Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Speaker Magazine PDF
Speaker Magazine PDF
OCTOBER 2017
What tasks to keep and The keys to selecting a platform NSA veterans offer advice on
Speaker
what to let go that will rev your sales engine building your business
TH E A R T A N D B U S I N E S S O F P R O F E S S I O N A L S P E A K I N G
Defining
Decisions
HOW ( AND WHY )
FIVE SPEAKERS
MADE MAJOR STRIKE A
CHANGES IN BALANCE
DIRECTION BETWEEN
PA G E 4 O FOCUS AND
I M AG I N AT I O N
4 STE PS TO
S E T YO U R
BUSINESS
UP FOR
SPONSORSHIP
T H E P U B L I C AT I O N 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 | s p e a ke r m a g azi n e.co m
FEATURES
Departments
17
INFLUENCE 2017
4 LETTER Highlights and takeaways from Influence
Al Walker, CSP, CPAE, 2017 in Orlando, Florida.
Chairman of the NSA
Foundation Board of
Trustees, talks about how
members look out for
each other in a crisis.
30
6 BRIEFS
AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT
News and notes on OR AUDIENCE ADDICTION
the art and business of Tips on amping up engagement without
speaking to help you overwhelming your audience.
make sales, save time,
BY DEBORAH GARDNER, CMP
and speak better.
12 DIY OR DFY
(DONE FOR YOU)
Make the best use of
32 36
your time and talents
WHAT’S DRIVING YOUR
with advice on which
tasks to outsource. CHOICE OF WEBINAR SET YOURSELF UP
16 CHECKLIST PLATFORMS? FOR SPONSORSHIPS
Learn the best questions to ask to If you can create enough relevant content
Get ready for takeoff
with our international narrow down your software needs. on your website, you’re just steps away from
travel prep tips.
BY ROGER COURVILLE, CSP
monetizing it. Here’s how to get started.
BY JAY BAER, CSP
50 MASTERMINDING
Advice from 20-plus-year
NSA veterans on the next
investment to make in
your business.
40
52 ASK THE EXPERT TURNING POINTS
Build your referrals Five speakers talk about the triggers behind
from word-of-mouth to their successful career pivots.
advocacy. BY MICHAEL SOON LEE, DBA, CSP
54 5 THINGS
Find out what five NSA
members learn from
activities outside their
46
field of expertise.
FO—SQUIRREL! —CUS
If you’re bad at focusing, don’t worry.
Allowing your brain to wander can actually
benefit your creativity.
BY SCOTT HALFORD, CSP, CPAE
SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7 3
The Publication of
the National Speakers Association
Volume 12, Number 2
OCTOBER 2017
NSA & THE FOUNDATION:
First Responders NSAspeaker.org | speakermagazine.com
O
Linda Keith, CPA, CSP
Chair
ur NSA community continues to respond in the aftermath of
Laurie Guest, CSP
Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. President Brian Walter, CSP, CPAE, Vice-Chair
made a special video sharing the need for a relief fund, while many Justin Jones-Fosu, MBA, CSP
members reached out to NSA colleagues to make sure they were OK. Mel DePaoli, MBA
The Professional Speakers Benefit Fund (PSBF) reached out to the chapters Michael Soon Lee, DBA, CSP
in affected areas. Our leadership, staff, and Foundation Board established the Patricia Iyer, MSN, RN, LNCC
Hurricane Relief Fund and we put out the word. Patt Schwab, PhD, CSP
The Foundation contributions, combined with individual members reach- Rita Barreto Craig, SPHR, CSP
ing out to offer to cover speaking engagements, are just two ways you can see Tamara S. Hamilton, MA
the difference between NSA and other professional associations. Truly, NSA
and our Foundation were first responders.
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
The 85 NSA members affected by Hurricane Harvey and the 593 members OFFICERS
in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas impacted by Hurricane Irma were con- Brian Walter, CSP, CPAE
tacted and offered an immediate $1,000 grant. President
As I write this letter, 196 of our members have contributed $63,145, in Dan Thurmon, CSP, CPAE
President-Elect
amounts ranging from $50 to $5,000, and $31,000 has been distributed. The
Anna Liotta, CSP
stories coming out of this both break your heart and fill you with joy as mem- Vice President
bers express their gratitude. John B. Molidor, PhD, CSP
The number of members who have spent time on the phone and organizing Immediate Past President
the relief effort won’t fit on this page. A big thanks to Jim Pancero, CSP, CPAE; Christopher Packard
Marilyn Sherman, CSP; Brian Walter, CSP, CPAE; Francis Bologna, CPA; all of Interim CEO
3 Stories of Hope A DV E R T I S I N G S A L E S
Karen Bach, Director of Membership and Communications
The PSBF Committee sent grants to these members and many more: 480-968-2552 • Karen@NSAspeaker.org
1 2 3
Three weeks after A 15-year member A Florida member
Harvey, the home living on St. Martin sustained damage P U B L I S H E D BY K A R A B I N C R E AT I V E
of one Houston evacuated with to her house that Randi Karabin, Art Director
member was still his wife and son a day insurance won’t cover. Jenn Woolson, Editor
underwater. Her house, before Irma hit. All their After two wet weeks Erin Zilis, Account Manager
car, and belongings are personal property has without power, they’ve
a total loss. Fortunately, been lost. They are traveled their neighborhood
Article submissions at speakermagazine.com.
she has insurance. She’s staying in Virginia with by kayak, run a generator
running her business family, and looking at to keep the food in the
from a hotel room. While moving to Chicago. freezer from going bad, Speaker (ISSN 1934-9076) (USPS 012-886). Volume 12, Number 2.
