Speaker- Jan/Feb 2011

THE ART AND BUSINESS OF SPEAKING

j a n ua ry/f e b r ua ry 2011

A New Decade of

Turbulence THE Leaky Bucket List

Strategies for attracting and retaining clients

Take the Lead

How to capture more leads

Global Entry Kiosks PA G E 32

BALANCING ACT Peter Sheahan ties speaking success to smart business

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 Asso 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

j a n ua ry/f e b r ua ry 2011

Peter Sheahan, author and speaker

14

Balancing Act

Peter Sheahan shares his secrets for tying speaking success to smart business practices.

By Stephanie R. Conner

FE AT UR E S Ride the Tides 18 Manage the disruptive forces that will impact the speaking profession in the new decade.

By Dr. Graeme Codrington, Tomorrow/Today

21 NSA Has a Voice in Meetings Industry The Leaky Bucket List 22 Five strategies to retain more clients, encourage repeat

26

business and drive referrals. By Melanie Benson Strick, Success Connections

Follow the LEADer Increase your business with marketing strategies for capturing leads. By Clate Mask, Infusionsoft

CO LU M N S 6 Reality Check Putting a fine point on the speaking industry

8 Welcome to My World A snapshot into the lives of people who hire speakers

10 It’s Your Business Advice for enterprising speakers

D EPARTMEN TS 30 Relevant Resources Time-saving tools and technologies

32 Beyond Borders Exploring cultures, countries and comfort zones

34 What Would You Do? Casting a reality check on real-world conundrums

35 Turning Point

4 News from Headquarters

A career-changing moment or experience

36 Advertising Index 37 Calendar of Events

38 Humor Me Finding the funny in a speaker’s life Departments

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.

January/February 2011 | SPEAKER | 3

news from headquarters

National Speakers Association Officers Kristin Arnold, MBA, CPF, CMC, CSP, President Laura Stack, MBA, CSP, President-Elect Ronald P. Culberson, MSW, CSP, Vice President Marjorie Brody, PCC, CMC, CSP, CPAE, Secretary Scott Halford, CSP, Treasurer Phillip Van Hooser, CSP, CPAE, Immediate Past President Stacy Tetschner, CAE, Executive Vice President/CEO

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

2011 NSA Winter UNconference

Founder Cavett Robert, CSP, CPAE

This conference is going to be an experience unlike any meeting you’ve ever attended.

Through formal and informal learning opportunities, you’ll learn strategies to grow your business, innovate, and create new business opportunities to take you into the future.

Mark your calendar to attend the event at the new Loews Atlanta Hotel in Atlanta, Ga., Feb. 18-20. Register now at www.NSAUNconference.org.

Board of Directors Kristin Arnold, MBA, CPF, CMC, CSP Marjorie Brody, PCC, CMC, CSP, CPAE Kirstin Carey, CSP Ronald P. Culberson, MSW, CSP Ed Gerety, CSP Scott Halford, CSP Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE Ron Karr, CSP Linda Keith, CPA, CSP Scott McKain, CSP, CPAE John B. Molidor, PhD Ruby Newell-Legner, CSP Ed Robinson, CSP Ford Saeks Laura Stack, MBA, CSP Brian Tracy, CPAE Francine Ward, JD Liz Weber, CMC, MBA Phillip Van Hooser, CSP, CPAE

Grants Available

NSA’s grant program assists members who cannot afford the full cost of professional development and continuing education through NSA’s educational meetings. There are five registration grants available for the 2011 Winter UNconference. Visit NSAFoundation. org for guidelines, grant details and to fill out an application. Application deadline: Jan. 14.

CSP/CPAE Summit

NSA YouTube Channel

Find answers on taking your brand and your business to the next level at the 2011 CSP/CPAE Summit. Collaborate, network and brainstorm with the most successful speakers in NSA, while learning best practices and new ideas to grow your business in this new economy. Join us in Dallas, April 1-3.

Participation is limited to 60 attendees, so register now at www.MyNSA.org.

Subscribe to NSA’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/nsaspeaker to get speaking and marketing tips from your fellow NSA members. Helpful hints and tips are posted regularly, and you can even check out a fun tour of NSA Headquarters from NSA’s Vice President, Ron Culberson, MSW, CSP. Tell us the model of car he’s driving to be entered in a drawing for a $25 gift certificate to an NSA meeting!

NSA Foundation This Foundation serves NSA members and the public through: • Financial help for NSA members and their families who are facing health crises 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 • 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 Presidential Blog Stay in the know on what your 2010-11 NSA President, Kristin Arnold, MBA, CMC, CPF, CSP, is doing. Kristin is blogging about her experiences at NSA chapters and events at www.nsapresident.wordpress.com. Interact with her by leaving comments on the posts.

Introducing Speaker Info Be on the lookout for Speaker Info, NSA’s newest members-only publication. This semimonthly digital newsletter will be filled with relevant info to help you take your business to the next level.

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

Hiring Salespeople: Zemira Jones

Welcome: Bill Cates, CSP, CPAE

How the Best Get Better: Roxanne Emmerich, CMC, CSP, CPAE

Leading-Edge Tech Tips: Terry Brock, CSP, CPAE, with Gina Schreck, CSP

Creating Work-Life Balance: Jeff Davidson, MBA, CMC

Feature Interview: Waldo Waldman, MBA, CSP

Million-Dollar Idea: Anne Warfield, CSP

Selling to Large Corporations: Jill Konrath Getting the Most from eSpeakers: Lisa Earle McLeod

4 | SPEAKER | January/February 2011

President’s Message: Kristin Arnold, MBA, CPF, CMC, CSP Available on iTunes. Go to MyNSA.org, click on Publications, and then Voices of Experience.

NSA Foundation Board of Trustees Kristin Arnold, MBA, CPF, CMC, Ron Karr, CSP CSP, President John B. Molidor, PhD Francis Bologna, CPA Terry Paulson, PhD, CSP, CPAE Lenora Billings-Harris, CSP Sam Silverstein, CSP Ronald P. Culberson, MSW, CSP Laura Stack, MBA, CSP Jane Jenkins Herlong, CSP Phillip Van Hooser, CSP, CPAE Don Hutson, CSP, CPAE Al Walker, CSP, CPAE Speaker Editorial Advisory Board Pamela Jett, CSP, Chair Mary LoVerde, CPAE Don Cooper Mandi Stanley, CSP Kelli Vrla, CSP June Cline, CSP Janelle Barlow, CSP

Editor in Chief Design Barbara Parus switchstudio.com barbara@nsaspeaker.org Editorial Office and Subscriptions National Speakers Association 1500 S. Priest Drive, Tempe, AZ 85281 Tel: (480) 968-2552 Fax: (480) 968-0911 www.NSASpeaker.org Advertising Sales Steve Camac Tel: (718) 710-4929 Email: Steve@NSASpeaker.org Speaker (ISSN 1934-9076) (USPS 012-886). Volume 5, Number 5.

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.

FULL Speaker p. 5

realit y check Putting a fine point on the speaking industry

The High Five

A

s I travel throughout the United States to visit most of NSA’s 39 chapters, as well as our sister associations abroad, I constantly hear about the following five key trends in the marketplace.

1. The Definition of “Speaking” is Morphing In previous years, the term “speaker” was synonymous with a keynoter or a general session speaker, who delivered 30 to 90 minutes of their best stuff on the main stage. Today’s audiences want to be more engaged, gain some insights and feel inspired in that time period. They want to learn how to leverage an opportunity, or simply make their lives better. This could come in the form of a keynote or a general session, or through facilitation, training, coaching, consulting or other offline/ online delivery systems.

The lines between speaking, facilitating, training and consulting are blurring.

It’s a package of value-added services. The more focused speakers are on presenting solutions, the more clients will value their services. Check out NSA’s white paper on the Value of Professional Speaking for a list of value-added services at MyNSA.org.

