Speaker- July/Aug 2010

THE ART AND BUSINESS OF SPEAKING

JULY/AUGUST 2010

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YOUR Brand Keep it Simple: talKing tech TO NON-TECHIES DOING

BUSINESS IN KOREA PAGE 32

Build a Lifelong Career Jeanne robertson shares her secrets for success

T H E O F F I C I A L M A G A Z I N E O F T H E N AT I O N A L S P E A K E R S A S S O C I AT I O N • W W W. N S A S P E A K E R . O R G

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THE ART AND BUSINESS OF SPEAKING

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JULY/AUGUST 2010

More Than a Laughing Matter

Jeanne Robertson shares her secrets for success that have kept her phone ringing for 47 years.

By Stephanie R. Conner

18

Humorist Jeanne Robertson

Market Yourself Like Crazy!

Three ways to create a sustainable personal brand.

By Christine K. Clifford, CSP

FE AT URES Not That Complicated 22 It’s How to present technical issues to non-technical audiences.

By Barry C. Collin

Management for Speakers 26 Stress A renowned cardiologist shares seven tips for handling stress.

By Bruno Cortis, MD, FACC

co lu M N S 6 reality check Putting a fine point on the speaking industry

8 Message from the editorial advisory Board chair

10 turning point A career-changing moment or experience

d epartMeN tS 12 Welcome to My World A snapshot into the lives of the people who hire us

30 relevant resources Time-saving tools and technologies

32 Beyond Borders Exploring culture, countries and comfort zones

33 What Would you do?

Casting a reality check on real-world conundrums

34 it’s your Business

4 News from Headquarters 36 advertising index 37 calendar of events

Advice for enterprising speakers

38 Humor Me Quips, tips and parting shots

National Speakers Association is a member of the Society of National Association Publications (SNAP).

Speaker magazine has been honored with a bronze award in the prestigious 2009 SNAP Excel Awards in the Magazines: General Excellence Category for best writing, content, graphic design and overall packaging.

July/August 2010 | SPEAKER | 3

news from headquarters

National Speakers Association Officers Phillip Van Hooser, CSP, CPAE, President Kristin Arnold, MBA, CPF, CMC, CSP, President Elect Laura Stack, MBA, CSP, Vice President Ronald P. Culberson, MSW, CSP, Secretary Ron Karr, CSP, Treasurer Sam Silverstein, CSP, Immediate Past President Stacy Tetschner, CAE, Executive Vice President/CEO Founder Cavett Robert, CSP, CPAE Board of Directors Marjorie Brody, PCC, CMC, CSP, CPAE Kirstin Carey, CSP Jarik Conrad, EdD, MBA, MILR, SPHR Ed Gerety, CSP Scott Halford, CSP Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE Linda Keith, CPA, CSP Scott McKain, CSP, CPAE Sarah Michel, CSP John B. Molidor, PhD Ford Saeks Jean Houston Shore, CPA, MBA, CSP Francine Ward, JD

Reported by Stacy Tetschner, CAE NSA Executive Vice President/CEO GSF Launches New Website The new Global Speakers Federation (GSF) website will help speakers, trainers and coaches worldwide share their ideas, opinions and experiences in the speaking profession. The site is built on an advanced platform with many profiling opportunities, and will officially launch during the 2010 NSA Convention.

Follow us on Twitter: @gsflive

award for “General Excellence” at the Association Media & Publishing’s 30th Annual EXCEL Awards Gala in Washington, DC, in June. This award encompasses writing, design, content and overall packaging. The “Fill Your Toolbox” brochure, which promoted the 2009 NSA Convention, also received a bronze award in the direct mail category.

In Memorium 2010 NSA Convention It’s not too late to register! Join us at the Orlando World Center in Orlando, Fla., July 17-20. Over $100 in free bonuses are available for download immediately after registering! Register now at www.NSAConvention.org or call (480) 968-2552.

NSA Introduces CD Collection NSA’s new 10-CD collection, “The Business of Speaking,” features a selection of NSA’s business experts, who will help you refocus, reshape and retool your speaking business. Enjoy a special introductory price of $79 when you order before Sept. 1, 2010. See page 29 for more details.

Speaker Magazine Receives Coveted Award For the second consecutive year, Speaker magazine was honored with a bronze

Art Linkletter, CPAE, 1993 Master of Influence Award recipient, died May 26, 2010. He was 97.

Linkletter hosted two of television’s longest-running shows, “House Party” and “People Are Funny,” in the 1950s and 1960s. He had a knack for getting children to speak their minds for a humorous segment on “House Party,” which led to a successful series of books, Kids Say the Darndest Things.

Scams Target Speakers Beware of groups trying to book speakers for a London youth conference, women’s seminar and/or religious conference. The inquiries vary, but the scam’s goal is to obtain credit card or personal banking information for travel arrangements and a work permit.

This Month on V o i c e s o f E x p e r i e n c e ®

NSA’s monthly audio magazine

Back Stage: Gerard Braud with Jean Gatz, CSP NSA Convention Update: Gerard Braud with Mark Mayberry

If You Could Do Just One Thing This Month: Bill Cates, CSP, Chris Clarke-Epstein, CSP, Ford Saeks and Mike Rayburn, CSP Starfish Humor: Dale Irvin, CSP, CPAE

Category of One: Joe Calloway, CSP, CPAE, with Glenna Salsbury, CSP, CPAE

Dissecting Starfish: Gerard Braud, David Glickman and Ron Culberson, MSW, CSP

Ones to Watch: Jane Atkinson with Patrick Henry

President’s Message: Phillip Van Hooser, MBA, CSP, CPAE VOE Chair’s Farewell: Gerard Braud

4 | SPEAKER | July/August 2010

NSA Foundation The Foundation serves NSA members and the public through: • Financial help for NSA members and their families who are facing health or natural disaster emergencies; • Grants to NSA members who need help with their dues or meeting registration fees; • Scholarships for speech/communications students and professors; • Oversight and funding for speaking-related research; and • Grants to help charitable organizations communicate through technology.

Founder and Chairman Emeritus Nido R. Qubein, CSP, CPAE Chair Stephen Tweed, CSP Immediate Past Chair Randy Pennington, CSP, CPAE NSA Foundation Board of Trustees Lenora Billings-Harris, CSP Terry Paulson, PhD, CSP, CPAE

Jane Jenkins Herlong, CSP Sam Silverstein, CSP Don Hutson, CSP, CPAE Laura Stack, MBA, CSP Ron Karr, CSP Phillip Van Hooser, CSP, CPAE John B. Molidor, PhD Al Walker, CSP, CPAE Speaker Editorial Advisory Board Molly Cox, Chair Eileen McDargh, CSP, CPAE Jill Konrath Gina Schreck, CSP Terri Langhans, CSP Dennis Stauffer

Managing Editor Design Barbara Parus switchstudio.com Editorial Office and Subscriptions: National Speakers Association 1500 S. Priest Drive • Tempe, AZ 85281 Tel: (480) 968-2552 • Fax: (480) 968-0911 Web site: www.nsaspeaker.org.

Advertising Sales Mandy Schulze, CMP Sponsorships, Advertising & Exhibits Manager Tel: (480) 264-4297 • Cell: (480) 600-3512 Fax: (480) 264-4298 email: mandy@NSAspeaker.org Speaker (ISSN 1934-9076) (USPS 012-886). Volume 4, Number 10.

Published monthly except February and August by the National Speakers Association, 1500 S. Priest Drive, Tempe, AZ 85281.

Periodicals postage paid at Tempe, Arizona, and at additional mailing offices. Contents Copyright 2009 National Speakers Association, all rights reserved. Subscription rate for NSA members is $35 of $425 annual dues allocated to Speaker; non-member sub­scription rate is $49 for 10 issues. Add $10 for Canadian or international postage.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Speaker, National Speakers Association, 1500 S. Priest Drive, Tempe, AZ 85281.

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Build your brand and grow your business A positioning strategy behind the world’s most successful speakers, including Donald Trump, Robert Kiyosaki, and Suze Orman, branding yourself as both author and entrepreneur seems like a marketing must for all speakers seeking to share their expertise, grow their personal brand and their business.

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-Glenn Croston, author of 75 Green Businesses You Can Start to Make Money and Make a Difference and Starting Green

Is your goal to build your reputation, increase your recognition and grow your business? If so, a self-published book hiding in the back of a room isn’t going to do the trick. Knowing this, Entrepreneur Press, a leading publisher in the small to midsize business category, developed a new publishing option: Entrepreneur House Authors.

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“We help speakers share their expertise through publishing a book, and then we work with them to use that book to further define their identity, establish their credibility, build their reputation, and grow their business,” explains Leanne Harvey, director of marketing, Entrepreneur Press. “We do this using the reach, media exposure, business partners, and publishing expertise of Entrepreneur—something that no other publishing option can compete with.”