her need was great, she They have no property and talked to mold Published monthly except February and August by the
National Speakers Association, 1500 S. Priest Drive, Tempe, AZ
unselfishly said she’d insurance, as obtaining specialists who say they’ll
85281. Periodicals postage paid at Tempe, Arizona, and at additional
gladly forgo assistance it in a foreign country is need to be out of their mailing offices. Contents Copyright 2017 National Speakers Associa-
if others were needier. prohibitively expensive. house for six to eight weeks. tion, all rights reserved. POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to Speaker, National Speakers Association,
1500 S. Priest Drive, Tempe, AZ 85281.
4 SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
BRIEFS
art and business of speaking
PROLONG
YOUR WEBINAR
PROMOTION
Want more people to
on Getting Started
According to research by
On24, nearly half of people
sign up a week to two
S
weeks before an event.
peaker bureaus work with estab- Seek feedback. Invite other profes- Another quarter sign up the
lished speakers. And while no sional speakers to your speeches, and ask day of the webinar.
Build up interest with
bureau is in the business of devel- what they think. promotion on social media
oping speakers, they often are asked for Get a coach. Find a professional and via email for a couple
advice. Cautioning that no advice is one- speaker coach, or several. Coaching costs of weeks leading up to
size-fits-all, here is the short list from the money, but you and your career are worth your webinar. Here’s a
National Speakers Bureau: breakdown of how many
the investment.
days before the event
Speak. As often as possible, at work Leverage video. Take every oppor- people register:
and for your volunteer organizations. tunity to get the video of your presen-
Develop expertise in your field. You tations, both to improve and to build a
can do this in a variety of ways: through library of videos so bureaus can sell you.
solid work experience; reading books, 8-14
Testimonials are nice, but video gets you
15+ days days
articles, and blogs; contributing to and booked. Bureaus prefer a video of a full 21%
23%
commenting on blogs; writing articles for speech rather than a sizzle real.
publication in your industry. You should Time your book right. It may be
Day of 1-7 days
also join LinkedIn groups in your field. easier to get speaking engagements to event 31%
Read the answers to questions and start promote your book if you already have a 25%
sharing your expertise. track record of speaking. Consider writ-
ing the book after you have significant
speaking experience.
(Tube)
You Have to See This!
6 SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
BY T H E
NUMBERS
M O B I LE M A N I A
13
Number of global markets, including
the U.S., in which mobile accounts
for over half of all digital minutes.
comScore Mobile Metrix, 2017
Speaking Coach
Users who look for the most relevant
information, regardless of the
company providing the information,
when conducting a search on their
smartphones.
Google, 2015
ALL COACHING IS NOT CREATED EQUAL. The more specific
you can get about what you need help with, the better your expe- 1/4
rience will be. To really get the most out of your time, effort, and
More than one-quarter of
money, consider these factors: all global users are
now mobile only.
WHAT DO HOW DO YOU ARE THEY WHAT ELSE
comScore MMX Multi-Platform, 2017
YOU NEED? NEED HELP? RIGHT FOR DO YOU NEED
Do you need Do you prefer YOU? TO KNOW?
help organizing in-person or Do they have a How is their fee
your material, online coaching? good reputation? structure set up? 46%
developing Do you want Does their If someone Mobile users who would be willing
your stories, one-on-one expertise meet referred you to
improving your to give up a day off per week rather
coaching your specific a specific coach,
delivery, or a than surrender their smartphone.
or a group needs? TED find out what that
combination? experience? Talks? Keynotes? person needed Boston Consulting Group, 2017
Do you need Corporate and how the
Are you looking
to condense audiences? coach helped
for a long-term
your content Youth? them. Use that
partnership or a
from a training information
quick fix? Is their
format to a to decide if
personal style
keynote format? the referral is
and approach a
Or expand from relevant to your
good fit?
keynotes to needs.
training?
SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7 7
FOCUS ON STYLE
HYPHENS
People may not notice your
TECH TOOLS: punctuation when you speak,
W
written communications.
hen visitors click on a broken link Friendly apology, phone number, and link
Here are a few tips on
on your site, they land on the “404” to contact page with an offer to help with hyphens from grammar gurus
page. If the visitors aren’t very whatever they need Strunk and White.
motivated, they leave. You might be able to keep A sitewide search box
them, depending on the content of your “404.” An invite to the contact page and links to DO USE HYPHENS
T y pe yourwebsitename.com/xyz. your 20 top blog posts To join two or more words to
Unless you have an /xyz page, this will take A video from you form a compound adjective:
Leisure-class pursuits
you to your 404 page. Is it boring or unfriendly? And isn’t this friendly? “But if you were
Round-the-island race
Is it apologetic and helpful? Even a little edgy? looking for yourself, love in all the wrong
Here are some of our favorite redirects: places, or a fight, please return to your DO NOT USE HYPHENS
“Oops! You got lost!” with your site map favorite search engine and re-query.” Between two words that can
better be written as one:
Wild-life could be wildlife
Bell-boy could be bellboy
A 2017 State of Inbound report from HubSpot, a provider of inbound marketing software, found HYPHENS GONE WRONG
that most companies struggle with making sense of their online metrics. The solution: Make sure In Chattanooga, two
you have the right tools to track and analyze your marketing efforts. To get the full report and newspapers merged—The
learn more, visit stateofinbound.com. News and the Free Press.
The paper became the
What are your company’s top marketing challenges? Chattanooga News-Free
Press. That’s not exactly what
Generating traffic and leads 63% they were going for.