2. Greater Expectations Boomer audiences are a fairly compliant crowd. Typcially, they will sit through a boring presentation, but younger audiences will not. They will start texting or even walk out! Today’s audiences demand quality they cannot access via the web on their own.

The solution? Professional speakers must bring their “A” game to thrive in this business. You must do your homework 6 | SPEAKER | January/February 2011

with clients and truly understand their opportunities or troubles.

Clients want to see their fingerprints all over your speech. Some call this customizing the speech, which far exceeds putting the client’s logo on your handouts. Weave in timely anecdotes, stories, examples, illustrations, best practices, etc. Show that you are a professional who has a firm grasp on their reality and shares your expertise with panache, creating a memorable experience that incites them to action.

3. Co-Creation of the Presentation Bruce MacMillan, CA, president and CEO of Meeting Professionals International, says that “the number one thing an audience wants is to feel involved in the actual creation and development of the session. When they are involved, they are much more connected, they feel it is more personal to them, and they get more out of it.” This includes blogging with them and inviting questions before the event, and building their comments into your presentation.

As a professional speaker, you also have a depth of expertise that you can adjust on the fly to the needs of the audience, as well as the opportunity to continue the conversation after you finish.

Kristin Arnold, MBA, CPF, CMC, CSP 2010-11 NSA President

5. Shorter Lead Times When meetings came to a screeching halt last year, professional speakers suddenly had time on their hands. Some organizations cancelled meetings in fear of the AIG effect, and others started holding meetings on property using internal industry speakers. A few months later, companies started to climb out of the foxhole and contacted speakers—but with a drastically reduced lead time. Many speakers are getting calls a few weeks or even a few days before the program. This is hard to understand from a marketing or planning perspective, but this trend is going to continue.

As speakers, it’s important to be aware of market trends and remain flexible so we can provide clients with outstanding value and service. With every success, we can give each other a “high five!”

4. Social Media Social media connects you with your audience. It also can be a primary source for recommendations from within your social network or from a “Google-ish” search on Facebook, Linked In, etc.

Social media will become much more sophisticated as decision makers learn how to use these online tools.

Kristin Arnold, MBA, CPF, CMC, CSP 2010-11 President National Speakers Association For more trends, read Dr. Graeme Codrington’s “Ride the Tides” on pages 18-20.

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

Clients Come First

A

t the October 2010 grand opening of the Four Seasons in Denver, Colorado, the hotel was crawling with media and other Denver VIPs–and it seemed like every one of them knew Steve Kinsley. He's the president of Kinsley Meetings, a fullservice meeting planning organization based in Littleton. In between fielding visitors and sampling appetizers, Shari Harley talked with Kinsley about the meetings industry.

How do you select speakers?

Shari Harley: How has the meetings industry changed?

Don’t be a prima donna or act like a rock star asking for green M&Ms. But asking for a certain room set up, for example, is not considered high maintenance, especially if it enhances the audience’s learning experience. Meeting planners and hotels expect this and will accommodate it when they can. Use a simple contract to outline expectations.

Even when you're sourced by a bureau, speakers should contact the meeting planner directly before the event. Ask questions and get to know the client audience, which builds your credibility, and be available before and after the presentation. Arrange a meetand-greet with the organization’s top producers or leaders before the speech.

Follow the example of Harvey Mackay, who signed over 200 books after a speech, and wouldn’t leave until every person was satisfied.

Steve Kinsley: Transparency is everything, which has not always been the case in the meetings industry. We charge a flat fee for our services, no markup, and show our clients every bill. Clients know exactly what they are paying for every product and service. There's also more outsourcing now. Many organizations know they don’t have the expertise and/or resources to plan meetings and events internally, and they are seeking help to do so.

What is the best way for speakers to build a relationship with meeting planners?

I'm aware there's an old joke among speakers, that if you want to build a relationship with meeting planners or speakers bureaus, you definitely shouldn’t call them. But in all seriousness, the best way for speakers to build a relationship with our office is for us to see them speak at organizations in which we’re involved, like MPI or PCMA. Or invite us to see them speak.

8 | SPEAKER | January/February 2011

When a client asks us to recommend a speaker, our strategy depends on the price point. If the budget is less than $10,000, I will go to the people I know locally. If it's more than that, I use a national speakers’ bureau that we’ve been working with for years.

What can speakers do to make a better impression?

trusted source. Speakers who only speak, but don’t consult or coach, make me nervous—otherwise, how do I know they are tuned into the real world and what's really happening in organizations?

Steve Kinsley co-founded Kinsley Meetings with his wife, Allison. Over the past 15-plus years, Kinsley Meetings has assisted more than 100 organizations with various aspects of their meeting management. The company's "Meeting Architects" handle everything from the financial management of meetings, site selection and contract negotiation, to attendee management and event logistics, and work with companies in a wide range of industries. Visit. www.kinsleymeetings.com.

Shari Harley runs an international speaking and consulting firm, helping organizations get and keep the right customers and employees by creating

How do you know when you’ve found the right speaker?

more candid business relationships. 99.99%

We only hire speakers we have seen personally or by video—or if they come highly recommended by a

predictable—and Shari’s clients are never

of customer and employee turnover is surprised. Learn more at www.leadershipandsalestraining.com.

Jimm RobeRts / oRlando

It’s your business Advice for enterprising speakers

Marketing on a Shoestring

E

ven at an event at the coolest venue, with the hottest speakers and the best food, success is measured by butts in seats. With advertising and marketing budgets tighter than ever, getting the word out can be a bit of a trick—but these promotional techniques can get the job done with only the investment of your time and creativity.

Get in on the Action YouTube gets more searches each month than Yahoo, which means that filming a quick 30-second video can fast-track you to visibility.

Concepts: Testimonials and short benefit-oriented overviews are one approach, but nothing says “sign me up” better than a video of a luxurious hotel on a gorgeous beach.

Keywords: Think about how people might be searching for your session—for example, “Sales Training in Hawaii”—and use that phrase for the title, in the description, and include a link to your website.

Write Email that Gets Read Email marketing can be a wonderful response tool—if you pay attention to two key factors: Subject line: Reel in readers with an interesting subject line.

“Enjoy Hawaii and Increase Your Sales” will outclick “ABCD Annual Convention, March 1-4.”

Content: Don’t focus on specific benefits or include a lengthy speaker bio.

Post them on your website and link from the email.

10 | SPEAKER | January/February 2011

Your Search-Engine Secret Craigslist isn’t just an online yard sale; it can be an event-marketing machine. You can post a description of your session for fee, and your item will appear in search engines. To make sure your Craigslist event posts really shine, you need to be aware of a few things: One city at a time: Craigslist is cityspecific, so make sure to strategically select your city based on where your target audience primarily lives. When in doubt, major metros are a great fallback: New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago.

Use keywords: Craigslist ads will rank in search engines if you are clear on what you want them to rank for. If you want people searching “Sales Conferences Hawaii” to find your session, make sure to use “Sales Conferences Hawaii” in the title and throughout the body content.

Twitter Me This!

Use Twitter to get attendees pumped up before the event.

Keep the momentum going by encouraging Tweeps to spread the word during and after the event: Keywords are key: Start tweeting about “Marketing Conference,” “Sales Conference,” “Hawaii Conference,” “Leadership Development Training” or whatever your event topic is, and watch the wave catch as your posts get tweeted and retweeted across the web.

Event hashtags: An event hashtag gives attendees who are on Twitter a forum where they can communicate about an event while they're there. By

setting up a hashtag and letting attendees know about it, you will find a whole stream of attendees marketing your event and telling each other how much fun they are having.

Your LinkedIn Connection LinkedIn enables users to go in and set up information about upcoming events/trainings/conferences. They are searchable for professionals on the LinkedIn community, and LinkedIn will e-mail a summary of upcoming events to users. To maximize your impact: Build your community: LinkedIn can be a great platform for communication, if your target audience is in your network.