Combining Entrepreneur magazine’s readership of three million, and Entrepreneur.com’s six million unique visitors per month, with a multitude of esteemed online business partners including AOL.com, MSNBC.com, FoxBusiness.com, and WashingtonPost.com, Entrepreneur offers “author-preneurs” invaluable face time with millions of potential clients worldwide.

“Working with Entrepreneur Press has given me the opportunity to broaden my online platform and in turn, grow my business and my company,” says Susan Gunelius, author of Kick-Ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. “Little did I know that partnering with Entrepreneur Press would lead to my becoming a featured columnist on Entrepreneur.com reaching millions of readers per month. My relationship with Entrepreneur Press has opened a multitude of doors for me to network with people around the world, share my passion and expertise about marketing, branding and copywriting, and grow my business significantly.”

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“The team at Entrepreneur Press has literally helped me create an entirely new brand and career. No other publisher I have worked with so fully supports their authors with publicity, marketing expertise, and the type of creative brainstorming that comes with only the best of the best,” says Dr. Dani Babb, author of Finding Foreclosures and The Online Professor’s Practical Guide to Starting an Internet Business. “Without their expertise, incredible exposure, early assistance and believing in my work with a real strong partnership, I would have had a much tougher road to get to this place today. Thanks to Entrepreneur kicking off things, I have a two hour weekend show on Entrepreneurship on Fox Business and am the go-to person for numerous national media outlets. They are THE BEST!” If you’re writing a book and are seeking a publisher who will help you elevate your brand and grow your business, visit:

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realit y checK Putting a fine point on the speaking industry

Around the World in 365 Days

W

hat do Africa, Australia, Kuala Lumpur and New York have in common? Probably very little from an individual speaker’s standpoint. On the other hand, you might be surprised how connected we all are through NSA. It’s been an interesting and educational year serving as your NSA president. Since April 2010, I have had the privilege of representing NSA at international speakers conventions in Australia (Gold Coast), Johannesburg, South Africa (PSA), Singapore (APSS) and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (MAPS).

Of course, my presidential travels also took me from sea to shining sea within the borders of the United States, visiting more than two dozen NSA chapters. My final chapter visit was in New York in late May. For your information, NSA currently has more than 3,100 members in the United States, with more than 1,900 additional speakers claiming membership in one of the other Global Speakers Federation member associations scattered around the globe. The

6 | SPEAKER | July/August 2010

professional speaking pie continues to grow in America and beyond. As a result, opportunities abound for each of us to learn from and connect with the growing global community of professional speakers.

Looking Forward As exciting as the future of professional speaking around the world is, NSA continues to deal with ongoing challenges currently facing the speaking industry. As this issue goes to print, the 2010 Convention team is finalizing high-content educational programming for the NSA Annual Convention in Orlando. NSA staff members— along with our beloved volunteers who make everything possible—are working tirelessly to maintain excellence throughout our association.

Let’s face it. We cannot wish our way to a brighter future, but we can all certainly work our way there. That has been my leadership team’s commitment to all NSA members this year—to provide timely educational tools and techniques, appropriate intellectual stimulation and support, and meaningful opportunities for connection and camaraderie.

As my presidential term

comes to an end, I look forward with anticipation to passing the presidential gavel to my friend and colleague, Kristin Arnold, MBA, CPF, CMC, CSP, who is obviously a woman of letters! Please join me in supporting Kristin and her team as they work to advance NSA and the cause of professional speaking in America and beyond.

I look forward to seeing you at the NSA Annual Convention in Orlando, July 17-20. If you see me in the Convention halls, please take a minute to introduce yourself and tell me what’s on your mind. It’s through your unique comments, ideas, perspective and, yes, even complaints, that we are able to institute needed change and introduce new programs. As the French expression goes: Vivé la différence. Or as my Kentucky brothers and sisters like to say: Imagine the possibilities!

All the best!

Phillip Van Hooser, MBA, CSP, CPAE 2009-10 President National Speakers Association

Jimm RobeRts / oRlando

message from the editorial advisory Board chair

These Things I Know

T

exture. Photos. The written word. These are the things that I love about Speaker magazine.

The Internet is exciting, but there’s nothing like making a cup of coffee and immersing yourself in a magazine.

That’s why I accepted the challenge to serve as the 2009-2010 Speaker magazine editorial advisory board chair. And because NSA President Phillip Van Hooser, MBA, CSP, CPAE, is a smooth talker.

I’m hooked on reading the magazine. Correction: the award-winning magazine. It recently won a bronze award for the second consecutive year in the category of “General Excellence” for magazines in the prestigious Society of National Publications (SNAP) EXCEL Awards, which attracts approximately 1,000 entries from associations nationwide. This honor encompasses best writing, content, design and overall packaging, with no small thanks to Barbara Parus, managing editor, whose creativity, eagle eyes and attention to timelines produce a standard of excellence that is, well, award winning.

The Speaker editorial advisory board members are Jill Konrath, Terri Langhans, CSP, Eileen McDargh, CSP, CPAE, Gina Shreck, CSP, and Dennis Stauffer, who worked together to deliver 10 interesting and contentpacked issues. Each team member brought something different to the table, including connections and expertise as individual as they are.

8 | SPEAKER | July/August 2010

Here are a few lessons I learned as an editorial advisory board chair: • Deadline actually means deadline.

Molly Cox, 2009-10 • I’m not nearly as Speaker magazine organized as I claim editorial advisory board chair to be.

• I really do know a lot of people.

• If the e-mails between Barbara Parus and me are ever published, we are These lessons illustrate that we both toast. can learn so much by volunteering.

• When the magazine mailings went By expanding our comfort zones and from white envelopes to poly bags, reaching out to help, we benefit and it was tantamount to moving from change in ways we never anticipated. eight-track tapes to HD TV. I hope you enjoyed reading the mag• Some people do not have a sense azine during my 2009-10 term. But if of humor. you haven’t, then, um, contact Pamela • My team was right: There was no Jett, the 2010-11 Speaker editorial adviplace in Speaker for a scratch-andsory board chair, who will be happy to sniff section. talk to you. I’m confident that she is • There are more opinions about going to be very good in this position. the magazine than about health Speaker will continue to flourish as care reform. long as members continue to offer their • All of the articles that are advice and expertise. If you have an idea submitted by members are for an article, please email it to Barbara reviewed and discussed.

Parus at barbara@nsaspeaker.org or • Some people think they’re better Pamela Jett at Pamela@jettct.com. writers than they are. Others are better writers than they think they It’s your magazine. are. Everyone should write.

• Copy and artwork are inextricably intertwined.

• Most NSA members are brilliant, creative and giving people.

• My background in improvisation Molly Cox was very helpful in this position.

2009-10 Speaker Editorial Advisory • An editor is a writer’s best friend.

Board Chair

www.SpeakerTools.com Bill Johnson, CSP • 36 years serving NSA Members

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turning Point A career-changing moment or experience

Put Me In, Coach

W

hen I decided to become a full-time professional speaker in 2001, I was confident that I would achieve immediate success. After all, I had been speaking to top executive groups for over 20 years as part of a consulting practice.

Boy, was I in for a surprise!

It became apparent that my goal would not be easily accomplished when I joined the local NSA chapter and was advised to participate in the speakermentor program. I really didn’t see a need for this basic training but, fortunately, choice was not an option.

Mike Stewart, CSP, was my mentor, and a more candid coach you couldn’t find. We spent many hours identifying goals and how I could reach them.

We also discussed my speaking skills—or lack thereof. I believed I was a pretty darn good speaker already and just needed a little bit of tweaking to command high fees. Mike skillfully begged to differ with me by saying, “You need to know what you don’t know and what your family and best friends won’t tell you.”

I look back on those days and wonder how Mike was so patient with me.

Shortly after joining NSA, I received an invitation to speak at two local meetings of business owners. I researched members’ backgrounds and rehearsed over and over again. I felt good about my content delivery and the audience participation throughout the three-hour session. I was devastated when my sponsor called that evening

and cancelled the next day’s talk due to poor audience evaluations.

After collecting my thoughts, I called Mike for some moral support. He said I shouldn’t be too hard on myself because all speakers experience setbacks, and he urged me to continue moving forward with the speaker-mentor program. At the time, these words were of little consolation.

Two days later, I was scheduled to speak to another group of business owners in Birmingham, Ala. Although I wasn’t overly enthusiastic, I vigorously prepared.

During my presentation, I noticed one gentleman nodding off in the front row. To my surprise, he sent me an email the next day explaining that his business was in serious trouble. He couldn’t sleep that night because he was thinking about all the great ideas I had given him for improving his situation.

He thanked me for making the twohour drive to share my knowledge.

I have worked with five mentors, and each has made a noticeable difference throughout my rapid business career growth. If you don’t have a mentor, get one. NSA mentors, like my other business career mentors, will be frank with you about your strengths and weaknesses, and help you overcome obstacles so you can realize your full potential.