8 SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
Attendance
cially the day of a speech. Then relax
and focus on your message. It will calm
you down and ensure that the power of
your voice matches the power of your
words. Here is my methodology:
1. Breathe deeply into your stomach
In a quarterly survey of its Business Research panel, Meeting on a count of five, feeling your rib cage
expand as your lungs fill with air.
Professionals International (MPI) found 56 percent of respondents
2. Exhale slowly counting to five out
predict favorable business conditions. Attendance forecasts are also loud. Let the breath support your words
as if speaking on a cushion of air.
on the rise. Live and virtual attendance figures are expected to grow
3. Repeat the exercise. On the exhale
1.8 and 2.7 percent, up from 1.3 and 2.4 percent, respectively. Here’s say “Good morning!” letting your voice
the panel’s take on attendance growth forecasts: resonate with breath.
4. Use your phone’s memo recorder
to record yourself saying “Good morn-
PROJECTED PROJECTED ing!” with and without this technique.
LIVE VIRTUAL Your voice should sound richer, fuller,
ATTENDANCE ATTENDANCE and more resonant.
55% positive 57% positive
27% flat 36% flat
17% negative 8% negative COULD YOU, UM, USE HELP?
Find Allison Shapira’s video, “How
to Get Rid of Um’s and Ah’s,” at
MPI Meetings Outlook, Spring 2017 speakermagazine.com/um-and-ah.
A L L I S O N S H A P I R A is the
CEO/founder of Global Public
Speaking. She teaches public speaking
and presentation skills to emerging
SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7 9
›››
chapters. Find your participate in group
closest chapter and discussions.
more information
at NSAspeaker.org/
attend/chapter- JUST STARTING
directory. OUT?
LISTEN AND LEARN
Learn how Kindra
ON THE GO
Hall, an NSA
Download the VOICES Influence 2017
OF EXPERIENCE® keynoter, built her
mobile app to listen business. Listen
to each issue of to her story, and
the award-winning her big “a-ha!”
audio magazine. Get moments, in her
nearly an hour of Speaker’s Toolkit
exciting interviews interview at
with successful YouTube.com/user/
speakers who share
Find bonus content from their experiences,
NSAspeakers.
FACEBOOK
NATIONAL SPEAKERS
ASSOCIATION
INSTAGRAM
NSASPEAKER
TWITTER
@NSASPEAKER
YOUTUBE
Keep up to date NSASPEAKERS
on all things NSA,
discover new learning LINKEDIN
opportunities, and NATIONAL SPEAKERS
connect with your ASSOCIATION
fellow speakers at
PINTEREST
NSAspeaker.org @NSASPEAKER
10 SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
the buyers
perspective live
Learn about the future of speaking from the perspective of multiple buyers who each hire over 50 professional
speakers a year. Discover how they plan to use speakers at their meetings moving forward and what you will need
to do to earn their business. Sarah Michel, CSP, will be moderating a lively discussion with buyers from national
associations and corporations who will be sharing their predictions and answering your questions.
DO YOU
HAVE THE
WRITE
STUFF?
Y
ou say you’re a terrible writer and you hate
to write. You need to hire a ghostwriter,
right?
Not so fast.
While a professional writer can no doubt get
it done, there are many downsides to going the
way of the ghost. First, you often lose your voice.
Only you can sound like you. Second, you lose
the value of digging deep and remaining fresh
on your topic when you’re not doing the work
yourself. And maybe the biggest barrier: It’s
pretty darned expensive.
So what if you aren’t a good writer? You’re a
good speaker, aren’t you? You have great ideas,
don’t you?
I strongly advise my coaching clients who are
aspiring authors to do it themselves. You don’t
have to be a great writer. You just need to have
great ideas, and then hire a good editor.
Since you’re a speaker, why not speak your
next chunk of IP (intellectual property)? Record
your presentation or podcast interview and have
it transcribed, or use a speech-recognition soft- C A T H Y F Y O C K , C S P, is The Business
ware program or app. Book Strategist, and works with professionals
Writing your blog, article, or book forces you and thought leaders who want to write a book as a
to remain current and relevant as an expert, and business development strategy. She is the author of
it can be less painful if you write regularly. In Blog2Book: Repurposing Content to Discover the
fact, a post a week can equal a book a year if you Book You’ve Already Written, and can be reached at
begin with the end in mind. CathyFyock.com.
12 SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
B
ig stages, small stages, workshops, and travel. As a
speaker, you’re busy, and the time you have avail-
able to manage your social media is limited. So,
should you do it yourself or outsource? It depends. Your
social media marketing strategy should take into consid- For most speakers, a hybrid solution will work best because each
eration your goals, budget, time, and expertise. Below are business model and situation is different. Use these practices to
some tips to help you decide what could work best for you. help you create a customized social media strategy based on your
unique situation.
Decide how you want your brand to be represented online.
Social media is all about conversations and connections. No one
Do It Yourself If: Outsource If: can connect with your audience the way you do.
Look at your business goals. Evaluate what you want to achieve.
£ You have a limited £ You have limited Are you trying to build credibility, establish yourself as an expert, or
budget. time to post extend your reach?
regularly. Evaluate your resources. Determine which tasks you will per-
£ You enjoy form yourself and which you will outsource based on your resources.
connecting with your £ You don’t feel Take a skills inventory. How good are you at copywriting, graph-
audience through knowledgeable
social media. enough to ics, and social media platform skills?0 If the answer is “not very,”
effectively manage your time is better spent farming these out.
