When it comes to recommending speakers to our clients, we always suggest the speakers that are proven experts in their area and have made it their niche. We want to make sure we are proposing speakers that truly know the specific industry to which we are recommending them.

If you are trying to find your niche, take a look back at your previous engagements. Try to find where you have spent the most time speaking and where you have been the most successful. Once you determine where you want to focus, start studying the industry. Read as much as you can about the industry. Offer to write guest articles for industry trade magazines, and newsletters. Market yourself to other clients in the industry and build your client base.

You will need to make sure your marketing materials, website and video reflect your niche. Your website can then be optimized for search engines so that your niche market can easily find you. It is also easier to focus your marketing campaigns when you are going after a specific industry. Start a blog for your industry to discuss issues and solutions. The more you get your name out on the internet associated with your niche the more exposure you will have to the decision makers that book speakers.

You want to become an expert in your field so when someone is looking for a speaker in that industry they automatically think of you. You need to find every way you can to stand out from your competition!

For additional speaking tips check out Executive Speakers Bureau’s site.

Q: Who is Expensify?
A: Inc. Magazine says we’re the “first class” option for organizing receipts and tracking expenses. The TechCrunch 50 conference voted us the 2nd-place “DemoPit” winner. But we just like to say we do “expense reports that don’t suck”.

Q: How much does Expensify cost?
A: It’s free for anyone to create and submit reports!
To manage and reimburse reports is free for the first TWO (2) report submitters. After that, it is only $5 for each additional unique submitter per month. For example, having 3 people who submit reports to you for reimbursement, will cost only $5/month.

Q: What does Expensify do?
A: Expensify uses credit card importing and paperless eReceipts to enable one-click expense reports. We streamline expense reporting and enable online reimbursement directly into a checking account or even straight to a credit card bill!
For a complete breakdown of what we’re about, click the link above. But here are just a few bullet points to get you started:
Credit card importing (0:47 How to Video) * Expensify Guaranteed eReceipts attached to most expenses (1:16 How to Video) * iPhone mobile expense application * BlackBerry mobile expense application * Android mobile expense application * Palm Pre expense application * Cameraphone receipt scanning * SMS text expense logging * Online report reimbursement * PDF/CSV/HTML expense reports * An Official Expense Report group to share tips, suggestions, news, and concerns. * And lots, lots more!

https://www.expensify.com/

For additional tips on professional keynote speaking check out our webstie – Executive Speakers Bureau

We have more and more clients requesting speakers who are familiar with presenting to an international audience. I came across this article by the Advanced Public Speaking Institute and wanted to pass it along.

United States public speaking audiences are becoming more and more diverse. It is your responsibility as a public speaker to be aware of and acknowledge significant portions of the audience that come from differing backgrounds. If you are speaking in a different country, again, it is up to you to find out about local customs and types of humor that are appreciated in that locale. The response to humor is quite different for different cultures. Paying close attention to this fact will give you a greater chance of connecting with international audiences in and out of the U.S. You will also be more aware of etiquette and customs that will make you a welcome speaker anywhere you go.

If you are not familiar with your intended audience, in your pre-program research you might ask, ‘How diverse is your group? Or do you have members from other countries?’ The answers to these questions will help you plan your strategy for connecting with a particular audience.

I was doing my planning for a speech in Baltimore, Maryland and found out that twenty-five percent of the audience was Asian Indian. I knew nothing about the Indian culture and didn’t have long to plan. What I did know was the Dunkin’ Donut store near my home was owned and run by Indians. That was a good excuse to stop in, down a few eclairs, and do some research. I told the proprietor what I was trying to accomplish and he was glad to help. Out of all the information he gave me about humor in India, I only used one line. That was all it took to connect. The line was, ‘I want to tell all my new Indian friends I’m sorry Johnny Lever couldn’t make it.’ Johnny Lever was one of the top comedians in India. They lit up and I went on with the program.

If your local donut shop isn’t run by the appropriate nationality for your next speaking engagement, don’t worry. There are other sure-fire methods to get the information you need. If you are speaking outside the US, get the opinion of local people before you attempt to use humor. If you are speaking in the U.S., seek out members of the nationality to whom you are speaking. If you don’t happen to know any, you can always call their embassy. I’ve called our State Department, The World Bank, Voice of America and many other public agencies for information. Just tell the receptionist you want to speak to someone from the country of interest. Don’t forget to tell them you want to converse in English.

