Speaker- Sept 2009

THE ART AND BUSINESS OF SPEAKING

septeMBer 2009

plus: How Did He Do that?

Magician shares secrets for success 6 Ways to Create original Content Spark your Imagination with the internet

pECHA : KUCHA int

powerpo s on Steroid PA G E 1 0

fInd your

IntersectIon where creativity and Innovation meet

Frans Johansson, author of The Medici Effect

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

tHE ARt ANd BuSiNESS of SPEAKiNG

s e p t e M B e r 2009

the Intersection 16 At Speakers can become more creative and innovative by adapting other disciplines to their presentations, according to best-selling author Frans Johansson.

By Stephanie R. Conner FE ATURES

16

Don’t Copy 20 Create, Stuck in a rut? Create original content and become an in-demand resource by following some simple tips.

By Sam Horn

Imagination Station 24 Destination: Explore infinite ways to spark your creativity using the Internet.

By Michael Benidt and Sheryl Kay

Magic into Your 28 Work Presentations

24

A clown and magician shares valuable lessons for combining skills, experiences and creativity.

By Randall Munson, CSP, CCP, MS

co lu M N S 6 Message from Editorial Advisory Board chair

8 Reality check Putting a fine point on the speaking industry

10 it’s your Business Advice for enterprising speakers

28 d EPARtM EN tS

11 What Would you do?

Casting a reality check on real-world conundrums

14 Relevant Resources Time-saving tools and technologies

33 turning Point A career-changing moment or experience

38 Humor Me

4 News from Headquarters 34 calendar of Events 36 index of Advertisers

Quips, tips and parting shots

32 Beyond Borders Exploring culture, countries and comfort zones

September 2009 | 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

Reported by Stacy Tetschner, CAE NSA Executive Vice President/CEO

Founder Cavett Robert, CSP, CPAE

It’s Nomination Time!

Board of Directors Marjorie Brody, PCC, CMC, CSP, CPAE Kristin Carey, CSP Jarik Conrad, EdD, MBA, MILR, SPHR Ed Gerety, CSP Scott Halford, CSP Ron Karr, CSP Linda Keith, CPA, CSP Scott McKain, CSP, CPAE John B. Molidor, PhD Ford Saeks Jean Houston Shore, CPA, MBA, CSP Laura Stack, MBA, CSP Francine Ward, JD

NSA Will elect up to five members to the Board of Directors in spring 2010. To recommend an NSA member to serve on the Board, submit a written nomination before Friday, Nov. 6, 2009, to: NSA Nominating Committee, NSA, 1500 S. Priest Drive, Tempe, AZ 85281. For more information, call (480) 968-2552 or email Stacy@NSASpeaker.org.

Web 2.0 Webinar Series

New Packaging

NSA’s free Web 2.0 Webinar series will continue through December. It offers six Webinars on using social networking to boost your business, whether you’re a novice or a pro. Don’t miss Ford Saeks’s Webinar on September 17. Register and view the complete lineup and topic descriptions at www.MyNSA.org/ Webinars.aspx.

Notice something different about your September issue of Speaker? Hint: It’s in the bag. Starting with this issue, Speaker magazine will be delivered in a recyclable polybag. You’ll see the difference on your next trip to the mailbox!

Save the Date Join us for a unique, interactive learning experience designed and facilitated by leading industry experts that will enable you to hone your platform skills, book more engagements and make more money. The 2009 NSA Fall Conference will be held in Phoenix, Ariz., November 20-22. To register, visit www.NSAFallConference.org.

Follow Speaker magazine on Twitter for links to articles, sneak peeks at upcoming issues, instant updates on NSA happenings and more! Find us at www.

Twitter.com/SpeakerMagazine.

Chair Stephen Tweed, CSP 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

CSP Class of 2009 Congratulations to the 30 speakers who recently earned the Certified Professional Speaker (CSP) designation. To see the list of names and read NSA’s press release, visit our newsroom at www.NSASpeaker.org.

NSA’s monthly audio magazine

• Back Stage with Gerard Braud

• NSA Events Update: Elly Valas

• Category of One: Joe Calloway, CSP, CPAE, with Victoria Labalme

• Starfish Humor: Gerard Braud and Brian Walter, CSP

• Ones to Watch: Jane Atkinson with Rene Godefroy

• Dissecting Starfish: Ron Culberson, MSW, CSP, and David Glickman

• If You Could Do Just One Thing This Month: Bill Cates, CSP, Chris Clarke-Epstein, CSP, Ford Saeks and Mike Rayburn, CSP

• President’s Message: Phillip Van Hooser, MBA, CSP, CPAE

4 | SPEAKER | September 2009

Founder and Chairman Emeritus Nido R. Qubein, CSP, CPAE

Speaker Tweets

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

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

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 Publications Assistant Lauren Aiken 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 1.

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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unravelling your path to... ...a successful speaking business

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message from the edItorIal adVIsory board chaIr

Behind the Scenes

i

was 12 years old when I wrote my first Letter from the Editor, at a time when cutting and pasting involved real paste and scissors. My father and I had put together the very first yearbook for St. Gregory the Great Elementary School. I was assigned the task of writing captions for candid photos of my classmates, an uncharacteristic lapse in judgment on my father’s part.

There was legitimate reporting, too, including interviews with teachers and documenting the year’s events. I learned layout, hand placing each article and photo just-so with my mother’s eyebrow tweezers. It was all such great fun! And then I was introduced to editing. Who knew accuracy, spelling and grammar would come into it? Reality set in. Out came my father’s dreaded red pen. I’d been tricked. It dawned on me (mentally quick child that I was) that this was intended as a learning experience and I would have to work hard.

Fast forward to 2009 and Speaker magazine. I’m now working with Barbara Parus, Speaker’s managing editor. Barbara is nice and very good at what she does. And although she has the ultimate responsibility for the magazine, she does not have the power to ground me for the entire weekend. This is an

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added plus to our working relationship.

What a relief to learn that Barbara didn’t resemble Miranda Priestly, Meryl Streep’s character in The Devil Wears Prada. And that I didn’t have to get on a plane to bring her coffee every day and act as a coat hook for her half-alive fur wrap. Nor does she resemble the editor in the black and white films of the 1950s, who is surrounded by a team of irritable cigarette-smoking men who strike away like manic woodpeckers at their steel- keyed typewriters as the paper advances through inky ribbon.

She’s simply an award-winning magazine editor. Lucky for me. I have a lot to learn.

There are many people behind the scenes of Speaker magazine. This year’s volunteer team includes Jill Konrath, Terri Langhans, CSP, Eileen McDargh, CSP, CPAE, Gina Schreck CSP, and Dennis Stauffer. They search for ideas, stories, interviews and relevant resources every month.

Here’s where you come in. Speaker is always looking for great stories that bring value to the readership. Not stories to promote you, your book or speaking career. We’re looking for articles that have never been published before and are tailored to the seasoned professional speaker. The only way we’re going to know about your idea is if you share it with us. If you have a great story idea, let anyone on the team know about it. While I can’t promise we’ll run it, I can promise we’ll read it. That’s a good start.

It’s a pleasure and an honor to serve with a talented, energetic team and a managing editor who can’t ground me for the weekend.

Molly Cox Chair, 2009-10 Speaker Editorial Advisory Board

Speaker and humorist Molly Cox inspires thousands to use humor in healthcare, business and education to balance their daily lives by laughing at even life’s most absurd circumstances. She is the co-author of Improvise This! How to Think on Your Feet so You Don’t Fall Flat on Your Face, and the founder and president of Strongcoffeeink, a gift line for women. For more information, visit www.mollyspeaks.com or contact her at mcoxziton@comcast.com.

NSA is proud to continue its FREE 2009 Web 2.0 Webinar series. There are four Webinars remaining in the series, and each is packed with information on using social networking to boost your business, whether you’re a beginner or pro.