£ You have time your social media. Outsource tasks where you lack expertise. Amateur graphics
to learn how to will negatively impact an otherwise great blog post.
effectively manage £ You’re trying to Keep the tasks you enjoy. Using the results from your skills
a social media reach a larger
inventory, take on the tasks you enjoy—if you have the time.
campaign. audience in a short
period of time (e.g.,
£ You see proof that for a book launch). L E T H I A O W E N S , C S P,
what you’re doing is is a Market Domination strategist
working. £ You need help with and the CEO of Game Changers
strategy because
International. She helps experts
you aren’t getting
the results you build magnetic brands and get
desire. noticed, booked, and paid what
they are worth.
SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7 13
TWO
OUTSOURCING
S I M O N T. B A I L E Y, C S P, C PA E ,
Speaker Hall of Fame® keynote speaker
and author of nine books, is one of
A
s a speaker, you’ll reach a point when you’ll
need some help operating your business so that
you give some time back to yourself to continue
growing your brand. When it comes time to outsource
some of your business tasks, here are two key takeaways
The person you bring in to elevate
to consider:
your business should treat your business,
1. TAKE GREAT CARE to vet your prospective contributor.
You’ll likely begin by hiring someone on a part-time or content, and relationships with as much
contract basis. In addition to reviewing their work history
and contacting references, you may want to begin your care as you do. When you find that person,
interactions with a contributor on a project basis. Start
out by giving the person small tasks to complete, and you can’t go wrong.
1 4 SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
S T O P ‘ S H O U LD - I N G ’
T O S AV E T I M E
BY LAURA STACK, MBA, CSP, CPAE
Just because you can update your website, create
graphics, or do your taxes doesn’t mean you should.
As professional speakers, we’re wise to rely on
other people to do things that we don’t have the
time, talent, or circumstances to do ourselves. To
grow your business, focus on the activities that
you are uniquely capable and qualified to do—and
outsource the rest.
Some tasks you’ll have to keep. So that you can
Time Is
spend your time being the brand builder, the rain-
maker, and the subject matter expert, try these tools:
TRIPIT: Travel-planning app to store travel
Money
documents, get flight alerts, share plans, and more.
tripit.com
Good accounting
PAYTRUST: Bill management service that collects,
scans, and emails paper bills and allows one-click
bill pay. paytrust.com
practices matter
A
AWEBER: Email marketing platform to manage lists,
create e-newsletters, and autoresponder follow-up. re you stepping over a dollar to pick up a dime? You could be if you’re
aweber.com spending loads of time on data entry or struggling with awful “free”
SURVEYMONKEY: Online provider to create, send, software because you’re reluctant to hire an accounting professional.
and analyze surveys. surveymonkey.com Crunching financial numbers is not the point; making good decisions is.
meetings based on user polling. doodle.com Identify your most profitable customers, industries, or product lines.
SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7 15
BY AVA DIAMOND
International
Travel To-Dos
Traveling to another country can be an exciting
experience—if you’re properly prepared. Here’s a
quick pre-trip checklist to consider before you go.
1 6 SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
CONTENTS
Cavett Institute | p. 18
International Speaking Day | p. 19
New CSPs | p. 20-21
Saturday & Sunday Highlights | p. 22-23
Monday & Tuesday Highlights | p. 24-25
Youth Leadership Conference &
Pre-Conference Highlights | p. 26
PICTURED ABOVE
NSA Foundation Event & Awards | p. 27
Christine Cashen, CSP, CPAE; Michael Hoffman, CSP; John B. Molidor, PhD, CSP
CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame®/
Cavett Awards Banquet | p. 28
ALL INFLUENCE PHOTOS BY STEVEN MILLER PHOTOGRAPHY
CAVETT INSTITUTE
T
he Cavett Institute is an intensive
one-day learning seminar focused on
helping aspiring speakers ramp up
their business. Attendees learned the tools
for mastering their brilliance, sharing that
brilliance in front of an audience, getting
paid for their brilliance, and shining that
brilliance with integrity.
1 8 SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
SPEAKING DAY
International Speaking
Day.
BELOW:
GSF PRESIDENTS PANEL
ABOVE, LEFT TO RIGHT:
O
LEFT TO RIGHT BACK ROW:
PRESENTERS Ilja
Gustav Gous, PhD, CSP; n Friday, 104 attendees representing 15 countries and 13 Grzeskowitz, CSP;
Tom Abbott, CSP; Michel of the 14 Global Speakers Federation (GSF) associations Jonathan Low, MBA,
Poulaert; Martin Laschkolnig;
gathered to learn practical insights and tactics on how CSP; Tarran Deane;
Ruby Newell-Legner, CSP
to get booked and how to shine once chosen to speak interna- Nabil Doss; Mike
tionally. A representative shared legal and financial implications, Handcock, CSP; Sarah
LEFT TO RIGHT FRONT ROW:
Michel, CSP
Glen Sharkey, CSP; marketing/promotion, cultural acumen, and business models
Suzanne Stevens, CSP; from different regions of the world, including North America, BELOW, RIGHT:
Frowa Schuitemaker; Asia, Europe, and Australia. CO - CHAIRS
John B. Molidor, PhD, CSP
Sylvie di Giusto
and Ruby Newell-
Legner, CSP
SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7 19
Max Stanley Chartrand, David J. Chinsky, Heather Christie, JD, CSP Dennis Cummins, DC, CSP Sima Dahl, CSP
PhD, CSP DrPH, MBA, CSP
Dirk W. Eilert, CSP Lee Ellis, CSP Celynn Morin Erasmus, CSP Steve Foran, CSP Sandro Forte, FPSA, CSP
Chris Fuller, CSP Chuck Gallagher, CSP Merit Gest, CSP Charmaine Hammond, CSP Stacey L. Hanke, CSP
John M. Hannon, CSP Joel Hilchey, CSP Michelle E.W. Howison, CSP Sydne Jacques, CSP Bethanne Kronick, CSP
2 0 SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