In Hong Kong you would never beckon someone by putting your hand out and curling your index finger back and forth. Why? Read on.

When speaking to foreign audiences you must check your humor carefully so you don’t accidentally offend someone. In some countries you may hear people openly joking on television or in public about subjects that would be taboo in the U.S. That doesn’t mean you can attempt to joke about the same subjects in your presentation.

Even if your speaking humor is OK, you need to become familiar with other customs in the country in which you are speaking. Customs are quite different around the world. It is easy to make mistakes when you are in a totally new environment. You’ll never get the audience to laugh if you accidentally do something offensive. A good resource that gives you a fun look at customs in other countries is the book ‘Gestures: The Do’s and Taboos of Body Language Around the World’ by Roger Axtell. This book gives lots of information on things to do and not to do in public when in a foreign country. Here’s just a few serious mistakes that could easily be made during a speaking engagement that would offend:

1. In Columbia if you wanted to show the height of an animal you would hold your arm out palm down and raise it to the appropriate height. If you are trying to show the height of a person, you do the same thing, but your palm is on edge. So, if you meant to show the height of a person, but you did it palm down as we normally would in the U.S., you would have either insulted the person by treating he or she like an animal or you would have confused your audience because they would now think that you were actually talking about an animal that had the name of a person. See how crazy this can get.

2. I’ve got another animal problem for you. In Hong Kong, Indonesia and Australia you would never beckon someone by putting your hand out and curling your index finger back and forth (like you might do to coax someone on stage with you). This gesture is used to call animals and/or ladies of the night and would be offensive to your audience.

3. In Latin American and the Middle East people stand much closer while conversing. If you were interacting with a person from one of these cultures during a public speaking engagement and you backed away to keep a normal U.S. personal space, you would be sending a very unfriendly message. Asians, however typically stand farther apart. Your understanding of this will keep you from chasing them all over the stage. Keep this in mind too if you go into the audience to interact with them. Since they are seated, you control the interpersonal space.

Sometimes your mistakes are funny. Hermine Hilton, the well known memory expert, tells of a speaking engagement in Nigeria where she tried to pronounce the names of members of the audience and innocently added sexual innuendo. She said everyone was falling on the floor with laughter. Most foreign audiences do appreciate your effort to speak their language.

Here’s a few more international professional keynote speaer tips I’ve run across:

1. You might think you are putting your audience to sleep in Japan, but don’t worry. In Japan it is common to show concentration and attentiveness in public by closing the eyes and nodding the head up and down slightly. — Then again, maybe you really are boring.

2. Applause is accepted as a form of approval in most areas of the world. In the United States the applause is sometimes accompanied by whistling. If you hear whistles in many parts of Europe, you better run because it is a signal of disapproval.

3. If you were finishing a speaking engagement in Argentina and you waved goodbye, U.S. style, the members of the audience might all turn around and come back to sit down. To them the wave means, ‘Hey! Come back.’ In other parts of Latin American and in Europe the same wave means ‘no.’

The book I previously mentioned has hundreds of tips that will help keep the audience on your side when you present outside the U. S. Another good and inexpensive source of international background information is the ‘Culturgram’ published by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, which is part of Brigham Young University, located in Provo, Utah.

Each ‘Culturgram’ is a four page newsletter that gives you an easy to understand overview of the country of your choice. It includes customs and common courtesies, along with information about the people and their lifestyle. References point you toward additional study resources. Currently ‘Culturgrams’ are available for 118 countries.

Visual

Regardless of one’s nationality and culture, cartoons and comic strips are the most universally accepted format for humor. A good resource is Witty World International Cartoon Magazine by Creators Syndicate 310-337-7003. If you are speaking to a small group you can hold up the magazine or pass it around. If you want to use the cartoon or comic strip in a visual, you may need permission from the copyright holder. Always read the caption for a foreign audience and give them time to mentally translate what you say. It may take what seems to be forever (4-6 seconds) for the idea to sink in.