It is extremely important that as you network at events, meet new members in your association, etc., that you take the time to see if they are members of LinkedIn. (Chances are very good that they are). When it comes time to promote the event, you’ve got a great community ready to go.

Start a group and discussion: One of the best ways to get attendees energized for a session is to give them time to discuss and get excited about it beforehand. For example, you could start a group such as “Sales Professionals 2010” and a discussion about “Vote for your favorite presentation topic” to get attendees communicating about and engaging with your event.

Natalie Henely is the marketing manager at the Findability Group. She can be contacted at nmarlett@findabiltiygroup.com.

Peter Sheahan, speaker, author and a "CEO in the trenches"

12 | SPEAKER | January/February 2011

Photo by Brendan Moore

The more I meet my clients' outcomes, the more work I get.

Balancing

act

For Peter Sheahan, smart business is about balancing

B

priorities. Here are six secrets to his success. efore Peter Sheahan became an entrepreneur and a thought leader on innovation, the young Australian ran a successful bar in Australia. And he observed that the people he hired had no idea about employer expectations.

“I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to go into high schools and talk to students about how to make the transition from school to work?’” He did just that, and as a young person who had excelled in

school, he was able to connect with the students, and schools continued to hire him.

Four years into the endeavor, which had him doing upward of 400 workshops a year, he realized something: It wasn’t just the students who were struggling with change.

“It became clear to me that companies were also struggling with change,” he says. “Companies have to adapt as well—it comes down to the ability to attract and retain the best talent.”

By the time Sheahan began working with companies, he already had plenty of experience on the platform. Soon, he built up his client base and gained a breadth of experience in a variety of industries, including banking, retail and even military.

January/February 2011 SPEAKER | 13

By age 30 (he turns 31 in March), he had already established two international multimillion-dollar consulting practices and written five books. In a down economy, Sheahan’s speaking engagements and revenues are up.

So, how does he do it?

First, he has a product his clients want.

But beyond that, Sheahan’s success is tied to smart

14 | SPEAKER | January/February 2011

business. Here are six things Sheahan has done to become one of the most soughtafter speakers in the country.

1. “I’m a CEO in the trenches.”

“I’m a CEO in the trenches,” Sheahan says. “Clients repeatedly say that’s one reason they selected me.”

Sheahan isn’t just running a speaking business. He runs a company called ChangeLabs, which develops large-scale behavior change programs for companies such as Apple and IBM around the globe.

“I can talk first hand about what it’s like to lead people in multi-functions around the world—it’s my daily reality,” he adds.

The advantage, he explains, is that his clients know he’s not just tap dancing, but that he is a businessman who shares many of their experiences. Like the members of his audience, he too is navigating a constantly evolving environment.

“It’s what makes me a successful speaker,” says Sheahan, who does about 120 presentations a year. “Running a company today is very different than running a company even in 2005. Clients want real and recent experience.”

2. Align, align, align.

For speakers who are trying to hold down the fort as owner and chief

In a down economy, Sheahan’s bookings and revenues are up.

executive of a business, plus write books and do speaking engagements (which often means traveling), finding balance can be a challenge.

Sheahan, who set up his U.S. base in Colorado, acknowledges that he doesn’t have it all figured out.

“It’s bloody hard,” he says. “It’s my wife’s birthday, and I’m in an airport.”

But there are ways to balance the various aspects of your professional life.

“One of the ways you can balance it all is to try to find alignment with what you do as a speaker and what you do as a CEO,” Sheahan says.

The work he does with clients and the research that goes into his speaking engagements give him ideas for his books, for example.

And while he says 80 percent of his speaking clients have no need for ChangeLabs, some speaking engagements can turn into long-term client relationships.

When an audience member saw him speak as one panelist in a group, Sheahan was asked to do a short video.

“What started as a video became a keynote, and the keynote became a redesign of a global program to develop the careers of their high-potential staff,” he says. “Now I work with them on every continent. That is alignment.”

Because his speaking, his writing and his company all revolve around behavior change, Sheahan is able to continually build his knowledge base and experience and use it for the next big project.

“Having a strong alignment between my company and my speaking makes things a lot simpler,” he says.

3. Choose your objectives carefully.

While some speakers may consider their speaking as an opportunity to sell books or drive future business, Sheahan says that’s never the objective of a speech.

“My objectives are whatever the client’s objectives are—which might not

“One of the ways you can balance it all is to try to find alignment with what you do as a speaker and what you do as a CEO.”

be what the audience’s objectives are,” he says.

He focuses his time and attention on understanding each client’s individual needs.

“I hate signature stories,” he says.

“First of all, if you’re telling a story so often that it becomes your signature story, you need to get a new story.

Plus, to try to shoehorn my ‘signature’ stories or content into a speech would be about serving my own needs, rather than the client’s.”

That doesn’t mean you can’t be funny or entertaining, Sheahan says—after all, that’s often the expectation and objective too. But anecdotes and jokes should be in the context of your topic.

Once he secures a meeting with a prospect, Sheahan estimates he’s able to close the deal 90 to 95 percent of the time.

“It’s because I’m not saying, ‘Here’s my view of the world.’ Instead, I’m asking, ‘What’s your view of the world?’”

He recalls a sales call where he listened for 28 minutes—and spoke for just one.

January/February 2011 SPEAKER | 15

He got the job.

And while he has gotten leads—and, ultimately, new clients—from doing presentations, he says that’s not the objective of any speech.

“The more I meet my clients’ outcomes, the more work I get,” he says.

4. Do the work.

“My objective is the client’s objective,” Sheahan reiterates. “That means a lot of extra work, to be frank.”

Sheahan says he’s often surprised by how little research and customization many speakers do.

“If you were talking to one of my clients, they would say the No. 1 reason they book me is the research I do,” he says.

Research is so important, in fact, that even before he hired marketers in his business, Sheahan hired researchers.

Sometimes, he adds, it’s a matter of asking your client for research they have—and knowing what to ask for.

“They might put it together for me because what would take me 50 hours takes them one,” he says, adding that it’s his responsibility to review it thoroughly, make sense of it, ask smart questions in briefings and then apply it to his presentation.

Because he keeps up on industry trends, understands business in general and has spent hours getting to know the details of his client’s business, Sheahan is able to integrate his messages of change and innovation into a presentation tailored specifically for one business.

“I’m going to talk about their brand and how they can drive change in their marketplace—not generically how to drive change in a marketplace,” he says.

5. Deliver great service.

Sheahan says he isn’t interested in nickel-and-diming clients. The goal is to make sure the client’s objective is met. Sometimes that means going with the flow.

16 | SPEAKER | January/February 2011

“I just do the stuff that matters.

That’s how I stay sane.”

For example, after pricing a speech, he might work with the client and recommend that a breakout session would be more appropriate to meet their objectives.

“When they ask, ‘How much extra?’ I say, ‘None.’”

He knows some speakers might scoff, but says that as long as he can still catch his plane, it’s fine by him. Counting the dollars at a micro-level, he says, is smallminded. It’s important to see the bigger picture: Every breakout, every speech should be customized and well researched so that you can deliver on your promise.

He also believes in serving the bureaus that represent you. When he recently received a call from a bureau that wanted to promote him, he offered to do a custom video for the bureau’s website.

The representatives were surprised he’d take the time.

“Treat your bureaus well, respect their relationships with clients, and help build their brand rather than your own,” he advises. “I get at least one call a week from a bureau wanting to represent me.

“The great delusion we have as speakers is that the client is our client,” he continues. “Some bureaus have been working with the same client for 20 years. It is their client, and you should respect it as such. Our real client is the bureau itself!”

6. Do the things that matter.

When trying to balance all the facets of his life, Sheahan focuses on tasks that add value. As their business grows, some people will need to hire staff and delegate tasks. Sheahan has 50 employees around the world.

