Payment vs. exposure

Some of you get paid to speak; others hope to get paid one day. One thing that we all face as paid speakers is the issue of payment vs. exposure. That is, we will be invited to speak pro bono, or will be offered less than our usual rate, and we'll have to decide if it's worth it to take less money in order to get exposure or visibility.

I will tell you right up front that only a few of my pro bono speaking engagements have paid off in clients or future speaking engagements. So why do I do them and how do I decide who gets my services for free?

I have a soft spot for nonprofit organizations, having worked in the field for sixteen years. I know what it's like to struggle for funds and to never have enough for everything you need and want to provide in the community, never mind training and development for your staff and volunteers.

I've chosen a couple of nonprofit organizations that I have had connections with for a long time, and for them, I will speak pro bono. Occasionally I get a client from doing this, but for me, it's my opportunity to give back to organizations that have done so much in our community.

One in particular provides self-employment training for women entrepreneurs, and as I went through the program, I feel a sisterhood with every other woman (and man!) who graduates from the program.

Other nonprofit organizations may take advantage of my non-advertised nonprofit discount if they can't pay my full fee. But you have to be careful about giving away your expertise when there's no pay and no significant exposure.

Another possible pro bono opportunity for me is one in which the group consists of my target audience: successful self-employed professionals and entrepreneurs. I'm willing to give short presentations to groups like these because the exposure is to my exact target audience, and a short presentation doesn't take too much time or preparation to give. Some speakers won't give more than an hour when offered a pro bono gig. That sounds reasonable to me.

Also, even when speaking pro bono, there are still creative options for trade or other compensation, as indicated by these two great lists on SpeakerNet News: Getting Income From No-Fee Engagements and Creative Tactics for Compensation.

If the group is not your target audience, and the so-called "exposure" is unlikely to bring you future business, think carefully about giving your time for free. You're not a nonprofit organization. You get paid to speak.

Ultimately, you just won't know until after the gig. Sometimes a group seems like it's full of great prospects, but nothing comes of it. Sometimes nothing comes of it right away, but you get hired two years later by someone who heard you speak and that snowballs into more engagements.

We can't foretell the future, but we can make reasonable decisions on giving our time for free or negotiating creative compensation. If you want to make a living as a speaker, you need to get paid!

Do you speak pro bono? Why or why not?

Join us for PresentationCampLA in June!

PresentationCampLA is a grassroots, self-organized event where participants meet on a Saturday morning, decide what they would like to learn and who would like to teach, then we collaboratively set up the agenda and have a full day of learning.

We call this a "PresentationCamp" because the event is part of the "BarCamp" movement - an "un-conference" event where there is no formal organizer or sponsor, no pre-planned agenda, and no pre-set presentations - we all decide together on the day of the event what we will do and how we do it. Participants pay a nominal fee of $10 to cover some of the expenses, but otherwise everyone participates as a volunteer, co-leader, co-presenter and co-learner.

Do you have a topic you'd like to speak on? Do you want to learn something new about public speaking? The emphasis is on short, interactive, hands-on workshops rather than lecture. We'd love to have you! And please spread the word!

Read more about PresentationCampLA here.

Register here.

33% off "7-Week Shortcut to Public Speaking Confidence" CDs

Hey friends!

I'm having a 33%-OFF SALE on my "7-Week Shortcut to Public Speaking Confidence" CDs. The packaging is bare bones, and I now have a better system for labeling and packaging, so I'd like to clear these out to make room for the new, more professional-looking batch.

There are 31 20 CDs available at 33% off the regular price. When they're gone, they're gone. They have the same content as the downloadable e-course; you'll just get it by snail mail instead of e-mail!

If you've been looking for a public speaking self-study course, now is the time to snatch up this great deal!

More info and purchase here.

You thought you could never do it

I was standing at the top of the stadium steps yesterday, letting my heart rate slow before heading back down to do another set, when I had a surprising recollection.