Cartoons and comic strips are seen in newspapers and magazines in most areas of the world. Newsstands in large cities usually have foreign periodicals, or you may find them in large libraries. It might be fun to collect cartoons and comic strips when you travel so you have a ready supply when you need one for a speech.

Be careful about your selection of cartoons. Many American cartoons would totally bomb if used outside the U.S. Much of our humor is based on making fun of someone else. This type of humor is not understood in most areas of the world and is considered disrespectful.

Other forms of visual humor that transcend most cultural barriers are juggling and magic. I don’t do either, but good resources are available. Speaking With Magic is a book by Michael Jeffreys that not only teaches you simple tricks, but gives you the points you can relate to the trick. I got my copy from Royal Publishing, Box 1120, Glendora, CA 91740 Phone (626) 335-8069. For juggling and other magic books call or write for Morris Costume’s Catalog, 3108 Monroe Road, Charlotte, NC 28205 Phone (704) 332-3304. There is a charge for the catalog, but it’s worth it.

Words

Terminology is different in most areas of the world even if the country is English based. Highly tested humor that would work anywhere in the U.S. may fall flat in another country simply because the audience doesn’t understand one of the words. For example, in Australia, public speaking break out sessions are called syndicates. If you were making a joke that used the word syndicate, you may totally confuse the audience and they won’t laugh. People from most other countries will not relate easily if you mention miles per gallon or miles per hour. You should avoid speaking about seasons, sports figures or celebrities that don’t have world-wide name recognition. Rethink all humor you normally use and try to find problematic words. This is difficult to do by yourself. Try to find a person familiar with the local culture to help you.

When using translators, humor is tougher because timing and word play don’t translate well. You might have to slow down considerably because of interpretation. Some speakers use half sentences to keep up the pace. This is very difficult and requires practice.

Speakers have been known to have fun with interpreters (of course, I would never do this). An unnamed speaker I know purposely mumbled to his interpreter to see what would happen. The interpreter mumbled back. Then the speaker mumbled again. It was hilarious.

Even when the audience speaks English they may not be able to understand your accent. Check with locals to see if you can be easily understood. You may have to adjust your normal delivery and rate of pitch slightly.

Art Gliner, a long- time humor trainer, gave me this tip: He learns how to say Happy New Year in the different languages represented in his audience. That technique always gets a laugh and the further away it is from New Years, the better. He also tells me a word of welcome in the native language works well too.

A few additional tips from around the world:

* In general, Asians tend not to show excitement. Thais are an exception. They want to have fun while they learn. Be sure to take lots of small gifts to give out and be prepared to receive some too.

* Do not expect standing ovations when speaking in public in Australia. It doesn’t seem to be part of their culture.

* Remember -the U.S. is the foreign country when you speak outside its borders. Lots of things can be different and you should be prepared. Many countries have different standard paper sizes and use two hole punches instead of three. Any video you plan to use must be converted to PAL. You may need a converter to operate equipment you bring with you.

* South of the border people don’t like us to refer to ourselves as Americans. We must remember that we are not the only ones. There are North Americans, Central Americans and South Americans.

* In Japan you should never use self-effacing humor during your public speaking engagement which is well received in American culture. Actually, the Japanese don’t like humor in seminars at all. Conversely, Australians love humor.

The point is that every culture has its likes and dislikes when it comes to humor. They also have customs that can be very different from our own. Your knowledge in this area will help you create a connection with your international audience. You must do your homework, but it is worth it because a laugh sounds the same and produces the same good feelings in any language.

For additional professional speaking tips go to Executive Speakers Bureau

Getting speaking gigs can be a mysterious and frustrating process, particularly if you don’t have much experience. You know the drill: Send pithy email offering yourself up (or copiously fill out online proposal form). Hit Send. Wait.

To find out what happens during “wait,” I interviewed a few content directors and program advisers, as well as some Web-seminar and teleseminar producers responsible for booking speakers.

Here is what they said, along with some sage advice on how to increase your chances of getting that breakout gig.

Be Patient

Long lead times for live conferences and events are the rule rather than the exception. Planning typically begins at least six months ahead of time but, depending on the size of the event or industry, can begin up to a year in advance.