Tod C. Novak, CSP Gerry O’Brion, CSP Kathleen D. Pagana, PhD, CSP Matthew Pollard, CSP Thomas Ray, CSP
Philipp Riederle, CSP Dean Savoca, CSP Jeff Shore, CSP Bill Stainton, CSP Carolyn Strauss, CSP
SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7 21
22 SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
CLOCKWISE
FROM TOP LEFT:
Colin Sprake; Influence
attendees; Influence
audience members
light the night with their
interactive wristbands;
Vinh Giang
SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7 23
CLOCKWISE
FROM TOP LEFT:
Kindra Hall; David
Horsager, MA, CSP,
CPAE; Bill Cates, CSP,
CPAE, and Talking NSA
Referral Champion of the
Year winner Marquita
Miller; Brian Walter, CSP,
CPAE, and Denny Corby
conspired to make Saeed
Arrington think that he
was invisible; Influence
attendees
2 4 SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7 25
T
presenters and from
each other. he NSA Youth Leadership Conference teaches participants to be the best
individuals they can possibly be. This is an opportunity for 10- to 21-year-
olds to learn from professional speakers, interact with their peers, and
much more. This year, youth participants were involved in a community service
project with Clean the World
PRE-CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS
B
efore Influence kicked off, new and experienced members and
attendees alike gathered to get the most out of their Influence
experience. First-time attendees met to learn the ins and outs
of Influence while members who have been with NSA for more than
20 years celebrated their established memberships. Chapter leaders
attended a half-day session of presentations and small-group discus-
sions. They worked together to develop better programs to provide
more tools, resources, and education for their members.
2 6 SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
AN EVENING OF
performing onstage with
attendees.
ASTONISHMENT
Neen James, CSP, and
Al Walker, CSP, CPAE;
community grant recipients
from Edgewood Children’s
A
Ranch, Inc.; Jim Rhode, CSP
t this year’s Foundation event, attendees experi-
enced the wonder, laughter, and inspiration of the
Wondermaker, Giovanni Livera, CPAE.
Proceeds from the event were donated to the NSA
Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the National
Speakers Association. The Foundation helps members
and families of our NSA community, as well as those in
need in our larger global community. It is devoted to
upholding the spirit of serving, sharing, and supporting
embodied by our founder, Cavett Robert, CSP, CPAE.
AWARDS
ABOVE, LEFT TO RIGHT:
Ron G. Wanek, Chairman of
Ashley Furniture, receives The
Nido Qubein Philanthropist of the
N
Year Award from Nido Qubein,
CSP, CPAE and Al Walker, CSP, SA is proud to recognize the men and women
CPAE. John B. Molidor, PhD, CSP who have made a difference in the lives of their
presents the President’s Award audiences and other professional speakers. From
for Distinguished Service to
guiding and inspiring other members to defining excel-
Stacy Tetschner; Pamela Benitez
Molidor, MD; Kate Delaney; Brian lence on the platform, from exemplifying ethical behavior
Walter, CSP, CPAE; and Janita to selflessly devoting time to make NSA the premier orga-
Cooper (not pictured). nization it is, these members and non-members stand out
as extraordinary and deserve a big standing ovation!
SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7 27
28 SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
Visit NSAspeaker.org/Influence17-highlights
to purchase these recordings.
Audience
Engagement
or Audience
Addiction
GETTING THE RIGHT MIX OF
AND TR ANSFORMATION
Y
ou’ve heard it before … Content is
king. But your content is already YOUR STARTING POINT
It starts where it always should: with the
accessible on the internet. It’s client. What is the client’s goal? Does your
portable, affordable, and everywhere. To session need to be content-heavy? Is the
focus reflection? Or are you in a time slot
a great extent, audiences no longer need
when the audience just needs a break?
you to access much of your content. So, According to a CrowdCompass and
what do they need from you and how do Edelman survey of 1,000 participants,
the top three things audiences want are:
you give it to them? • A great learning experience
• The opportunity to think bigger picture
about their job
• At least one takeaway that makes their
job easier
When you understand the needs of the
client and the audience, you can get the
content-engagement-reflection-transfor-
mation equation just right.
30 SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7 31
WHAT’S
any one will do. platforms.
CHOICE OF
What you want is
NO a digital marketing
WEBINAR
system, not a
webinar software.
PLATFORM?
You’re in
the wrong
YES business.
Get a job.
START
HERE
Focus on key features DO YOU NEED
I
AND CALL THAT
f you were shopping for an A SPEECH?
32 SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
YOUR NEED
collaboration in the imply there is someone • Breakout rooms to mimic
business world, so onstage for an event. in-person group work
virtually every vendor Features include: • Management of multiple
offers a meeting • Preregistration function sessions with functions
Software vendors platform. They have • Polls and surveys such as a “catalog page” for
configure their products the fewest features • Easy ways to publish registration, ability to limit
for three different and are the least and share recordings class sizes, and “class is
corporate use cases: expensive options. • Richer reporting full” notifications
Post-session
WHAT DO YOU production and TalkPoint Convey
PRO VALUE MOST? analytics
Is popular in
higher education
Integrated CRM
& email marketing ClickWebinar
GoToWebinar
All-in-one
DO YOU HAVE
MICROSOFT
COOL. THIS IS NO OFFICE 365?
CLASSIC WEBINAR
SOFTWARE.
DO YOU WANT PRO,
VALUE, OR FREE?
NO
SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7 33
PRE-EVENT FEATURES
among themselves.