Probably ten years ago, a friend of mine used to climb the stadium steps for her workout. I think she ran up the steps, which made the concept even more horrifying to me. I thought that anyone who could walk or run up every aisle was some sort of fitness freak (or professional athlete, like she had been). I never imagined myself doing it, or even wanting to do it.

About two years ago, I started working out with a trainer, who immediately suggested we meet at the steps. Ugh. The first few times I did the steps, I thought I would die. I wore a heart rate monitor and my heart rate at the top of the steps was astronomical (although, strangely, I wasn't breathing that hard and could still carry on a conversation).

But my legs were on fire, and I had to sit down a few times for fear of losing my breakfast.

Now I've been doing the steps (walking) consistently, usually three days a week, for about 18 months. It's become a habit that I can't go without. My heart rate gets elevated, as it should, but not high enough to scare me anymore. Some days I do two aisles, two laps, two aisles, etc. Some days I do all ten aisles in a row. I shake things up when the workout fails to challenge me enough.

Fails to challenge me? I used to think I would die if I ever attempted to climb one aisle of steps one time. Here I am, many years later, relishing the opportunity to exercise in the outdoors, across the street from the beach, loving the challenge and the strenuous workout.

Do you remember something you thought you'd never try? Do you remember something you thought you could never accomplish? Do you feel that way about public speaking?

I just want you to know that, even if you think you could NEVER stand up in front of a roomful of people, you can. You will. Take those baby steps. You might even feel like you're going to puke!

But when you get past your fears, your assumptions, your negative and self-limiting beliefs, guess what. You can do whatever you put your mind to!

I could tell you more stories of things I never thought I could handle. And here I am today, having done those things and survived. But you have your own stories. Remember them. Have courage. Have faith. You can do it!

Thought Trap #10: Labeling and mislabeling

Thought Trap #10: Labeling and mislabeling

Continuing on in the series on Thought Traps.

This is an extreme form of overgeneralization. Instead of describing your error, you attach a negative label to yourself: "I'm a loser." You make a mistake, but instead of thinking, "I made a mistake," you label yourself: "I'm an idiot."

When someone else's behavior rubs you the wrong way, you attach a negative label to him. "He’s a stupid jerk!" Mislabeling involves describing an event with language that is highly colored and emotionally loaded, and generally not factually descriptive.

Just think of all the names you've called people who cut you off when driving, and there you have the perfect example of labeling. You really have no idea why the person did what they did; you call them an idiot anyway. You're angry at the behavior, but you label the person.

As speakers or performers, we are often way too hard on ourselves. We strive for perfection and fear letting down our audiences, never mind the anxieties about being judged or criticized.

Sometimes in this striving, we forget that we're human, that it's okay to make mistakes and it's especially okay to learn from them. We criticize the person instead of the behavior. We don't even think about it before we say it (either out loud or in our heads).

Time to rethink those automatic responses. We all have them. What's yours? Mine is "stupid." When I say or do something that feels wrong or awkward, I say "stupid" to myself. Sometimes I say it out loud and my husband has to remind me, "You're not stupid."

When you catch yourself judging yourself as a person instead of analyzing the mistake and making it better, be aware. Really listen to yourself. There's a better, more factual response, I guarantee it.

Messed up someone's name? (Idiot!) No! Tell yourself that next time you need to prepare better and make sure you have it right in advance.

Lost your place? (Stupid!) No! Tell yourself that next time you'll have better notes on hand to help if you lose your place.

Forgot part of your presentation? (Pathetic!) No! Remind yourself that the audience doesn't even know what you missed. Next time you'll practice a few more times to make sure you have it all down.

Look to the future and how you can do better, rather than judging yourself and labeling yourself as a bad person. Your actions might have been less than desirable, but you are still the good person you always were!