Heather Lloyd-Martin, owner of SuccessWorks Search Marketing and program adviser for PubCon, SEMpdx, and major Direct Marketing Association conferences, explains: “There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes…. [W]hen we’re considering a speaker, there might be additional planning and logistics, and several layers of approval needed before we can confirm the slot.”

Lloyd-Martin says they approach A-list speakers first and then contact others who they think might be a fit. But, Unknowns, take heart. Lloyd-Martin says if she thinks you will do a good job and provide a fresh voice and perspective, she will bring you on.

Web seminars and teleseminars have shorter lead times (one to four weeks for teleseminars, three to four months for Web seminars) but can be even tougher to get in on because presenting virtually is much harder than speaking in person, says Marty Fahncke, a professional speaker and president of Conference Call University.

“If you are someone who feeds off the energy of people when onstage, the Web [seminar] or teleseminar format may not be for you. Keeping a virtual presentation moving and afloat requires the ability to sustain high, high energy for the entire session.”

Be Online

To be considered for either format, a robust online footprint is essential.

“The first thing I’m going to do is type your name into Google,” says Fahncke. “I really want to see a book, but at the very least I should see examples of you being quoted by the media and links to whitepapers and articles you’ve written. Next, I’ll type in a few key phrases that would make sense given your topic. If you’re truly an expert in your field, your name should appear on the first page.”

MarketingProfs’ Web-seminar producer, Shelley Ryan, adds, “It’s best if I have come across your name already on social-media and networking [sites,] such as Twitter and LinkedIn. I want to know what you’re tweeting, are you interesting, are you engaged in conversation within the industry?”

Ryan says when considering someone for a slot, she will Google a candidate’s name to see what she can find out, and go to the candidate’s website and read the bio.

As for websites, all agree that a good one may not get you the gig but a bad one can lose it for you. Ryan recounts an incident with a Web expert she was considering for a presentation.

“He had a pretty good reputation and some interesting things to say about lead generation, and I thought, Gee, maybe… To find out more, I went to his website, but I didn’t stay long. It looked like his nephew had built it for him.”

Traci Browne, president of tradeshow marketing firm Red Cedar Publicity and Marketing, books speakers for organizations, including the Business Marketing Association Philadelphia. She says she looks for online evidence of expertise but will contact the organizers of conferences in which speakers have presented to before to find out what the audience response was.

Says Browne, “In this day and age of Flip cameras, it is almost not acceptable to not have a video sample of your presentation—or several samples. We’re not looking for high production values; we just want to see if you’re a good speaker or not. A video will show us how dynamic you are.”

Lloyd-Martin says she tries to get a sense of a person’s personality and what that person will be like in front of an audience. She also emphasizes that title and position do not guarantee someone is going to be a good speaker (a statement that everyone I interviewed agrees with).

“We’ve had really high-level executives read straight from their notes, which the audience does not enjoy. They might have a fantastic message, but if people tune out, it gets lost,” Lloyd-Martin says.

To avoid that scenario, she taps her network to find someone who has heard the person speak before or has been on a panel with that person. If she doesn’t have contacts, she said, she might dig into what the person has done online.

“Everyone’s an expert and being promoted as [an] expert. But if I go online and find that the person has never written on their topic, and I can’t find any information about them beyond LinkedIn, I have to wonder if they are really who they tout themselves to be,” she says.

Make Contact

How people want to be contacted varies. For example, Ryan prefers to be contacted directly by the speaker, rather than by a public-relations (PR) person or handler.

“Talking directly to the presenter allows me to start a relationship as well as to get a sense of what that person is going to be like for a broadcast.”

She doesn’t have much patience for candidates who play hard to get. Case in point: “If a Guy Kawasaki [founder and managing director of Garage Technology Ventures and co-founder of Alltop] or Seth Godin [best-selling author and renowned speaker] can pick up the phone and call me directly…”

Lloyd-Martin doesn’t mind working with representatives but cautions, “Build a relationship with me but don’t hammer, or I’ll be thinking, If I bring on this speaker, I’ll be bringing on this obnoxious PR person, too. Can I handle that?

All agree it’s a good idea to ask what the preferred form of contact is in the initial email and to abide by it.