The next Webinar will feature Ford Saeks on “How to Monetize Your Social Media Marketing (SMM) Efforts to Grow Your Business” on September 17, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. EST.

Save the date for other upcoming Webinars: October 8, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. EST November 12, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. EST Presenter: Clint Greenleaf Presenter: Michelle Cullison The 10 Most Common Profiles, Pages, Groups— Mistakes in Social Media Building a Facebook Marketing and How to Presence for Business Avoid Them

December 10, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. EST Presenter: Heather Lutze How to Optimize Your Organic Search Results Leveraging Social Media and Your Own Website

For more information and to register for Webinars, visit www.mynsa.org/Webinars.aspx.

September 2009 | SPEAKER | 7

realIt y checK putting a fine point on the speaking industry

Imagine the Possibilities

I

heard it said again recently, “The value of NSA is the education and the community.” It’s true—some attend NSA conventions, conferences and chapter meetings primarily for the professional tutorial experience each offers. They realize there is simply no better place in the world to learn the finer points of the speaking business.

Still others attend in search of seemingly endless networking opportunities, as well as the sense of community NSA gatherings afford.

But after more than 20 years of membership, personally, I’ve come to realize a subtle, though equally important benefit of my active NSA involvement. Here it is: You people make me think.

Like you, I’m hired to make my audiences think (… and feel and laugh and act …), but seldom do they reciprocate. After all, that’s not their responsibility. Consequently, if we’re not careful—if we don’t intentionally seek out professional intellectual stimulation—we may end up speaking regularly for years, but without ever thinking the bigger thoughts that we encourage from our audiences.

But things are different at NSA. I hang around you, my speaking colleagues and, invariably, I end up thinking—and such thinking ultimately leads me to imagine greater possibilities.

My first NSA workshop was in New Orleans in 1989—I have attended 21 others since that time. My first NSA Convention was in Dallas in 1989, and I have participated in 17 more since that first one. If I calculated all of the other

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NSA-related meetings I have attended, including labs, universities, conferences, chapter meetings, international summits, strategic planning sessions and board meetings, the days invested would be numbered in the hundreds and the dollars invested in the tens of thousands—and I don’t begrudge any of it—not a minute, not a penny. The truth is I can’t imagine having not done it.

And NSA’s tradition of providing advanced thinking—and learning— opportunities continues. Anchored by strong general session speakers, our November 2009 Fall Conference in Phoenix, Ariz., and the February 2010 Winter Conference in Nashville, Tenn., will provide comprehensive educational topics, including marketing, humor development, advanced platform skills and rock-solid business principles. Also featured will be high-content programs focused on working with diverse generational audiences, current technology utilizations and the creative development of multiple sources of income.

For 2009-2010, your NSA leadership team has chosen “Imagine” as our theme and rallying cry. Despite today’s current economic challenges, we have opted to imagine tomorrow’s endless possibilities.

We are working to imagine creative educational offerings and community-building opportunities. We imagine substantive experiences for our membership that will serve to shape their businesses for years to come. The thing we really can’t imagine is that you wouldn’t want to be a part of it all.

Thank you for your support in the coming year. Please mark your calendar now for NSA’s Fall 2009 and Winter 2010 Conferences. And just imagine the high-level educational content, handson information, incredible networking opportunities and endless benefits you will derive from both events.

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

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It’s your business Advice for enterprising speakers

Sharpen Your Platform Skills

T

he next time you give a presentation, tell your audience you don’t have a PowerPoint®. Tell them you have a Pecha Kucha. That will get their attention!

According to best-selling author Daniel Pink, who writes on the changing world of work, Pecha Kucha has turned PowerPoint into both an art form and a competitive sport. It’s become so popular that Pecha Kucha nights are now hosted regularly in over 200 cities worldwide.

like engineering software developer Autodesk, which used Pecha Kucha at its annual sales meeting this year.

In the non-profit sector, the Special Libraries Association hosted an event in Washington, D.C., during which organizations from the National Institutes of Health to the World Bank discussed the uses and adoption of Pecha Kucha.

How Does it Differ from PowerPoint?

What Is Pecha Kucha?

Pecha Kucha (pronounced “pe-chakcha”) is Japanese for “the sound of conversation,” and refers to a presentation style invented several years ago by two Japan-based architects.

Tired of the tedium of typical PowerPoint presentations, they wanted to give young designers and others involved in the creative arts an outlet to meet, network and show their work in public in an efficient and engaging way.

How Does it Work?

In the Pecha Kucha style, presenters speak on 20 slides, each of which is shown for 20 seconds, for a total presentation time of 6 minutes 40 seconds.

The result is that Pecha Kucha presentations are concise, participants’ interest levels stay high, and, if appropriate, multiple presenters can share their ideas within a short period of time.

Now this “20 x 20” format is making its way into the meeting rooms of corporate America, including companies 10 | SPEAKER | September 2009

Sometimes compared to the “10/20/30” rule in PowerPoint (10 slides, 20 minutes, no type smaller than 30 point), Pecha Kucha is substantially different because the slides change automatically every 20 seconds and the format is designed to work with as few all-text slides as possible. This forces presenters to be more focused in their message and allows the story to flow uninterrupted.

The Power of Pecha Kucha There are four noteworthy facets of Pecha Kucha: It makes the presenter concentrate on essential information. What do your listeners absolutely need to know and understand? The format forces you to stay focused on what’s really important, with no time for digression.

Slides are programmed to change every 20 seconds, so you have to anticipate your next slide and ensure that your narrative is synced to your visual.

It forces you to have a storyline, a flow that allows your listeners to

quickly and easily grasp your message.

With PowerPoint, speakers often make the mistake of treating each slide as a separate and discrete data rather than part of a larger story.

The benefit of using a presentation format that relies heavily on imagery is twofold. It gives you the ability to transfer emotion, in addition to information and knowledge. It also puts the focus more squarely on you and what you’re saying rather than showing.

It supports my mantra of “practice, practice, practice.” You absolutely cannot go on stage “cold.” With just minutes to effectively convey your message and engage your audience, rehearsal is essential.

Present like a Samurai by using Pecha Kucha for your next presentation.

You’ll shake up the status quo, and perhaps set a new standard that is both engaging and informative.

Stephanie Scotti (smscotti@ professionallyspeaking.net) is a strategic communication adviser specializing in helping high-stake presenters become more effective leaders and stronger communicators. She has more than 25 years of experience as an executive speech coach and currently serves as director of community relations for NSA-NJ. To learn more, visit professionallyspeaking.net. photo credit goes here

what would you do? casting a reality check on real-world conundrums

Who Foots the Bill? the discussion of money between colleagues and friends is often difficult and uncomfortable. Handled inappropriately, feelings can be hurt and relationships (and reputations) can be damaged permanently. Personally, I think it is good form to offer to pay your way, if you can. Remember, you are the one who sought out the individual for his advice. Never ask for a complimentary ticket to the event. But if he freely offers to comp your attendance, you should make every effort to help him in every way possible. if you can’t afford the price of admission, be honest with yourself and maintain your dignity. Never ask for a freebie, or share a “sob story” that could be interpreted as a veiled form of emotional manipulation intended to gain undeserved favors.

—phillip Van hooser, MBA, csp, cpAe

Personally, I feel that I should pay a speaker for his advice and counsel, especially if he is not part of a close-knit mentoring group. I would ask if there is a cost to attend under an “audit” situation.

I’ve learned that the more direct I am, the less misinterpretation there is.

—Karel Murray, CSP, DREI

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It’s fair to clarify the offer and ask, “Would there be a cost, or could I help out as staff at your product table or in another way?”

Established speakers understand that new speakers don’t have much money. They were there once. And a note to senior speakers: It’s up to you to make your offer or suggestion clear.”

