Speaker Services Susan Levin 4023 Meier Street, LA, CA 90066 310-822-4922 * Toll free- 877-773-2800 e-mail: susan@speakerservices.com website: http://speakerservices.com Issue #3-January 1999 CONTENTS A Word from the Publisher New Speakers Article: Ten Mistakes Speakers Make Quotations for Speeches Speaker Inquiry Form 20 Ways To Plan for Fun and Meetings E-zine Advertising to Build Your Business Leads & Opportunities & Info Book & Audio Tapes Resources A WORD FROM THE PUBLISHER: Susan Levin We're in the process of creating an online bookstore in association with amazon.com. You can find it at our website at http://speakerservices.com and it will be posted in mid-January. In the meantime, any of the books that I've recommended through this newsletter can be ordered simply by using the website address that I've listed with the book name. Our e-mail newsletter has grown from 100 to 400 subscribers in three months. Our website Speaker Services: http://speakerservices.com is getting lots of interest and business for our speakers. The feedback has been extraordinary. I'm really enjoying putting this newsletter together and I encourage you to contribute information, articles or to become a sponsor. If you are in the Los Angeles area, we offer a 4 week speaking and presentation skills seminar called SpeakEasy taught by professional speech coach, Jack Barnard which begins in February. I teach a 3-hour seminar, How To Market Yourself as a Speaker every month. Here you will learn all about press kits, back-of-the-room sales, introductions, query forms, evaluation sheets and more. Call or e-mail me for the details. Happy holidays and a prosperous new year. Thank you for the notes of encouragement and uplifting comments regarding our speaker services. I look forward to meeting and talking to you in 1999. Wishing you all the best. Susan ************************* NEW SPEAKERS listed at speakerservices.com in January 1999 Motivational Speakers: Teri Fisher, Diane Chapman, Ed Robinson, Terence Dixon, Toni Parker, Scott Baker, Patricia Bilman and Alisa Blatt, Business Coach, Deborah Ann Peters, Parenting/Relationship Experts, Tracy Tutson and Annette Feliciani, Robert Manriquez on Psychology, Marketing/Sales with Maureen Murphy and Business Law expert Shannon Foley. You can e-mail or call our speakers and entertainers directly unless they are listed with Levin's Speaker Bureau and then you can talk to me! *************************** From SpeakerNet News: 12/18/98 The Weekly Resource for the Professional Speaking Community To subscribe: SpeakerNet@aol.com L E A D S & O P P O R T U N I T I E S High school assembly speakers wanted -- J.R. Cifani (jrc@graphicmanagement.com) "Making College Count" is an education company preparing high-school students for college success. We're looking for public speakers to give from one to five assembly-style, 45-minute presentations per week to high-school seniors throughout the U.S. Candidates should be available during most school-day hours from 1/99-6/99. $100-$150 paid per presentation. Undergraduate college degree, professional experience and Internet access are a must! Fax resume to 920/661-4024, call me at 920/ 661-4006, or e-mail me. _______________ Food services speaker needed -- David Greenberg (DGSpeaks@aol.com) A client in the franchised food business (sandwiches, bread, etc.) is looking for a speaker who has first-hand knowledge of the food industry and/or dealing with franchisees. The engagement is for 1.5 hours at their meeting on 2/22 in Hilton Head. Fee range is $4000-$6000. Topics are open but might include labor relations, safety in workplace, marketing your store, consistency in franchises and being a team player. If you are qualified, please e-mail me. Due to the number of responses, I may not be able to respond to everyone, but I appreciate your response. _______________ R E Q U E S T S F O R I N F O/A D V I C E Looking for other speakers on creativity -- Robert Alan Black (cre8ng@athens.net) I'm interested in finding others who have creativity, creative thinking and/or creativeness as their professional focus and are interested in learning and sharing more about developing these in their audiences. Email me if you are interested in developing these in yourself and helping other speakers, trainers and consultants to develop them also. ************************* ARTICLE: TEN TOP MISTAKES SPEAKERS MAKE by Diane DiResta Whenever you're presenting, you're going to make mistakes. Sometimes the mistakes you make on the public speaking platform result from commonly held myths. At other times, mistakes might stem from ignorance or inexperience. Whatever the case, here are some of the most common mistakes speakers make. 1. Lack of preparation/Focus-If you're unprepared as a speaker, it shows. You must take the time to know your topic and to rehearse your presentation until you're comfortable with it. Practice your speech out loud, time it, and be prepared for questions afterward. To create focus, complete this sentence: At the end of the presentation the audience will__________. Build your points around your outcome. 