SPEAKER SERVICES NEWSLETTER, February 2003
http://speakerservices.com
To unsubscribe: Remove in subject line
Get Listed in the Directory:
http://speakerservices.com/adv_pkt.html
Content:
1. New & Renewing Speakers
2. A Note from the Publisher, Susan Levin
3. Promotions/Advertising
4. Tips and Advice
5. Articles:
3. Meditation Ruined My Mind, Fred Miller
4. Improve Self-Confidence and Competence With Mental Rehearsal, Lynn Joseph, Ph.D.
*****************************************
New & Renewing Speakers for FEBRUARY '03
See Entire List of Speakers
http://speakerservices.com/categories/allspeak.html
Whitey Brewer: http://speakerservices.com/free/brewer.w.html
Use Body Linguistics to work smarter and conquer difficulties in
every area of your life
Dolores Kaytes: http://speakerservices.com/free/kaytes_d.html
Professional organizer frees clients from clutter, storage
problems, paper and information overload
John Loftus:
http://speakerservices.com/free/loftus_j.html
Home-finance whiz takes the mythology
out of mortgages
Ed Nohilly:
http://speakerservices.com/free/nohilly_e.html
Investing author coaches audiences on
how to "quarterback" their investment plans
************************************************
A Note from the Publisher, Susan Levin
How do you like our new ezine news format? I am thrilled that the
readers are taking the lead and submitting tips, advice and articles. We learn
a lot form our colleagues.
Whether you are a beginning or advanced speaker Speaker Services
can assist you in your speaking needs. Our team of experts offer classes,
private consultations and customized trainings on presentation, sales, media,
marketing, branding, book mentoring and book shepherding to support you in all
aspects of your businesses.
We
are expanding our services. To include a series of classes for authors called
Authors Speakeasy. In an all day interactive seminar, Saturday, March 15 in Los
Angeles Jack Barnard will be teaching authors how to do media interviews, book
signings and presentations as well as presentation skills. Please contact me
you have a need for this service. I know that authors are not always speakers
and could use some coaching to be their very best. Let us assist you.
Our online web directory since '94 http://speakerservices.com is a
marketing venue for you to reach audiences that are looking for quality
speakers. The planners call you directly and you do your own bookings. We
charge a flat fee to be listed see Get Listed in the Directory:
http://speakerservices.com/adv_pkt.html for rates and the advertising packet.
We
post new speakers every month and our deadlines are always the 15th of each
month. Interested? Call me 310-822-4922 for the condensed version of the
guidelines for a listing.
We'll
be exhibiting at the 2003 Mega Book Marketing University in Los Angeles the end
of March with Mark Victor Hansen. See information below for registration.
Mention Speaker Services and get a free report.
Best
regards,
Susan
Levin
Speaker
Services
________________________________
Get Listed
in the Directory:
Deadline
for listing 15th of each month for the following month
http://speakerservices.com/adv_pkt.html
Speaker
Services since '92 supports professional people in growing their business
through speaking.
_________________________________
PROMOTIONS/ADVERTISING
Your
clients can transform old habits. Mission Control has developed approaches that will enable your clients
to become the author of their life and feel powerful in the face of everything
there is to do and handle in life! Click now to learn more about our partner
program http://www.missioncontrol.com\salespartners
_________________________________
Are you a
sales or telephone rep, engineer, attorney, CEO or a professional whose
business requires you to speak? Do you want to take your presentations to the next level? Allow
Jeff Venanzi to coach and prepare you to win. Jeff resides in Irvine, CA and
for the past 10 years has coached individuals and companies. Clients include
Abbott Labs, Vicon Software, Ebbert Co, L & N Uniform. Call Jeff for a 10
minute FREE consultation, 949-250-1858 or check him out at
www.Speechspecialists.net.
_________________________________
Book
Mentoring: Total Support, coaches
authors through every phase of the book-writing process, from focusing the
idea to getting published. This intense, personal program is geared to those
who know they have a book in them but need help getting started. Authors learn
how to clarify their idea, plan the book, find their voice, research and conduct
interviews, organize large amounts of material and overcome “writer's
block” (easily dissolved) and the inner critic that feeds procrastination.
Students break the fear barrier and begin writing the book they've held inside
for years. Jean-Noel Bassior, 310-285-3009, jeannoel@earthlink.net
_________________________________
"People
appreciate our newsletter," says John Alston, CSP, CPAE. "They say
it's of value to them. It
adds to our professionalism. It's more of an investment than an expense. It
generates good will and bookings." Hire Jeff
Rubin to get
similar results from your newsletter. Great sample packet. Jeff Rubin,
877/588-1212;
jeff@put-it-in-writing.com. http://www.put-it-in-writing.com
_________________________________
ATTENTION:
Members of the L.A. speaking community.......
Don't miss
Terry Braverman's new audio book CD release party, based on his amazon.com best
selling paperback book, "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Lighten
Up!" (ranked in the top 5% of sales on amazon for over four years).
Saturday, February 15, 5-9PM. Food, fun & Valentine's weekend frolic!