Here again, are some additional suggestions on how to approach these negative thoughts once you become aware of them (from a Mother Jones article about cognitive therapy and thought traps):

1. Write it down. Writing automatically provides perspective and helps reveal distorted thinking.

2. Identify the distressing event. What's really bothering you?

3. Identify your negative emotions.

4. Identify the negative thoughts tied to your emotions.

5. Identify distortions and substitute the truth.

And my addition:

6. Take action. What will you do differently next time?

PowerPoint effectiveness based on research

Here's a helpful post on Jennifer Kammeyer's blog Comm Comm, compiling research on what makes PowerPoint effective.

It's a great little cheat-sheet to have when, for example, you're trying to convince your supervisor of the superiority of a sentence at the top of the slide rather than a word like "results."

There are a lot of theories about what makes PowerPoint effective and some random formulas and rules like 10/20/30, but there's also solid research. Check out her blog and also her website for more on PowerPoint research.

Don't forget the emotional appeal

As a follow-up to my recent post on features vs. benefits, here's another great example of an appeal that's completely missing the "what's in it for me" of the audience.

"Dear Lisa:

Spring returns to Nonprofit Organization! Our meadow is bursting with a spectacular display of wildflowers-truly an awe-inspiring feast for the eyes.

I would like to thank you for your past support of Nonprofit Organization. Nonprofit Organization has not been exempt from our harsh economic climate. For many years 40% of our operating budget has come from income from our endowment. This year, and for the foreseeable future, there is no income from this source. Nonprofit Organization has made deep cuts that will affect programming in order that we might survive to see better days.

This year more than ever, your contributions will play a significant role in keeping Nonprofit Organization our community's world-class treasure. Therefore, I would like to express my hope that you will continue your support by making a contribution to our 2009 Spring Appeal.

As a member of our community, you may take great pride in knowing Nonprofit Organization continues to meet the highest standards and best practices of museums. As a testament to our efforts, Nonprofit Organization is accredited by the American Association of Museums as a prestigious designation, an honor for which only 3% of the nearly 600 [similar types of organizations] have been awarded.

Nonprofit Organization is a valuable asset to our community as well as being acclaimed as one of the top twenty most influential [similar types of organizations] in the world. It remains viable only because of the generosity of people like you.

Please know that making a gift, large or small, is truly appreciated and vitally needed. In addition to keeping Nonprofit Organization's displays beautiful, your gift will support education, research, and conservation programs in our community. Please give generously today."

Even nonprofits have to express to their audience the benefits of the program to them personally. Donating is an opportunity to be part of something; it's not a handout, and it's not a favor. And donors don't give just because an organization is struggling.

Besides this organization having won lots of awards and meeting the "highest standards and best practices of museums" (which means nothing to me), I'd like to know what else they're doing in the community. They tell me they're a "valuable asset to the community," but they put only one sentence at the end for their actual benefits to the community, their education and conservation programs -- programs that I'd like to know more about.

How about a story that demonstrates some real work they've done with real kids? How about some examples of how they're joining together with other community organizations to make Santa Barbara a better place? How about appealing to my emotions instead of throwing a lot of facts at me?

The truth is, I'm a member of this organization and will most likely renew my membership because I believe in what they do and want to continue supporting them. But if I were a casual donor, trying to make a tough decision about which organizations to support with my meager dollars, I might skip this one for a group who demonstrates some passion and makes me feel like I'm part of something important.

Are you demonstrating your passion when you speak?

Does your audience get the value of your message?

Do they understand how your topic benefits them?

Do they feel part of something important and meaningful?

Being willing to feel good

I was having coffee with a friend the other day, who mentioned in conversation that she believes our natural state to be well-being and feeling good. She talked about how all of our worries and negative thinking -- all created in our minds -- cover that up, but that when we let go, the well-being is there waiting to come out.

Of course, this made me think of public speaking, and how we build up fears and anxieties in our minds that are frequently based in fantasy.

I've talked before about my own experiences with panic attacks, and how sometimes when we think we've licked a problem, we still might face temporary setbacks.