2. Speaking too long-Starting and ending your presentation late shows a lack of respect for the audience. People have busy schedules. If your presentation is going to be delayed, make sure its not because of you. Allow time to get to the presentation early, and know how to cut and summarize the presentation if you sense you're running out of time. 3. Not knowing the audience-One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a presenter is not meeting the need of your audience. It's a great way to turn an otherwise receptive group into a hostile one. Don't talk over people's heads, but don't be too simplistic either. If you're giving the same speech to different groups, tailor it for each audience. 4. Projecting the wrong image-This is an instant credibility killer, and it's related to mistake No.3. A flashy outfit will not work if you're speaking to bankers. A slick, big city style doesn't do it for farmers in Kansas. Study the audience ahead of time and dress and present appropriately. 5. Using visual aids ineffectively-If you fumble with visual aids, you'll eventually lose credibility. Visuals should support and enhance the presentation, not take it over. Similarly, equipment that malfunctions can be disastrous to the speech. Check out all of our equipment before you speak, and have a backup plan in case the equipment fails. 6. Including too much material/Starting with detail-More is better, right? Not really. You can overwhelm the audience with too much data. Don't give them soup to nuts if you don't have enough time. People can't digest information if you give them too much to chew on, so give them the condensed version. If you do, you'll make your points more easily and be more memorable. 7. Using inappropriate humor-This mistake is also related to mistake number three. The mores concerning humor have changed. Audiences are politically sensitive. All it takes is one questionable joke or statement to turn people off. Never tell off-color jokes. The best bet is to poke fun at yourself or avoid jokes altogether. 8. Speaking in a monotone-Audience members will be bored if you're a monotone speaker. Too many speakers fail to realize the importance the tone of their voice plays in the success of their presentation. 9. Speaker-centered/No relationship with the audience-To be effective as a speaker, you must connect with your audience. If you're self-absorbed and you simply recite a speech, you'll soon be talking in a vacuum. No one will be listening. Too many presenters start with their agenda and then wonder why they don't get the desired response from the audience. Surprisingly, many salespeople are speaker-centered. They're so interested in pushing their product that they forget about the buyers needs. Begin your presentation from the listeners point of view and continue to address what's important to them. 10. Offering weak evidence-Some speakers don't support their ideas with solid data or evidence They expect the audience to take things on faith. If your presentation is sketchy or lacks substance, flesh it out and fill in the details. It's not enough to present your points; you must build a case. How? By including statistics, personal stories, examples, analogies, demonstrations, pictures, testimonials, conceptual models, and historical data. Construct a frame, then build the house. Diane DiResta is professional speaker, trainer, coach, and author of "Knockout Presentations: How to Deliver Your Message with Power, Punch, and Pizzazz." Diane can be reached at 718 273-8627 or e-mail at diane@diresta.com. To order: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1886284253/o/speakerservices. ********************************* QUOTATIONS FOR SPEECHES excerpted from "Presentations: Proven Techniques for Creating Presentations That Get Results " by Daria Price Bowman. To order: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1558507981/speakerservices Presenters find it's helpful to borrow words of others to begin or close their remarks, to make a point, or to add a little humor or poignancy. Good presenters keep a stash of pithy or pointed quotations to put spice into their mix of words. When using a quotation, you may want to introduce it with the following phrases: € A wise person once said... € (Name of person quoted) once said... € I read that... € I've heard that... € Someone once said.... If you feel the need to change the quotation, you might say: € (Name) once offered this advice € I read something that impressed me. It goes something like this € There's an old saying that goes something like this € To paraphrase (name)... RESOURCES: € Bartlett's Familiar Quotations : A Collection of Passages, Phrases, and Proverbs Traced to Their Sources in Ancient and Modern Literature http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0316082775/n/speakerservices € 1,001 Great Pick-Up Lines http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0451177622/speakerservices € 100 Ways to Keep Your Soul Alive : Living Deeply and Fully Every Day http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0062510509/n/speakerservices € 1001 Reasons to Think Positive : Special Insights to Achieve a Better Attitude Toward Life http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0684830205/speakerservices € 14,000 Quips and Quotes for Writers and Speakers http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0517427125/speakerservices € 2,715 One-Line Quotations for Speakers, Writers and Raconteurs http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0517682362/speakerservices € 3,500 Good Quotes for Speakers