Please RSVP, or for more info: tbraverman@attbi.com
_________________________________
2003 MEGA
BOOK MARKETING UNIVERSITY, Mark Victor Hansen
The only event
where bestsellers are created, discovered and launched! If you've ever wanted
to write a book... have a great idea for a book... or are already published and
simply want to sell more books,
Attend the
Mega Book Marketing University on March 28-30 in Los Angeles and learn from 10
of the publishing industry's most renowned experts.
Secure your
spot now! CALL OR CLICK: http://www.megabookmarketing.com or call
1-800-433-2314. Tell them you heard about it from Speaker Services
and they will
send you a FREE report.
**************************************
TIPS and
ADVICE
Increase
Your Bookings by Hitting an Octopus
Yes! You do
have 10 Arms
Romanus Wolter
(Romanus@kickstartguy.com)
If you hit an
Octopus on it's head, its tentacles spread out. This action can increase your
speaking opportunities while saving you time and money. Create an Octopus event
by discovering one organization that hits lots of your customers. Then, focus
on benefit by answering the question, "How can you help the organization
and its members succeed?"
For instance,
a client of mine is an environmental consultant and speaker. When he wanted to
increase his bookings, I simply asked, "What is a great Octopus organization
for you?" He quickly replied, "The Sierra Club, they have over 50,000
members I would love to meet." He contacted the club and found out that
they were trying to raise money for a neighborhood park. He offered to create
an "environmental showcase" that offered information on the latest
environmentally safe products (and himself as a speaker).
As the
organizer, his name was mentioned in the clubs web site and newsletter. And on
the day, the audience was made up of environmentalists, businesses interested
in the environment, and other environmental club members-the very people he was
trying to target individually. Hit the Octopus on top of its head and let its
tentacles work for you!
____________________
One
manuscript equals numerous products
Paulette
Ensign (paulette@tipsbooklets.com)
Leverage one
tips booklet manuscript into other products once you create that booklet from
your speeches, articles, or books. 'Slice and dice' the manuscript into a
tip-a-day inspirational card deck, calendar, note pad, poster, CD, audio tape,
or any other product that makes sense for your
business. This
is a great way to expand and vary your product line with differently priced
items that appeal to various budgets and various learning styles of your
audience. Your products will serve as both a marketing tool for your business
and a direct source of revenue.
____________________
Three
Movements to TUNE UP!
Freddie
Ravel (Ravelation@aol.com)
1. Your
First Note!
Before any symphony orchestra in the world plays their very first note, they do something very few organizations do-they TUNE UP! That's right! These master musicians would not dream of collaborating with their other surrounding colleagues until they KNOW they are right on pitch. If we apply this metaphor to personal responsibility, imagine what kind of world we would have. People would TUNE UP before they enter work, personal and family relationships.
2. Madness
to Melody
In order to TUNE Up we must prioritize our goals and make Melody out of the Madness. As the great composer, Igor Stravinsky once said, "Give me Boundaries so that I can be free", LIMIT your choices to the GEMS and true passions of your life. Take one action daily towards attaining that true song of your soul and you will be on the road from Madness to Melody.
3. In TUNE
Becoming in tune allows you to focus and clarify your goals. I
find that a brief, daily morning meditation keeps my in tune.
Consider taking a moment to allow your melody, your life’s
purpose and your mission statement to become crystallized. This is a most
liberating and life-empowering state to arrive at and this renewed clarity will
not only benefit your personal life but everyone else you work around you as
you Tune Up to Success!
____________________
Always have
an extra amount of material ready to present at a moment's notice.
Mitch
Krayton
(wizard@digital-res.com)
Be prepared. I
recently spoke where I was to moderate a panel. The panel never showed. Because
I took the extra effort to research the group and its issues, I was able to
speak on point and provide what some said was an even better presentation than
they expected from the panel. Always have an extra amount of material ready to
present at a moment's notice. Those speech nuggets you put away will yield big
dividends in an emergency.
____________________
How to Get
Your Audience to Take Home Your Handout
Michael
Losier
(michaeltci@teleclassinternational.com)
I gave a
presentation to the Victoria Chamber of Commerce, an audience of 110. As each
person came into the room I personally greeted them, building rapport and
increasing my comfort level with my audience. I gave them a handout (which I
called a worksheet). The worksheet had all my
contact
information, and inside were blanks that needed to be filled in. One of the
blanks was '3 words to eliminate from your vocabulary so you can stop
attracting what you do not want.'
Even before
the presentation, I could hear a 'buzz' as participants were trying to guess
the 3 words. As I delivered the presentation, I said a number of times,
"I'd like you to write this down." . and they did. I was not
surprised to see that 100% of the handouts were taken home, due to the fact
that they wrote something on their handout. I've been to many presentations at Chamber
meetings only to see other presenters' materials were left behind and unopened.
______________________
Entertaining
for Business
Farla
Binder (FarlaB@aol.com)
Entertaining
for business allows you to connect with others in a totally relaxed atmosphere
away from the pressures of the office. People want to do business with people
they have relationships with. Entertaining for Business is profitable,
enjoyable and beneficial to you and your associates.