Browne urges candidates not to underestimate the power and purpose of the online proposal application form, which she uses as a screening tool. “If speakers can’t be bothered to fill out the form, chances are they won’t put much thought into their presentation, either.”

All agree that if there is an online submission form, it’s safe to assume that is the way the organization prefers to receive your application.

Other things on which the interviewees agree: (1) Email is the best way to make initial contact, and (2) dispense with the clever subject line (which might be construed as spam) and get right to the point.

If you don’t hear back within a few days, it’s acceptable to send a follow-up email. If there is still no response, then call the person to make sure the email has been received and didn’t get caught in a spam folder. Remember to leave your email address on the voice mail so the person can check.

Pet peeve: people who enable email return receipts. Don’t.

Engage

Browne says proposals from association members and those who have a booth at the show definitely carry more weight. Her advice: “If you do get a booth, rather than staffing it with a salesperson handing out tchotchkes, consider offering free 20-minute mini-consultations to discuss solutions to pain points of participants who might be prospective clients.”

Similarly, Ryan says, MarketingProfs recruits first from its network of member contributors and often will invite candidates to write an article for the site to gauge interest in the topic based on click-throughs and reader feedback.

For additional information on being a professional keynote speaker check out our web page – Executive Speakers Bureau

Some of the places you may want to contact are your local Chamber of Commerce, the Small Business Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, Sales & Marketing Chapter, ASAE local chapter, Meeting Planners International local chapter, and check with the Chamber to see who else they can recommend. These groups are always looking for fresh ideas to be presented to their group. This makes for a win-win situation!

For additional questions on becoming a keynote speaker contact Executive Speakers Bureau – Richard Schelp – 901-754-9404

By Dottie Walters

1. The bureau must please their clients. Their aim is to have the client use the bureau for speakers on a regular basis. If you please their client, the bureau will use you again and again.

2. The client belongs to the bureau forever. Just as a sales rep’s clients belong to them. The manufacturer is careful to give all commissions on business from their sales reps back to their reps. If they fail to do this, the sales rep will find other manufacturers who will do so.

3. The bureau looks not only for talent and content, but also for a speaker who is a pleasure to work with.

4. There are many speakers who speak on your subject. It is a competitive market. Speakers are easy to find. Clients are hard to get.

5. The bureau spends thousands of dollars in direct mail, advertising and telemarketing to find a client that wants to book you. You pay the bureau when they get you a job. Straight commission. Experienced speakers reveal that 50% of the fees they obtain for themselves go to marketing costs. So when you receive a bureau booking (most bureaus charge 25% – 35%) it is a bargain. This is why experienced speakers obtain 85% of their bookings from bureaus. They work hard to develop the relationships.

6. Ask bureaus for advice. If they offer career consultations, pay for it. They work with the buyers all day, every day. They are experts. What better source could you find?

7. If you team up with 20 bureaus that each get you one $2,000 talk per month, you will gross $40,000 monthly, or $480,000 per year. The client pays all travel and hotel expenses. When your calendar is full at the $2,000 price, it is time to raise your fees. Always give your bureaus plenty of advance notice of a raise. Many speakers we work with began at $1,000 and now charge $50,000 for a keynote.

8. Discuss the selling of your books, audio’s and videos in bulk to the client. Give them written rates and commissions. Same with consulting and training fees.

9. Be available. Have the best answering machine or answering services you can find. Check you messages every 2 hours. If a bureau has a client waiting, they cannot hold on until you return their call a week later.

Professional Keynote Speaker – for additional tips check out our site: Executive Speakers Bureau

1) If you are booking the right amount of deals for you, your fee is set right.

2) If you are competing favorably against speakers in your same fee range, your fee is set right.

3) If you have been averaging 1 fee increase every 18-24 months, your fee is set right.

What about Speakers Bureaus?

1) Bureau’s traditionally want speakers to have the largest fee possible, but that isn’t always the right way to go.

2) If a speaker doesn’t have the experience, skills, and reputation to compete at (say the $10,000 level) it won’t do any good to set your fee there.

3) Many times speakers set their fees at a level they like, but clients don’t agree. Therefore, the demand won’t be there.