http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385177690/speakerservices ********************************* SPEAKER INQUIRY FORM I created this handy form for my speakers. I suggest that you print it out and use it to keep yourself organized. >From "Market Yourself as a Speaker Resource & Study Guide," compiled by Susan Levin. To order: http://speakerservices.com/products/handbook.html Date Caller¹s name and title: Tel# ( ) FAX: ( ) E-Mail: Name of organization: Type of organization or business: Date of meeting: Type of meeting: ____ breakfast _____ luncheon _____ dinner Purpose of meeting: _______ convention _______ weekly, monthly, annual meeting ________award meeting, banquet ________trade show Program theme: Presentation title: How long is the presentation? What will be happening during your presentation? _______ Free presentation______ Paid presentation $ _______ Send an audio or video demo _____ Press kit May you bring back-of-the room products? ( books, tapes etc.) Will they provide a table for your products? Will they provide a lectern, microphone, overhead or slide projector? Number of Attendees Average age? % male to female How will they publicize the event? Do they have a newsletter? Will they provide you with a written testimony for your press kit? Organizations Address City St Zip Tel # ( ) Fax# ( ) E-Mail Address Program Chair¹s name How did they hear about you? ______ Referral ______Speaker¹s Directory _______Website ______ Advertisement ______ Mailer _______ Bureau Other Meeting location: Address: City: State: Zip: Tel # ( ) Speaker checklist: Send: audio or video demo, press kit, photo, introduction date sent: ____ Date to call back to confirm: ______Written confirmation and (contract) rec¹d from organization with directions, date: ________ ********************************* 20 WAYS TO PLAN FOR FUN AND EXCITEMENT AT MEETINGS by Tom Antion 1. Engage an entertaining speaker/humorist--Speakers and humorists provide more than just entertainment. By definition a speaker/humorist provides some percentage of meaningful message that's delivered with humor. 2. Engage a comedian--Comedians normally provide 100 percent entertainment with little or no message. 3. Announce a mystery guest--a mystery guest could be a real celebrity, a top industry figure or a celebrity impersonator. Keep your eyes open for celebrities who may be in the area at the time of your meeting. These people may be willing to stop by for some extra publicity. 4. Plant shills in the crowd--Hire an actor or enlist a boisterous friend to heckle the speaker. Of course, this should be coordinated with the speaker. Funny lines and responses could be written for both the speaker and heckler. 5. Plan audience gags--Solicit fun audience members to participate in funny situations. For instance, audience members could be recruited to jump up and run out of the room when it is announced that IRS investigators have just entered the building. 6. Plan icebreakers--Icebreakers are activities designed to get members of the audience interacting and meeting one another. A simple one would be to hand out several decks of cards (depending on the size of the audience). Each person takes a card. Then each audience member goes around introducing themselves. At the same time they are seeking out four other people to make the best poker hand. Give out prizes to the winning hand(s). A great resource for icebreakers is the four volume set of Games Trainers Play. 7. Convention updates--Things happening at the convention are highlighted (usually by a comedian using a newscaster format). These updates are a few minutes each and done at each general session. This is done every year at the National Speakers Association Convention and brings down the house. 8. Pass out beach balls-- Audience members will toss the balls around in large general sessions before the program starts--You see this being done all the time at large sporting events. Don't do this in rooms where tables are set because things will get knocked over. 9. Hold a "safe" murder mystery--"Safe" means that no one commits a murder which scares the crowd to death. You simply announce that one of the staff, association members, employees etc. is missing and the audience will all become detectives during the time of the conference. Give prizes to the best detectives. 10. Stuff helium balloons with special prizes--Everyone loves balloons, especially if they can pop them and get a prize. They also make a festive atmosphere in the room. 11. Build large balloon sculptures--The sculptures could be your company logo or some other pertinent symbol. (This will require a team of balloon experts). 12. Hold contests--Kareoke and lip sync teams are lots of fun and very popular. Other examples could be indoor miniature golf, bowling, first person seated at sessions etc.. 13. Do the opposite--Hold an indoor picnic when it's freezing outside or hold a Holiday party in July. 14. Set up carnival games--Many companies make complete indoor carnival set-ups available for conventions and meetings. 15. Set-up weird attractions--Human bowling, Velcro jumping, and cash cubes are all goofy, but fun attractions for your participants. 16. Hire costumed theme characters--Ben Franklin is perfect for Philadelphia, George Washington for D.C. etc. 17. Hire other characters--Strolling mimes, jugglers, stilt walkers and clowns always draw lots of attention. 