“I just do the stuff that matters,” he says. “That’s how I stay sane.”

For example, that might mean writing fewer blog posts and not constantly updating his Facebook status.

“I think people spend a lot of time doing things that add no value,” Sheahan says. “In the time you spend writing blog posts, you could write a book—a good one.”

Sometimes, he acknowledges, his own team gets frustrated with his lack of focus on certain details.

“Instead of updating my Facebook status, I’ll send an industry overview and a synopsis of my experience for a bureau that just placed a hold, and close a $20,000 speech.”

He knows some speakers have found success using Twitter and Facebook, but for him, every day presents the Choice of Two Goods.

“There might be two good things you can do,” he says. “So, you choose the better good of the two.”

As he goes about choosing the better good for 2011, Sheahan is focused on expanding ChangeLabs’ client base and writing a new book. His most recent book, Making It Happen, will be available in the United States in March.

But he’s not worrying just about that.

Instead, he’s heeding his own advice: “Do the things that actually grow your business and nothing else.”

He is writing his next book already.

Stephanie R. Conner is a professional writer and editor based in Phoenix. She can be reached at Stephanie@ TheActiveVoice.com.

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“A great next-step positioning strategy for a speaker that’s passionate about sharing their expertise is to become an author,” says Leanne Harvey, director of marketing for Entrepreneur Press. “Publishing a book is the ideal way to carve out new opportunities, and command higher fees.”

“Without the benefit of guidance, many aspiring authors have put their plans on hold because they just aren’t sure how to proceed—should they seek out, or hold out, for a traditional publisher? Is self-publishing the right solution for them? We’d like to provide support to NSA members, serving as a resource to help them make informed decisions in regards to acheiving their publishing goals,” adds Harvey.

Entrepreneur Press, the book publishing arm of Entrepreneur Media Inc., offers both traditional and hybrid publishing models.

As publisher and premium sponsor for the NSA, Entrepreneur Press will provide NSA members with valuable information on the publishing process, solutions to overcome potential barriers, and opportunities to move their publishing projects forward.

In light of this exciting new partnership the team at Entrepreneur Press answered a few pressing questions:

I’ve got my book concept, what now?

Even before you develop your manuscript, your first step is to determine your publishing goals which will help you determine the best publishing option for your project. Are you hoping to simply add a product to your engagement offerings?

Or, are you hoping to increase exposure and elevate your personal brand? If you’ve already built a personal brand, maybe you’re hoping to differentiate yourself from your competition or command a higher speaking fee. Whatever the case, it’s important to determine your goals, so you can zero in on the right publishing plan—be it, traditional, self-publishing or a hybrid of the two.

What are the publishing options?

While it might appear that there are a lot of different offerings because of what they’re called, in short, the options are traditional publishing, self-publishing or a hybrid of the two.

In traditional publishing, a publisher pays an advance and royalty for the rights to a book, in most cases, giving them control of the rights and decisions. The publisher oversees all aspects of the publishing cycle, from editorial to production to marketing, pays all expenses and assumes all risk.

Self-publishing is just the opposite of traditional. The author retains control of the rights and decisions but must oversee all aspects of the publishing cycle, from

editorial to production and marketing, including paying all associated costs and assuming all of the risk.

The “hybrid” model is an alternative that combines elements of both traditional and self-publishing models and varies widely by publisher.

As a trade publisher, Entrepreneur Press offers both traditional and hybrid publishing models. Our Entrepreneur House Authors program is our hybrid offering. This is a fee-based option where authors gain the editorial, production and distribution benefits of a traditional publisher, plus the reach, media exposure, marketing muscle and publishing expertise of Entrepreneur. Under this program, authors retain all rights and control.

Where can aspiring authors go to learn more?

We have teamed with NSA to offer our expertise into the sometimes overwhelming world of publishing. Through the various NSA channels we’ll share important how-to information, delivering action steps to help ambitious authors get their projects moving. You can contact us directly with your publishing questions at press@entrepreneur.com.

For more information about Entrepreneur Press and the Entrepreneur House Authors program, visit

www.entrepreneurhouseauthors.com

Understanding—and managing—five disruptive forces that will sweep the speaking industry in the coming decade.

By Dr. Graeme Codrington

Ride the

TIDES 18 | SPEAKER | January/February 2011

A

turbulent and uncertain decade lies ahead.

Emerging from the recession of the past few years shows evidence of more than just an economic crisis—political, social, corporate and personal norms have been irrevocably

altered. People in many industries are starting to say they hope things will “get back to normal” soon.

That isn’t going to happen.

The changes will affect every client or potential client at some level, and for that reason alone it is worth pausing to consider the new realities of work. Of course, the forces reshaping this world will impact speakers, too.

To help understand and manage the disruptive trends in the next decade, I’d like to suggest that they fall into five distinct categories: technology, institutional change, demography, environment, and social values.

Composed as an acronym, they represent the TIDES of change: Technology Impacts Everything The decade ahead will be dominated by unbelievable technological advances.

Cheap and easy DNA scanning will lead to personalized medication, robotic artificial organs, alternative energy sources and applications, nanotechnology and space tourism, to name just the headline grabbers. But the biggest technology revolution of the next few years will not be found on any shop shelf: It is a revolution in how people process information, and it has the potential to change everything.

How we process information influences who we trust, where we go for information, how we access it, where we store it and how we use it. If this changes, it will affect purchasing behaviors and, therefore, how things are branded, marketed and sold. It will change communications, and how people work as individuals, group

together in teams, manage and lead. And so, it will also impact organizational designs. In other words: everything.

People want to be able to contribute, collaborate and connect. They have an innate desire to be involved, to interact and to engage—not just be given information in a one-way communication. This is one of the reasons that social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, has taken off. The concepts of social search, augmented reality and converged cloud connecting will provide new and exciting ways to access information, make decisions and collaborate to build businesses and value.

Speakers who wish to thrive must tap into this new mindset. If people expect to collaborate and interact in content creation in all parts of their lives, it affects the role of spoken-information suppliers. (The same is equally true of books, manuals, webinars and programs.) Obviously, there will be an impact on how speakers market themselves and prove their expertise.

(How many YouTube videos have you uploaded? How do you manage the mix of blog, podcast, social network and live engagement?) All communications, from websites to live and packaged programs, need to encourage engagement, involvement and interaction.

January/February 2011 SPEAKER | 19

As the decade unfolds, the craft of speaking will be further impacted by remote presenting—using significantly improved 3-D and holographic technologies, real-time interactivity with audiences, real-time translation and transcription tools.

The New Realities of Institutional Change Almost every industry in the world is undergoing deep structural change, with new rules being written for success and failure. The world of speaking is no different, requiring an adjustment to the metrics and expectations to fit the new reality. For example, lead times have been dramatically shortened, which requires new ways of managing schedules. Clients are demanding much more customization—and more value—than ever before. Adopting a return-oninvestment mindset in pricing and communications with clients is a valuable first step in positioning for this structural shift.

The Demography Connection Aging populations, falling fertility, later marriages (and more divorces), changed behavior in relation to retirement and pensions, increased global migration and globalization, and the continued shifts of political and economic power towards developing countries are just a few of the demographic trends that will change the shape of the world in the next decade. Greater cultural diversity, and the emergence of the developing world as both destination and decision maker, are inevitable.

Many people are youth-obsessed, trying to find ways to better connect to Generation X and Millennials. This is important, of course, as decision makers and audiences become younger and exhibit different attitudes and behaviors. But the aging Baby Boomers can’t be ignored. The current 50- and 60-somethings control nearly half of 20 | SPEAKER | January/February 2011

the world’s wealth and disposable income, and are nowhere near finished with their working lives. There will be a huge upswing in small businesses started by over-50s in the next decade, and growing markets in all products and services aimed at the over-50s. Don’t miss out.

entertain. Now more than ever before, speakers must hone the craft of sensemaking, becoming the eyes, ears and mouthpiece of a generation.