Celebrate with
co-workers and employees at holiday parties, company picnics and annual events.
When you celebrate together, employees get to know who you are you and feel
appreciated. Take advantage of a business party to meet new associates and
reconnect with people you haven’t seen for a while.
Keep a list
handy of the names and telephone numbers of your favorite good restaurants.
They should be easy to reach.
______________________
When you
are doing a presentation with PowerPoint, remember the obvious
Frank S.
Adamo (frank@best-intl.com)
I saw a
professional speaker step in front of the projector to address the other side
of the audience. This is distracting in two ways. First, there's a bright image
of the screen on the speaker's body and, second, the speaker's shadow is
projected onto the screen. To prevent this, position the projector so it is to
one side of your speaking area or walk in front of the projector to address the
other side of the audience.
In another
presentation, I saw the speaker try to cover the projector with an object to
blank the screen which was also distracting. Sometimes speakers will purposely
insert a blank slide when they intend to stop the presentation for a short time
or when finished showing the slides. When using PowerPoint, you can merely
press [B] to blank the screen. Press [B] to reactivate the screen. You can also
toggle between "W" to show a white blank screen.
______________________
Listening
skills are vital
Greg Mooers
(gmgm@gte.net)
How does it
feel when someone is deeply interested in you without an ulterior motive? Feels
Great!, Right? So, how do you get people to be interested in you?... Get
interested in them. This is a paradox, but it works:
Whenever I
want to boost my client base or improve a relationship I go out and get in
service to someone THAT I WANT TO BE AROUND (someone I admire, not someone that
always seems to need help). Ultimate, somehow, weirdly... I end up with more.
Who'da thunk!?
Listening is a
muscle in your body... and the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets: so
strong, it acts like magnet that attracts great people. Don't take my word for
it... prove it in the laboratory of your life.
______________________
Soulful
Messages
Tomlin
Demetrius Campbell
(DieeYou@aol.com)
On Purpose:
When you reach the
point where you must write that book, must teach our children, must share your
uniqueness, and nothing else will quench your thirst, then you have truly
discovered a priceless gift: your purpose on this earth.
On
Self-empowerment:
Self-criticism drains our power. It leads to a loss of energy, poor health,
downward spiraling. We criticize ourselves because we expect perfection rather
than progress. We don't have to be perfect. We only
need to be.
That's perfect enough.
____________________
Be An
Invitational Speaker
Mike
Moore (mikemoore@motivationalplus.com)
To avoid a
negative audience response to a point you are making or an opinion you are
sharing, be invitational. Before I speak I always invite my audience to
consider the points I am about to make. "If what I have to say rings true
for you then buy into it. If it doesn't then reject it. If you
are challenged
by what I have to say then let the challenge move you to growth."
By inviting
your audience to consider your message you are
respecting
their freedom to choose and aren't imposing your ideas on them. People tend to
resist imposition. If someone challenges me in question period I try to clarify
and explain. If they continue to resist and want to argue the point I just tell
them that if they aren't comfortable with the
idea then
reject it. It obviously doesn't jive with their life experience. I want to
share ideas respecting the experiences of others. I don't want to impose my
ideas on anyone. I have found this highly effective in eliminating audience
resistance.
____________________
Never miss
an opportunity to spend some time in the Ladies Room
Alice Aspen
March (aa.march@verizon.net )
Never miss an
opportunity to spend some time in the Ladies Room (if you are of the female
gender) during an intermission in your program or at the end of your program,
for marvelous events often happen there. I was giving three programs in
Arizona: one before lunch, the key-note during lunch, and a program following
lunch. A woman said to me while washing her hands," I've learned more from
you in the two hours I've heard you speak than in two years of therapy. "
I'm sure that I never would have heard that had I not been sharing a sink with
her in that particular room. I indeed felt very successful.
____________________
Invest in
your client
Dr. Nina
Craft (drneen@bigplanet.com)
It costs time
and money on your part to solicit new clients and build trust. But what about
the client's investment in the relationship? To create customized solutions,
the client has to be involved and share intimate information. The more effort a
client invests in teaching you about her business, the greater her stake is in
making the relationship work. Your client will find it easier to stay loyal
than to teach your competitor what she taught you. So stay in touch with your
client and help her to help you. Do whatever it takes to maintain your
relationship.
____________________
Michelle Howe
(http://speakerservices.com/free/howe_m.html)
Do you know what ethical
behavior is? Ethics authority Michael Josephson has an excellent explanation:
“Ethical behavior involves four principles: honesty, integrity, fairness,
and concern for others. These four principles are like the four legs of a
stool. If even one leg is missing, the stool wobbles, and if two are missing,
the stool falls. It’s not enough to pride oneself on your honesty and
integrity if you’re not fair or caring.”
Ethical behavior in
business has been a topic of great concern lately. Looking back at the last
year, it seems that “business and ethics” are contradictory terms.