Rick Wemmers Jr. is a business and personal success speaker.

His focus is on showing the short-cuts to desired success, which come from acquiring new knowledge and changing one’s behavior.

His latest book, Silver Bullets for Quick Revenue Growth, outlines the steps in his business success process. For more information, visit http://wemmers.com.

10 | SPEAKER | July/August 2010

“There is nothing like the feeling of making people laugh!”

Dear fellow NSA Member: Do you wish you were funnier? Do you believe “funny people” think differently?

“There “There is nothing is nothing likelike thethe feeling feeling of making of making people people laugh!” laugh!”

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The truth is... funny people do think differently.

Truer still:of you will never be funnier unless you TM Dear Dear fellow fellow NSA NSA Member: Member: change the way you think! That’s exactly what Get More Laughs By Next Week will do for you.

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welcome to my world A snapshot into the lives of the people who hire us

Riding the Economic Downturn

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urviving a recession calls for some creative thinking on the part of speakers’ bureaus and speakers alike. Here, Eileen McDargh, CSP, CPAE, gets an update from Duane Ward, 2009-2010 president of the International Association of Speakers Bureaus (IASB), on the economy’s impact on speakers’ bureaus, future trends and how they are helping professional speakers weather the storm.

Eileen McDargh, CSP, CPAE: What are a bureau’s top three concerns today?

Duane Ward: That’s an easy answer: the economy, innovation and perception. The economy is cyclic, but, even in a thriving market, bureaus are not immune to industry problems. We must continue to innovate, especially in a down economy.

How are bureaus addressing these concerns?

The economy has been an incubator for what would probably be a normal business cycle. Some bureaus have intentionally found increased dollars for creativity, branding and launching new ideas. Unfortunately, other bureaus have closed due to the limited client base. The economy, however, is likely only one factor in that development. As the 2009-2010 IASB president, I can say that our net membership base has been consistent over the past year.

12 | SPEAKER | July/August 2010

Is the speaking profession viable today?

Absolutely! I could provide a list of people who make a terrific livelihood as public speakers. Professionals with an intense focus and passion to challenge others will always have a place in the speaking profession, while those with one static message will not last long, regardless of the economy.

What future trends should bureaus and speakers recognize?

Specific areas are the refined use of digital marketing and the explosive growth of social media. Speakers and bureaus are quickly learning how to leverage it as a business tool.

Do you recommend fee reductions?

In my view, there should be rationale behind any fee reduction. If group A pays $7,500 for a speaker keynote, and group B pays $5,000 for the same keynote the next day, there should be a reason for the reduction; for example, a “drop-in” city between two other dates, family in that city, the client is buying books in addition to the fee, etc. If there is no rationale for a reduced fee, then consistent pricing will pay off over time.

Duane Ward is the 2009-2010 president of the International Association of Speakers Bureaus (IASB) and the founder and president of Franklin, Tenn.-based Premiere Speakers Bureau, which celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2009.

Are there new business models in bureaus and in speaker-bureau partnerships?

Premiere is considered one of the largest

There is an increased openness to partnerships. Recently, I learned about two bureaus packaging exclusives as a debate; that is, each bureau brings a speaker with an opposing viewpoint and the speakers literally debate on stage. Another example would be two bureaus sharing an exclusive because each bureau specializes in a particular market.

These are not new ideas, but economic factors force bureaus to think in expanding models. This was a valuable win for the bureau (added revenue), the speaker (more dates), and the client (access to a speaker who may have not been considered).

more information, visit www.iasbweb.org.

companies of its type with five different divisions, including an office in China. For

Since founding McDargh Communications in 1980, Eileen McDargh, CSP, CPAE, has helped organizations and individuals transform the life of their business and the business of their life. She’s the author of numerous books, including Work for a Living and Still be Free to Live, The Resilient Spirit: Heart Talk for Staying Rightside Up in a World Upside Down, Talk Ain’t Cheap—It’s Priceless and Gifts from the Mountain: Simple Truths for Life’s Complexities. For more information, visit www.eileenmcdargh.com.

Imagine booking 5, 10 or 20 more speaking engagements from the strategies you learn at the 2010 NSA Annual Convention!

You CAN’T miss this event. It will seriously blow you away!

Phillip Van Hooser, MBA, CSP, CPAE 2009-2010 NSA President

Mark Mayberry 2010 Convention Chair

2010 NSA ANNUAL CONVENTION Orlando World Center Marriott • Orlando, Florida • July 17-20 Main Stage Presenters

Breakfast Reunion

Exhibit Hall

These fresh faces will help you take your business to the next level.

Connect or reunite over breakfast with other members who joined NSA in the same year.

It’s better than high school!

Engage with vendors and colleagues while learning about products, services and solutions that will enhance your speaking business.

Monday with the Masters

Location! Location! Location!

Emcee Ed Robinson, CSP, will host this innovative, fast-paced general session that will stretch your imagination and show you how to increase your business, featuring:

The Orlando World Center Marriott is a championship golf resort and the world’s largest Marriott. It’s located just minutes from Orlando International Airport and all of the area’s major attractions.

• Stef du Plessis • Chad Hymas, CSP • Mark Gungor • Wintley Phipps • Karen Cortell Reisman, MS

Million-Dollar Sunday This all-day session is designed exclusively for members who earn $1 million per year.

Meet the Pros - Sign up early!

Back by popular demand! Spend up close and personal time with some of NSA’s most notable members who will offer professional advice on boosting your speaking business.

“Ideating” Concurrent Sessions Find insight and inspiration from fellow speakers “ideating” as a part of small facilitated sessions on selected topics such as social media, business practices and life. Learn from your peers’ business practices and experiences in growing their business, exceeding client expectations and expanding their brand.

• Ty Boyd, CSP, CPAE • Joachim de Posada • Jean Gatz, CSP • Michael McKinley, CSP, CPAE • Ruby Newell-Legner, CSP

• Full-service spa • Fitness center • Children’s activity center • 10 dining rooms and lounges

Each speaker will deliver a 20-minute presentation, followed by a question that will inspire you to take immediate action.

NSA’s Got Talent!

Friday night fun awaits! Get jazzed for the NSA Annual Convention experience by watching NSA’s most talented, wackiest and funniest members bring the house down with performances outside their usual platform. Hosted by NSA funny guy Mark Mayfield, CSP, CPAE.

• 6 pools, waterfalls, whirlpools and a 106-ft. water slide NSA has negotiated a special guest room rate of $144 single/double occupancy for 2010 NSA Convention attendees. To reserve your room, visit www.NSAConvention.org or call (800) 621-0638 and mention “National Speakers Association.”

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For more information and to register for the Convention, call (480) 968-2552 or visit www.NSAConvention.org

More Than a Laughing Matter

By Stephanie R. Conner

14 | SPEAKER | July/August 2010

For 47 years, Jeanne Robertson has kept audiences laughing. Here are some of the secrets to her success—and how you can keep the phone ringing for years to come, too.

Boring. rude. one-liners. profanity.

These descriptions are simply not in Jeanne Robertson’s lexicon. She doesn’t use inappropriate language, and she’s not a stand-up comedian with a pocketful of zingers. This 6’2” 66-year-old humorist with a Southern drawl knows what her audiences want— tasteful humor that leaves them laughing. And that’s exactly what she delivers.

That’s just one of the ways this Cavett Award recipient, NSA past president and Toastmasters International’s Golden Gavel honoree has remained successful for decades.

“Speakers used to say that at a certain point in one’s career, the phone just stops ringing,” Robertson says.

“Today that means the e-mail requests aren’t coming in.”

But that hasn’t been the case for Robertson. In fact, last year, when a lot of speakers and businesses struggled, she had her best year yet.

A Real Miss Congeniality Robertson’s speaking career began in 1963 when she became Miss North Carolina and the Miss America Pageant’s Miss Congeniality. She gave more than 500 speeches that year.

“But even after all those paid speeches, I never realized I could make a full-time living as a speaker,” she says.

That’s when Robertson finished her degree at Auburn University and started teaching physical education and speech.

On weekends, she emceed beauty pageants across the South, where she entertained audiences with original funny stories.

“People began to ask, ‘Can you string those stories together and speak at our convention?’” she says. She could, indeed.

In addition to her weekend bookings, she often took sick days to speak.

But she had to turn down jobs that required a lot of travel.

“You can’t get to Kansas and back on a sick day,” she says. “Something had to give.”

Realizing a full-time speaking career was possible, she left her teaching job and started marketing herself, leaving her education colleagues befuddled.

“You can’t waltz in here and get a teaching job again,” they told her.

“All I knew was that invitations to speak were coming in, and I wanted to accept them,” Robertson says.

Now entering her 48th year as a paid, professional speaker (including those moonlighting years), Robertson’s career is a model for speakers of all ages who want to stay relevant—and employed.