This is the privilege of the platform and the power of the podium.

For more information on these five forces, and how they’ll influence your clients and your business, visit http://tinyurl.com/ tideschange.

Doing Your Part for the Environment The November 2010 edition of Speaker focused on the “green” movement. Whatever you believe about the scarcity and use of global resources and climate change, it should be obvious that more and more people, companies and governments are demanding that their suppliers make an effort in this area. One simple response as a speaker is to ensure your clients know that you purchase carbon credits for all your travel.

Social Values Continue to Evolve With all of these forces changing the world, it’s no surprise that what people consider to be normal—their expectations and values—are changing too.

Societal values have been changing for some time: Attitudes about careers, the role of women, marriage, homosexuality, diversity, the importance of work-life balance, recycling and the use of technology have all changed markedly in our lifetimes. There’s more to come.

Speakers, in particular, will be impacted by changes in perceptions of the value of spoken information. With so much information so easily available, people need a compelling reason to access that information through the medium of a spoken program.

Shifting social values are placing a high premium on the ability to dig through mounds of data, make sense of it, provide insights and package all of this in formats that both inform and

Harnessing the TIDES Those starting out in the speaking business are doing so in the noisiest world we’ve ever lived in. Finding one’s voice amid a proliferation of data, information, sound bites and messages requires using technology wisely, understanding institutional changes, choosing demographic target segments carefully, and tapping into big trends such as the environment and shifting social values.

All the while, it’s a matter of focusing on adding real value.

For those who have been in the business a while, it’s a matter of making changes to the rules for success and failure. Mark Twain probably said it best: “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”

The decade ahead is not going to be easy. But it will be exciting, and has the potential to bring great opportunities and rewards for those willing to adapt to a new world of work.

Dr. Graeme Codrington is a futurist, researcher, author, presenter and expert on the future world of work. He is a Fellow of the PSA in the UK, and speaks in more than 15 new countries to 100,000 people every year. He is founder and director of TomorrowToday, a global consulting firm, and spends his time helping clients understand the disruptive trends shaping the new world of work. He can be contacted at graeme@tomorrowtoday.uk.com

NSA Has a Voice in Meetings Industry

NSA

’s own Stacy Tetschner, CAE, Executive Vice President and CEO, recently assumed a one-year term as Chairman of the Board of the Convention Industry Council (CIC).

CIC’s 32 member organizations represent over 103,500 individuals and 19,500 firms and properties involved in the meetings, conventions, and exhibitions industry. In his new role, Tetschner will facilitate CIC meetings and also occupy a highly visible seat at the table of CEOs as a representative of the speaking profession, where he can share and obtain information relevant to NSA members.

Formed in 1949, CIC’s mission is to provide a forum for organizations to exchange information on global trends and topics, promulgate excellence in best practices and guidelines, collaborate on industry issues, and educate the public on the value and profound economic impact of the meetings, conventions, exhibitions and events industry.

Key programs include: • Administering the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) program • Spearheading the initiative for developing accepted practices for the industry to improve its efficiency and effectiveness • Exchanging information and research among leaders of the various segments of the convention and meetings industry • Recognizing industry pioneers through the CIC’s Hall of Leaders.

The CMP Program CIC launched the CMP program in 1985 to enhance the knowledge and performance of meeting professionals, promote the status and credibility of the meeting profession, and advance uniform standards of practice. Today, the CMP designation enjoys worldwide recognition as the badge of excellence in the meeting, convention and exhibition industry.

More than 14,000 meetings professionals in 35 countries have earned this designation.

Tetschner will be part of the CIC’s CMP Conclave in Cancun, Mexico, in May 2011. As the industry’s only exclusive meeting of CMPs, this event attracts industry leaders who represent associations and corporations, all of which sponsor conventions and exhibitions.

Statistical Support for the Meetings Industry The CIC and its member organizations commissioned an economic impact study to be conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers to quantify and legitimize the industry in the eyes of legislators, regulators and economists. This credibility is critical to the meetings industry and to NSA members, who derive their livelihood from speaking, facilitating, coaching and training at meetings and events.

The final report will be published in year-end 2010.

“Some indicators already show that meetings are coming back,” Tetschner said in reference to some encouraging data from the American Hotel and Lodging Association. “The

Stacy Tetschner, CAE

“Some indicators show that meetings are coming back.” first market to go in a bad economy is luxury hotels. Ironically, it’s also the first market to come back when the market starts to rebound. We are being told that this market is experiencing growth.”

Tetschner added, “As NSA’s CEO, I will continue to keep members apprised of trends and developments in the meetings industry that impact their speaking businesses.”

bucket the

leaky

list

Five strategies to retain more clients, encourage repeat business and drive referrals.

B y M elanie B ens o n S trick 22 | SPEAKER | January/February 2011

W

hat’s the point of working so hard to get new clients or speaking gigs, only to lose them after one transaction?

Over the past 10 years of mentoring servicebased business owners (including speakers, of course), that’s exactly the pattern I’ve seen: On average, they spend more than 80 percent of their time generating new business—and missing out on the most profitable segment of their audience: the people who have already said “yes” once.

It’s called the leaky bucket syndrome.

Imagine a bucket with a bunch of holes in it, all of which represent the breakdowns, missing systems and issues within a business—anywhere a client slips through the hole and disappears. This is a costly issue for a business owner, and one that cannot only erode profits but

also your reputation.

The top five leaks in the average speaker’s bucket are: • Dissatisfactory customer service causes the client to feel unimportant.

• A mismatch between the value offered and actual delivery generates a lack of confidence.

• Leaving for a competitor for a perceived better offer or price.

• Leaving a program (or not hiring again) because they don’t feel connected.

• Missed referrals because of an inconvenient system (or lack of one entirely).

Why do these leaks happen? Because service-based business owners are so busy filling the leaky bucket with new opportunities that they never have time to put a retention system in place, i.e., plug the holes.

In Jim Palmer’s Stick Like Glue: How to Create an Everlasting Bond With Your Customer So they Spend More, Stay Longer and Refer More, the concept of profitable growth is tackled in an enlightening way. Palmer suggests that it’s five times more profitable to sell to a current client than to generate a new sale. Most service-based business owners understand that they should keep their clients happy, yet they spend very little time on strategies, techniques and systems to ensure it happens consistently.

Perhaps it’s because many entrepreneurs are so overwhelmed with everything they already have to do that they over-rely on delivering great value. But what they’re forgetting is that value alone doesn’t plug the holes in a leaky bucket.

January/February 2011 SPEAKER | 23

The Leaky Bucket List

Last year, I consulted with a speaker who was experiencing a dip in revenue.

His cash flow was hurting a bit with the change in the economy, new speaking gigs were harder to attain, and repeat bookings were not occurring readily. As we evaluated his offerings, his system for handling new bookings, and his strategies to stay connected to the event planners that booked him in the past, it became quite clear where his leaks were.

First, he had no real system for quickly handling a speaker booking request, so event planners were underwhelmed with his follow through. Second, he had no routine communication process in place to stay engaged and connected to the event planners in between gigs, so it was “out of sight, out of mind.” Third, he was so focused on generating new speaking gigs and selling his books and CDs at events, he was completely missing a huge profit center: His excited, raving audiences eagerly invested at events, but needed more support once they got home. By being “new lead”-centric, he was concentrating his resources on the most expensive form of revenue generation, and he’d neglected the simple techniques to expand the retention, repeat and referral side.

So what can you do to increase the three “Rs”—retention, repeat and referral business—so you can build revenues, even in a recession? Here are five techniques that you can use to plug your leaky bucket list:

Aim for a World-Class Culture The fact is, you remember really bad and really good service, but mediocre service just fades away. We all believe we have great value to offer the world, but do we have a way of delivering world-class value? A world-class culture starts by deciding what we want our 24 | SPEAKER | January/February 2011

clients and customers to say about us to someone else. Every business has a reputation. Unfortunately, many businesses become tarnished because they didn’t decide early enough how they want people to experience them.