Between Enron, WorldCom, and other companies being investigated for
questionable business practices, it is indeed depressing. It looks like the
“greed is good” era of the 1980s has not left us after all.
Our business leaders are
turning out to be crooks and you would think this would encourage people to be
more ethical in their behavior. But, it can just as easily be used as an excuse
for continuing their bad behavior. What’s a little padding of the expense
account when the president has a weekly paycheck being sent to his mistress?
Employees begin to feel no remorse for their little indiscretion when comparing
it to what they see the company leaders doing.
Managers might be
inadvertently encouraging unethical behavior by demanding more work from a
smaller, downsized staff. It is not unreasonable for employees to try to
increase productivity any way they can, ethical or not, when they are being
pressured by management to meet company goals. The message becomes, “Go
ahead, its OK to lie, steal, cheat, whatever it takes to meet your
goals.”
As the economy dips back
and forth, we need to take a look at ourselves and make sure that we
don’t slip into unethical behavior just because it appears easy to get
away with it. One area you might want to improve is your business
communication.
Here are five tips to help
you become an ethical business communicator: (source: Business
Communication, Process & Product, Mary Ellen Guffy, 2000)
(1) Tell the truth. Do not make statements that are deceptive or
untrue. Half-truths and exaggerations are also unethical.
(2)
Label opinions. Don't try to pass off an opinion as a fact. Do your
research and make sure you aren't just repeating someone else's opinion.
(3) Be objective. Do recognize that your biases may show up in your writing. Even if
you feel strongly about a topic, it is your ethical responsibility to be
objective in the way you present the information.
(4)
Communicate clearly. Do write in such a way that your message is understood
easily and quickly. Use words that are easy for the reader to understand.
Don't intentionally bombard the reader with long confusing sentences or terms
the reader wouldn't understand.
(5)
Give credit. Don't plagiarize. Most people know to use quotes when you are using
the author's exact words. But I've found many people don't realize they also
need to give credit for ideas. Reworking a sentence and adding a few words
of your own to the original text is still plagiarism if you don't give credit
to the author.
Being an ethical
communicator is not only necessary; it is the right thing to do. Lead by
example. Your success in business, by being ethical in all your business
dealings, will encourage others to follow your example
____________________
"It takes
two to speak the truth -- one to speak and other to hear it." Henry David
Thoreau
Amy Frost (Merm8de1@aol.com)
I believe that
being a heart-centered listener is critical to being an effective
facilitator. I was giving my
"Handling Difficult People" workshop to a group of 30 people who were
very angry. My intention was to create a space where they could talk and be
heard. Upset came forward and I listened. The wounds opened up, they told their
stories and worked together on solutions. The anger turned to laughter.
After I was
done, the maddest, biggest (6 foot 20 inches) fellow in the group came up to
me. He talked about how he was demoted six months ago and no one was listening
to him and he was continuously upset. He started to cry and I listened. He said
he would get some counseling which until now he was against. He said he
didn’t want to hurt someone or get himself fired. He committed to get
help and walked out calm and relieved. I was able to help the entire group come
to AH HA moments by holding in courage and using my listening skills as a tool
to assist the learning process.
____________________
7 Steps to Being a
Consultant vs. Another Sales Rep
Stephen Tako. (ADS4STEPH@aol.com)
During a recent lecture
with a professional club in Valencia, CA, we came up with a list of 7 items
to help us differentiate ourselves as consultants to our clients. This way we would be a useful resource
to our customers instead of just another sales person “ selling ”
seminar services or educational materials.
1)
Communicate - Keep the door
open at all times. Listen to the customer and make sure they listen to you.
Write plenty of notes while they talk.
2)
Ask Open-ended Questions -
Probe. Find out what they want or need instead of guessing. Ask questions that
do not allow them to answer with a simple yes or no. Make the client explain to
you what they need.
3)
Know Where to Find Answers -
You won't always have the answer, so instead of sending them on a hunt for
information, look into it yourself. You will learn something new in the
process. Be a great resource.
4)
Share Knowledge - As a
consultant, you want to share what you know to gain their trust and respect.
However, walk the fine line carefully so you are not taken advantage of. Since
you are an expert in your field, can you charge for your consulting time?
Sometimes
the payment is simply giving you the business. However, professional lecturers
can decide to charge for consulting prior to conducting a seminar for a client.
Offering consulting will enable a prospective client the opportunity to learn
more about your abilities. This in turn will allow them to feel more
comfortable hiring you to speak in front of their organization.
5)
Be Available - If you are in
the field without a pager or cell phone, it may be very frustrating to your
clients. If you set an appointment, do your best to keep the appointment and be
on time if not early.
6)
Listen to What They Want, Sell Them What You Have - After listening to your clients or prospects,
direct them to your best products or services fitting their needs. A great
consultant avoids selling the customer more than what they want or need. That
is, if they ever want to work with that customer again in the future. Avoid
selling a 4-hr seminar when a 2-hr seminar is sufficient.