—Jim Pancero CSP, CPAE

When you approach a fellow nSA member for advice, he shares a few thoughts and suggests that you attend one of his public seminars. no mention is made of payment, which would normally be substantial. you cannot afford the full fee and you’re unclear if you’re expected to pay. you would like to attend, and would even be willing to assist in some way. What would you do?

i would say, “i am honored that you would allow me to come to your program. Please let me know if you would like me to attend as a participant or as an observer, and what the cost would be associated with that so i can plan accordingly.” if you can’t afford the fee, think about how you can be useful to the speaker and take some of the work off the table as compensation for allowing you to attend; for example, working the table, distributing handouts or assisting with room set up. this is a good lesson in learning how to dig for the right information. When speakers don’t set clear expectations with their clients, things can go awry!

—Anne Warfield, CSP

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. September 2009 | SPEAKER | 11

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

Make It Relevant

K

ris Young’s goal is to help clients create an experience. As the Director of Speakers and Entertainment for Martin Bastian Productions, a Minneapolis-based meeting design company, Young points out that this is very different than a bureau’s objective of filling slots. And she knows what’s she talking about—she worked at The Speakers Bureau for five years before joining Martin Bastian in 1998.

Young works to understand clients’ business goals, and then collaborates with her team at Martin Bastian, the client’s executives and selected speakers to design experiences based on each client’s desired outcome.

“When it’s all said and done, it’s not about the speech. It’s about the end result,” Young says.

Molly Cox: What’s the difference between what you do and what a bureau does?

Kris Young: Bureaus fill slots; we work

12 | SPEAKER | September 2009

as a content consultant and on meeting design. I start with the vision and goal for the meeting and ask: What person?

What content? What experience? What will engage the audience?

small meetings where they can skim them under the radar. Everybody’s worried about perception.

What do you dislike about working with speakers?

We find it hard to book speakers who don’t have good video—and it’s the Events are no longer rarest thing happening for events’ on the planet! sake. Now, events My one piece revolve around of wisdom is “We find it hard to book building culture to to get good speakers who don’t have fulfill a vision, and video. The it’s all tied to the shorter, the good video—and it’s the bottom line. Although better. rarest thing on the planet!” motivational speakers Don’t get will always have a stuck in a rut place in the meeting by doing the industry, we don’t see same thing a lot of hiring in that area now. But for everybody. Reinventing yourself is that will get old, because people want the new reality. We want to work with to hear the message in an inspirational speakers who are relevant, who will way. It’s how you frame the message have the “conversation” about that gets people excited. It will the vision and goals for the meeting, bounce back. We’re also seeing smaller and who will help us create the meetings, and sometimes a series of experience.

Do you see any trends in the meeting industry?

What should speakers send?

Great video with an accurate depiction of what they do. Show me books and other products that are relevant.

Please don’t submit a lot of marketing materials that aren’t relevant, and don’t send things like popcorn with your DVD. We won’t book you because you offer incentives, like airline tickets or an iPod. We’ll work with you because you’re good and the right fit.

You are always at the NSA Annual Convention. Why is it important to you?

That’s where the product is! I get great ideas, have fun and engage in good conversations. It’s like family. I can’t imagine a better use of three to four days. This is my work.

Any words of wisdom about speakers’ Web sites?

I like sites that are ridiculously simple.

What do you enjoy about working with speakers?

I enjoy their ability to have fun. I like to see their talents unfold. When I get to know them better, I can use speakers in different ways, such as on video, as a facilitator, as a keynoter or as a consultant in meetings with the client.

What should speakers know about working with Martin Bastian Productions?

If a speaker who is working with us does something wrong, like ticking off a client, that may cost us millions of dollars. And it takes years to get in the door.

“Don’t get stuck in a rut by doing the same thing for everybody. Reinventing yourself is the new reality.”

Kris Young, who was named NSA’s Meeting Planner of the Year in 2007, has taken on a new role as a partner in Engage Consulting Group.

Together with her partners Chuck Feltz and Joe Calloway, CSP, CPAE, she has co-authored a book to be released in January 2010: Never By Chance—Aligning People and Strategy through Intentional Leadership. She will continue to work with Martin Bastian Productions, and can be reached at kyoung@martainbastain.com.

Molly Cox is a speaker and the co-author of the book, Improvise This! How to Think on Your Feet so You Don’t Fall on Your Face (Hyperion 2002). Her inspirational and educational film, Humor, Health and the Caregiver, will be released in November 2009 in coordination with National Caregivers month. Cox can be reached at mcoxziton@comcast.net. For more information, visit www.mollyspeaks.com.

September 2009 | SPEAKER | 13

releVant resources time-saving tools and technologies

You Can Take It With You These nifty tools, gadgets and products will make your life as a professional speaker a little easier, whether you’re on the road, in the air or speaking from the platform. Is there something pictured here that you simply can’t live without?

1 Smart Remote Trade in your timer for the ultimate presentation remote. Designed to perform multiple functions effortlessly, the Logitech Cordless 2.4 GHz Presenter has a built-in LCD timer, slideshow controls, an integrated laser pointer, and vibration to let you know when to wrap it up. When you

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have 5 minutes left, the Presenter will vibrate once. Then, when your time is up, it will vibrate for 10 seconds. The only missing feature is a strong shock for times when you just don’t know how to stop talking. The Presenter can be installed sans software, and includes a USB radio transmitter/receiver that plugs into your computer. $79.95, www.logitech.com.

adget Gear 2 G�

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There’s no reason you can’t be tech-friendly and stylish at the same time. BUILTNY offers a variety of neoprene products for the business traveler or urban nomad. Your life is on your hard drive, so protect it with the Hoodie Portable Hard Drive Case ($20). Tired of toting around chargers for all of your toys? The Charger Bag ($25) provides a place for it all and fits easily into a backpack or overnight bag. Various colors available, www.builtny.com.

Virtual Office >� Now there’s really no excuse to goof off at work. Qwaq’s breakthrough virtual platform leverages vPresence™ technology, integrating VoIP, chat, webcam video, presence, and multi-application sharing to create an environment where employees can get real work done together. No matter where you are in the world, you can collaborate on projects, share documents and communicate through integrated text, chat or voice. For more information and a free trial, go to www.qwaq.com.

14 | SPEAKER | September 2009

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3 A�Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

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Bring your loved ones on the road with you. The Audiovox Audio Homebase 7” Digital Photo Frame with Message Center lets you store up to 120 photos with 512MB of built-in memory and media card slots for accessing photos stored on media cards. There’s also a built-in magnetic message board and microphone for taking notes and recording custom voice messages. $129.99, www.bestbuy.com.

4 Protein Pick-Me-Up Need a boost before you go on stage or between flights? Try a

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NutriBiotic Rice Protein packet with 80% protein. This greattasting vegetable protein made from non-genetically modified whole grain, sprouted brown rice, is free of common food allergens and highly soluble in water, juice and meals. Enjoy plain, vanilla or berry flavors. Use one to three times daily. $11.88, www.nutribiotic.com.

5 Cup of Joe On-the-Go Enjoy an instant cup of coffee with Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew. Full-bodied and flavorful,

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VIA™ Ready Brew tastes just like the Starbucks coffee you know and love (well, it’s close), and comes in two flavors: Columbia and Italian Roast.

Just add water and go! Sold at select Starbucks, www.starbucks.com.

These resources were compiled by chic geek Gina Schreck, CSP, co-founder of Synapse 3Di, and Molly Cox, Speaker editorial advisory board chair.

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September 2009 | SPEAKER | 15

AT THE

INTERSECTION Frans Johansson sheds light on how to use creativity and innovation to become a better speaker

by Stephanie R. Conner

16 | SPEAKER | September 2009

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A

rchitect Mike Pearce was challenged to build an attractive office building in Harare, Zimbabwe. Sounds simple, right? But the challenge was to create a building that didn’t have air conditioning.

Pearce was able to accomplish this task because, in addition to architecture, he had an interest in ecology. He ultimately based his designs on the habits of termites.

You see, termites keep their mounds at a constant 87 degrees by directing breezes through a system of vents. By utilizing this same philosophy, the temperature inside Pearce’s building holds steady between 73 and 77 degrees — despite 100-degree African days.