For additional information contact Richard Schelp at 901-754-9404

Great Book and article on – Confessions of a Public Speaker
By PHILIP DELVES BROUGHTON

It is always reassuring to read about the performance anxiety of the successful—whether it’s a star pitcher feeling jittery before starting a World Series game or a concert violinist who admits to going into a meditative trance before walking out onstage. The stress of performing before an audience is not restricted to the mere mortals who sweat a Monday morning presentation at work.

I remember as a boy having to play the piano at a school concert and standing in the wings, wishing that time would stop before I had to perform or that I could disappear down some temporal hole and re-emerge the next morning. I would try to rationalize the situation. The point of the concert (I said to myself) was not to discover the next Horowitz. It was to let each kid in the school show his parents that they were getting something out of pricey lessons. The audience could not have been gentler: beaming parents, bored classmates. But still. The prospect of going out there and making a complete ass of myself was petrifying.

Polls that investigate such things reveal that public speaking is one of our greatest fears. More frightening than spiders or heights. The terror of exposure and humiliation in front of others—of flubbing one’s lines or saying the wrong thing, of dropping the microphone or being plain boring—is enough to provoke midnight shakes in people who otherwise bounce unaffected through life.

And yet, when you examine it from the audience’s perspective, what’s to be scared of? According to Scott Berkun, a former Microsoft executive turned writer and professional public speaker, not much. In the course of “Confessions of a Public Speaker,” his entertaining ramble around the subject, Mr. Berkun describes an experiment in which heart-rate monitors were strapped to listening students during various lectures. Their heart rate peaked at the start of the lectures and then steadily declined. “With this depressing fact, it’s easy to understand why most lectures are slow one-way trips into sedation,” he writes. “Our bodies, sitting around doing little, go into rest mode—and where our bodies go, our minds will follow.”

For the vast majority of speeches, audience expectations are low to nonexistent—for the simple fact that most speeches are boring and most speakers talentless. We listen because of the speaker more than the speech. We listen to politicians and CEOs because they are powerful, to actors or writers because they are famous. Now and then, we hear someone who actually manages to engage us, but often our interest has a lot to do with the moment or the context. Barack Obama’s stirring speech after the New Hampshire primary resounded because of the insurgent qualities of his campaign. The same speech from Sen. Christopher Dodd would have fallen flat.

So the first thought for anyone scared of public speaking should be this: Take no risks and be boring. The worst you’ll do is meet expectations. If you’re even mildly interesting, you’re a winner. If you’re actually engaging, count yourself in the speaker’s equivalent of the Billboard top 100.

Mr. Berkun’s book is packed with tips on how to reduce anxiety and how to speak in public with greater effectiveness. They range from common sense—arrive early, make sure you have back-up copies of your speech, practice—to more advanced tips on what to do when 10 people show up to hear you in a 1,200-person room (cluster the 10 immediately), how to cut off rambling questions and how to fall silent after making a key point, to give the audience a chance to soak it in.

Confessions of a Public Speaker
By Scott Berkun
O’Reilly, 222 pages, $24.99

To be interesting, Mr. Berkun suggests starting with an interesting topic and then taking a firm position, elaborated with clear, specific points. Putting a presentation into Power Point, he advises, should come last, if at all. A common mistake is to begin planning a presentation with slides, hoping that by some organizational magic they will turn chaos into coherence. Coherence and conviction, Mr. Berkun rightly says, are rooted in content rather than in the means by which you deliver it.

Mr. Berkun also emphasizes the importance of getting honest feedback. No one in an audience will ever tell a speaker anything other than some version of “that was great.” To improve, you need to video yourself and review the tape mercilessly, or ask for anonymous written responses from the audience.

One of the key elements in good speech-making, Mr. Berkun notes, is enthusiasm. If you exude energy, your audience will reciprocate. But even peppiness has its dangers. One of the most notorious corporate presentations in recent memory was delivered at a conference by Steve Ballmer, the chief executive of Microsoft. The relevant parts are easily viewable online. A huge man, Mr. Ballmer bursts into the room, leaps onto the stage, wide sweat patches visible on his shirt, and screams like a bee-stung grizzly: “Come on! Give it up for me!” It is a kind of CEOs Gone Wild moment and should be a warning to anyone mulling an extra Red Bull before appearing in public.