7)
Budget - Find out if your
client has a budget and work within the budget. What if there is no budget?
A good consultant will help them build one conducive to their organization's
needs. Lowering your price takes value away from your work; not only in your
client's mind, but also in your mind. If your client falls short of funds,
shorten your lecture or the amount of materials you provide.
____________________
Why Write a
Sales Letter for Each Product?
Judy Cullins
(judy@bookcoaching.com)
People are
buying products, especially books, on the net in exploding numbers, but most
Author/Speaker Web sites miss out on this opportunity. They put up an
attractive, creative Web site, but without the all-important first class,
must-buy-now sales letter, sales will be minimal.
In your sales
letter include these:
____________________
The Seven
Habits of Highly Effective Speakers
Sandra Schrift
(sandra@schrift.com)
Successful
speakers do not necessarily do all the right things all the time. They often
take risks and risk bombing. But all highly successful speakers take action,
mostly daily, to move towards their goals with lots of course adjustments. Here
are seven ways to be a highly effective speaker.
_____________________
Stop the
"Send Me Information" Game
Ari Galper
(http://speakerservices.com/free/galper_a.html)
What do
most of us do when a prospect calls with enthusiasm requesting information
about our products or services? After an attempt to ask probing questions, we typically send the
information, because we don't want to be perceived as uncooperative, deflating
the enthusiasm of the call.
After we
send the information, then what do we do? We chase down the client with phrases like "just
calling to follow-up" or "what do you think about the
information?" -- that's of course, if we don't get "blocked" by
their voice mail.
The famous
"send me information” request is where the cycle of frustration
begins. We become
forced to chase a prospect, triggering the negative image of a sales person
(regardless if you are officially in sales or not).
The
question is, if the prospect has our information, why do they need us? We assume they want to hear from us,
so we begin the pursuit that creates sales pressure.
What could be
the three hidden agendas behind your prospect's request for information?
1) They need your information to shop some
place else
2) They don't want to talk to you any
longer, so they politely ask you to send information
3) They are genuinely interested in your
product or service
So how do
we discover our prospect's true agenda behind "send me information",
while still generating a positive impression?
Here are
some key phrases to better manage the "request for information"
interaction:
"I'd be happy to send you information...please help me understand what your specific needs might be first, so I don't send general information that misses the mark" (This should generate deeper discussion so you can unravel key qualifying information -- i.e. budget, time frame, decision making process, next step etc.)
OR
"Sure, if you wouldn't mind sharing with me, are you in 'shopping' mode or are you serious about finding a solution to your issues? The reason I ask is that many people call for information without a serious intention to schedule a time to discuss their needs. Then we are forced to chase them down which can be uncomfortable for everyone. Does that make sense?" (This should quickly unravel the true agenda of the prospect giving you more control for your next step)
__________________
Mack Dryden
(http://speakerservices.com/fee/dryden_m.html)
I was
speaking to an association of business forecasters, and a running joke/lament
among them was that—since their predictions were only
estimates—they were always wrong. In my opening remarks, I told them that I could
relate: “I’m married.” The line brought the house down, of
course, because it had never occurred to them to put the two ideas together.
1.
Finding
a funny link between disparate ideas is one trick every humorist uses to get the Big Laugh.
Here are six more to help you break the ice with the best of them:
2. Put your antennae up and take note of what
EVERYONE sees and hears. Major
construction was underway at one hotel I worked. “Interesting system for
wake-up calls they have here,” I said with mock annoyance. “They
fire up the bulldozers at 6 a.m.”
3. Ask around to see if anything odd or funny has
happened. The previous night, the
HR Director had made a complete fool of himself at a karaoke party. During the
awards ceremony, I said, “The winners will receive this lovely trophy,
and the losers will listen to Harvey Schmidt* sing ‘My Way’”
(*name changed to protect my career).
4. Double-check your information. Your beautifully-crafted line about Bob falling
into the pool at the Christmas party will die a miserable death if the dipstick
who told you about it didn’t tell you that only two people in the room
even know Bob.
5. Keep an eye out for The Gorilla on the Couch,
i.e., that thing the meeting planner is vainly hoping no one notices. I followed columnist Robert Novak once, and the
audience could hardly see him because he eluded his “key” light
throughout his speech. I spoke to the lighting director, and after I’d
been onstage a few minutes I asked for “some Robert Novak
lighting.” The room was suddenly plunged into blackness except for a tiny
spot 30 feet away from me, and the audience went into convulsions. I kept the
laugh rolling by adding that Mr. Novak had apparently joined the Federal
Witness Relocation Program.
6. Study printed materials for esoteric lexicon. Until I worked for Anderson Windows, I didn’t
know there was a general term for a building’s windows and doors. So I
told them that until I studied up on their industry, I thought
“fenestration” was the process of sterilizing people from Finland.
7. Record what works, save the jewels and adjust
them to fit the situation. I
predict that one day an awards show audience is going to react deliriously when
I tell them the losers have to listen to somebody sing “My Way.”