1 Q&A: Manage questions by flagging/marking,
answering, or dismissing.
FILE SHARE, HANDOUTS: Distribute files flexibly.
What happens before an event impacts how effec-
tively the webinar contributes to your goals. Which POLLS, SURVEYS: Offer multiple-choice questions.
features do you need? Which are already covered by BRANDING (AUDIENCE CONSOLE): Customize
other software you use, such as a stand-alone CRM the audience participation console with different
or shopping cart? Here’s what to look for: colors, layouts, or images—including a partner
PORTALS FOR MULTIPLE EVENTS: Host multiple logo, for example.
events on a single page. Useful for ongoing series or VIDEO, ASSET UTILIZATION: Use prerecorded video
multi-part classes. assets (uploaded or on YouTube).
REGISTRATION PAGE BRANDING: Customize FEEDBACK: Give audiences the ability to provide
layouts, images, and colors of a registration page. nontextual clues (e.g., handup, emoticons, atten-
REGISTRATION PAGE FEATURES: Enable a variety of tion meter).
functions, such as question types, including a video, LIVE UX (PRESENTER): Provide the presenter with
and allowing registrants to sign up using a social intuitive and flexible tools that allow a feature to be
media ID. turned on and off.
E-COMMERCE: Process a credit card and not
complete registration until payment is made.
EMAIL PROMOTION: Send independent, non-event
emails from within the system. Some offer a CRM
database that lets you manage/segment your list.
SOCIAL MEDIA PROMOTION: Embed publish-to-
social media tools, like “share this event.”
SOURCE TRACKING: Generate multiple URLs
for promotion, each of which is tracked uniquely
allowing you to evaluate the effectiveness of various
4 POST-EVENT
promotional channels.
After a live session, what you do with the recording
AFFILIATE MARKETING: Track referral payments in
has the potential to be useful well beyond “share a link
a shopping cart system.
to the recording.” These features can help:
CONFIRM, REMIND EMAILS: Deliver participation
RECORDING FORMAT: Record to the Cloud or to a
details and reminders to registrants.
hard drive and choose the output format.
CMS (CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM): Manage
PLAYBACK UX: Select the user experience when
assets across multiple events with a centralized
watching your webinar recording. Some offer
database.
fast-forward, rewind, and chapter controls.
REHEARSE: Practice your presentation with your
presentation team in the same virtual room where
you’ll be for the live event.
34 SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
TAKE IT FOR
A TEST DRIVE
Have a good idea of
what you want? Get
3 SIMULATED LIVE EVENTS a free trial and take
it for a spin. Find
Simulated events were once the domain of the B2C out who in your
hawker crowd, but there are increasingly use-cases in NSA social media
the context of larger organizations as well. Examples:
tightly controlled/scripted events (e.g., financial ser- groups uses the
vices) or those where a presenter has limited avail-
ability. These specialized features can help:
platform you are
SIMU-LIVE: Host a live event that uses prerecorded considering and ask
content but enables synchronous/attended
interactions.
them about their
EVERGREEN: Set up ongoing or repeat events where experience. Ask to
real-time interaction is optional. attend one of their
webinars to test the
user experience.
SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7 35
set
FOUR RULES TO DOUBLE YOUR
BUSINESS WITH CONTENT
yourself
up for
sponsorships
S peakers are content creators. Whether it’s onstage, on
video, via blog post, podcast, infographic, or beyond, if
you’re a speaker circa 2017, you’re likely packaging your
expertise into bite-sized chunks of online content.
Creating content is monetized indirectly, and over time, by
increasing the likelihood that meeting planners will find you online,
and be convinced to hire you. It increases awareness of you and your
message, and yields more inbound opportunities.
But, creating content can also be monetized directly, through J A Y B A E R , C S P,
sponsorships. has spent 20-plus years
If you can create enough relevant content, you can get paid to in digital marketing and
consulting for more than
make it. How? The audience for your content wants what your spon- 700 companies, including
sors are selling, and you are a valuable conduit for that relationship. 31 Fortune 500 clients.
I have almost doubled my business through sponsorships, and Baer’s Convince & Convert
if you’d like to attempt to do the same (and you should!), I’d like Consulting division works
with leading brands on
to share with you these four rules that will help you create enough social media and content
content—in the right places—to make sponsorship a reality. marketing strategy. His
Media division educates
marketers and business
people through blogs,
podcasts, e-books,
webinars, and more than
50 keynotes annually.
36 SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
38 SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
WHAT YOU
YouTube or YouTube Live
¡ 90-second video overview on
Facebook or Facebook Live
¡ Rewrite the blog post slightly
and publish on LinkedIn
¡ Rewrite the blog post a bit and
CAN SELL TO
SPONSORS
4
publish on Medium
¡ Rewrite the blog post slightly
and publish on Facebook as a Note There aren’t really rules
¡ Podcast episode devoted to the for what can be sponsored,
topic so your creativity and
imagination can govern
¡ 15-second Instagram video link- what you offer sponsors.
ing to the blog post (link in bio) But here are some potential
¡ Tweets, Facebook posts, or options:
LinkedIn status updates featuring ¢ Sponsor ads on your
the headline of the blog post, and home base
ideally a summary photograph or ¢ Sponsor ads (graphics or
illustration text) in your email updates
¡ Infographic emphasizing the ¢ Sponsor mentions in your
SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7 39
TURNING
P INTS Five successful NSA members talk about
40 SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
WORDS
OF
WISDOM
“Listen to your audience.
q When your message must be memorable, your presentation powerful, They will always tell you what you
and your sales successful, PATRICIA FRIPP, CSP, CPAE, can help. She was
named “One of the 10 most electrifying speakers in North America” by should be speaking about.”