The final chapter of “Confessions of a Public Speaker”—titled “You Can’t Do Worse Than This”—is made up of stories of disastrous experiences. One man was speaking at a dinner in Moscow when a SWAT team burst in and removed one of the men in the audience. Another mistyped a Web-site address during a presentation only to have his giant screen fill with graphic sex scenes. Even if you prepare well and avoid disaster, of course, you may not charm everyone in the audience. But you can at least—with Mr. Berkun’s help—avoid being cripplingly nervous before that brown-bag presentation and wishing it were tomorrow.

Mr. Delves Broughton is the author of “Ahead of the Curve: Two Years at Harvard Business School” (Penguin Press).

For additional ideas and tips on becoming a professional keynote speaker check out: Executive Speakers Bureau

Have your presentation taped in front of a live audience.  Meeting planners like to see how you present to an audience. Your style, your ability to convey your message, your use of humor, etc. is what they are evaluating and want to see how you relate to your audience.

Make sure you have the right sound and light.  Low quality demo videos are hard to hear and it is distracting to the viewer.  You want the sound to be clear so the meeting planner can hear exactly what you have to say.  Make sure the video is light enough so you can view it on a computer.   A good production company will ensure that there is quality lighting when taping.  When I get a video that has poor sound or light I usually turn it off immediately.  You do not want a meeting planner to do the same.

It is a good idea to have someone introduce you on the video who is also a good speaker.  The introduction will give the viewer your background and set the stage for your presentation.  This should get the audience excited about your presentation and look forward to it with anticipation.

Your video should be at least 15 – 20 minutes long.  You need to have at least 3-5 minutes of consecutive speaking.  This will give the meeting planner a good feel for what you address.  It is OK to have clips from different speeches, and even helpful,  but be sure that your area of expertise is clear so that when the meeting planner is finished watching they clearly know the scope of your message. I have watched countless video demos, never to fully understand what the speaker’s topic was!  This is counterproductive for both the speaker and the viewer.

It is good to close your demo video with references.  You can do this by interviewing clients on camera or having a rolling screen with comments from clients.  Meeting planners like to see where you have spoken in the past.  You can also highlight any books you have written.

Having a solid demo video is invaluable for meeting planners and speakers bureaus in evaluating and choosing their speakers.   Those keynote speakers with the strongest demo videos are the speakers that get hired most frequently.

For additional information contact us at: Executive Speakers Bureau angela@executivespeakers.com

I see it every time I attend a business networking function. There are more people who have been laid off or decided it was time to find another job. A college graduate eager to find their place in the business world. A retiree who decided to pass on their vast business experience. All hit the business networking groups and have NOT a clue what to expect or do.

This makes it tough getting started. Everyone who is in business has experience the feeling of awkwardness when they attend their first gathering of other business people. Sometimes dealing with un-hosted gatherings or gatherings where there is not a leader who makes an effort to meet everyone at the door, it can be a daunting experience.

Though I now do most of my business networking after a round of golf, I do get out to different groups from time to time to see what is happening in other markets and to LEARN new things..yes, even I can learn a thing or two.

My mission has always been to do what I can to help people do a better job in developing business and in an effort to help those here online who need to get offline to survive, here are 21 tips to use when attending a business networking function.

1. Carry a pocket full of Business Cards.
2. Bring everything required to leave a great impression.
3. Be positive and volunteer in talks, but don’t over talk.
4. Ask open-ended questions when discussing an issue.
5. Be as much of a listener as a talker.
6. Be approachable.
7. Visit as many groups of interest as possible.
8. When joining a group commit to help the group grow
9. Make your first impression the best impression.
10. Understand the law of successful giving and thankful receiving.
11. Think about perfecting your handshake.
12. The goal is in developing relationships.
13. Attempt to be at the right place and at right time.
14. Follow up quickly and efficiently.
15. Cultivate an endless referral network
16. Aim to highlight what you do for your business
17. Become someone others come to for knowledge on a subject.
18. Never miss a scheduled meeting or introduction.
19. Put the person you are talking to first and You second
20. Make sure to collect cards from all contacts made.
21. Never miss a networking event.

For additional information & tips on becoming a better professional keynote speaker check out our website Executive Speakers Bureau