So
with a little practice, you’ll instantly recognize a detail that’s
just begging to be turned into
a laugh. Then, when the set designer has used a long, oddly-shaped piece of
fabric, you’ll just have
to thank Cher for donating her Oscar outfit for the stage decorations.
*********************************************************
*********************************************************
Articles:
Funny Works
in the Workplace by
Claire Berger
You spend ten
to twelve hours a day in a dark room. Actually, it’s a series of rooms,
designed in a maze-like fashion with very little fresh air. You follow a
prescribed path from one room to another. You rarely stray from your familiar
surroundings. Sound like a rat’s maze? You bet. But upon a second
reading, consider how much this description may resemble your next business
meeting floor plan. If you are sadly nodding at the similarities, read on my
innovative planner. Your life is about to change for the better.
Post 9-11
paranoia and massive job layoffs have hardly laid the foundation for more joy
in the workplace. But, a rapidly growing group of professionals called Humor
Consultants know how to make things right. We are the experts hired by savvy
meeting planners in an effort to rejuvenate the traditional business meeting or
convention. Forward-thinking management knows that the time has never been
better to recreate a sense of joy in the workplace. "If not now, then
when?" says Betsy Kotin, a San Francisco executive with Two Worlds
Management,. "No one can deny what has happened to our world in the past
year but life must go on. People still need to show up for work and management
must take the lead to help their employees find renewed passion for their profession."
Humor
Consultants take the business of having fun very seriously. We are a unique
collection of comic and corporate minds with a unified goal: making your place
of business fun. Our training may include extensive experience in health care,
psychology, human resources or stand-up comedy. A Humor Consultant is very much
like any other kind of expert you would hire from the outside to fill an
essential void. If you find your company short on staff, you hire a temp. If
you find your company short on fun, you bring in a Humor Consultant to alter a
work environment.
Many
professionals still feel that having a sense of fun in the office diminishes
their power. The opposite is true. Just ask any successful sales man or woman.
They’ll tell you that a sense of humor is the most effective
interpersonal tool they’ve got." We must stop discounting humor and
begin using it as a serious business tool," says Judy Carter, a corporate
comic and author of "The Comedy Bible." "I’m not
suggesting that boasting about our bodily functions or telling dirty jokes at
the water cooler will secure a spot in the executive tower" Carter
reassures. " However, humor can be used effectively to put people at ease,
to broach a difficult subject, or to make a statement stronger. "Corporate
America must recognize our need—our right—to joke, to laugh, to
express ourselves in a humorous fashion."
Customized
humor at meetings and conventions has a measurable impact. It can ease tension,
fuel creativity and boost morale. When participants are happy, there is a
measurable increase in productivity and attendance. When the word spreads that
professionals are actually having fun, you’ll see a marked increase in
attendance and a decrease in sick days.
Medical
research has shown that a good belly laugh uses every large muscle in your
body. It makes your heart rate rise and increases the blood flow to your brain,
which boosts the oxygen in your system. Three minutes of hearty laughter
provides the same health benefit as three minutes on a rowing machine. What
would you rather do? A study from the Mayo Clinic revealed that laughter can
even temporarily increase the concentration of immuno globulin -A in your body
which helps you immune system fight off cold and flu symptoms - the number #1
reason employees call in sick.
Meetings and
conventions aren’t the only place to let loose and have fun. Creative
employee tributes are an entertaining way to acknowledge a job well done.
Charles Richards, Vice-President of Old Republic Title Company was
searching for
a way to honor a long-time employee as he approached retirement. "Our
boss, Dennis White deserved much more than a typical office send-off" said
Richards "so I hired a Humor Consulting firm to create a customized
tribute that was a living, breathing reminder of all the camaraderie and joy of
our years working together with him. I had many phone calls the next morning,
all raving about the tribute. Everyone felt it was the best retirement party
they had ever attended."
Hiring a Humor
Consultant is a win-win proposition for every manager. No one has ever
complained about having too much fun on the job. When Paul Zeger, co-owner of
Pacific Marketing, a California real estate company wanted to throw one big
birthday party to fete all 25 employees at once, he hired a Humor Consultant to
pull it all together. "The pressure was on to make it special. They made
me look like a creative genius. They helped me with the concept and then made
it happen in a humorous style beyond my wildest expectations." Zeger admits
" This is something I could never have pulled of on my own. Months later,
the entire company is still talking about all the fun they had, and what a
great guy (me!) they work for."
I’ve yet
to meet an individual who doesn’t want to have more fun. In my
experience, I have observed that laughter equals longevity, in work and in
life." My firm, FunnyWorks specializes in offbeat event planning.
We’ve sent seemingly conservative teams of conventioneers down the Las
Vegas strip in a frenzy to compete in a scavenger hunt, happily retrieving
everything from hot tamales to disposable diapers. Nothing is more
professionally gratifying than observing corporate big shots willing to shed
their self conscious business demeanor and just get goofy.
Claire
Berger has been a
stand-up comedian for over twenty years and is the founder of FunnyWorks,Inc.