July/August 2010 | SPEAKER | 15

Tip 1. Constantly update your material.

“I love to create material,” Robertson says. “When I was emceeing all those pageants early on, a lot of the same judges were there every weekend. I couldn’t keep telling the same stories.

Creating new stories became an ongoing project.”

In her early years, she’d talk about being a 6’2” basketball player in the Miss America pageant.

“I’m 66,” she says. “If those were the only stories I was using now, I’d be in trouble.”

Over time, she began talking about travel, her husband Jerry (or “LeftBrain” to her audiences), and about raising a teenager.

“I began to see the mileage in my age,” she says. “In the mid-’90s, I started talking about getting older.”

She speaks as often as possible 10 months of the year, reserving two months for writing new material.

“The joke among speakers is that it’s easier to get a new audience than

it is to get a new speech,” she says. “In my case, I tire of telling the same set of stories. The thrill is in creating new material. It keeps me fresh. The more humor I can write, the more speaking opportunities I have.”

Tip 2. Know your audience and what you can deliver.

“You have to know your audience,” Robertson explains. By monitoring her audience’s demographics and psychographics—for example, using her Facebook fan page — she understands what they want.

“I know who they are,” Robertson explains. “They appreciate the cleverness of a story. They want familyfriendly humor.”

Robertson also suggests closely examining trends and the advice you hear at conventions, including NSA conventions.

“Beginning speakers tend to get caught up in the latest thing they heard,” she explains. “You have to stop and think and determine what works for you.”

For example, when many speakers were promoting fully customized programs and speeches, Robertson knew that wouldn’t work for her business.

Her assistant of 32 years, Toni Meredith, told prospects: “We promise you that Jeanne won’t come in and try new material on your group.”

Tip 3. Keep up with technology.

Embracing technology, Robertson has released six DVDs.

16 | SPEAKER | July/August 2010

When she started her career, Robertson relied on word of mouth and mimeographed

printed papers for marketing.

“Yep, purple ink,” she says.

“That’s just what you did back then.

Audiocassettes hadn’t been invented.

My first speeches were on reel to reel,” she says, laughing.

Since then, she’s continued to take advantage of evolving technology.

“I’ve just tried to roll with whatever I needed to do to keep speaking,” she says. “I’ve heard people say they’re glad they had their success before technology. I say, ‘Are you nuts? This is wonderful! Embrace it!’”

And embrace it, she has.

Last August, she released her sixth full-length DVD in 11 years.

She uses Facebook as a promotional tool, and her stories can be heard daily on SiriusXM satellite radio family comedy channels. And 75 of her stories are available for download on iTunes.

She also puts videos on YouTube to help her marketing efforts. Last summer, the video of her story, “Don’t Send a Man to the Grocery Store,” received more than 3 million hits, and “Don’t Go Bungee Jumping Naked” had more than 2 million.

“Our sales increased by three times, and speaking invitations multiplied by five,” Robertson says. “It’s almost unbelievable and has led to new opportunities.”

Tip 4. Try new things.

This year, Robertson is doing more than her usual busy conference schedule.

“In addition to my speaking, which is still my day job,” she says, “I’m going to do 35 ticketed events in the next 18 months.”

She explains that at conventions, attendees may not come to hear the speakers.

“A ticketed event means they come

... I tire of telling the same set of stories. The thrill is in creating new material. It keeps me fresh. The more humor I can write, the more speaking opportunities I have. to your event to see you perform. That whole world has opened up to me because of YouTube, iTunes and satellite radio exposure.”

Robertson and colleague and fellow NSA member Carl Hurley, EdD, CSP, CPAE, have presented live “Double Funny” shows for motorcoach travelers for 11 years. That schedule will increase significantly next year, and a growing number of theaters have booked Jeanne for solo evening shows.

And due to her networking with NSA member Al McCree, this fall she will partner with Outback Concerts on solo shows across the country.

Tip 5. Work with and learn from others.

Continuing to learn from others is critical, Robertson says, stressing the importance of learning from people of all ages and experiences.

“I can learn from someone who’s been in the business for one year or 50 years,” she says. “There’s a movement for younger speakers to have their own NSA programming and events. That’s great for social networking, but I can learn from any speaker, and I’m happy to share what I know with anyone.”

She works with fellow speaker and North Carolinian Patrick Henry, who is her son’s age, she explains. They regularly try out new material on each other, offering the perspective of a different generation.

She also advises working with a small group of speakers. Since 1979, Robertson has been part of Platform Professionals, a group of speakers who work on new material together and recommend one another. Other Platform Professionals include Al Walker, CSP, CPAE, Bryan Townsend, Charles Petty, ThD, CSP, CPAE, Lou Heckler, CSP, CPAE, LaDonna Gatlin, CSP, CPAE, and George Campbell, CSP, CPAE. Recently, Robertson discovered how you can learn from someone you’ve never even met. She had originally named one of her most popular stories “Left-Brain’s Grocery List.” But she noticed that when someone re-posted it online, that individual called it “Don’t Send a Man to the Grocery Store.” And that’s when it caught fire.

“It taught me a valuable lesson. That title made a big difference,” she says. “I stopped the DVD (that was in production) and said, ‘Whoa. Let’s look at all the titles again.’”

Looking Ahead Robertson is more than just a successful speaker. She is active in her community and serves on the Board of Trustees of Elon University. This year, Elon’s basketball court will be named Robertson Court for the contributions she and Jerry have made to Elon athletics.

Every year, she donates most of the gifts she receives during her travels to the Christmas Pride Store she started.

And other NSA friends contribute gifts

to what Robertson calls “the ultimate re-gifting store.”

She has worked with the local paper on Katrina and Haiti fundraisers, chaired her county arts drive to raise more than $1 million to save the local theater, and more.

She and her husband agree.

“Giving back is what’s it’s all about,” she says.

Earlier this year, she was honored as the Alamance County Boy Scout Man of the Year. That’s right—man.

“I guess they ran out of good men,” she jokes, adding that she was flattered and specifically asked the organization not to change the award’s name to Citizen of the Year, as it proposed.

“I’m a humorist,” Robertson says.

“This was a gift from God.” As she stops to think about the excitement and success of the past year, she turns her attention to the year ahead ignoring those who told her the phone would “just stop ringing” as she got older.

“Actually,” she says with a laugh. “Next year is going to be the most fun yet!”

Stephanie R. Conner is a professional writer and editor who plans to take Jeanne’s tips to heart as she continues to build her own brand.

Stephanie can be reached at Stephanie@ TheActiveVoice.com.

July/August 2010 | SPEAKER | 17

MARKET YOURSELF

LIKE CRAZY!

By Christine K. Clifford, CSP

18 | SPEAKER | July/August 2010

By investing in your business, you demonstrate your confidence in what you offer.

I received an email recently from Vicki Rackner, MD, CNN health advisor and founder of The Caregiver Club, who asked, “Is there is anything I can do to support your work in our fight against cancer?”

Moments later, another email inquiry arrived from Acharya Sri Khadi Madama, author of Finding Shangri La: Seven Yoga Principles for Creating Success & Happiness, recipient of the Jewel of India Award, and TV host of “Yours Truly, Yoga,” asking “How can we work together?”

Then, I received another email query, this time from Dr. Louis Turi, clinical hypnotherapist, astropsychologist and personal counselor to celebrities, including Ivana Trump “and Peter Fonda.

He asked, “Can you help me launch a career as a “professional speaker on the topic of surviving cancer?”

After receiving another request from a former U.S. Bank president to help him launch his speaking career and get his book idea published, three radio interview requests, six inquiries to speak and a proposal to be a regular columnist for a national magazine, I wondered, “What recession?”

Is this good luck, timing or sheer coincidence? Or was this a strategy established years ago to perpetuate ongoing business?

ESTABLISH A SUSTAINABLE BRAND You’ve perfected your speech, penned a best-selling book and created a one-of-akind product. How do you get the world to sit up and take notice?

Start with establishing a sustainable personal brand. The problem with most speakers, however, is that they want to be a Jack of all trades. And because they want to be everything to all people, they are masters of none.

Ask the average speaker, “What do you speak about?” The answer will fascinate you. “I speak about sales, marketing, leadership, teamwork, product innovation and change. I also do humor in the workplace.” With so many topics, this speaker is not likely to be an expert in one.

Instead, consider becoming a Jack of one trade. I speak about using humor to endure the cancer experience. Who is interested in that topic? Dr. Rackner, Khadi, Dr. Turi and a large enough portion of the general population to keep me in business until the day I retire. I’ve spent years focused on establishing my brand

and now people and companies worldwide view me as an expert in my field.

By focusing your resources (time, money and people) on one topic and becoming branded with that topic, you can attract the type of attention that allows you to speak, consult, teach, write and train others.