“Pearce had stepped into the Intersection, a place where he could combine architectural design and processes in nature,” writes Frans Johansson, who encourages people to seek out the Intersection and innovate in his book, The Medici Effect (2006, Harvard Business School Press).

“This is a very interesting time. The old ways aren’t working,” Johansson says. “People more than ever need to innovate and come up with creative ideas — and to execute those ideas.”

As a speaker, Johansson says, you can do just what Pearce did to find new ideas and new ways of presenting your material and grow your career.

Johansson writes that the research team deliberately sought out to find an intersection of disciplines — neuroscientists, doctors, computer scientists, mathematicians. The professor leading Brown’s brain science research efforts specifically brought together this range of disciplines.

“When we say that the Brain Science Program sits at the intersection of mathematics and science, what we are really saying is that the people in the program have managed to connect these fields, and through these connections they have come up with new creative insights,” Johansson writes.

Seeking out the intersection, he says, is about teams, organizations or individuals “associating concepts from one field with concepts from another.”

Finding the Intersection

Learn From Other Fields

The first step is to find — or even seek out — the Intersection. So, what is it?

Johansson describes the Intersection as the point where different fields, disciplines or cultures meet. This makes it the point where creativity and innovation are most likely to occur.

In The Medici Effect, he describes a 2002 research experiment conducted at Brown University in which a rhesus monkey was trained to play a computer game. The game, seemingly nothing more than a child’s toy, required the player to use a yellow cursor to chase down a red dot that zips across the screen at random. But the monkey wasn’t given a joystick to play. Instead, it controlled the cursor — get this — with its mind.

The more you know about different disciplines and different cultures, the more likely you are to connect the dots between them.

“I’m always finding ideas from other fields,” Johansson says. “It may have nothing to with what I’m speaking about, but I might find inspiration or ideas. Speakers should be doing this all the time.”

So, why does it matter?

“Exceptional speakers are also innovative speakers,” he says. “They frequently try to innovate both their content and the delivery of that content. Why? Because exceptional speakers are unique. It should not even be remotely possible for the audience to have a similar experience with another

How Did He Do It?

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September 2009 | SPEAKER | 17

something you don’t like. Think about how you can apply what’s on the screen to your own ideas.

Imagine you are Dan Brown, the author of The Da Vinci Code. Each one of his chapters ends with a cliffhanger. Can each segment of your speech end with a cliffhanger?

Think about other artists and how they present ideas; for example, what would a Jerry Bruckheimer version of your presentation look like?

Don’t Assume Anything

speaker. That is the only way you can charge $25,000 to $45,000 or higher for a ‘standard’ presentation.”

Start by watching other speakers who don’t do what you do.

“I get the least amount of learning from watching speakers who do the same thing I do,” Johansson says.

“If your presentation does not have any numbers in it, try to watch a good marketing analyst present. You could pick up a thing or two on how to use numbers and graphs to present a compelling argument. If your presentation is all numbers, go watch a photographer or a good motivational speaker present. You could learn that there are much more effective ways to present compelling arguments than just numbers.”

Johansson suggests a few additional exercises to help get you started down this path: Turn on the TV and watch 15 minutes of National Geographic, CNBC, Oxygen, BBC, PBS, HBO, E! —

Another way to help drive innovation is to challenge assumptions.

“This is an excellent exercise,” he says. “The point is to allow ourselves to view the opportunities in front of us broadly.”

For example, a restaurant owner might take the assumption, “Restaurants have menus,” and to reverse it. Does a restaurant really need a menu? What happens if it doesn’t?

Johansson challenges you reverse the following speakers’ assumption: You must talk. Reversed: You cannot talk.

What happens?

“This will force you to truly develop your body language on stage,” Johansson says. “What if no one could hear you?

You only had your slides and your body. You would truly develop new ways of communicating your message. My body language is authentic and very expressive. I always look for ways to help the audience understand a point via my movements. By starting with no words, you force yourself out of the box.”

How Do You View Risk?

Great risk can lead to great reward. But it can also lead to great failure, right? So, how do you balance your desire for reward with your fear of failure?

Frans Johansson acknowledges that our emotions — especially fear — play a significant role in how we assess and respond to risk. Here are three “behavioral traps” that prevent us from taking the risks we may need to take. trap no. 1:

If things are going well, we stay within a field. “the problem is that if we are willing to take risks and pursue intersections only when we are doing poorly, we’ll hurt our overall chances of successes,” Johansson writes.

trap no. 2:

Time spent in a field becomes a reason to stay in the field. You might think you should stay in your field because you’ve invested time in it, but this is a “sunk cost.” It’s OK to move on.

trap no. 3:

We view risks at the Intersection from a directional perspective. if we view the intersectional idea with the wrong frame of reference, we are unlikely to take the risk. We often need to change our perspective and open our minds.

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Failure Sparks Innovation Failure and mistakes, Johansson says, are the most important parts of innovation.

“Uniqueness and excellence require innovation, yes, but innovation also implies experimentation and making mistakes,” he adds. “It doesn’t matter who you are. If you are taking the chance to do something different, there has to be mistakes.”

Speakers may think making a mistake can be devastating, and that in this profession, it’s not an option.

“I actually hear that a lot from people in all industries — they simply can’t innovate because mistakes are so costly,” he says.

Yes, the stakes are high when you’re hired to give a speech or present a workshop, so how can you take that risk and ensure your client is happy?

“For starters, your client most likely will never notice your experiment — not if they are truly engaged in your performance,” Johansson says. “Most mistakes that clients notice are the ones that speakers highlight themselves on stage.”

Second, start small. Don’t feel like experimentation requires you to give a whole new presentation every time.

Johansson likens it to a stand-up comedian: He might not try a whole new routine at his next gig, but he will try a new joke in the middle of the tested material.

“Keep the experiments real and authentic, but generally keep them small,” he says. “One segment is maybe 30 to 90 seconds. That’s nothing out of 60 exceptional minutes.”

Johansson can say this because he’s been there. In many of his presentations, he includes a fast-paced segment that flashes words on a screen as he asks the audience to yell out what they think of when they see these words.

“One time, when I was in Brazil, I decided to have some pumping techno music in the background while this was happening,” he recounts.

Why? He had just seen a segment of CNBC where a topic was introduced with booming background music.

“Cool, I thought.”

As it turned out, it didn’t work.

“The music was too loud, and it was obvious that you didn’t really need that extra energy,” he says. But afterward, many members of the audience, including CEOs of some of the largest corporations in Brazil, lauded the speech and nobody mentioned that techno-segment.

Even still, after an experiment that failed, Johansson’s focus is: What if it had worked?

“It would have been yet one more piece that had made my presentation stand out from others,” he notes. “If you do photo credit goes here

From Brainsprinkle to Brainstorm You don’t have to be a creative advertising exec to know the value of a brainstorm. As Frans Johansson explains, brainstorming leads to more ideas, and with more ideas comes an increased chance for an innovative idea to emerge. Based on his research, Johansson offers the following tips:

1 2 3 4 5

Ask team members to brainstorm individually for 15 to 20 minutes prior to the session. in the group session, don’t let people simply read their lists.

Keep the pace fast.

At the end, make sure all ideas are on the board and have been discussed.

Allow time to evaluate the ideas.

the same thing over and over again, that’s not what’s going to push you forward. If you want to be a great speaker, there has to be a chance of making mistakes.”

Take a Bow By looking to other fields or cultures for ideas, by challenging the assumptions you have believed true in your own field and by accepting that innovation requires experimentation and failure, you can continually adjust your presentations and grow as a speaker. The most critical step is looking beyond your immediate circle.

Architect Mike Pearce knew this. His building in Harare uses 90 percent less energy than any building around it, Johansson says. “If he had looked at the standard architectural teachings, he never would have solved [this challenge].”

Stephanie R. Conner is a professional writer and editor seeking her own intersection as president of Active Voice Communications in Phoenix, Ariz. She can be reached at Stephanie@TheActiveVoice.com.