I'm fully aware that the panic attacks were not based on reality or anything that might really happen -- after all, how could I possibly be harmed by sitting in the middle seat in a movie theater? But reality is clouded when your fears are so strong, and you do feel like you're out of control.

In this article, I share some tools for turning negative and fearful thoughts into positive ones.

But I also want to go beneath that and encourage you to cultivate a positive outlook on life in general that makes these fearful times less powerful overall and less likely to linger.

I admit it, I'm an optimist. I was born that way. But according to my friend, we're all born that way! We let our experiences jade us and turn our minds dark with worries, anger, fear and negativity, instead of focusing on the good in the world and in our lives.

She believes that meditation and yoga have brought her to this new awareness and ability to focus on the positive, but you don't have to get into yoga to change your thinking. You just have to want to see the world in a different way, and make the effort.

Sometimes it's not easy, but I believe it's worth it to let go of the negative, feel the weight lift from my shoulders, and truly enjoy the life I've been given. (I'm even working on a new blog, yet to be published, on the happy and positive snippets I encounter in my life every day).

If you're a chronically negative person, imagine how your life could be better by letting go of the dark thoughts. What more could you accomplish if you always believed you could? How much more could you enjoy life if you allowed yourself to enjoy life? How much time do you waste on fear, anger, melancholy, worry and drama?

And what will it take for you to improve your outlook, to help stimulate the positive thoughts in your mind?

Do you need to:

Exercise more?
Eat better?
Get out into nature?
Spend more time with people who enrich you?
Relax more?
Take more time for your favorite hobbies?
Try something you've always wanted to?
Get your hands in the dirt and grow something?
Volunteer for a cause you believe in?

Are you willing to try?

A tool I can't live without

I mentioned this briefly in another post, but I thought I would give more time to a recently discovered lifesaving tool that I now realize I can't live without.

It's my 4-port retractable USB hub, and let me tell you how it came into my life.

In February, I scoped out a venue the day before a speaking engagement and discovered that their computer only had two USB ports, while I needed three. Furthermore, the software I was testing out (see my post on Papershow) came with a fat USB key that wouldn't fit next to another flash drive.

On my way home, I stopped at Radio Shack to find a way to remedy the situation, and there I found the 4-port retractable hub. It's tiny, so it's easy to pop into my supplies box or purse, and it's got three ports on one side and one on the other side. The cord retracts into the tiny case. It cost just over $20, and it's going to make my life ten times easier when I have to use someone else's laptop to present.

For more of my lifesaving (or just fun) tools, click here.

What tools can you not live without when you present?

Silence speaks louder than words

We recently watched "Marathon Man," and I was reminded of one of my favorite qualities of Dustin Hoffman's acting: stillness.

Some actors never gain the ability to be still. They, like many speakers, feel that the more they move and the more they speak, the more they express. But there are actors like Dustin Hoffman and Clint Eastwood, right of the top of my head, who are masters of stillness. They speak volumes without a motion or sound.

This is hard to do. Many of us are uncomfortable with silence and stillness. We feel we have to fill it with sound and movement; we have to keep going or we'll somehow lose the audience.

But stillness is a tool, just like movement and voice, and being willing to use it will increase your effectiveness as a speaker in giving your audience an opportunity to process your words, and perhaps to experience a profound moment of understanding.

I have one other thing to say about Dustin Hoffman. He's got a tic or a twitch, where sometimes he moves his lips when he's not actually saying anything. You might find this annoying, and you might not notice it at all. But the truth is, it has never hurt his career.

His brilliant performances override any peculiar involuntary movements of his face and, for that matter, his twitches are part of who he is. They are part of what makes him unique as an actor and a person.

Now I know I recently wrote about tics as distractions, and it's a risk you take as a speaker or performer not to pay attention to any tics you might have. If they are distracting more than charming, or if you are not an effective, engaging speaker, your tics will indeed be a problem.