CREATE A SPECIALTY My brother, Greg, is a carpenter in the small town of Columbia Falls, Mont., located next to upscale White Fish. For years, Greg helped builders construct multimillion-dollar homes. After the housing boom bombed, I visited Greg, who hadn’t worked in weeks.

Driving around town, Greg pointed out his fine woodwork on these houses, including shutters, decks, stair rails and custom windows. I advised him to create a brand that says nothing more than “specializes in fine woodwork.”

Guess what happened? Greg’s phone started ringing off the hook! When he

July/August 2010 | SPEAKER | 19

got his foot in the door, homeowners would ask, “Can you fix my leaky faucet?

How about a broken pipe in the basement? And my furnace isn’t working.”

Greg knows how to do many things, just as some speakers can speak on many topics. By branding himself as a creator of fine woodwork, he opened the door to other business opportunities. He now has six full-time employees.

Identify your one area of expertise and promote yourself in the following ways: Write a succinct, content-rich article that can be used in numerous publications. Then, send the article to every organization and association you have ever belonged to for publication in their newsletters: high school, college, sorority/fraternity, church or synagogue, associations, sports affiliations, health clubs, etc.

Purchase a specialized list of contacts who are decision makers in your specialty. Thirteen years ago, I purchased a list of directors of oncology at cancer centers nationwide. I don’t have to keep the names up-to-date, and I still use that list for quarterly mailings.

Create products in your industry that can be used as product premiums for larger corporations that sell their products or give away products in your industry. For example, I recently spoke in Carollton, Ga., on behalf of a cancer center. The center’s director asked me for a tape of my speech. I told him I’d get one. The next time I spoke, I taped my speech. The director purchased 5,000 copies.

DON’T THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX Your box—your way of thinking, working and living—has worked for you. It’s the

20 | SPEAKER | July/August 2010

box in which you were born, a product of your DNA. You can change your box about as easily as you can alter the shape of your head. You are who you are.

Instead, “grow” your box. Consider singer-composer Paul Simon, who wrote dozens of songs, including the classic album, “Bookends,” which became the background music for an entire generation. Simon flourished inside his box until it began to close in on him and he started producing stuff like “Kodachrome.”

Then, he changed his box by filling it with new things. He flew to Africa, where images and sounds startled, moved and overwhelmed him. Inspired by the African group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, he created the landmark album, “Graceland.”

Grow your box with new ideas.

Study different cultures. Find out what works for other speakers. Talk to your competitors and see if there is a way you can work together.

THE BUSINESS OF ONE Ask an advisor to small businesses, “What is the biggest mistake they make?” You will get an important answer: “They didn’t invest enough.”

This lesson has a powerful impact on the “business of one.” By investing in your business, you demonstrate your confidence in what you offer. The premium prices you pay are literally “premiums.” They are your insurance in your success. Pay more now, so you can reap more later.

Case in point: I hired an administrative assistant this year. I pay her $10 per hour, plus 30 percent on sales resulting in confirmed speaking

engagements. A former PR mogul and a cancer survivor, she knows every television and radio personality in my city. In her first month, she scheduled speaking engagements and book signings for me at hospitals, clinics and cancer organizations I hadn’t done business with in years, if ever. Why? Because we get stale and forget to call people in our own backyard. Take a leap of faith by investing in people.

I also invested in 5,000 postcards, which cost a small fortune in design, printing and postage. I only needed one booked event, however, to come out ahead.

The postcard read: In honor of Christine’s 15-year anniversary of being a cancer survivor, she has a special offer if you book an event in 2010: You choose your fee (expenses not included).

Guess what happened? My phone didn’t stop ringing!

“Hi, we’re a small, rural hospital in the Quad Cities, and we’ve wanted to hire Christine for years, but didn’t think we could ever afford her. Will she speak for $____ (insert figure)?”

So far, I have booked 16 new events at organizations that might never have called me without reading about my special offer. It resulted in increased book sales, spin-off business to higher paying customers, and dozens of new names in my database. Because I was “celebrating” a special occasion, I didn’t feel I was compromising my fee or my integrity. I was genuinely interested in giving something back.

So, what’s your special occasion?

Christine K. Clifford, CSP, is CEO/President of Christine Clifford Enterprises and The Cancer Club. She is the author of YOU, Inc.: The Art of Selling Yourself and Not Now ... I’m Having a No Hair Day! Visit www.christineclifford. com, www.cancerclub.com or email her at Christine@cancerclub.com.

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Program Schedule for July and August: JULY 12, 1 P.M. to 2 P.M. EDT Turn a Single Speaking Engagement into Six Figures Ron Karr, CSP JULY 26, 1 P.M. to 2 P.M. EDT How to Ping Your Business: Using Social and Traditional Media to Increase Your Profile and Profits Alan Stevens, Fellow (UK) AUGUST 16, 1 P.M. to 2 P.M. EDT Blah, Blah, Blah: How to Make Your Marketing Stand Out, Get Better Results and Book More Business Terri Langhans, CSP

National Speakers Association

It’s Not That

COMPLICATED

By Barry C. Collin

How to Present Technical Issues to Non-Technical Audiences

22 | SPEAKER | July/August 2010

I

magine presenting a topic to an audience of 500-plus key individuals who have no background, no information and no understanding of said topic.

Also imagine that if your speech is successful, millions of people will live. But if your speech is ineffective, many more could potentially die.

While this situation may sound like a movie script, it’s actually the situation I faced early in my career.

Before 9/11 and the Internet became a part of everyday life, I coined the term “cyberterrorism,” which is the use of technology by terrorists. It’s a complex, technical and critical topic that needed to be presented to non-technical professionals in both government and the private sector. That presentation to over 500 government executives was one of the greatest challenges of my life. I had to present the topic effectively because the American population depended on my success.

Fortunately, most presentations are not a matter of life or death (at least, not literally). But our society is becoming increasingly complex and technical in all aspects of our lives. With that change is a growing gap between what people know and what people need to know so they can take action.

The good news is that those gaps are rapidly creating demand for speakers who can reach broad audiences effectively on a variety of topics, including economics, politics, social media or even how the smart grid works. A premium is paid for speakers who can create true understanding and stimulate action, often while bridging the “digital divide.”

As a professional speaker, you know that despite the one-to-many nature of speeches, you’re really having a personal conversation with each listener.

But to have a conversation, all parties need to speak the same language. If your audience is not educated on your technical or complex topic, you might as well be speaking ancient Greek.

The communications challenge, however, extends beyond language.

Psychological studies dating back 50 years or more cite mounting personal and societal stress caused by rapid advances in technology and complexity in our work and everyday lives, according to Michelle M. Weil, PhD, and Larry D. Rosen, PhD, in their book, TechnoStress. Hence, speakers who can clearly communicate technical and complex topics to an audience become ever more valuable.

Technical or Complex?

It’s important to note that a speech’s topic may be technical, complex or both. A technical topic evokes specific or esoteric elements, but should not be confused with technology. Stock market analysis is a technical topic, but it is not technology based.

Complex topics generally have a number of interoperable components that relate to each other in ways that may be difficult for your audience to comprehend.

You don’t need to have a “technology gene” or a videogame-playing child or a PhD to be sought after for complex or technical speeches for non-technical audiences. Any professional speaker can learn and implement these four principles, which I call “the 4 Rs”: relate, reduce, raise and replace. Here is an overview of these principles that can help expand your career.

Relate: Know Your Audience With technical or complex speeches, in particular, insight into your audience is

July/August 2010 | SPEAKER | 23

vital. Your attendees’ degree of familiarity with your topic will determine how you must approach the presentation.

The more you understand and appreciate what they know, the easier it will be to formulate “edible portions” the audience can and will want to consume.

Complex or technical subjects can cause anxiety or stress, so the more you can work within your audience’s comfort zones, the more effective you can be.

Case in point: You are going to speak to an audience of non-technical sales managers on the growing value of outsourced software for demand management with ties to social media. You could begin with, “Systems like this are called ‘software as a service,’ or SaaS, and are managed remotely in server farms with analytics tied to … ” But do these sales managers really care about

this information? It’s doubtful. Your audience likely would prefer to know how much more revenue the system will generate, or how disruptive the new system will be to the sales force.

While backend operational issues are of great interest to an IT audience, sales managers cannot relate to this information. If you approached this topic from an IT perspective, you would fail to convey your message, while alienating and intimidating your audience. Relating to your audience’s knowledge, experience and interests is necessary with technical or complex topics.

Reduce: Break it Down

Collin simplifies complex topics.

24 | SPEAKER | July/August 2010

One way to deal with complexity is to reduce topics into easy-to-understand components. Often, a complex topic looks like a giant black box to those who don’t know how it all works.

Breaking down procedures or concepts into bite-size pieces makes them easier to digest.

In the example about sales managers, it might help to deconstruct the system. First, you could speak on the social media component, then how it can be funneled to lead generation, and finally how those processes can be tied together. This gives your audience an opportunity to absorb all of these modules. With that, you can step back and explain that new software can make it all happen for them, resulting in real sales success.