Learn more about The Medici Effect at www.themedicieffect.com. Or contact Andria Younger at (703) 942-8094 or andria@themedicieffect.com.

September 2009 | SPEAKER | 19

20 | SPEAKER | September 2009

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CreatE, Don’t Copy

By Sam Horn

My first question to my new client was, “So, what’s your topic and approach?”

He responded, “My topic is innovation.

I developed my methodology by reading everyone’s books on this subject, collecting the best tips and synthesizing them into a 10-step plan.”

I looked at him, a little shocked that the irony of this hadn’t occurred to him.

I said, “Well, you asked me to be honest with you, so here’s my professional opinion.

That’s not synthesizing; that’s stealing.”

Now, it was his turn to be a little shocked. “But that’s research. That’s what everyone told me to do.”

I responded, “Reading other people’s books on your topic and then using their material makes you derivative at best,

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plagiaristic at worst. If meeting planners wanted to know what these other experts say about innovation, they’d hire them to speak. They’re paying to hear your insights, not to hear a book report.”

“But how am I supposed to come up with content?” he asked, genuinely puzzled.

“You create your own.”

“How do I go about doing that? I’ve been told how to polish my platform skills, build a profitable business and market my services; but I don’t think anyone has ever showed me how to come up with my own stuff.”

The acronym C.R.E.A.T.E. explains six ways to create original content.

September 2009 | SPEAKER | 21

C

ontrarian

Ask yourself, “Do people agree with what I’m saying?” If they do, it’s boring. Why are you wasting their valuable time telling them something they already know? It’s far more interesting to introduce emperor-has-no-clothes insights that take exception to their beliefs. Ask yourself, “What does my audience assume to be true about my topic? How can I challenge that and point out how it’s outdated or inaccurate?”

I wrote an article titled “The Customer Is NOT Always Right,” which lists criteria to help you determine when it’s smart to fire high-maintenance customers who are verbally abusing your employees. It’s become one of my most requested articles because it contradicts (versus confirms) a norm.

After attending conventions for more than 16 years, John Alston’s, CPAE, keynote stands out because he disputed the notion that goodness is either intrinsically motivated or modeled.

I remember, as if it happened yesterday (the hallmark of memorable material), John throwing his arms wide and thundering, “Goodness must be taught.”

r

ead and Riff Off Today’s News

Promise yourself you will read a local and national newspaper (you know, the paper things they used to deliver to your front door) the morning of every presentation. Pick out what pops out, and then dovetail it to your audience’s issues. This forces you to be fresh. It causes you to craft timely, topical material instead of giving a canned spiel you’ve perfected over the years.

When I shared these criteria with my client, he said, “Doesn’t referencing someone’s story from a newspaper fly in the face of what you said about not using other peoples’ ‘stuff ’?”

“Good point,” I agreed. “My dad used to say, ‘Rules make good servants, but poor masters.’ These rules to create your own material are meant to be guidelines, not absolutes. Feel free to break them when, in your judgment, doing so will make your presentation or project stronger.”

Then, my client asked, “Can you give me an example of that?”

“Well, I had the pleasure of meeting Daniel Pink (author of Whole New Mind) and Alan Webber (co-founder of Fast Company Magazine) recently when Dan interviewed Alan about his new book, Rules of Thumb: 52 Truths for Winning At Business Without Losing Your Self.

22 | SPEAKER | September 2009

I think it’s okay to include other experts’ epiphanies as long as you: a) fully attribute their work, b) couch their nugget in a personal story of how you encountered this individual, 3) relive the moment his/her wisdom impacted you, and 4) relate the expert’s idea back to your audience so attendees can apply it to their personal circumstances.”

My client shook his head and asked, “How do I do that?”

“You ‘put us in the room’ so we’re meeting this person and Socratically discovering his or her insight, just as you did. For example, Alan’s book introduces pithy yet profound chapter titles such as “Learn to Take NO as a Question” and “Take your work seriously. Yourself, not so much.”

I complimented Alan with, “You are the ‘Socrates of Sound-bites.’ Do you have a system for crystallizing your ideas into concise, compelling one-liners?”

He thought about it for a moment and replied, “Yes, listen hard and think in bumper stickers.”

The secret to making an expert’s epiphany relevant to our audience is to share its revelatory influence on us and then dovetail what the expert said back to participants with a you question, such as ‘Would you like to know how to think in bumper stickers? Would you like to learn how to Twitter your thoughts into clear, compelling soundbites? If so, you’re in the right place because we’re going to discuss three specific ways to do just that.’”

e

xamples with Dialogue and Visual Details

No apocryphal “starfish” stories! Think back to your own experience and vividly relive real-life situations that illustrate your points so we see what you’re saying. Make each anecdote come alive by acting out the back-and-forth dialogue so we feel as if we’re a fly on that wall. This is guaranteed to make you one of a kind because no one can duplicate your life.

My client asked, “Why is dialogue so important?”

If you simply explain something that happened to you, it holds little or no interest for listeners because it’s all about you. Or, as Bette Midler said in the movie Beaches, “Enough about me. What do you think about me?”

The second you re-enact what people said in that situation, it is no longer something that happened solely to you in your past; audience members are experiencing this as if it’s happening right now. They feel like they’re part of the conversation.

Tell and Show A colleague, Nisha Money, is a medical doctor from India who is licensed in yoga and acupuncture. She is also a

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military officer stationed at the Pentagon who reports to the Surgeon General because she’s in charge of fitness for the Air Force.

That’s remarkable, but that’s not the story. The story is that Nisha and her friend had the opportunity to attend President Barack Obama’s inauguration. Instead of just telling us it was a memorable experience (yawn), Nisha puts us on Washington, DC’s “mall” (the grassy area in front of the Capitol bordered by the Washington Monument and the Smithsonian Institute).

As Nisha tells it, “It was already so crowded by the time we arrived at 6 a.m., we knew there was no way we could spread out the blanket we’d brought and ‘picnic’ while waiting for the ceremonies. My friend spied a tree a few hundred yards away and said, ‘Let’s claim that tree. At least, we’ll have something to lean up against for the next seven hours.’”

“So, that’s what we did. Surrounded by more than a million people, we danced in place, talked with strangers and reveled in this historic day. We were so far away, we couldn’t actually see the Capitol steps; all we could see was the huge IMAG screen. The thing was, we were behind this tree so we couldn’t see the whole screen, so we watched the entire ceremony, from Aretha Franklin singing the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ to Obama taking the Oath of Office—half tree, half screen.”

I told my client, “See how interesting that story is with the dialogue and visual detail of that tree? For me, it makes Nisha’s example iconic because it’s her unique experience, but through her, we feel as if we were there.”

Listen hard and think in bumper stickers.

a

sk Everyday People What They Think

Create a quiz and interview everyone you meet to get never-would-have-thought-of-that insights that add variety to your topic. Ask taxi drivers how they deal with difficult

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customers. Ask Little League coaches how they get the best from their team. Ask waitresses how they keep their cool under fire. This adds breadth to your talk instead of simply sharing one perspective—your own.

t

op Ten Lists

Take a tip from David Letterman.

People love lists. Do you speak on leadership? Create an annual Leadership Hall of Fame. Run a contest and invite nominations on your Web site and social media pages. Ask audience members to share their recommendations to make your presentation interactive. A bonus is that Top Ten Lists draw media attention because journalists are always looking for the next new thing.

e

ngage with Mystery

I’ll always remember Elmore Leonard telling Maui Writers Conference attendees, “Page-turners are intentional, not accidental.” There is an art and science to using suspense to keep people on the edge of their seats.

However, as Dylan Thomas said, “The secret to being a bore is to tell everything.” So, instead of telling everything, I’m going to practice what I teach. If you want to know more ways to engage audience members with creative, can’t-wait-to-hear-what’s-next content, send an email to Info@SamHorn.com with “Edge-of-SeatSpeaker” in the subject heading. You will receive three more ways to capture and keep the favorable interest of audiences and readers.