(www.FunnyWorks.com) Her new book, "Funny Works! 52 Ways to Have More Fun
@ Work"is published by Seven Locks Press.
________________________
Three
Distinctions of Public Speaking
Danish
Ahmed, (danish@ordinarywords.com)
Why is it
important to distinguish the categories of public speaking? At one
point or
another, we'll find ourselves present in all three of these possible
situations. If we've ever thought, "this is so boring," or
"teach me something new," or "I don't feel like
participating," then these distinctions are for us. How we effectively
make use of these experiences comes down to realizing which experience we are
truly in, and then using the advantages of that particular distinctive
experience to enhance the experience. Here are the distinctions:
Lecturing
Information. From
teachers to professors to technical presenters, this type of public speaking
involves researching and conveying information to a captive audience. Lecturing
information is important for those who are hungry for knowledge and interested
in growing their intelligence.
Inspiring
Audiences. This type
of public speaking can be associated to the traditional motivational speaker or
the sales trainer. This kind of public speaking gets people to think different,
or act different. Sometimes, there
isn't any new
information presented at all. It's the new perspective or the new story that
gets people at the edge of their seats. Here, it's all about action. What are
you going to do today?
Transforming
Communities.
Historical heroes such as Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy have
contributed to transforming communities. They don't just get us to think
different or act different. They get us to "be" different. They are
the catalysts of ethical evolution. How is this happening today on a local
scale? I believe communities are transformed when they become actively involved
with a leader. So there isn't a "presentation," rather a "conversation."
This is what Landmark Education does. This is what the Sterling Institute of
Relationship does. And this is
what I attempt
to do in my presentations. It's all about interactivity and getting into the
"world" of our audiences.
Note that
these three categories aren't distinguished to pigeon-hole any profession. In
fact, quite the contrary. Think of Ministers for example. They have the choice
to lecture biblical wisdom, inspire their congregation, or transform their
religious community. Each choice has its respective advantages and
disadvantages.
So, when we
say to ourselves in the middle of a presentation, "When is this guy going
to tell me something I don't know?" let's ask ourselves which category the
presenter is in. If the presenter is attempting to inspire the audience, then
they are doing their job. What we may want to consider is whether we are truly
applying what we already claim we know in our lives.
____________________________
Meditation Ruined My Mind by Fred Miller
I used to be able to
think - without thinking about it. Without noticing I was thinking. My mind was
always entertaining me, keeping itself occupied by telling me stories. I
didn’t even notice that they were the same stories over and over. The
stories always centered on me so I was happy. I loved hearing stories about
myself. I thought I was happy, then. I was busy, very busy. But my life and my
mind were driving me absolutely, totally nuts. I hadn’t noticed, but the
people around me did.
I needed a better way of
living in the world. I wasn’t looking for a new religion, a new age, or
how to get to Heaven. I just needed to calm down. Someone suggested a book on
meditation. After reading 150 of the 300 pages, the book said I needed to sit
quietly 45 minutes a day. Had I been capable of sitting quietly 45 minutes a
day, I wouldn’t have needed the book. I didn’t know what to do. So,
I stopped trying.
Then came a time in my
life when every other woman I dated said, “You have to come to yoga class
with me. You’ll love it!” I went with them, but I hated it!
Sitting, breathing and slow stretching did nothing for me. And by then I was
practicing Aikido. Small women throwing me 15 feet across the room-that I could
concentrate on.
One day, by accident, I
went to yet another yoga class where I did over an hour of standing poses.
Trying to keep my balance on a hardwood floor with my feet in a puddle of my
own sweat got my attention. Before long I could spend two hours doing an
exhausting yoga series, but I still couldn’t sit quietly for 20 minutes. I
decided to try for five. That was the beginning of meditation for me.
A teacher suggested I
observe the chatter in my mind, the story telling and retelling. A lot of that
thinking was negative thinking, “I wish I hadn’t said
that...,” “I wonder what he meant by that?”
Then one day, trying to
sit quietly during lunch, I realized that my mind thought it was me. That was
when I realized there was something there, behind my mind. It was me; the real
Me. I was listening to a familiar story in my head. I recognized the same story
from breakfast. And, sadly, from last night at dinner, too. Silently, I yelled,
SHUT UP! I don’t want to hear that story again. I went back to eating my
lunch. The quiet didn’t last long, but from that sudden insight, I had
learned an important lesson about how my mind worked. I realized that besides
myself, I had been having conversations, even arguments, with people who
weren’t even in the room.
Here’s a beginning
practice for you to try if you, too, would like to calm down. It’s called
“Three Deep Breaths,” and can be done in a matter of seconds.
Keep your eyes open, and
don’t stop reading. Inhale. Exhale. Feels good, doesn’t it? Inhale
again-a little deeper this time. Now slow down your exhale. Stretch it out. One
more time-a long, slow inhale. Pay attention as your breath comes in.
Don’t think about it; just watch your breath as it fills your lungs. Now
the exhale-feel it, watch it.
Slowly, exhale
completely.