If you started by explaining the whole system, it would have been too much to swallow and your audience would tune out and experience the dreaded MEGO (My Eyes Glaze Over) syndrome, which is the key indicator of an audience overwhelmed by technical content or complexity. With reduction, however, you can avoid that consequence.

When reducing, make your blocks manageable but not miniscule. If you over-granulate and create too many small blocks, the resulting explanation itself will be too complex and will defeat your purpose.

Raise: Create an Aerial View “Raising perspective” can stand on its own or be combined with reduction. It is equivalent to going up to the proverbial 10,000 feet to get a larger view of a complex or technical topic.

To illustrate, I could happily present a speech on “Nanotechnology’s Future in Sub-Dermal Tissue Reconstruction,” but I’m brain dead when it comes to cooking. Were it not for my wife’s culinary prowess, I would be a constant fixture at the corner café. So, when a waiter in an elite restaurant starts in with “radicchio, pomegranates and persimmon essence,” I look at my wife, who flatly translates it into “froufrou fruit salad.” She has effectively raised perspective.

If you’ve ever used the satellite view on Google Maps, then you know how practical the aerial view can be for getting an overall perspective of the land. If your audience doesn’t need to know every road, tributary and detail, an aerial view of a complex or technical topic can be of enormous value. Excessive detail can be a distraction from the points you’re trying to convey.

This approach can be taken too far. If you zoom too far back with the satellite view, the landscape is unrecognizable. The same can happen in an explanation, so strike a balance that aims for a comprehensible, if not comprehensive, overall perspective.

Replace: Like the Sun Piercing through a Cloudy Sky Technical jargon provides a direct line to the MEGO syndrome. To present a topic full of complex terms or concepts, it’s often helpful to replace some of these terms with metaphors. There are multiple types of metaphors that range from similes (“nanodevices are like miniature robots”) to full allegorical discussions (“imagine an army of doctors working inside your body to cure your ailments”). By replacing jargon and complex concepts with metaphors, you can communicate complex and technical topics to almost any audience.

Be creative. You don’t have to use hackneyed metaphors and imagery.

The key is focusing on the audience.

You can look to literature or music for something especially poetic. But if you can create metaphors for your

How to Deal with a Tech-Savvy Audience When presenting a topic to a highly educated or experienced audience (translation: intimidating), follow these tips to triumph:

Stay confident.

topic that relate to your audience’s specific interests, knowledge and experience, you can ensure communications success.

When you’ve mastered the 4 Rs, you will be able to successfully present the most complex or technical topic to any audience. By doing it right, you’ll win over your audience, achieve success for your speech’s purpose, and your communication techniques will be invisible for a grateful audience.

Now, can you spot how I used the 4 Rs to create this article?

Despite the audience’s greater topical knowledge, you are a professional speaker who brings unique qualities to the podium.

Don’t compete.

You have nothing to prove.

Bring your perspective.

Your viewpoint will undoubtedly be different than you audience’s.

Relate your outside experiences.

Give the topic a unique twist.

Use humor.

Barry C. Collin is the Director of Analysis of the non-profit, non-partisan Markets Institute and the CEO of Moddition, Inc. A thought leader, speaker and writer in complex business, economic, sociological and technical issues, his work has been cited or chronicled in over 50

Find and leverage the humor in the topic to establish common ground.

Be the message.

The audience is listening to you and does not expect revelations on the topic. It’s why you’re there and what you do best.

current books and in hundreds of papers globally. He can be reached at barry.collin@ marketsinstitute.org.

July/August 2010 | SPEAKER | 25

e s r s t S Management for Speakers

How do you spell relief?

r-e-l-a-x

By Bruno Cortis, MD, FACC

26 | SPEAKER | July/August 2010

A

s a cardiologist, I am acutely aware of the harmful effects of stress.

After treating cardiac patients with devastating and life-threatening illnesses for many years, I became overwhelmed by my own stress when waiting to treat my next cardiac patient.

I reached a turning point and decided to refocus my practice from disease to health and from patients to people.

Stress affects your heart and your life. It can turn your speaking career into a horror story. Unless you learn to control stress, it will overpower you. The way you handle—or mishandle—stress can lead to burnout, dissatisfaction and depression.

What Is Stress?

Stress is the way the body and mind adapt to change. From a medical perspective, stress can be acute (short term) or chronic (long term). The reactions that people experience depend on the kinds of stress to which they are exposed.

Acute or short-term stress pops up from an unexpected event, such as an abrupt shift in plans for a speaking event or a sudden crisis at the event.

For speakers, this type of event sometimes triggers internal fire alarms, including fear, anxiety, perspiration and a rapid heartbeat. Physical symptoms are caused by a sudden release of adrenaline—an “adrenaline rush”— which draws blood away from the skin and intestines and toward the muscles, preparing even confident speakers for “fight or flight.”

Chronic or long-term stress occurs when a person perceives a loss of control over his or her environment, such as losing a job. With this type of stress, speakers can experience a sense of failure and entrapment created by uncontrollable external forces. Responses to chronic stress,

Techniques to De-stress Here are seven positive ways to help deal with stress: 1. Respect your body.

Pay attention to physical symptoms that signal stress. Periodically check your weight, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels. If you are over 40, get an electrocardiogram and, if necessary, perform a treadmill test to measure how your body handles work.

Exercise. Live in action. Choose the form of exercise you like most and enjoy it on a regular basis. The benefits are lower blood pressure, a higher level of good cholesterol, a better conditioned heart and body and reduced weight. You will gain the energy needed for facing daily stress and presenting dynamic speeches.

Diet. Supply your body with healthy food, even at meetings and on the road.

Increase your intake of high-fiber foods.

Reduce your intake of foods high in fat and/or sugar. Avoid cigarettes, alcohol and other drugs for long-term good health.

2. Relax.

Daily relaxation techniques will lower your pulse and blood pressure and give you a greater sense of control, peace and tranquility. Try Herbert Benson, MD’s “relaxation response” to deal with the stress you have accumulated throughout the day. Sit in a comfortable chair, close your eyes, choose a word, such as “peace” or “joy,” that makes you feel good, concentrate on your breathing and repeat your word every time you exhale.

Perform this relaxation exercise for 10 to 15 minutes twice a day, preferably before breakfast and before dinner.

stress. People tend to identify themselves with their work, but they are much more than that. Don’t equate your selfworth with your work. The highest form of recognition is self-recognition. Stop criticizing yourself.

4. Share your feelings.

Change your repetitive behavior, also called your “act.” The most common act is not being “good enough.” Many people suffer a lifetime in this self-imposed prison, never realizing that it is impossible to achieve perfection. Speakers spend a lot of time striving to please others in their careers, but it is important to “be yourself” while striving to serve others. Be spontaneous and natural.

5. Find purpose in life.

Setting goals focuses your energy and helps you establish priorities. When you meet your goals, you are confirming that you are in charge of your life. Choose the goal that is most important to you—the one that you absolutely must fulfill before leaving this planet. Then, make a plan and act on it. If you start with a single goal, others will fall into place.

Find your purpose and the answers will follow. Pinpoint how much speaking fulfills your personal reasons for being. This may help you fine tune your career and gain greater satisfaction in your work.

6. Love yourself and others unconditionally.

When you love yourself, you are on the road to solving any problem. The more you love yourself, the easier it will be for you to love others.

7. Nourish your spiritual self.

3. Accept yourself.

When you look at yourself in the mirror, what do you see? Do you see yourself only as a speaker or do you see the whole person? Narrow self-perception produces

You are a physical and a spiritual being.

Nurture your spirit with inspirational reading, prayer, meditation, music and other spiritual practices. Forgive yourself and others. Live with positive expectations.

July/August 2010 | SPEAKER | 27

To cease negative thinking, you must get in touch with your inner child. One way to do this is to sit in a comfortable chair, close your eyes and visualize yourself when you were four or five years old. Then, listen—the child will talk to you. Before long, you can replace self-criticism with self-approval and greatly reduce your stress levels.

which are more passive than reactions to acute stress, include depression and increased secretions of a hormone called cortisol, which depresses the body’s immune system. Other bodily changes include increased blood pressure, increased gastric secretions (which may lead to ulcers) and decreased production of sex hormones.

Stress itself is not the culprit. It does not assault you from the outside like a virus. It is created from within. The problem is how you perceive stress and how you react to it. Handling stress means controlling anger and depression in stressful situations.

Learn to manage and control your inner self. Blaming clients, bosses or circumstances, or trying to change people is a waste of time. Instead, you must change your reaction to the situation that is causing stress.

What Is Your Stress Type?

Stress affects people in different ways.

A speaking engagement may be pleasant for one speaker but stressful to another.