18. Plan for fun foods--Caterers can make special candies, cakes or other foods that match the theme of your conference. I stayed at The Peabody hotel recently. This hotel has a duck for it's mascot. Everything in the hotel including the butter is shaped like a duck. Of all the hotels I've ever stayed in, this is the only hotel that I can really remember. 19. Give everyone lightsticks--This would be fun in a large general session or if the attendees are going to a night time attraction. 20. Print T-shirts--Each division could be issued a different color etc. Put some fun design or company specific saying on each shirt. 21. (I'm sneaking in an extra one because It's my policy to always give you more than expected) Distribute a convention or meeting newsletter--Always include funny items that are happening during the convention. Tom is a speaker and author of Wake 'Em Up!­­ How to use humor and other professional techniques to create alarmingly good Business Presentations. E-mail tomantion@aol.com. To order: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0926395122/speakerservices ********************************* USING E-ZINE ADVERTISING TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS The E-Commerce Advisor by Joan Sotkin To subscribe to The E-Commerce Advisor: Send e-mail to join-eca@sotkin.com Obviously, in order to grow your business and direct traffic to your Website, you have to do online promotion and advertising. To reach targeted groups of your potential clients, advertising in e-zines/newsletters can be very effective if you choose the publications carefully. People subscribe to e-zines because they have an interest in the topic. If your product or service matches the interests of a particular group, then even if they are a small subscriber base, they are prospects for you. Some e-zines are loaded with advertisements and accept any kind of ad. Others, like this one, only have one or two carefully screened main advertisers and do not accept MLM and get-rich-quick ads. Newsletter publishers, especially those with new publications, will often trade ads with other publishers. This is a great way to promote your business without having to spend anything but time. E-Zine Resources List City is a free directory of e-zines that accept advertising. It is available by e-mail. This directory includes advertising rates, contact information, circulation numbers, URLs, subscription instructions and more. To get your copy, send e-mail to listcity@mailback.com. (It is an autoresponder.) mailto:listcity@mailback.com The Directory of E-zines. It's an online database that indexes, by topic, e-zines that accept free and paid advertising. Each listing includes important details such as publication date, ad deadlines, ad rates, circulation, payment options, subscribe instructions and the home URL. http://www.lifestylespub.com or e-mail:rutht@mail2.clarityconnect.com "DEMC's E-Magazine" DEMC focuses on small business and entrepreneurial issues. DEMC will keep you and your business on the cutting edge with insightful tips, reviews, and feature articles. With a circulation of over 300,000, it's one of the most popular ezines anywhere. You should definitely check this one out! To subscribe: http://www.demc.com, Or email: mailto:Subscribe@demc2.com Dr. Ralph F. Wilson's "Web Marketing Today" It has always been my favorite and is sure to become one of yours, as well. Dr. Wilson archives this e-zine at his site. His writing style, candor, consistency, knowledge, and ability to explain things to the proverbial 4-year old is second to none. Check this one out right now. To subscribe: http://www.wilsonweb.com/wmt/ Or email: mailto:join-web-marketing@sparklist.com Jim Wilson's "VirtualPROMOTE Gazette" I've always enjoyed this e-zine for its content and dry wit. There's plenty of resources here. Another thing I like about Jim's e-zine is the familiarity that he promotes for those who write articles for it. To explain, Jim has a group of people that submit a continuing series of articles to his e-zine. One guy, "The Hitman," is on article #40-something in the series. As a result, you get to know, like and look forward to "The Hitman's" articles. To subscribe: http://virtualpromote.com/gazetteform.html . Or email: mailto:webmaster@virtualpromote.com subject: "subscribe" The Newsletter Library: http://www.newsletter-library.com/index.htm This is not a free service, but it is not clear from their web site what the costs are. There is a small setup fee, and I assume a charge for each subscriber they enlist for you. Make sure you understand all of the charges before signing up. Directory of Electronic Journals, Newsletters and Academic Discussion Lists http://www.arl.org/scomm/edir/template.html A periodic list of publications published by the Association of Research Libraries. Directory of Electronic Journals and Newsletters: http://www.coalliance.org/ Database published by the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries. WWW Virtual Library Electronic Journals List: http://www.edoc.com/ejournal/ Database of journals. Part of the WWW Virtual Library. NewJour: http://gort.ucsd.edu/newjour/submit.html NewJour is the place to announce your newly planned, newly issued, or revised ELECTRONIC NETWORKED journal or newsletter. It is specially dedicated for those who wish to