Meetings and Conventions magazine.
SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7 41
42 SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
WORDS
OF
WISDOM
q Dubbed the “energizer powerhouse” by event planners and
“As we evolve as speakers, our topics meeting organizers worldwide, NEEN JAMES, MBA, CSP, is the
queen of using attention to increase productivity.
need to evolve, too.”
SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7 43
4 4 SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
WORDS
OF
WISDOM
q PEGGY O’NEILL is the messenger
“You may want to take some time off before and the message, and exemplifies
walking tall! For more than 13 years, she
pivoting your career. You’ll discover that has inspired powerful positive change
your spirit is stronger than you think.” in corporate and women’s groups across
the U.S.
SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7 45
46 SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7 47
¢ Multitasking decreases IQ by a
minimum of 10 points.
48 SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
analytical process) you may end up trying to multi-task through your day, which is
effectively, multi-failing. Your brain can hold only one thought
HALFORD,
C S P, C P A E , is
a writer and longtime
(the creative helps with tasks that require accuracy. You want to be seri-
ous when balancing your fi nances, for example. The moment
performance through the
lens of neuroscience. His
neuro-musings can be
process) are neural you feel—Squirrel!—your accuracy may suffer because you’ve
switched into the creative default mode network.
found in Entrepreneur
magazine and Huffington
Post. Scott is the author of
with each other that at a time” should be our mantra because it is what the brain book, and Be a Shortcut:
The Secret Fast Track to
is chanting as we attempt to juggle multiple items. When you Business Success.
try to take action on multiple great ideas—create video blogs,
do not operate at the learn new technology, redesign your marketing; and then, on
top of that, rewrite a speech from scratch—you are courting an
same time. Make anxiety-stricken, chaos-driven unfocused mess of a mind that
will negatively affect your business. Research published in the
time for both. Harvard Business Review shows that companies that have fewer
priorities, have higher stock value.
My bias follows this research. Do fewer things better. It’s
brain friendly and more profitable. ■
PRIME CONDITIONS
In order to focus well for about 50 minutes, the brain needs to be:
WELL-RESTED. Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep a night.
FED COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES. Eat small amounts every
one and a half to two hours while working.
HYDRATED. Dehydration leads to distraction and bad moods.
Drink a glass of water each break.
SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7 49
Join the
Survivors
20-plus-year speakers suggest the next
investment to make in your business
W
hat’s the best investment you can make right now
that will generate the strongest payback and growth VETERAN ADVICE
for your speaking business? Who are you asking for
advice on where best to invest your money in your business or
what to work on next as a professional speaker? “Don’t spend money on
I attended the Influence 2017 20-plus-year members’ reception anything that doesn’t
in Orlando to listen to suggestions and advice from some of the
tie into your plan.”
most respected survivors in our industry. Here’s what they shared:
—Gayle Carson, EdD, CSP
A S S E S S YO U R S TR E N GTH S
AND WEAKNESSES
No matter how much money you have to spend, or what stage
“Don’t let your ego “Minimize your
your speaking business is in, the most frequent advice is to take fall prey to publicist’s investments until
an inventory of your strengths and weaknesses as a professional promises until you are your presentation is
speaker. This advice is not just for startups. Most survivors do this really ready. You’re ‘Awesome!’”
periodically. It’s how survivors survive!
What are your most- and least-developed areas of the business?
seeing yourself on —Richard Hadden, MBA, CSP
How strong are your: TV, but there are
• technical/topic skills? better places to invest “You have to spend
• platform/presentation skills?
your money in the money to make money
• selling/promotional skills?
• business/financial skills? beginning.” in this business. The
—Elaine Dumler, CSP wisdom is in making
the right spending
decisions at the right
time. Occasionally, I’ve
spent way too much on
websites, PR, videos,
newsletters, and
speaker management
staff. At other times,
I’ve had great success
investing in the very
same things.”
—Ron Culberson, CSP, CPAE
5 0 SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
Short-term success can be achieved by investing more money in SELF-PUBLISH YOUR BOOK.
your already strong areas. But long-term success, in the opinion of HIRE A RESEARCH FIRM TO
these seasoned speakers, comes from investing in the weakest areas
CONDUCT ORIGINAL RESEARCH.
of your business—even the areas you personally dislike.
Add credibility and depth to
your content.
TA K E A D V I C E , B U T K N O W T H Y S E L F
We’re all biased. If you ask me, a 35-plus-year sales expert, where COMMIT TO MORE
to spend your money, I’ll suggest improving your website, posting CONTINUING EDUCATION.
YouTube videos, doing promotional mailings, or investing in a
Go deeper on a current area of
bureau’s showcase.
expertise or try something new.
Now, that’s great advice, as long as it’s a good fit for you and
your business. You will have a clearer understanding of your ADD ONLINE LEARNING. Use
opportunities and alternatives if you ask a variety of people. membership software and a learning
Then look for the best fit for you. management system (LMS).
The National Speakers Association was founded on the J I M PA N C E R O,
philosophies and encouragement of Cavett Robert: We will C S P, C P A E , has PROTECT YOUR INTELLECTUAL
always be stronger helping each other than we will ever be just been a sales and sales PROPERTY. Follow the trademark
fighting alone. Get involved in your local chapter, volunteer to leadership speaker
process and file any necessary
and trainer as well as
work on a committee, or start a mastermind group. a proud member of documentation.
