At the 2017 American Payroll Association speaker school, my co-presenter seemed surprised when I asked him, “When you were a little boy what did you want to grow up to be?” (more…)
How to Make Your Presentation Introductions Exciting
The Dirty Little Secret & What You Can Do about It
An audience will forget most of what they’ve heard in a training session, especially without repetition and reinforcement.
I’ve been paid to speak, train, and consult for over 35 years. I will let you in on the dirty little secret of the training industry… When you have a great speaker delivering content the audience is genuinely interested in, even in the most ideal situation, two weeks later the audience will have forgotten 70% of what they heard. Certainly the 30% your audience actually remembers can and usually does make a big difference – if they’re committed. However, the best way to maximize your investment in training and coaching is repetition and reinforcement. (more…)
Three Reasons Speakers Fail to Hit The Mark
A speaker who fails to get to know their audience will fail to connect with their audience.
A few years ago, I had a conversation with my friend Jeff Davidson, a prolific author and popular professional speaker, about why it is that speakers sometimes fail to hit the mark. The result of our brainstorm was the article below, which explains the three most common reasons speakers do not connect with their audiences or live up to a meeting planner’s expectations. They are still true today. Whether we are experienced professional speakers, or aspiring speakers, it is a good reminder of the continual commitment and work required to consistently deliver excellent presentations:
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How to Hire The Right Speaker & Get Your Money’s Worth
The clearer you are about what you expect, the easier it is for your speaker to do a good job.
You’re planning your company’s next meeting and you want everything to be perfect. You’ve got a location, theme, and date. The next thing to do is to hire a professional speaker. How do you choose the right speaker? And after you’ve found a speaker, is there anything you can do to help ensure that their program meets your expectations?
Here’s a checklist: (more…)