My client is well on his way to becoming an in-demand resource on the topic of innovation because audiences, media and meeting planners know they can count on him to share original insights. You, too, can catapult your success; just commit to C.R.E.A.T.E. your own content.

Sam Horn, author of POP!, believes speakers and authors have a responsibility to C.R.E.A.T.E. their own content. Through her presentations (a top-rated speaker at Inc. 500/5000), consulting and workshops at Washington, DC’s National Press Club, she has helped thousands develop one-of-a-kind material on the page, stage and online, and welcomes the opportunity to help you do the same. For more information, visit www.SamHorn.com.

September 2009 | SPEAKER | 23

24 | SPEAKER | September 2009

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Destination:

Imagination

Station Explore infinite ways to spark your creativity using the Internet

By Michael Benidt and Sheryl Kay

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hether it’s a keynote, workshop, boot camp, blog article or a full-length book, all speakers are looking for that moment when their imagination takes flight and they create something fresh and surprising.

But, how do you get some of that fresh and surprising content?

What does it take for you to send your imagination airborne? Does it require creative genius, or can anyone do it? And, might the process even be good for you?

Start at the beginning. To generate new ideas, you need good raw

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material. These days, that’s not really a problem. The Internet provides more information instantly than the best researchers had 10 or 15 years ago.

And Now, a Word from Your Brain Last year, headlines like these began to appear about an upcoming report in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry: • Study: Google Makes You Smart (Wired Magazine) • Internet Use ‘good for the brain’ (BBC News) The study, “Your Brain on Google: Patterns of Cerebral

Activation during Internet Searching,” was published in February 2009. Gary Small, M.D., an expert on the brain, memory and aging, and his researchers found something surprising and very encouraging.

They showed that searching the Internet appeared to improve certain brain functions like decision making and complex reasoning.

But, just how surprising is Dr. Small’s study? Consider a couple of basic Internet search skills, and then see how your brain reacts. And while you’re at it, you might just find some great new material.

September 2009 | SPEAKER | 25

They showed that searching the Internet appeared to improve certain brain functions like decision making and complex reasoning.

Use Four-Letter Words For the purposes of this example, let’s say that Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE, customer service expert and author of Cult of the Customer, has a new client in the franchise industry. He wants to write a blog article about customer service in the franchise world. (Feel free to substitute your own phrases and topics for this exercise).

Instead of searching the whole Web, Hyken searches two great franchising resources: the International Franchise Association and Franchise Times magazine. To do this, he goes to Google (or any other good search engine), and uses a simple four-letter word: site.

He does his search exactly like the examples below: “customer service” site:franchise.org “customer service” site:franchisetimes.com This method of zeroing in on specific industry resources saves time because he doesn’t have to navigate to each site, look for the search box (sometimes there isn’t one), and then return to Google to do the next search. He can change both his search terms and his destination sites quickly and easily.

According to Hyken, searching in this manner is a new way of grabbing credibility quickly. “I can actually do targeted, up-to-date research, and

26 | SPEAKER | September 2009

the cool thing is it takes only a few minutes,” Hyken says.

What does he find? A recent Franchise Times article about the importance of increasing customer counts, a new online ordering system for franchise restaurants, and much more. That’s pretty good raw material.

But, remember, you’re doing two things at once here, so stop and think about the tip itself. If this search skill is new to you, your brain will change. In fact, once you get good at this, you’ll be unlikely to search the entire Web ever again.

You’ll only search where you’re likely to find the best results. That’s a complete brain change.

What Happens in Vegas In the next example, Hyken is winging his way to speak to a company in Las Vegas. (Again, feel free to substitute your own phrases and destinations).

This time, Hyken will search Google or Yahoo’s “News” tab. He wonders if any Las Vegas newspapers have covered the topic of phone etiquette. Remember, he’ll need to be in the “News” section of Google to do this search. Then he’ll type in exactly: “phone etiquette” source:las vegas Now his results are only from Las Vegas newspapers, including a Las Vegas Business Journal review

of a new book titled The Power of Small by NSA members Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval.

The article is about how emails, texts and tweets affect people, and includes this little gem from the American Psychological Association: “Social phobia has become the third-most common mental illness in America, affecting 13 percent of residents.”

Can Hyken make something of this? You bet he can. And, when he stands up to say, “A couple of weeks ago, there was an article in your Las Vegas Business Journal …” his audience will think he’s amazingly tuned in to their city.

Again, think of what this search tip does to your brain. If you didn’t know this tip before, now you’ll be likely to check out the “News” tab before heading off to any new speaking gig. That’s another complete brain change.

Internet Soul Searching Now that you’ve learned how to find great raw material on the Internet, what do you need to do with it? Do you just report what you find? Or, in order to create something fresh and surprising, do you need to do more?

Perhaps award-winning professional speaker and NSA legend, Glenna Salsbury, CSP, CPAE, holds

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the answer. She teaches how to find your speech deep within your heart. Salsbury says, “You are one of a kind and your life experience is unique from all others.”

Salsbury’s approach also can help you find your next blog article or the next chapter of your book.

So, even as you write, you need to find the courage to reach into that deepest part of yourself. That’s where your creativity comes from and where your imagination takes flight. You might call it Glenna’s Internet Formula: Raw material + your unique viewpoint = fresh and surprising content

Old Dead-Guy Quotes Do your brain and your content one more favor. A couple of years ago at the NSA Annual Convention in San Diego, the brilliant and inspirational thought leader, Simon T. Bailey, CSP, suggested that you delete the “Quotes folder” on your computer. Bailey argued that a device that once gave weight and authority to speeches and articles was now making audiences and readers yawn. Instead of relying on quotes from the likes of Peter Drucker, Gandhi and Mark Twain, he suggested speakers talk to more people, listen more closely and read more extensively.

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You might not be surprised that we’d add “search more on the Internet.”

When it comes to quotes, many people know that by putting quotation marks around phrases you can find out who wrote any of these: • “Clean favored and imperially slim” • “Walk a little slower when you walk by me” • “Shoot if you must this old grey head” Yes, any search engine worth its salt can take even a tiny snippet of a song, poem or joke and retrieve not only who wrote it, but the complete text, as well. Cool, huh?

But, you can also use quotation marks to find brand new quotes that will surprise even the most jaded audience.

Consider NSA member Barbara McNichol, who is an author and editor. She was revising a promotional piece for a client and needed a great quote about being extraordinary.

So, McNichol thought about the words her perfect quote would include, and then searched a few fragments of phrases like: “find the extraordinary,” “extraordinary people always” and “extraordinary is simply.” With all of the blogs, articles and books now on the Internet, someone somewhere has probably said something quite quotable. While she did find the perfect

quote, you won’t read it here because her client paid for it.

When we tried the same search, we found a quote by Australian artist Heidi Knoepli: “I am alluding to the possibility that the extraordinary is simply ordinary. This is not a philosophical proposition to ponder over; for me it’s a truth, which must explode in one’s heart.”

The thing is, in context, it doesn’t even look like a quote. It’s just a sentence from Knoepfli’s Web site. She probably doesn’t even realize how quotable she is. But, it’s certainly fresh and surprising, no one else will be using it—and you don’t have to be a creative genius to find quotes like this.

Search the Internet—your imagination station—to find the perfect voice for your next speech, article or blog. Ideas are right at your fingertips.

Michael Benidt and Sheryl Kay are the only speakers who treat technology with the disrespect it deserves.

Their goal is to spend less time online and more time goofing off. Indeed, the only cure for modern plagues like information overload, online swindles and social networking is to develop your Net Intelligence with the new survival skills of the information age. Visit GoldenCompass.com.