Think of a business you absolutely love to frequent. What do you say about it? Consider Zappos.com as an example. Every strategy, person and element of its environment was chosen to be in complete alignment with its world-class culture and deliver “wow” through service. This company thrives because it built the entire business with a clear value system from day one (and Tony Hsieh delivers this message on stages all over the world now).

Imagine the lifetime value of a client is $5,000, because an average sale is $2,500 and they reorder, on average, at least once.

The retention mindset would suggest that if an issue arises, it would be worth investing $1,000 if that meant keeping that client longer. Most of us think: “Wow that’s a lot of money!”

But truthfully, think what it cost you in marketing and sales resources to obtain that client in the first place, plus what the client could spend with you if you could extend the lifetime value. After all, who wouldn’t invest $1,000 to get an additional $4,000 in revenue?

Shift into the Retention Mindset

Not too long ago, a friend of mine was milling about a store and the salesperson kept giving her free samples. She was so taken aback by the generosity that she bought about $100 worth of products that she had not intended to buy when she walked in the store.

Generosity is the grease that leads to reciprocal action. In other words, generosity is one of the easiest ways to generate more repeat and referral business in a world-class culture.

Ask yourself, “How generous am I in my business dealings?” Do you go the extra mile, or do just enough to be socially acceptable? Do you give generously first without expecting anything in return, or do you secretly hope that it will make the person want to reciprocate?

There are two types of reciprocity: strategically planned and responsive gestures. Strategically planned reciprocity is thought out in advance, whereas responsive gestures are how we react to a situation or event.

For instance, a strategically planned reciprocity act might be sending out a copy of your new book to the top 25 to 50 influencers in your target market, with a little note inviting them to let

Think back to a time when you received a customer complaint. What did you do?

Defend yourself? Figure out the fastest and cheapest way to fix it? Did you just leave it alone and say to yourself, “Oh, well, I didn’t like working with that client anyway”? Or did you get creative, and determine how you could overdeliver to keep the client happy in the face of a potential issue?

A retention mindset means you are focused on keeping a client. When you run the numbers on the lifetime value of a client, you can see why it’s so important: Estimated Average Lifetime Value = (Average Sale) x (Estimated Number of times customers reorder) Go ahead and calculate this figure right now.

1. Your estimated average sale is _______________.

2. The estimated number of times a customer reorders is ________________.

3. Now, multiply #1 by #2 to get _________________.

This is your estimate for the average Lifetime Value of a customer.

Leverage the ReciprocityGenerosity Connection

you know how they enjoyed the book.

A responsive gesture might be to send a thank-you gift to someone who conducts an interview or hosts you to speak at their event. Both are generous and will most likely lead to a feeling of wanting to give back again.

Create Sticky Factors and Iron-Clad Fences Over-delivering value is not enough to ensure your clients stay longer and buy more. There is a lot of noise out there from your competitors, but two great ways to encourage allegiance are ironclad fences and sticky factors.

An iron-clad fence is best described

by Dan Kennedy, known as the father or direct response marketing, as providing consistent communication. In other words, make certain your clients see and hear you regularly—so they aren’t thinking about your competition when the time to buy is near. One of the best examples of an iron-clad fence is newsletters, whether it’s a twice-monthly online newsletter or a monthly print version.

Sticky factors are periodic reminders to your client that they made the right decision to use your services. From a “how to use us guide” at the moment they buy, to loyalty programs and membership rewards, sticky factors motivate your clients to stay.

Open Up Your Lost & Found Department What do you do when someone leaves your program or does not want to hire you? Most of us say “Oh, well,” and move on to generate more leads. But what if you had a system to invite them back? There are three core reasons why people leave: 1) They are unhappy, 2) They believe they no longer need you, or 3) They think someone else would serve them better.

Turning lost clients into paying fans starts by being willing to travel the extra

mile to win them back. Just because some clients decided not to rehire you doesn’t mean they were unhappy—it may mean they got distracted and simply forgot. Pick up the phone and connect with a true desire to hear about their current needs.

It’s amazing how many people are unhappy with their current provider and are ready to move on—or, in this case, move back to you.

Implementing retention and repeat business techniques is more than just having great ideas.

Choose a support team to set up and maintain these principles consistently.

When you get busy, it’s easier to refill the leaky bucket, rather than plug the holes permanently. You worked hard to build your reputation— and you just might find your bucket overflowing with opportunities if you’re willing to do the right things in extraordinary ways.

As CEO of Success Connections, Melanie Benson Strick guides her clients to expand their impact without losing their sanity or soul in the process. In addition to serving on the faculty at StomperNet, her professional credentials include authoring The Power of the Virtual Team and co-authoring Entrepreneur.com’s Start Your Information Marketing Business.

Visit www.successconnections.com.

January/February 2011 SPEAKER | 25

26 | SPEAKER | January/February 2011

By Clate Mask, CEO and Co-Founder, Infusionsoft

Follow the

LEADer L Increase your business with these marketing strategies for capturing leads. et’s face it. Speaking is a competitive business. Plus, most speakers operate like a small business. You have one or two employees. You might even be a one-person shop. This means you face the same challenges that come with small business ownership. You’re swamped. You’re buried by the day-to-day tasks of running a business.

Don’t stress. Implement some proven marketing strategies that can help you run your speaking business more efficiently and propel its growth.

Build Your Contact Database Building a list of leads and contacts is an important part of marketing for a professional speaker. Whether you capture contact information through speaking engagements, your website, or incoming phone calls, it’s critical to your success to systemize this process. If not, leads fall through the cracks and the opportunities for growth are lost.

Here are some tips to help you with list building: Organization is king. Organizing your leads and contacts can be done a variety of ways. You can use a spreadsheet, such as Excel, to list your leads and include a few vital pieces of information. You might choose to use an organizational tool like Outlook or Gmail’s Contact Manager. As your business grows, you’ll likely want to look at investing in a more robust organizational tool like customer relationship management (CRM). A CRM will host all the information you need to know about your contact database and it will help you minimize all that manual data entry that eats away at your time.

Don’t throw your leads away. Make sure to have a lead-capture form featured on the homepage of your website.

Offer something of value for free (a report, e-book, webinar, consultation, etc.) in exchange for contact information.

World-renowned small-business speaker Michael Gerber offers a free gift on his homepage. Other ideas are coupons, discounted tickets for your next speaking January/February 2011 | SPEAKER | 27

engagement, and free webinars. Mark Victor Hansen, co-creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul, and also a worldrenowned speaker, offers more than one lead magnet to entice his visitors to give him contact information. Do you have a lead capture form?

Send the Right Message to the Right Person at the Right Time Now that you are collecting details about your leads, it’s time to send out targeted messages. Use this information to send out emails, direct mail, invitations or coupons that will give your leads a call to action.

Here are some tips for sending targeted messages: No more mass-mailers or email blasts.

They train your audience to ignore your messages when you want them to anticipate them. How do you know you need to adjust your message delivery strategy?

• You send messages too frequently.

• Your messages are boring.

• There’s no variety or personality in your messages.

Match emails to your brand.

Email marketing software services make it easy to send professional-looking emails that match your brand. You don’t have to have HTML or graphic design experience either. The email template below was created in minutes.

28 | SPEAKER | January/February 2011

• You send a blast that only a fraction of your audience cares about.

If these things sound familiar, it is likely that you are training your audience to ignore you.

Send targeted messages based on the behaviors and actions of your contacts. You have been organizing your leads based on their actions and behaviors. If they click on a link to watch a video on your website, track this in your database. If they request information for your new e-book, you can track this, too. Then, leverage this information in your marketing messages. If you have opted to use a CRM, it will track this information automatically and eliminate the need for you to manually input it in your database.

