2/5/2021
Editors: Rebecca Morgan & Ken Braly
See “About SpeakerNet News” at the end for information on how to submit tips and use this newsletter. Remember, your “dues” for this free ezine are submitting two tips a quarter. Send your best tips to editor@SpeakerNetNews.com.
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SNN Webcast Info
Mark your calendar:
- Wed., Feb. 10 — “Get More Engagement for Online and Hybrid Events” with Warwick Merry (webcast). Details coming soon. Check your email for them!
Feedback on SNN webcast, “Retreats to Riches: How to Use Small Events to Drive Back End Income and Impact from Your Speaking (Both Live and Virtual)” with Michelle Villalobos, CSP:
- “Michelle’s program was of the highest quality, beautifully strategized, with excellent materials — directions any motivated person could benefit from. This is not a plan for the faint of heart or the indecisive, but if you know where you’re going, Michelle’s plan can provide a clear path to get there” —Dorothy Wilhelm
Intensive — Up-Level Your Business through Outsourcing
There’s just too much to do. You feel mired down with social media, marketing, updating your website, upgrading your slides, video editing, bookkeeping, and so many other tasks. You’d love others to help so you can focus on the things only you can do. But help can have a hefty price tag.
How do you find and get competent people up to speed so you can offload tasks to them? How do you ensure they can do what they say they can? How do you manage them remotely? How do you determine what can be delegated?
These recordings will answer these questions and more.
- “Transform Your Business with a $400/Month Employee: How to Outsource Operational Tasks to Assistants Abroad” with Nate Woodbury
- “Outsource for Marketing Success: 7 Simple Steps to Marketing Made Easy” with Chuck Gallagher
- “Top 10 Things to Quit *Now* if You Want to Soar to the Next Level!” with Connie Podesta, CSP, CPAE and Ford Saeks, CSP, CPAE
All SNN single-focused intensive packages are detailed here.
Miscellaneous Tips
Position your camera *on* your screen — Sam Silverstein
PlexiCam is a way to position your external camera anywhere on your screen for professional-looking video.
Voice-over talent recommendation — Beth Terry
I highly recommend Grant Holmes for voice-overs and putting together demo videos. His voice is superb and he can do different styles depending on your needs. He’s no stranger to the speaking industry, having worked with and around our industry for nearly two decades. To hear him in action, go to grantsvoice.com.
Technology Tips
How to create a fillable PDF — Rebecca Morgan
This article “How to Create a Fillable PDF in 3 Easy Steps” is helpful for those wanting your webinar attendees to fill in your handout on their screens.
Get a domain name for Zoom meetings — Diane Windingland
Even if you send a link to your Zoom meeting, some people can’t find it. Or, you are talking with someone on the phone and want to move to a Zoom meeting, but it’s a hassle to tell them the link. One way to solve these problems is to buy an easy-to-remember domain name that redirects to your Zoom personal meeting room, such as zoomwithtom.com or zoomtom.com.
Requests for Info / Advice
COVID’s impact on the number of speaking engagements? — Art Turock
Do you have any data on the COVID’s impact on the number of speaking engagements? What’s the decline been with trade associations, corporate meetings, and speaker bureau bookings? I attempted research with trade associations but found nothing on number of speakers hired for meetings in 2020, and the impact on speaker bureau business in 2020. I’ll report my findings to SNN.
New-speaker advice? — Noah St. John
I’m looking for ideas to share with new speakers. What steps would you tell someone who’s just starting out now to get booked to speak at live and virtual events? I’ll compile and share the answers to SNN.
Topic of the Month (TOTM) — Your Input Wanted
Our TOTM is: How do speakers turn off their audiences?
Send your brief, pithy responses *that are different from those previously mentioned* to editor@SpeakerNetNews.com. Please put “Topic of the Month” or “TOTM” in the subject line.
- Tap or blow into the mic to see if it’s working.
- Take a long time to get to the meat of your presentation.
- Spend little time researching the audience so that you speak over their heads, or speak down to them.
- Read from notes, or better yet, from a script.
- Fiddle with A/V equipment because you didn’t check it out to begin with.
- Dissipate your nervous energy by pacing.
- Don’t time your speech, and then run way overboard.
- Notice that you have ten minutes left and rush so the audience feels thoroughly gypped.
- Take questions, but don’t repeat the question for people those who may not have heard.
- Put down a questioner because you didn’t like the question.
- Close abruptly, and with something undramatic such as “Thank you.”
- Name drop even though the “famous” person is not relevant to the story.
- At every opportunity, tell the audience how famous, rich and/or successful you are. Include lots of bragging and be the hero of your stories.
- Include lots of asides that only one or two people would understand.
- Be condescending to commenters or questioners.
- Tell a story in the third person, then, of course, you reveal that it is about you.
- Have busy slides and too-small lettering/images, so when you say, “I know you can’t read this” it instantly makes it clear to the audience.
- Spend lots of time telling your story about how you became an expert on this topic, or successful in your field.
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