SpeakerNet News 1/16/2026

1/16/2026

Editors: Rebecca Morgan & Ken Braly

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From the Editors

Happy New Year!

We know you’ve made some impressive resolutions. You included, “Send in 2 tips a quarter to SNN,” right? Of course you did! We’d love you to share what you’ve discovered that has helped you be more successful in your business. We’re talking marketing, sales, presentation, tech and travel tips. You’ve learned a bunch of cool stuff — now share!

You can send several at once and we’ll “bank” them for future issues. Or set a reminder for every Friday asking, “What did I learn this week that might be helpful to colleagues?”

Miscellaneous Tips

In case you missed these recent AI developments — Julie Holmes

OpenAI released GPT-5.1, cutting some responses from around 10 seconds to about 2 seconds and making ChatGPT faster and more natural to work with.
Google unveiled a new shopping agent that can call stores, check stock, monitor prices, and even auto-buy for you when conditions are met. Very dangerous for holiday budgets, very good for efficiency.
OpenAI is piloting group chats in ChatGPT across Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan, letting up to 20 people and one AI share a conversation. AI-powered group work is officially here.
Google is gearing up for Gemini 3.0, its next major AI model, which could seriously shake up the “who’s winning the AI race?” leaderboard.

Create content that buyers actually trust — Vickie Sullivan

The nonstop flood of content marketing is wearing down buyers, and trust has become collateral damage, according to a recent MarketingProfs article. The sheer volume of posts, guides, and thought pieces isn’t creating credibility anymore. Instead, it’s creating confusion and fatigue, making it harder for companies to publish content that buyers trust.

AI is the culprit. The technology has enabled faster content creation than ever. And the flood of information is redefining the relationship between buyers and content. Gone are the days when polished word choice and agency-level graphics created credibility. Buyers are skeptical about everything that hits their radar.

The MarketingProfs article offers smart ways to rebuild credibility. My favorite: use real sales objections as fuel for your next content campaign. To do it well, listen for two things:

Annoyances. What’s the thorn in your client’s side — the thing they always grumble about? Create content that tackles the cause or offers ways to avoid it. You’ll not only be helpful, but you’ll also prove you understand their world.
Myths. What do potential clients tell you that simply isn’t true? Address those misconceptions head-on. Explain what’s wrong with the assumption, what it costs them, and what to do instead.

AI has flooded the field, and buyers are tuning out. Now’s the time to publish content that buyers trust — the kind that feels human, useful, and grounded in real experience.

Is the Rebecca Morgan/eSpeakers’ Virtual Master Presenter course right for you? You think your virtual presentations are good enough — or could they be even better? Would you like to learn some nuances that will make your virtual presentations more compelling? Learn about Rebecca Morgan/eSpeakers’ Virtual Master Presenter course in the free previews Jan. 27 or Feb. 5.

Travel Tips

Good tips on how to use this useful tool — Rebecca Morgan

This video, “How to Use Google Flights Like a Pro,” highlights some little-used Google flights tools to ensure you get the best deal.

Topic of the Month (TOTM) — Your Input Wanted

Our TOTM is: What are some common tasks you have AI help with? (Please state which AI and the prompt.)

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.

— Anna Conrad

Below is how I used ChatGPT in 2025:

Draft and refine newsletter articles, blogs, and LinkedIn newsletters
Create discussion questions, reflection prompts, and carousel content
Generate SEO excerpts, meta descriptions, and tags
Write and refine emails
Craft follow-ups, reminders, nudges, and boundary-setting messages
Create session titles, descriptions, and flow
Shape taglines, positioning statements, and program descriptions
Think through end-of-year reflections
Name patterns, tensions, and leadership arcs
Edit manuscripts, emails, and reports
Review 360 assessments to identify patterns and themes and create a comprehensive report based on the findings.

— Patrick Donadio

Here are some presenter tasks I ask AI to help with, which I share in my presenting workshop to help craft and deliver more impactful presentations.

Intern (research/analyze: content/audience) tool: www.perplexity.ai — Quick research, summaries, and insights.
Idea Generator (titles/open/close/engagement) tool: www.chatgpt.com — Ask for ideas/help with openings, audience engagement, possible questions you might be asked, powerful closing, and more.
Editor (edit or fix this text) tool: www.grammarly.com or www.quillbot.com — For grammar, clarity, and polished delivery.
Teacher (visuals/slides/graphics) tool: www.canva.com — Make your message visual and memorable.
Critic (feedback on content/presentation) tool: www.claude.ai — Get constructive critique and improve your flow.

— Chuck Reaves

From Grok:

General rewrites of text — always only use as suggestions
Second opinion of Chat responses; occasionally correct what Chat gave, tell Chat, it says thanks (AI is still learning)
YouTube Uploads

Titles
Descriptions
Keywords
NOT thumbnails

From Gemini:

Images when appropriate

From ChatGPT:

A tool for executive and leadership workshops
Participants are given instructions for addressing their real-world issues
Chat is most popular, so most know how it works

— Bill Conerly

I write four or five articles a month for Forbes. After editing an article, I need a title, a good image to place at the top, a good search (meta) description, and social media posts (LinkedIn and X). I upload my article to my favorite AI, Claude, then copy in portions of a “Guidelines” document I have created.

Section 1: Title. I previously asked for guidelines on a strong title, given my focus and target audience. I upload the article, then copy the guidelines, which include a request for 10 possible article titles. I often find that I like the main title, but want something different for the subtitle. I may ask for further help or write my own version, building on Claude’s ideas.
Section 2: Image search. I copy my guidelines into the prompt box asking what I should search for when looking for an image that suits the article.
Section 3: Search descriptions. I request 3 article descriptions based on guidelines that combine Forbes’ standard guidelines with my personal preferences, then edit the best suggestion.
Section 4: Social media posts. I request 3 SM posts based on the guidelines I’ve developed. I usually edit the suggestions, but sometimes use one verbatim.

I typically do this in the above order, but I could request all four sections at once. This has saved me time and improved the results. I’m still editing my guidelines doc as I learn more.

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About SpeakerNet News and the Editors/Publishers

Publishers — Rebecca L. Morgan, CSP, CMC, CVP, VMP, and Ken Braly
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