If you tie your CRM to an automation engine, it can automatically send targeted messages to these contacts. It can send a thank-you note for requesting information, and then send another follow-up message a few weeks later when information on your new e-book becomes available.

Unleash the Power of Automation

Capture More Leads Here are five quick tips for your lead-capture form success: 1. Give to get. Offer value in exchange for their contact info.

2. Display the form “above the fold.”

3. Keep the form short, and use two to five fields.

4. Connect the form to your database.

5. Segment the leads in your database and follow up with them automatically.

software options for businesses just like yours. Do your research. Check out what users are saying. Sit in on a demo or a webinar. As Don’t Hesitate— with any new technology, Automate! there’s a learning curve. So • New lead follow-up • Collections make sure whichever one • Events promotions you go with has a strong cus• Credit card expiration tomer service support team, • Membership renewal a great reputation and works • Workflow with businesses like yours.

Automation is the key to saving time and money, yet it’s the one thing missing from most businesses.

Corporations automate just about everything: new lead follow up, webinar promotions, event registration, post-event follow up, etc. When you enlist the help of an automation engine, you save yourself from having to do all that grunt labor that wastes time and keeps you from focusing on what’s most important: growing your speaker business.

In today’s technology-driven world, there are many automation

Clate Mask is co-founder and CEO of Infusionsoft, the leader in marketing automation software for growing small businesses. He is a nationally known small-business growth expert who has worked with thousands of entrepreneurs. He is co-author of The New York Times best-seller Conquer the Chaos: How to Grow a Successful Small Business Without Going Crazy.

Introducing a new collection of audio CDs from experts at NSA:

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relevant resources Time-saving tools and technologies

New Year, New Gear With all of the resolutions you made (or didn’t make) hanging over your head, revamping your home or office is one that can positively impact your speaking business. Check out these modern accessories that are just as functional as they are fabulous—and all under $50!

1 Everyday of Our Lives Add color to your day and stay on top of your tasks with the Everyday Pad from WhoMi, a brand created with working women in mind. Six separate color-coded pads spiral-bound into one notebook let you plan by day and leave notes for friends, family and coworkers. Includes 60 heavy-stock perforated sheets.

11” x 4 ¾”. $19.50. www.whomi.com.

3 Mobile Media Keep your memories close with the Ten-Photo Mobile from Target. No assembly required; simply unwrap, hang from a small ceiling hook and start clipping on your favorite photos, artwork, inspirational quotes and more. The mobile looks great in any office and makes a wonderful nursery gift as well. Stainless steel. $8.99. www.target.com.

2 Not So Taky Bored with your standard cork bulletin board? Swap it out for CB2’s eco-friendly modern version. Takboard is made of recyclable, lightweight cork alternative and its charcoal expanded polypropylene surface won’t show pushpin holes. Includes mounting hardware. $49.95. www.cb2.com

4 Launch Into Orbit Store and display your mail and magazines in this artsy wall-mounted organizer from Chiasso. Made of metal and wood with a contemporary espresso finish, the Orbit stretches 18” across and holds up to 10 lbs. horizontally or vertically. Cheers to more desk space! $48.00. www.chiasso.com.

30 | SPEAKER | January/February 2011

5 Charge the Field Lay your beloved gadgets to rest in this grassy charging station from Kikkerland. Faux grass freshens up your work space while concealing those pesky cords and cables so you can keep your desk clutter free. Available in black or white. $27. www.smartfurniture.com.

6 May the Force Be With You Organize photos, business cards and notes with one versatile accessory. Powerful ceramic magnets hold even your most daunting to-do lists together and look great on your desk, refrigerator, filing cabinet or displayed alone as a sculpture.

Set of six for $25. www.fitzsu.com.

7 Pick MICKE

8 Green Thumb

9 Who’s Your Caddy?

Mom always said greens are good for you. Turns out they make great organizational tools, too. Sort your business cards and start up conversations with this broccoli-inspired card holder from The Museum of Modern Art. Designed by Akimi Shinoda. $24. www.momastore.org.

Extend your desk surface and add storage with the MICKE drawer unit designed by Henrik Preutz for Ikea.

Drawers hold standard letter-size paper and all of your office goodies. Pair with Ikea’s MICKE desk. Available in four colors. 13 ¾” W x 29 ½” H x 19 5/8” D. $49. www.ikea.com.

You might not be conserving water while you shower, but you can feel a little less guilty when you store your soap in the Shamboo caddy designed by Luciano Lorenzatti. Made with bamboo, a highly renewable resource, this bath accessory is easy on the eye and the environment. $42. www.umbra.com.

0 Smart Stack Made exclusively for the Container Store, the original Basic Stack Basket features highquality plastic molded from polypropylene, making it stronger than similar baskets and secure enough to stack multiples. Enjoy endless storage possibilities in your home or office.

Mix and match five colors. 17-1/2” x 13-1/2” x 10” h. $5.99 each. www.containerstore.com.

Dallas-based freelance writer and editor Lauren Aiken has been published in 944, Arizona Foothills, bizSanDiego and Desert Living. For more information, visit www.LaurenAiken.com.

January/February 2011 | SPEAKER | 31

Beyond Borders Exploring cultures, countries and comfort zones

Time-saving Travel

W

orld travelers can avoid lengthy waits at airport customs checkpoints, thanks to global kiosks. By enrolling in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s international “trusted traveler” program, travelers can zip through customs faster than you can say, “Show me your passport.”

According to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, the average wait in a U.S. customs line during peak times at Washington-Dulles International Airport is 60 minutes, compared to 64 seconds at a Global Entry kiosk. The significant time savings result from not having to wait in line to see an officer.

How the Program Works The kiosks are a risk management approach to processing frequent, lowrisk travelers. The program’s target audience is people who travel internationally four or five times a year. To enroll, U.S. citizens and those with permanent resident cards must pay a $100 fee (good for five years), pass a rigorous government background check and interview, and get fingerprinted.

The Global Entry kiosk looks similar to an ATM or an airline self check-in kiosk. It scans the passenger’s machinereadable U.S. passport and fingerprints to verify identity. The traveler also must make a customs declaration by answering four questions similar to those on the customs forms that flight attendants distribute in-flight. Then, the kiosk issues the traveler a transaction receipt and directs the traveler to baggage claim and the exit.

32 | SPEAKER | January/February 2011

While Global Entry’s goal is to speed travelers through the process, members may be selected for further examination when entering the United States. Any violation of the program’s terms and conditions will result in appropriate enforcement action and revocation of the traveler’s membership privileges.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection hopes the Global Entry pilot program will become permanent and be deployed at all international airports with reciprocity, so U.S. citizens can participate in similar programs with other countries. Agreements have already been signed with the UK and the Netherlands, with others in the pipeline. For more information on this time-saving traveler’s program, visit www.globalentry.gov.

Speaker magazine editor-inchief Barbara Parus can be reached at (480) 968-2552 or barbara@nsaspeaker.org.

Global Entry Kiosks at 20 U.S. Airports Boston-Logan International Chicago-O’Hare International Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport Detroit Metropolitan Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood International George Bush Intercontinental, Houston Hartsfield-Jackson International Honolulu International John F. Kennedy International, New York Los Angeles International McCarran International, Las Vegas Miami International Newark Liberty International Orlando International Orlando-Sanford International Philadelphia International San Francisco International San Juan-Luis Munoz Marin International Seattle-Tacoma International Washington-Dulles International

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what would you do?

Casting a reality check on real-world conundrums

Template of Doom This is a great opportunity to put my ‘educator’ hat on and share with the client how this particular template could actually distract from my message.

Perhaps I could offer some other templates. If the client insists on using that template—and if I really wanted the business—I would swallow hard and use it. But I would downplay the slides and emphasize other aspects of my presentation, such as example, stories, humor and audience interaction.