People handle stress according to their personality type. There are three distinct types: Logical. In some, logic predominates. They approach life from a cause-and-effect perspective. They focus on the here and now and make decisions only after gathering all of the necessary information.

28 | SPEAKER | July/August 2010

Creative. People dominated by creative energy are future oriented.

Their main source of inspiration is intuition, and they consider a wide range of possibilities when attempting to solve problems.

Emotion. These so-called “relationship people” are driven by emotional energy. Their decision making is based on how they perceive others will feel about their actions.

Stress sources vary among these different energy profiles. For example, a logical speaker is most stressed by illogical people, who want things done “yesterday” but who are disorganized and haven’t gathered the facts.

Creative speakers are stressed by those who resist change and focus on “useless” details. These attitudes burden the creative person with an environment of stagnation.

Relationship-oriented speakers are stressed by working alone, which deprives them of personal contacts.

They are also stressed by insensitive, critical people.

The Inner Child The negative conversations, or inner dialogues, that people have are destructive and disempowering. When people focus on negative feelings or events, they will become realities in a phenomenon referred to as “self-fulfilling prophecy.”

Negative thinking often stems from childhood experiences. The inner child likes to be acknowledged, recognized, loved and hugged. In adulthood, this may emerge as the “hugs”—sometimes literal—that a speaker receives after a glorious speech. The adult, by contrast, is the part concerned with financial commitments, social aspirations, deadlines, etc. Ideally, the child and adult parts of a person should acknowledge and respect its reciprocal needs.

When you were a child, your parents told you what to do. As an adult, you must become a loving parent to yourself. To cease negative thinking, you must get in touch with your inner child.

One way to do this is to sit in a comfortable chair, close your eyes and visualize yourself when you were four or five years old. Then, listen—the child will talk to you. Before long, you can replace self-criticism with self-approval and greatly reduce your stress levels.

Bruno Cortis, MD, FACC, is a renowned health and wellness speaker, cardiologist and author.

Dr. Cortis has over 30 years of experience as a surgeon, interventional cardiologist, and as a spiritual cardiologist. As CEO and founder of Mind Your Health, Inc., a health strategy and management consulting firm, he has given presentations to audiences on five continents. Visit BrunoCortis. com and www.stresstoday.info.

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relevant resources Time-saving tools and technologies

Fun in the Sun

Summer is near, so get ready to soak up some sun at the pool or beach. Don’t forget to pack sunscreen and beach towels, along with some nifty gear and gadgets that will make your day in the sun even more enjoyable.

1 Made in the Shade

Tired of lugging a cumbersome beach chair?

Worn as a backpack when folded, the Wearever Backpack Beach Chair stores small coolers, blankets, books and water bottles. Measures 28” x 23.5”, 11 pounds. $29.95. www.shadeusa.com When you want some protection from the sun, the Undercover beach chair shade attaches in seconds and collapses into a 16” diameter bag.

This item is sold separately from the beach chair. $19.95. www.shadeusa.com

2 Solar-Powered Tote

No need to worry about your portable gadgets losing power at the beach.

The Reware Juicebag is the world’s first beach tote with a high-tech flexible solar panel that can fully charge your cell phone or camera in two to four hours. Measures 19” x 15” x 11.” $249.99. www.rewarestore.com

3 Weekend Warrior Survival Gadget

The Scorpion is a splash-proof, multi-tasking dynamo that requires no batteries, thanks to its solar panel, hand crank and DC adapter.

Use the flashlight, AM/FM radio and NOAA weather reporter anywhere. You can charge your iPod with the USB port and even use it as a bottle opener! Measures 5.25” x 2.5” x 1.75.” $49.99. www.etoncorp.com

4 Perky Jerky

This isn’t your father’s beef jerky. Perky Jerky is an invigorating snack food made from strips of tender teriyaki-pepper beef with a hint of Guarana for a unique boost you won’t find in any old granola. Order online or look for packs in your local convenience or sporting goods store. Three 2-oz. bags are priced at $14.99. www.PerkyJerky.com

30 | SPEAKER | July/August 2010

5 (Sun) Light Reading

A day at the beach or the pool isn’t complete without a little reading material.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

By Stephen King The master of horror opens up about his life and near-death experience and, in the process, offers some valuable insight to aspiring writers. His memoir will inspire you, and help you become a better writer. $10.50. Hardcover $18.00. www.amazon.com

And Here’s the Kicker: Conversations with 21 Top Humor Writers on Their Craft

By Mike Sacks Veteran journalist Sacks provides a fascinating look into the process of comedy writing by interviewing this group of bona fide comedic geniuses from the world of TV, print and film.

You’ll enjoy personal anecdotes and insider stories that will give you the kick you need to write new material. $10.00. www.amazon.com

The New Comedy Writing, Step by Step

By Gene Perret Where do you think the speakers in the Humor PEG go to hone their craft?

You’ll learn common sense, down-toearth, put-it-on-paper tips that will help you tighten up your material. $10.50. www.amazon.com

7 Solar-Powered Charger

Don’t need the full-size solar-powered beach tote, but still want a fully charged phone? This solar-powered charger will keep your cell phone, iPod or camera juiced and ready to go. Purchase through www.chinagrabber.com for $32.99.

6 Paw Prints

Ever wondered what’s on your pet’s mind? Walk a mile in his shoes with the Pet’s Eye View digital camera and find out. Just clip this water-resistant camera to your furry friend’s collar and set the timer to take snapshots every 1, 5 or 15 minutes.

Internal memory stores up to 40 photos. $49.99. www.thinkgeek.com

This product information was compiled by Molly Cox, 2009-10 Speaker editorial advisory board chair.

July/August 2010 | SPEAKER | 31

Beyond Borders Controlling cultures, countries and comfort zones

Doing Business in Korea

T

here’s a Korean proverb, “If you want to catch the tiger, you have to go into the tiger’s cave.” So, if you want to be a successful international speaker, you have to speak to a lucrative market like Korea.

Korean businesses welcome high-caliber international speakers who deliver cutting-edge information. In particular, they want to learn all they can about the United States and its business culture in a fun, entertaining manner from the same speakers who present to American audiences. NSA member Mark Victor Hansen, of Chicken Soup for the Soul fame, is just one of many best-selling authors who delights audiences in Korea.

In Korea and Asia, people want information on topics that are current and relevant in the United States.

Whatever is popular in the United States will gain popularity worldwide.

To illustrate, when the highly publicized self-help book, The Secret, was launched, its popularity emerged in Korea a few months later.

If you want to be a popular speaker in Korea, follow these seven tips: 1. Speak on “hot” topics to your Korean market. (See sidebar below.)

2. Speak from your own experience rather than theory. Audiences love to hear good stories based on personal experiences.

3. Tell your Korean clients what large companies you have worked for in the past. They want to feel like they are in the same league with other large organizations.

4. Infuse fun and humor into your presentation, but don’t worry if your Korean audience does not laugh. It’s not their custom or nature.

5. Use PowerPoint® to engage your audience. It’s easy to follow and you can incorporate interesting graphics and drawings.

6. Greet clients and audiences with a Korean welcome. “An nyung ha se yo” means “hello.” “Kamsahamnida” means “thank you.”

7. Know Korean history. Do some research to uncover interesting facts; for example, Korea was invaded more than 900 times in its 5,000-year history, but it has maintained its traditional music and art. In the mid-15th century, King Sejong the Great commissioned Korea’s current written language, Hangul, to help commoners read and write. Linguists have praised its structure because of its phonemic correlation with the spoken language.

32 | SPEAKER | July/August 2010

Jinsoo Terry, M.S., is the first Korean-American member of NSA. She is the author of Jinsoo: Succeeding in America the Jinsoo Way, and the best-selling Korean management book,

Top Topics in Korea Communication skills Leadership Multicultural issues Creativity Balance life and happiness

Don’t expect a lot of questions from your audience. Even though attendees are interested in your topic(s), it’s not common practice to raise questions.

As a bilingual Korean-American, I still compete with Korean speakers who are savvy about Korean business.

To gain a competitive edge, I capitalize on my strengths; namely, using my entertaining presentation skills to bring innovative ideas from the Silicon Valley to my Korean audiences. Koreans view Americans as fun and creative, so be sure to convey that image when you’re on stage in Korea.

Legal knowledge Human resources Finance/wealth Fitness/diet Green environmental issues Motivation/success

Sales/marketing Business management Business etiquette Women’s issues Relationships

Catch the F.U.N. Jinsoo has worked with the South Korean government and leaders worldwide who want to learn how to do business in the United States. She also speaks to young professionals and managers in America on how to work and succeed in this diverse country. Visit www.JinsooTerry.com.

what would you do?

Casting a reality check on real-world conundrums

A Tangled Web-inar If the client never signed an agreement about the rights to the Webinar, I’d contact the other divisions, thank them for using the material and see how I could help develop their leaders.

