SpeakerNet News 10/9/2026

10/9/2026

Editors: Rebecca Morgan & Ken Braly

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Miscellaneous Tips

Reducing cell phone distractions during presentations — Milo Shapiro

It’s just awful when a cell goes off while you’re speaking. So two things have cut way back on that.

1) In the very first line of the intro my host is to read, before any mention of me at all, is: “Just a reminder, if you haven’t silenced your cell yet, please do it now.” This catches the folks who scooted in late, if it was ever mentioned already.

Still, earlier this year, the reader skipped that line! So I recently added this:

2) On my cover slide, I’ve added a cartoon of a ringing cell phone. Under the image, it says “Please silence your cell.”

People see it as they sit down and look up. The combination seems to work well and I’ve not had a phone ringing in quite some time.

An option for creating a black slide — Jerry Teplitz

An alternative to hitting the B or W buttons on your keyboard or remote, you can add a black slide to the slide show where you want the focus to be entirely on you. Then you don’t have to look for another button to press on your computer or remote.

Look for things to like, respect, or admire about your audience — Jim Cathcart

Write LRAMA in the upper corner of your speech notes. LRAMA stands for Like, Respect and Admire My Audience. When you seek things to enjoy, admire, or praise, it draws you closer to your listeners and generates a very positive energy in you. Dr. Kenneth McFarland, the great orator, once told me: “I study the audience. And they can tell that I’m studying them.”

New ways to promote your audiobooks and grow your audience — Brenda Bence

I received a notice from ACX (www.acx.com) about how they help market audiobooks. I haven’t used them, but thought I’d share in case their services sound interesting to you. They say they:

Build momentum with pre-orders
Create shareable promo cards
Invest in title visibility with Amazon Ads
Get your audiobook to fans sooner

Travel Tips

Your Visa card may include a free international data plan — Rebecca Morgan

If you’re traveling internationally soon, check to see if your Visa card includes a short-term (e.g., 14 days) international phone plan. This article explains how to check and claim your credit before you depart.

If you have T-Mobile, international texting is included. You can add free international calling from abroad for $50/month — way less than the $10/day many carriers charge. Of course, if you’re only traveling less than 5 days, the daily plan is less.

About SpeakerNet News and the Editors/Publishers

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