And as few PowerPoint slides as possible!

An association client requests all speakers to use its official conference PowerPoint® template, which violates

Frequently, I have found the template to clash with the design of my slides. So, I have used the template for the title slide alone, or perhaps for the first several slides.

However, if using the template diminishes the effectiveness of my PowerPoint in any way, I do not use it. So far, no client has commented on my limited usage.

—Paul Radde, PhD Longmont, Colo.

every rule of effective slide design. While

—Jan Dwyer Bang, MBA, CSP Sumner, Wash.

there’s nothing about the template in your contract, the client is emphatic about it. What do you do?

I would explain to the client that I have a distinctive format for my PowerPoint, which is designed to enhance learning and encourage action. I’d be happy to create an opening slide that will be up when people enter the room, and a closing slide at the end so it is the last thing they see as they leave the room. But I would use my format in the middle. This approach has worked for me.

“If I have pointed out that the PowerPoint sucks and have been rebuffed by my client, then I would definitely honor the request. At any rate, my clients are not paying me for my PowerPoint—they’re paying me for my speaking.”

—Chris Clarke-Epstein, CSP Wausau, Wisc.

—Robert Bradford, CSP, MBA Ann Arbor, Mich.

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.

34 | SPEAKER | January/February 2011

There is no question that you would use whatever the client wants. If the client is happy, I’m happy. If you whine about the template, the client will tell others and then you won’t have to speak as much and use your flashy template.

Besides, the client has the money.

—Michael McKinley, CSP, CPAE Eau Claire, Wisc.

If the client is adamant, then there’s clearly no negotiation.

Ideally, I would try to reason with the client by pointing out that the template compromises the effectiveness of your message and you want the audience to get the full value from your presentation. If this fails, you could use the client’s template slide at the beginning and end of the presentation, but not throughout.

Of course, there is the option of not using PowerPoint at all.

—Paul du Toit, CSP Sandton, Gauteng, South Africa

Turning Point A career-changing moment or experience

Chain of Events

M

y turning point took place over a series of events spanning seven years. It all began with a stay at a Marriott hotel in Atlanta, Ga., in October 2001. I was beginning a two-day training workshop at 9 a.m. the following day.

At 4:15 a.m., my wife phoned to tell me that our dog “Hollywood,” died suddenly. We don’t have any children of our own, so we considered Hollywood as our only child.

Alex Shane, a hotel employee, helped me through this extremely difficult time.

She even allowed me to cry openly at the front desk. She also left a sympathy card on my bed when I returned from my program that first day.

As I slowly recovered from my dear Hollywood’s death, I reflected on Alex’s comforting words. I knew I had a story to share … which I did hundreds of times. When I returned to Atlanta several years later, I invited Alex to my program and asked her to join me on stage. She received a well-deserved standing ovation that afternoon. The keynote was video taped, and it became a part of my promotional marketing.

Flash forward seven years.

My father passed away less than a month before the 2008 NSA Convention in New York. I really was not feeling up to attending; however, I had already paid for everything so I decided to go. I was just going through the motions and not actively participating as I normally would.

I was sitting in the balcony for the lunch session when Bill Marriott, CEO

of Marriott, came on stage. Being a Marriott hotel chain fan, I leaned forward and paid attention. I had not looked at any of the breakout sessions, but when I heard Mr. Marriott was doing a CSP/CPAE congruent session after the lunch session, I immediately went to my room and changed from my golf shirt and khakis into a suit and tie. I was the first person in the CSP session.

Mr. Marriott arrived early with Mike Stengel, the general manager of the Marquis. I approached Mr. Marriott and shared my story about Alex from almost seven years earlier. He gave me his personal business card and asked me to mail the videotape to him. I live close to his headquarters, so I dropped it off instead.

Several weeks later, I received a call requesting my permission for Mr. Marriott to use my story on his Marriott on the Move blog. A few months later, he released his blog with my story and a link to the video on You Tube™. The video has had over 10,000 hits since its release, and I have received numerous calls and business as a direct result.

When I was at an NSA DC Chapter meeting at the Marriott Hotel in Bethesda, Md., in December 2009, I saw Mr. Marriott standing outside. He called me over to introduce me to the GM of the property and recanted the story to him. I also learned that Mr. Marriott told my story at a general manager’s conference for the non fullservice brand properties, and showed my video, “How One Person Can Impact an Entire Team.”

My speaking career has been redefined by this experience, and how one person’s kindness can have a positive impact on a business.

With 25 years of real-world experience, Gregg Gregory, CSP, teaches organizations how to get their employees to “play nicely together in the sandbox.” His background in real estate, mortgage banking, event planning and production, and radio-TV broadcasting gives him a clear understanding of the different aspects of business and how different people work. Visit http://TeamsRock.com.

January/February 2011 | SPEAKER | 35

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January/February 2011 | SPEAKER | 37

Humor Me Finding the funny in a speaker’s life

When Opportunity Misses Preparation

T

o a speaker, a standing ovation (a real one, not something started by a paid plant) is the Holy Grail—a reward for painstaking preparation, brilliant insights and packing enough slides with other people’s quotes that the audience is dazzled.

I recently received a standing ovation.

And I didn’t know what to do.

(In fact, it was so sudden, I initially misread it as a mass audience exodus.)

In my defense, it was totally unexpected. This was a group of government workers (I repeat, government workers) who had spent the last several years serving angry, unemployed Americans who never dreamed they’d be unemployed. They were shell-shocked, desperate, and had just eaten a rubber chicken accompanied by green beans so overcooked they’d been bleached white.

Dessert was a handful of candy left over from Halloween.

I honestly wasn’t confident they’d conjure up the enthusiasm to applaud, let alone stand up while they were doing it. But when they DID, what they saw on stage was their speaker— composed and in control just moments before—looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

At warp speed, my mind frantically sought clues for how to respond to this extemporaneous windfall. Quick! Do something! They’re on their feet! They like you! They really like you!

I saw the flash of a headline: “Speaker Receives Standing Ovation; Insults 38 | SPEAKER | January/February 2011

Audience in Return.” I imagined the Tweets flying through cyberspace: Silver Rose speaking career over & hopes 2 become airport ambassador #EpicFail I gripped the edge of the same podium I had studiously avoided while speaking. It now held me up as I gazed out at these wonderful folks. I wanted to reward them for such an enchanting gift. How? Maybe I should cry.

Maybe I should humbly lower my eyes as I bow my head.

Maybe I should have thought this through much, much earlier.

Sure, any fool can tell you to practice every word of your speech. But this fool is here to tell you: It’s important to plan for adulation, too. It’s what we crave, it’s how we prove our parents, teachers and coaches were wrong about us, and when it actually happens, it would be courteous to be conscious.

That said, I can’t tell you what I ended up doing. I wasn’t there. My mind vacated my body and was floating on the ceiling, I suspect hoping that I had, in fact, really died, not that cinematic almost-death where your soul zooms back into your body at the

precise second the most excruciating pain hits.

I think I gave the tried-and-true yoga gesture and mouthed the word namaste (although I admit to having no idea what it means). It’s quite possible I clapped back at them like a trained seal at a water park. I hope I didn’t cry, because I’m always suspicious when speakers do that (especially when they tell their own stories and act like it’s news to them).

Whatever I did, it must have been OK. Nobody posted bad reviews on Yelp! There were no picket signs as I left the hotel. I did notice, however, that when I was on the plane, thinking back to the ovation I’d received, my cheeks were suspiciously wet.

Silver Rose, Chief Focusing Officer of SilverSpeaks.com, is second-generation funny and has become known for combining sharp wit with pragmatism. She is an expert on using the power of focus to attract more sales, improve relationships and to transform lives. She can be reached at Silver@SilverSpeaks.com or (877) 840-5416. (Telemarketers, back off!)

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