September 2009 | SPEAKER | 27

Work Magic into Your Presentations What a clown and magician can teach you about speaker innovation on and off the platform

By Randall Munson, CSP, CCP, MS

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My life’S aMBition WaSn’t to BeCoMe a PRofeSSional SPeakeR; it WaS to Be a CloWn. don’t laugh. oh, Wait, go ahead and laugh—CloWnS thRive on it!

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hat can you learn from a magician?

Nothing, according to my friends who insist, “A magician won’t tell you how anything is done.” But that’s not completely true.

A magician won’t share his secret for sawing a person in half, but he can teach you a lot about the magic of professional speaking. Success as a speaker comes from a magical combination of skills, experiences, education, training, creativity and tenacity that makes you a one-of-a-kind presenter.

My life’s ambition wasn’t to become a professional speaker; it was to be a clown. Don’t laugh. Oh, wait, go ahead and laugh—clowns thrive on it! My speaking career came after my stints as a professional clown, master magician, ventriloquist, corporate executive, adjunct professor, and a computer scientist who architected computers for IBM for two decades. I’ve learned the following valuable lessons along the way.

Lesson 1:

enJoY YourseLF. it sHoWs. After I performed a magic show for a mother-daughter banquet, my family members remarked how much it had improved. I didn’t understand their reaction because I did the same magical effects and used the same pattern many times before. “Yeah, but this time you

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were having so much more fun,” they said.

What happened? I had relaxed my usual professional stage persona and enjoyed the show right along with my audience. Instead of just making them laugh, we laughed together.

Studying the style of comedic greats such as Carol Burnett, Johnny Carson and Red Skelton, I realized that part of what endeared them to their audiences is that they occasionally cracked up at their own jokes. I used to think their behavior was unprofessional when they broke character and started laughing.

But now I realize that part of their success was sharing their joy with the audience. It was contagious.

Lesson 2:

reLaX BeFore Your Presentation.

Allow your audience to see you enjoy what you do on the platform, and to join in the fun. I had the honor of meeting Red Skelton in his dressing room after one of his shows. Initially, I wanted to meet with him prior to his performance, but he was still taking a nap while his warm-up act was on stage—talk about relaxing before facing the audience! We laughed while

chatting about clowning and some of the great clown friends we shared. As Red chewed on his unlit cigar and peered at me over his reading glasses, we talked seriously about humor, the challenge of performing it well, our shared distain for those who resort to foul language and off-color jokes, and being blessed by careers that allowed us to share our love of laughter with others.

Lesson 3:

PeoPLe JuDge QuaLitY

BY Price.

Buyers equate fees with a speaker’s worth. For years, I volunteered my clowning at children’s hospitals, nursing homes, parades and charity events. As my skills improved and my reputation spread, companies wanted to hire Circles the Clown for corporate events. When I stated my fee; however, they were shocked. They figured $25 September 2009 | SPEAKER | 29

would be adequate for a guy who just slipped into a pajama costume, smeared some lipstick on his cheeks and waved at kids. “Besides, we only need you for 20 minutes,” they argued.

To justify my fee, I explained that it took me two hours to apply my makeup and get into my costume, and another hour to get cleaned up before I even left my house. Some of my custom props cost hundreds of dollars and took me hundreds of hours to design and build.

By sticking to my fee, they understood that it was not unreasonable.

Even a clown needs to make a living.

When clients paid me more, they treated me better, too.

As Circles the Clown, I was named the No. 1 whiteface clown in America, and was the highest-rated parade clown by the World Clown Association. I performed in the circus with Emmitt Kelly Jr., and at venues like Walt Disney World and The White House.

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In the past decade, I have increased my fee by 50 percent—and my business increased both times. As a speaker, you must be comparable to other speakers who charge a higher fee. But once you have achieved that higher level, take a deep breath and ask for it—and then deliver what you promised.

Lesson 4:

Your auDience is Your teacHer. As a magician and a ventriloquist, I thought a large, white rabbit puppet would look great on stage and be a nice addition to my act. (Every magician needs to pull a rabbit out of his hat.)

Unfortunately, my right hand would cramp up when I used it for any length of time. I also struggled to find a personality and voice that was befitting of this somewhat rigid-looking rabbit.

Eventually, I gave up and decided to sell the puppet.

The market is small for an expensive handmade puppet. Luckily, I had an opportunity to sell it at an auction for entertainers. When the puppet was put up for bid, the auctioneer asked me to demonstrate it.

So, I picked up the rabbit and started an impromptu conversation telling the rabbit that I was going to sell him.

He whimpered, “You mean I can’t go home with you?” I tried to calm him by explaining he’d have a new home with his new owner.

To make the rabbit more likable, I made him appear sad and forlorn when he responded that he wanted to continue working with me and feared he’d never see me again. This interaction allowed the audience to see the puppet in action. Then, something unexpected happened: The audience sympathized with the sweet rabbit.

When the auctioneer started the bidding at $300, no one bid. He tried $200, but there were still no takers. He lowered the starting bid until it became

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don’t Be Content With youR PRogRaM. the BeSt SPeakeRS aRe ContinuouSly PeRfeCting. and they uSe eveRything they’ve got.

clear that nobody was going to bid at all. No one wanted to take the rabbit away from his home.

I decided to keep the rabbit puppet and develop a voice and personality that instantly endeared it to everyone in the auditorium. I reshaped his ears to soften his appearance, and had a more informal costume designed for him. Based on the lesson I learned from my audience, the white rabbit has become one of my most popular ventriloquist figures. In fact, I’ve booked jobs from people who wanted to hire “Eddie Rabbit and that guy.”

You also can improve your delivery by listening to your audience. When I performed in a parade, I designed a mechanical ghost to float behind me as my clown character ran down the parade route. I paid attention to crowd reactions, and tried many subtle variations in how I reacted to the ghost as it “scared” me. When I first began performing this act, I would see the

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ghost and immediately run away. By the end of the long parade, I knew how I could refine my routine based on audience reactions.

In the improved act, I would see the ghost, do a double take, face the audience with a wide-eyed look of shock, jump into the air with my arms and legs spread eagle, pivot, and then run. These cartoon-like nuances elicited dramatically stronger audience response than my original routine.

The audience’s previous simple smiles were replaced with participatory yelps, boisterous belly laughs, and appreciative cheers. Their response told me what worked best.

So, what have I learned in my many years as a professional clown and magician? The real magic results from spending time practicing, rehearsing and changing your presentation.

Don’t be content with your program.

The best speakers are continuously perfecting. And they use everything they’ve got.

Randall Munson, CSP, CCP, MS, conducts seminars and addresses groups in over 30 countries. His keynotes focus on innovation and humor.

Munson’s business consulting practice concentrates on marketing and boosting sales.

He has performed at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Walt Disney World, and The White House. Munson also is the author or co-author of nine books, including one best-seller.

Visit www.CreativelySpeaking.com.

Your WorDs are Magic

the image of a magician saying “abracadabra,” and then pulling a rabbit out of an empty hat has profound meaning. The magic word, whether it is abracadabra or another of the magician’s choosing, resonates with the audience because there is an instinctive understanding that words are powerful, creative forces. The same applies to professional speakers who give memorable presentations that impact their audiences.

September 2009 | SPEAKER | 31

beyond borders Exploring cultures, countries and comfort zones

12 Ways to Diversity Marketing both hands. Print one side in English, and the other side in your target market’s language.

10

Celebrate community festivals.

T

he United States and Canada are a multi-cultural mosaic with people from every nation and ethnic group, and over 100 different languages spoken.

You can benefit from the multicultural market by learning how to market yourself to diverse communities.

1

Learn your target community.

Focus on a particular cultural community, and be aware of the significant differences and subdivisions within groups like Asians and Hispanics. A person of Asian descent, for example, may be Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Malaysian or Philippine.

2

Be number and color conscious.

three meters, but people in many Asian countries prefer a minimum of five meters. Use special caution when dealing with customers and co-workers of the opposite sex.

5

Subscribe to community magazines/ newspapers. These publications can

be a valuable investment. Placing an ad is a cheap but focused way to spend advertising dollars.