Keep asking others for their opinions on how to best grow NSA for over 35 years.
your business, at every stage of your business. The person with Jim is also a loyal and
the smallest ego tends to get the best advice. The more voices active member of the
NSA–North Texas
you consider, the lower the risk in whatever you decide to Chapter.
invest in next. ■
SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7 51
TO ACTION
who speak to should be getting these unsolicited
JoinNSA.com.
(After all, we’re referrals and introductions.
not the National Referrals. Often, they go
Listeners something like this … “Call
The highest form of referral Association.) George Smith and use my name.”
Prospects have a million messages
coming at them, so old-style
leads are no longer enough to cut
through the noise.
Recommendations. Clearly a
step up. Your referral source says,
“You should talk to her. She’ll do a
great job for you.”
Introductions. Introductions
move the process forward. Our
referral source connects us with the
Advocacy prospect—quite often in the form
of an email “handshake.” Now we
have an actionable connection!
Introductions Advocacy. The pinnacle of this
hierarchy is advocacy. An advocate
will make a strong recommenda-
tion and follow through on the
Recommendations connection to make sure it leads to
further action.
F
types of members—those who
acebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said, “Nothing give to get. Our prospective member funnel demon-
influences people more than a recommendation strates the value of being an NSA member and makes
from a trusted friend.” Here’s the King of Social joining a smooth process. ■
Networking telling us that before we get all enamored
with social media, to make sure we master how our
clients prefer to meet us—through a recommendation BILL CATES, CSP, CPAE, is the president of Referral
from someone they already trust. Coach International, a member of NSA’s National
Board, and one of the founding
HIERARCHY OF REFERRAL members of NSA’s Million Dollar
You’re familiar with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs? I Speakers Group. He is the author
think the fi rst level is shelter. Then water, food, beer, of several books on referrals,
and Monday Night Football. Right? Here is the Cates’ including Beyond Referrals and
Hierarchy of Referrals from bottom to top. Don’t Keep Me a Secret.
52 SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
Michael Dominguez
the future
of THE MEETINGS INDUSTRY
The future of speaking is much like the future of all industry and business, it is changing at a pace never seen before
in history. To succeed today, one must think like a start-up! This means move fast, be nimble and fail often. That is a
scary proposition for many of those who have been in the speaking field as this is far from the norm. Authenticity
has never been more important and an understanding that “context” versus “content” rules the day.
1
I LISTEN TO THE NPR
PODCAST HOW I BUILT
THIS. The show has
insightful interviews of
entrepreneurs and what has
made them successful.
—Simon T. Bailey,
CSP, CPAE
2
4
I TEACH JUNIOR
ACHIEVEMENT FINANCIAL
LITERACY PROGRAMS
in elementary schools. I
love working with kids and I BOUGHT A MOTOR HOME
feeling like I am helping THAT REQUIRES ME TO KNOW
solve the financial illiteracy NOT ONLY HOW TO DRIVE IT,
problem in our country. but to hook up hoses, clean
—Linda Keith, CPA, CSP sewage, and problem-solve
when things go wrong. I am
3
ready to work when my time
comes onstage because of the
complete focus I need away
from work to deal fully with
I’M ADDICTED TO ORANGE the motor home.
THEORY FITNESS, a group —Jason Hewlett, CSP, CPAE
training workout that boosts
5
your endurance, power, and
strength. It teaches you how
to be super-efficient and
organized with your time,
yet spontaneous in spirit I SING IN A CHOIR. The
and execution. narration of my latest book
—Connie Dieken, into audio format was better,
CSP, CPAE I believe, because of my
improved diction from singing.
Outside
And my choir came to be
part of the audience for my
successful audition for TedX.
Great support!
Influence
—Linda Swindling, JD, CSP
54 SPEAKER • O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
The winners are announced on the first of each month via NSA’s
Members Only Facebook group.
MARC
RANDOLPH as our
ENTREPRENEUR IN RESIDENCE
Marc Randolph
Netflix Co-Founder and High Point University’s
Entrepreneur in Residence
ACCESS TO INNOVATORS
“Nobody knows what is going to work in advance. The only way to figure out if it is a good idea or not is by taking a risk.”
- Netflix Co-Founder, Marc Randolph
Marc Randolph is a veteran Silicon Valley entrepreneur, advisor and investor. Randolph, along with Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak, Twitter
Marc was Co-Founder of the online movie and television streaming service Co-Founder Biz Stone, former Yahoo Vice President
Netflix, serving as their founding CEO, as the executive producer of their Seth Godin and a list of other global influencers have
web site, and as a member of their board of directors until his retirement all been attracted to the HPU campus and spent time
in 2004. with students. When students meet these individuals
and receive their guidance and mentorship, no longer
Although best known for starting Netflix, Randolph’s career as an are they influential icons of an industry. Suddenly,
entrepreneur spans more than four decades. He’s founded more than half they are advocates for the success of students – a real
a dozen other successful start-ups, served as a mentor to hundreds of early person with real words of advice and encouragement.
stage entrepreneurs, and invested in numerous tech ventures.
The simple lesson learned – I can do it.
Now Marc Randolph is taking on a new role as High Point University’s
Entrepreneur in Residence. Through an ongoing partnership, Randolph To learn more about the school U.S. News and
will connect with HPU students and faculty for experiential learning. The World Report ranks #1 Best Regional College in the
partnership with Randolph stems from HPU’s focus on providing access South for the sixth consecutive year and #1 Most
to innovators for students. Innovative College in the South, visit highpoint.edu.
Department
High Point, North Carolina
AT HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY, EVERY STUDENT RECEIVES AN EXTRAORDINARY EDUCATION IN AN INSPIRING ENVIRONMENT WITH CARING PEOPLE.®