If, however, I had a signed agreement stating my fee was for one division only, I’d write to the other divisions and thank them for using my material. I would also attach a copy of the signed agreement, include an invoice and copy the existing client on the correspondence. If they pay all or a negotiated sum—great. If they refuse, I would drop it.

—Mike Podolinsky, CSP, Singapore

In my agreement with the client, this condition would be beyond “the scope of work.” If the client ignored that stipulation in my agreement/contract, I would reiterate the terms and invoice the client for the additional licenses.

—Michelle Cubas, Scottsdale, Ariz.

I would thank the client for exposing my ideas to so many people in the firm, and offer to conduct in-person seminars that dive deeper into the subject at hand.

—David Meerman Scott, Lexington, Mass.

A client hired you to create a Webinar for one division in his firm. A few months later, you learn it’s on the client’s company intranet and used by many other divisions. What would you do?

Be grateful and thank the client for circulating the Webinar. Mention that if anyone inquires about you and your topics, to feel free to pass on your contact information.

Consider it free advertising for your presentations and resources. You have just created visibility and front of mind with no investment.

First, I would express my appreciation for the opportunity to serve and deliver value to the division. Next, I would reiterate our initial conversations about this excellent opportunity for growing our partnership by providing similar resources to other areas in the organization. Then, I would remind the client about our agreement that the Webinar was designed for one specific division, not company-wide use, and suggest a modified agreement to reflect the expanded Webinar availability and related support.

—LaFern K. Batie, MBA, SPHR, Tampa, Fla.

—Marsha Petrie Sue, MBA, CSP, Scottsdale, Ariz.

What Would You Do? is a regular column that presents a real-life dilemma faced by professional speakers. NSA members are encouraged to submit a dilemma for possible discussion in this column. Please submit dilemmas to ethics@nsaspeaker.org. NSA reserves the right to edit submissions for length and style. All dilemmas will be anonymously attributed. Opinions expressed are those of the individual respondents, not NSA. July/August 2010 | SPEAKER | 33

it’s your Business Advice for enterprising speakers

W

hat is comedy writing?

Comedy writing is reasoning for entertainment, rather than for truth (science), sales (advertising) or comfort (politics). These categories often overlap.

For example, science, advertising and politics can be entertaining. And things can be entertaining in a non-funny way.

So, calling comedy writing reasoning for entertainment is actually incorrect, because there are many different ways to be entertained, and humor is only one of them. It is better to define comedy writing as reasoning specifically for humorous entertainment, which this introductory paragraph exemplifies.

By honoring the following tenets of comedy writing, you will be more successful in creating and delivering your own humorous entertainment: 1. Comedy is a worthwhile genre, pursuit and product in and of itself, either as a style for your whole presentation, or the presentation as a whole, or as links between serious and important stuff. This is not to say that comedy cannot be serious. It is, in fact, no more the opposite of serious than peanut butter is to jelly.

2. Comedy is No. 1, and neither tragedy nor history, neither motivation nor inspiration, neither education nor training, and neither song nor dance shall come before it.

3. Thou shalt not make wrongful use of comedy. The microphone is only yours to borrow, and neither shall you use it to ridicule an audience member, nor the audience’s organization, nor the audience’s industry,

34 | SPEAKER | July/August 2010

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

nor your client, nor your client’s speakers’ bureau.

Take a day off from being the center of attention and listen to others once a week, whether they are family, friends, colleagues or fellow travelers in business class.

Honor thy father and mother, but not necessarily in each and every speech. As special as your family may be to you, each member of your audience, or audient, has his or her own unique genetic heritage.

Thou shalt not murder a joke by laboring the point, nor shall you laugh at your own cleverness, nor that of your comedy writer. Thou shalt not murder a funny definition, story, pun or riddle by pausing too long or not long enough, or by mispronouncing a key word or phrase, or by turning your backside into a centerpiece for all to look upon with wonder and with awe.

Thou shalt not commit adultery by self-plagiarism. Quoting oneself may be amusing to oneself, but it is rarely humorous to others.

Thou shalt not steal gags from other professional speakers or comedians, whether they are “live” or on cable TV.

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against fellow presenters by saying that their acts were not as funny as yours, and that yours was not really an act, but rather more of a presentation and, further, you are not just a comedian who merely wants to entertain: You are a speaker with a presentation that will change audiences for the better and make a difference to the world. Humor is only the sugar that enables participants in your speaking experience to swallow the bitter pill of self-awareness, selfactualization and self-realization so that they can transform themselves and their lives.

10. Thou shalt not covet another speaker’s spouse, iPod or carry-on luggage, unless you end up with all three.

Benjamin and Rodney Marks are a son-andfather comedy team working out of Fox Studios Australia.

Contact Benjamin at www.comedywriter.com.au and Rodney at www.comedian.com.au.

PASS IT ON! Help us build our NSA community and increase awareness of the speaking profession! By passing on an issue of Speaker magazine, you are joining over 1,000 NSA members who are getting the word out about NSA. After you have finished reading this issue of Speaker magazine, simply pass it on to someone who might be interested in learning more about NSA. Or leave the information in a public place for someone else to discover; for example, on an airplane, at your doctor’s office or in a beauty salon.

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Questions? Please contact our offices at (480)968-2552 or email information@nsaspeaker.org ESS OF SPEAKING THE ART AND BUSIN

THE ART AND BU SINES

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humor me Quips, tips and parting shots

Monkey Business

M

ost people don’t want to hear about other people’s vacations. When they ask how your trip went, they’re just being polite. They really don’t want to know about the fabulous sunsets, turquoise waters and relaxing massages that you experienced without them. Perfection, when it happens to someone else, is not interesting.

This is why my friends can’t wait to hear about my vacations. Like the time we were almost eaten by natives in Peru. Almost.

After my last vacation, I was barely off the plane when friends were already clamoring for a report.

“So, how was Costa Rica?” they asked.

“Great! Bob got attacked by a monkey,” I replied.

It’s not like we could see it coming.

According to the Law of Attraction, you attract what you think about. Not that I’ve ever thought, specifically, about a monkey jumping my husband from behind. Not consciously, anyway.

It’s just that I’m always thinking about the next signature story—something to which the audience can relate. (You know the drill.) And who can’t relate to a monkey accosting a loved one?

As we strolled through the rain forest, minding our own business and listening to the hum of killer mosquitoes and the death shrieks of exotic mammals being crushed by boa

38 | SPEAKER | July/August 2010

constrictors, a screeching monkey came out of the blue. Technically, it came out of a tree, but work with me here.

I should mention that it wasn’t a cute Curious George-type monkey. Oh, no.

This was an alpha male, granddaddyof-the-jungle monkey. (I’m pretty sure I saw fangs.) We’re not sure what set him off, but it’s very clear to me now that one should not walk through the rain forest with a banana in his pocket.

The “Cujo” monkey pounced on my husband’s back, while I stood watching—frozen, helpless and speechless.

Once I realized that Bob was all right, it was difficult for me to keep a straight face. He got up off the ground, mustered whatever dignity a man can after he’s been sucker-punched by a primate, and calmly asked, “This is going to land in one of your speeches, isn’t it?”

Well, yeah, and in an article, too. I’ll change a few things, of course, because it will have to relate to life balance, improvisation and heath care. Hmm, maybe I’ll rethink health care.

“Boy, I bet you’re glad to have that monkey off your back,” I quipped.

Bob dabbed the blood off his shirt and replied, “You’ve waited your entire life to have the opportunity to say that line, haven’t you?”

Really, how often do these situations present themselves? You have the line, you just need the set-up.

By now, a crowd had gathered. “Don’t worry. He’s fine,” I said, as I reached for my camera to take some photos

that I would later incorporate into a PowerPoint® presentation.

“I’d like to read that column before it goes out,” Bob muttered when we returned to the hotel.

“Yes, of course,” I said as I pressed send.

Then, I gave him my best Cheshire cat smile. “You’re going to have to work with me here.”

Humor, health care and life balance expert Molly Cox is committed to helping people see the humor in everyday life to help them put things into perspective and be more productive. She is the co-author of the book, Improvise This!

How to Think on Your Feet so You Don’t Fall on Your Face (Hyperion). Her latest film, Note to Self: An Aspiring Film for Caregivers, is currently in production. Visit www.mollyspeaks.com.

“At Central Plains Book, our objectives include bookmaking of the highest quality and unparalleled customer satisfaction.�

Hi, my name is Melody Morris.

I’ve worked with professional speakers for over 18 years and understand how unique this market is. I recognize your publications reflect upon your reputation and how critical their quality is to your overall success. Our organization possesses the capabilities necessary to handle most jobs internally  and the pride we take in our work is visible in the final product. Please call me today and let me help you with your printing needs.

Central Plains Book a division of

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Speaking engagement coming up and you need product?

Whatever you need, we have it! ‡ Books ‡ Pamphlets ‡ Posters

‡ Design ‡ Warehousing ‡ Fulfillment

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