6

Be prepared to bargain. When

pricing your product/services, leave room to negotiate. If your profits are marginal, add something extra to sweeten the deal.

7

Partner with established ethnic businesses. People in the travel

Colors are significant in many cultures. White signifies death in many Asian countries, while red and gold denote good luck, good fortunes and prosperity. Numbers can be considered lucky or unlucky.

and restaurant industries, for example, know many influential persons in the community. Partner with a business that complements your service, and network with community leaders who can help promote your business.

3

8

Make your office diversity friendly.

If your target audience is IndoCanadian, for example, decorate your office with Indian artifacts, sovereigns, etc.

4

Respect personal space. People

in North America are quite comfortable conversing with people within 32 | SPEAKER | September 2009

Learn a second language. We live

and work in a global market, so speaking a second language will open doors for your business.

9

Get a bi-lingual business card.

In many Asian countries, giving and receiving a business card is a sign of respect and honor, and is done with

Familiarize yourself with your target group’s special events. Place an ad in a community newspaper, such as “McLauren Associates wish you Visaki.” Hold an open house at your business center, give away sweets and distribute special postcards printed in the language of your customers and prospects. Never take a holiday when your community is busy celebrating.

11

Become an expert on your community. Read ethnic newspapers,

and research and gather interesting stats and stories. Learn where your target audience hangs out, where they dine, what music stations they listen to, etc.

This information will be valuable when creating your marketing plan.

12

Network. Discover the different ethnic business and social groups (Chinese, Indo-Canadian, Vietnamese, Hispanic, etc.) that meet in your community. Whether you are involved in a small business or work for an established company, getting to know these ethnic networks will be a valuable experience.

David McLauren, Ph.D., is a diversity specialist who speaks five languages. He can be reached at (888) 897-4224 or david@davidmclauren.com.

For more information, visit www.davidmclauren.com.

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Turning point A career-changing moment or experience

Striking a Proper Balance

O

n a sunny weekday afternoon, I was cruising along in my rental car on I-70 in Indiana, heading to Chicago to catch a flight home. I had been enjoying an incredible string of success in my business. Earlier in the day, I delivered a keynote to conclude a client’s national sales meeting. Based on feedback after my presentation, I felt confident about the message I had delivered. It seemed that nothing could stop me now.

As I basked in my glory, my cell phone rang. It was my wife of 28 years, who announced, “Honey, the results came back. I have cancer.”

She had minor out-patient surgery a week earlier, but we were both very optimistic about the outcome. In fact, we were so confident that she scheduled surgery on a day I would be conducting a client program out of town.

Suddenly, we faced cancer and all of its uncertainties. Together, we decided to openly share my wife’s diagnosis, and I even wrote about it in my weekly e-zine. Discussing her condition was therapeutic, and it felt like a huge weight was lifted off our shoulders.

We received a tremendous amount of support from those we knew and many people we didn’t know at all.

My wife’s condition also prompted me to change my business model because I was on the road almost 200 days a year. That being said, I was the business model. I immediately started canceling engagements that I had worked very hard to get, so I photo credit goes here

could stay home with her. Luckily, better opportunities arose that fit my schedule and were more on target with my core competencies.

Moreover, I was amazed that I could mix my faith with my work as a sales motivation speaker.

Before my wife was diagnosed with cancer, I accepted any engagement, regardless of the insane flight schedule I would have to endure. Now, for the first time, I declined engagements that didn’t fit my schedule. I was able to more tightly define what I do, and it has allowed the two of us to dramatically improve our work-life balance.

I am happy to report that my “better half ” is fully recovered. I still travel frequently, but the client mix and locations have vastly improved, the travel arrangements are more flexible, and my wife often accompanies me when her schedule allows.

We look back in awe at the dozens of “turning points” we experienced along the way. I was forced to significantly alter my business so I could be with my beloved wife during her treatments.

And together, we emerged on the other end with a stronger faith and a successful business that we deeply appreciate. I don’t recommend this process for speakers who want to change their business model, but the experience was hugely beneficial for me. No matter how low a situation may appear at the onset, unexpected benefits may await for those who endure.

Mark Hunter is nationally recognized as a professional sales training and motivational sales speaker. For more information, visit http:// TheSalesHunter.com or call (402) 445-2110.

September 2009 | SPEAKER | 33

calendar GSA Global Speakers Network Meeting Sept. 10, 2009 Mannheim, Germany

GSA Convention Sept. 11-12, 2009 Mannheim, Germany

PSA UK & Ireland Nov. 13-15, 2009 Marlow, England

NSA Fall Conference Nov. 20-22, 2009 Phoenix, Ariz.

CAPS Convention Dec. 6-8, 2009 Calgary, Canada

PSA Middle East Dec. 11-13, 2009 Dubai, United Arab Emirates

NSA Winter Conference Feb. 12-14, 2010 Nashville, Tenn.

PSA Holland March 19-20, 2010 Amsterdam

NSAA Convention April 16-19, 2010 Queensland, Australia

PSA South Africa April 30 – May 2, 2010 Johannesburg

2010 NSA Convention July 17-20, 2010 Orlando, Fla. For more information on any NSA event, call (480) 968–2552 or go to www.nsaspeaker.org. Details for International Federation for Professional Speakers (IFFPS) events are available at www.IFFPS.org.

34 | SPEAKER | September 2009

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PASS IT ON!

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September 2009 | SPEAKER | 37

humor me Quips, tips and parting shots

Let Me Be Your Inspiration

a

s I watched the instructor shake her hips, I shook my head and asked myself: “What the heck am I doing here?” If belly dancing were about shaking your belly, I’d be a star. But it’s about the hips.

“You need to swivel,” the instructor informed me. The only place I wanted to swivel was on a bar stool with a cold Bud. As it turns out, the hip action was actually quite easy compared to the veil moves. I can’t sew, so my veil had threads dangling along the edges. As we twirled around the room, my threads caught on a woman’s watch. I wound up in a web so tight, they had to cut me out with cooking shears from the culinary class next door.

This reminded me of last year’s yoga class. The instructor had my body wound tighter than a swizzle stick.

Then she let go. I unwound faster than a kid on a twisted park swing, and hit my head on the aromatherapy fountain.

The instructor turned me upside down and put me in a pose that helps with headaches. Suddenly, I felt relaxed. I could have stayed up there for hours if the lady next to me hadn’t pushed me over and told me to stop snoring.

Chalk it up to another failed activity along with kayaking and snorkeling.

Who knew a fish could swim inside your mask? Okay, I wasn’t exactly a failure.

But if you were grading me, I certainly wasn’t an “A” student. You want to share successes so your audiences can be inspired and motivated by your accomplishments. But I don’t have any.

38 | SPEAKER | September 2009

When I share the story about my first 5K and how I ran alongside moms pushing strollers, someone always comes up after my presentation and tells me about running 60 marathons or climbing Mt. Everest— barefoot, with one hand tied behind their back. Geez! Where have all the average people gone?

We live in a society and work in a profession where winning is everything. The brass ring is in the amount of speeches given, the amount of money made, the number of books sold and the number of clients acquired. Frankly, all of this winning and achieving makes me want to lie down and take a nap.

So often, when I stand on the platform, the familiar question haunts me: “What the heck am I doing up here? I should be in the audience!”

But then something always happens to keep me going. Recently, I received an e-mail from my belly dance instructor who said that a whole group of new students signed up after reading about my experience in my weekly newspaper column.

The following week, I opened an e-mail from an audience member who wrote, “I had just given up on running, until you shared your story. I figured if you can run that bad and still finish a 5K, there’s hope for me!”

Then it dawned on me: I do inspire and motivate others – just by being a poor example! My work is done here. I think I’ll go take a nap.

Deb DiSandro is a speaker, author and the founder of Slightly Off. She helps people let go of the “super” syndrome to find more joy and success by embracing the Slightly Off side of life. For more information, visit www. slightlyoff.com. photo credit goes here