So, there’s your
answer. You now have a way to calm yourself down, even if you’re
absolutely, totally nuts. In fact, this breath exercise will work for you
anywhere, at any time. Try doing it 10 times in the next 24 hours-at work, on
the phone, in the so-called express lane at the supermarket, in traffic, in an
elevator, at a restaurant when your three-minute egg hasn’t arrived after
10 minutes. And don’t worry; no one will know what you’re doing. I
still use it today. This and other relaxation techniques can lead to
meditation, which can lead to a calming and quieting of the mind, with hopes of
slipping between our thoughts and experiencing our true selves, our souls.
Thus, meditation ruined my mind, allowing me to find peace, quiet and a connection to my God.
Fred Miller has been teaching yoga and meditation in Los
Angeles for 20 years, and is the author of How To Calm Down (www.howtocalmdown.com).
His book is in bookstores now and he is happy to will
answer questions from readers atfred@howtocalmdown.com
____________________________
Improve
Self-Confidence and Competence With Mental Rehearsal by Lynn Joseph, Ph.D. (drjoseph@discoverydynamics.net)
Excerpted: The
Job Loss Recovery Guide:
A Proven Program to Get Back to Work˜Fast!, scheduled for publication in
July 2003 by New Harbinger Publications.
Mental
rehearsal of upcoming performances has burgeoned in popularity in a number of
areas of life. Why? Because it works! Many actors and singers use it to build
confidence and overcome stage fright, and amateur and professional sports enthusiasts
alike rely on mental rehearsal and other imagery exercises to prepare for their
sports events. If you‚re not mentally rehearsing upcoming speaking
engagements, you may be missing a tool to significantly boost your own
performance.
Mental
rehearsal not only improves one‚s confidence and self-image, it also
increases the perception of having control over a stressful situation. When we
feel confident and in control, we are able to approach situations and problems
with greater clarity and insight, making it possible to better manage our
words, actions, and any uncomfortable emotions.
Visualizing a
successful presentation will, as a result, prepare you to better handle any
unexpected situation that arises when you do face a real audience.
You‚ll appear as a polished, self-confident professional.
I use mental
rehearsal to prepare for all my presentations. For instance, I recently spoke
at the kickoff meeting of a national businesswomen‚s organization. Once I
had prepared my presentation, I practiced it by using both oral rehearsal and
mental rehearsal.
Beginning a
week before the presentation, I imagined for just ten minutes a day all the
details: from being introduced and walking to the front of the room, with a
smile; to delivering an inspiring message and bonding with a receptive
audience; to humbly accepting applause at the end with the audience standing
for me (of course). When you do this yourself, invite into your scenario all
the senses sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch for maximum effectiveness.
But I was in
for a surprise. When I arrived at the country club location, the dinner meeting
had been moved outside on the lawn, adjacent to the tennis courts.
Registrations had far exceeded expectations, and there just wasn't room for
everyone inside. By the time dinner ended and I was introduced, dusk was fast
approaching and the tennis courts, lit. The audience faced the courts, located
directly behind me. I couldn't imagine an arrangement more distracting for
them, as well as for me.
Well prepared,
however, I delivered my presentation as planned and also took advantage of
several opportunities to add humorous comments: when an insect flew into my
eye, and when the players shouted scores from the tennis courts. But the
audience undoubtedly found it difficult to make a strong connection with me
under those conditions. Had I not kept my composure and a positive attitude,
the presentation could have ended in disaster. Needless to say, I didn't get
the standing ovation I‚d visualized.
My point in sharing
the story is that although I was unable to control external circumstances, I could
control myself. Even after doing my best to mentally rehearse the event, it did
not happen exactly as I imagined it. But since I had done the groundwork, I
felt confident in my ability to deal effectively with the unexpected
circumstances. Try it. I guarantee you‚ll love the results you get with a
minimum of effort.
***********************************************
PROMOTIONS/ADVERTISING
RATES:
Get your
message out to speakers 6,000 plus and meeting planners in this fast growing
newsletter.
$50 a month,
25-50 words of text and a link to your website,or 6 months for $275 paid in
advance.
Terms:
Deadline is
one week before the end of each month
Payment must
be received in advance
To get
started:
1- Email your
advertising copy to
2- Provide
payment by credit card-specify length of time
************************
Previous
issues are available at
http://www.speakerservices.com/nl/index.html
To contribute
information to this newsletter send via e-mail to:
. Letters and comments are happily
accepted.
To remove
yourself from this newsletter send an e-mail message to
with remove in subject.
************************
Book Speakers:
http://speakerservices.com.
Get Listed in
the Directory:
http://speakerservices.com/adv_pkt.html
Workshops:
http://speakerservices.com/services/la.html
Video
Production Services: http://speakerservices.com/videoprod.html
Speaker Audio
Tapes/Books
http://speakerservices.com/products/index.html
************************
Speaker
Services
Susan Levin
4023 Meier
Street
LA, CA 90066
310-822-4922
FAX:
310-822-9025
Toll free-
877-773-2800
e-mail:
website: http://speakerservices.com