandment: Thou shall choose your target appropriately. For humor to work you must realize that there’s a punch line and/or a victim in the joke. In observational humor, you make fun of the fact that everyone loses a sock in the dryer, for example, and you get laughs at the recognition of it.

Understand that the corporate world dictates political correctness unlike a comedy club. You should never poke fun of anyone’s race, creed, color, or handicap in a corporate environment. Even if it’s fun, someone will be insulted, guaranteed. For corporate humor, when in doubt, leave it out.

It is also not a wise idea to make fun of the CEO of the company to which you’re speaking, even if it’s in a playful manner and has been cleared with the Powers That Be – including the CEO himself. Rather, make the target of your humor a common enemy that your audience loves to hate, like the competition.

I recently performed at a Winn-Dixie Supermarket conference in Florida. Their competition is Publix. All of the store managers were there, so I cleared an opening joke with the person that hired me. I looked out at the sea of white shirts and polyester ties at 7:30 in the morning and said, “Hi everyone. All I can say is screw Publix!” Huge laughter and applause!

Understand that what I did was not the norm! But it worked, because I cleared it first.

Fogel’s Fourth Commandment: Thou shall be self-effacing, not self-deprecating. Ever notice how fat comedians get constant laughs? They put themselves down.

Self-deprecating humor works in comedy clubs, but not in a corporate setting. As a speaker in this environment, you want respect. You need to instead be selfeffacing rather than self-deprecating. www.speakermatch.com

Show the audience your humility or some of your frailties. Remember a few years back when Firestone had tires exploding off SUVs? When it hit the newswire that day, I knew I had some great humor material.

That night I spoke at an event and my opening line was: [sighing] “Hope you’re all in a good mood. Two days ago I bought stock in Firestone.” That line generated a huge response.

Find some current catastrophe in the newspaper that occurred at a particular company and substitute their name for Firestone’s. It does work!

Fogel’s Fifth commandment: Thou shall take notice of the room’s seating arrangement. Humor and delivering strong content works best when there is intimacy in the room. Arrive early at your engagement and make sure – to the best of your ability – that the seating is in close proximity to the stage. If it’s not, know that the humor-response may be smaller than you expected.

I once spoke in a huge dining room where there was a buffet table filled with hot food right in front of the stage. The audience was about twenty feet back from the table. I looked at the attendees and said, “I’ve never had the pleasure of speaking in front of rising steam before.”

That was self-effacing humor, and I received a nice, large laugh because it was in the moment.

Although the corporate world is a considerably different speaking venue than other settings, there are still plenty of ways to include humor in workplace presentations. Use these commandments as guide for using the appropriate type of humor in a business environment.

Peter “The Humorator” Fogel is a National Speaker’s Association member and creator of Peter “The Humorator” Fogel’s Guide to Effective Public Speaking. To sign up for his FREE 7 Days To Effective Public Speaking E-course – go to www.publicspeaklikeapro.com.

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Coming Soon in

some essential tips for a picture-perfect presentation in the December issue when we focus on Planning L earn Your Event. Check out invaluable articles such as From A Speaker’s Point of View: Checklist For A Smooth Event and Marketing Your Expertise through Seminars.

CruiseSpeaking Provides an Excellent Resource for Quality Destination & Enrichment Speakers Speakers travel across the nation, but there's a way to take their skills beyond the boundaries to the open seas. Introducing CruiseSpeaking; a new resource created specifically to help cruise coordinators find quality speakers from around the globe.

CruiseSpeaking's directory of quality speakers throughout the world helps cruise coordinators find them easily. It's effortless for cruise coordinators to search for speakers by expertise/topic, geographic residence of speaker, language of program, and even through a keyword search using the robust online search feature.

Speakers are allowed to post online demo videos; a list of her or his speaking clients; any client testimonials; date availability; a bio highlighting both speaking experience and expertise and enrichment topics.

Crossword Key

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Trade your talents for free luxury cruises … List your on-board enrichment program today.

CruiseSpeaking features you to the precise people at the cruise lines who coordinate and staff onboard enrichment programs. That means you’re in front of the exact people at the cruise lines who make the decision as to who cruises free as an enrichment speaker and who doesn’t.

Plus, you’ll likely get to bring a guest!

How it works: 1. Post your program on CruiseSpeaking according to what cruise lines like (we show you how).

2. Cruise lines can find your listing through eight different search criteria.

3. If the cruise line enrichment coordinator thinks your program is a good fit, they’ll make you an offer to cruise free.

Visit www.cruisespeaking.com to learn even more about what CruiseSpeaking can do for you in your speaking business.

A List of Some Features: •Y ou are entered into a prestigious database that’s easy to navigate •T he database is searchable by a robust search feature •S peakers have an array of options to catch a Cruise Coordinator’s eye with the member center •S peakers can post online demos, client testimonials, and a biography A date available calendar allows Cruise Coordinators to choose you when YOU’RE available, and a lot more.

Here’s why you’re going to like it…

CruiseSpeaking is designed so cruise lines can COME TO YOU… pursue you… instead of the other way around. Why do cruise line enrichment coordinators use CruiseSpeaking anyway? Because they depend on a steady stream of high-caliber presenters and speakers to staff their onboard enrichment programs and they come to CruiseSpeaking to find them.

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