share information in the planning, gleam-in-the-eye stage or at a more mature stage of publication development and availability. Newsletter Access: http://www.newsletteraccess.com/ This index of 5,000 e-zines will list your zine for free, but if you want to include an email address and/or URL, that will cost you $19.95 per year. World Search Center: http://www.worldsearchcenter.com/ Nice directory of sites and you can add your site to the appropriate category. Looks to me like this will be a good traffic generator for us all. CanadaOne: http://www.canada.com/ With 100 million pages indexed, this is a Must Submit engine. Takes 2 days to 2 weeks to spider your site and add it to the index. OneKey: http://www.onekey.com/ A general directory of sites. Server is fast and layout is good, so worth a look and submission. SearchLynx: http://www.shaned.com/ A brand new directory of websites. Categories for just about any kind of site. Add yours free. MORE RESOURCES: ExpoWorld.net: http://www.expoworld.net Everything you need to plan an event is only a couple of mouse clicks away on this event planning mega site. ExpoWorld.net is basically a directory of directories that links to over 500 of the most important event-related search tools serving the events and international trade community. In addition to a central search and discover directory, ExpoWorld.net also provides users with the option to register for email updates when new listings are added to the site. The directory is organized by geography, source type and industry. ************************* Books & Audio Tapes We Recommend Knockout Presentations. How to deliver your message with power, punch and pizzazz by Diane Diresta, Chandler Press House, 1998. Whether speaking one-on-one before a large audience, you are making a presentation-of both your ideas and yourself. Now you can dazzle any audience with the expert advice and creative ideas Diane DiResta has used to train thousands of business people and celebrities in the art and skill of delivering Knockout Presentations. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1886284253/o/speakerservices Want to find out what motivates the top speakers? A must read is Success Secrets of the Motivational Superstars by Michael Jeffreys. Jeffreys has interviewed 15 top motivational speakers in America-including Anthony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, Jack Canfield, Art Linkletter-to learn how they prepare themselves to speak, how they pick their topics, how they keep their audiences attentive and what makes them successful. To order: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0761506128/speakerservices Essential Business Tatics for the Net by Larry Chase. Chase reveals the insider's secrets and tips garnered to exploit the Net for all its worth. To order: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0471257222/speakerservices GROW YOUR BUSINESS THROUGH SPEAKING-3 Audio Tapes Conley Falk, Michael Jeffreys and Joyce Schwarz share secrets that will help effectively build your business with speaking. If your business depends on your ability to communicate and speak effectively, you will find this information invaluable. On this tape, you will hear: Tape 1: Conley Falk: Speak Like a Pro Whether you are conducting business meetings, selling products or services, public speaking or giving presentations, you can be more effective if you speak like a pro. Conley is a speech coach who works with individuals and Fortune 500 companies. Tape 2: Michael Jeffrey's: Success Secrets of the Motivational Superstars Discover the real secrets of the superstars of the speaking world. Michael is a speaker and author of four books and several audio and video tapes. Tape 3: Joyce Schwarz: Future Trends -- What's Hot, What's Not The latest information on the new businesses, careers, technologies and money making ideas for the new millennium. Joyce is a speaker, author and career packager. She works with entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies as a new technology and trends analyst. To order: http://speakerservices.com/products/index.html ************************* SPONSOR THIS NEWSLETTER! Get your message out to speakers and meeting planners in this fast growing newsletter. $25 a month, limit to 6 lines of text­­6 issues $125 paid in advance. E-mail susan@speakersewrvices.com for number of subscribers, payment information etc. Previous issues are available at http://speakerservices.com/nl/index.html To contribute information to this newsletter send via e-mail to: susan@speakerservices.com. Letters and comments are happily accepted. To remove yourself from this newsletter send an e-mail message to susan@speakerservices.com with remove in subject. ************************ Meeting planners looking for speakers for free and fee or entertainers for your programs check out our Internet Edition of Speaker Services: http://speakerservices.com. Speakers and entertainers great our introductory photo-listing rates for the Internet Edition of Speaker Services: http://speakerservices.com. Presentation skills and marketing workshops offered in the Los Angeles area. Customized trainings available. ************************ Speaker Services Susan Levin 4023 Meier Street La, CA 90066 310-822-4922 Toll free- 877-773-2800 e-mail: susan@speakerservices.com website: http://speakerservices.com