But as I always say, it's important to embrace your uniqueness, and if your little twitches are unobtrusive enough and you can carry your audience successfully, then you will have little to worry about. As I mentioned in this post, I have a lisp, and it's never, ever been a problem for me.

Are you filling but flavorless?

If someone were to describe your presentation, would they say:

1. "Average, but there's a lot of it." (You haven't made an effort to create good content or practice your delivery, so you compensate by drowning the audience in information.)

2. "Not bad. Not good, but not bad." (You don't take the time to prepare or learn about your audience, so they aren't able to relate to you or your material. Your presentation is just okay.)

3. "Quantity IS quality!" (The more bullet points and tiny text on your slides, the smarter you look. Right?)

View the following commercial and ask yourself if this describes your last presentation.




If you can't see the video, click here to go to the site.

Who are you trying to be?

In asking a new client about his public speaking challenges, one person kept coming up as a role model: his boss. His boss is authoritative and commanding, while my client feels that he comes off as passive and too easygoing. His boss' voice is strong and powerful, while my client feels that his voice is weak and too soft.

I can't help but wonder to myself: is this true? Is my client really weak and passive and unauthoritative? Is his boss really so wonderful as a presenter?

I will probably never see my client's boss give a presentation, so I can't possibly know how he comes across. But I will see my client give a presentation, and furthermore, I will videotape him so he can see and hear himself. I guarantee that once he sees himself on video, he will begin to develop a more realistic perception of himself as a speaker, and most likely a more positive one, as every other person I've videotaped has done.

The problem is in our perception of ourselves and in comparing ourselves to others. It's great to have role models to look up to and goals to achieve for improvement, but oftentimes in comparing ourselves to others, we overlook our own strengths and valuable qualities.

Another client is concerned about co-presenting with a colleague who always gets standing ovations (see yesterday's post). She fears not being able to present at the same level as he does.

We talked about her purpose, her objective, what she wants the audience to do as a result of her presentation. We talked about her passion for the topic and her commitment to getting her message out there. And we talked about giving the audience tools to implement the program she's presenting on.

None of those things have anything to do with getting a standing ovation, so if she gets one, that's great, but she knows that she has more important goals for her presentation than getting the immediate satisfaction of a standing o. Furthermore, she's gotten a lot of positive feedback over the years on her warm, accessible presentation style. She has strengths already; she just has to appreciate them.

Focus on your own strengths and your own challenges as a speaker; comparing yourself to others just leads to disappointment. You can't be someone else. You have your own unique qualities, just as they have theirs. Appreciate your own style, your own voice, and learn how to improve on the you that is already great -- in your own way!

Does a standing ovation equal success?

As a speaker, the best indicator of a successful speech or presentation is a standing ovation. Right?

Wrong.

Sure, we'd all love one. It feels fantastic, it boosts our ego, it shows that that audience was entertained and enjoyed themselves, and it gives us that Sally Field moment: "You like me!"

But getting a standing ovation doesn't actually mean that the audience is going to retain your information, and take action by putting it into practice. It doesn't mean that your message has any lifespan after the audience walks out the door.

First of all, the kind of speaking that most of us are doing doesn't lend itself to standing ovations. When you're the regional director training your staff on the latest initiative, or you're the team leader giving a report to another department on a project, it's unlikely that you'll be getting a standing ovation, no matter how successful your talk.

Unless you're giving keynotes at large conferences, audiences are probably not going to jump to their feet at the end of your presentation.

But the more important issue here is this: is your purpose to get a standing ovation, or is it to inspire the audience to do something? Are you trying to change attitudes or behavior? Are you trying to persuade the group to come around to your way of thinking? Are you giving a critical update that everyone needs to understand? You don't need a standing ovation to prove your success.

You need to have a purpose and an objective when speaking to an audience, and it has to be about giving meaningful value to the audience. A standing ovation is all about you. Serving your audience is all about them.

When I spoke in high school classrooms, sometimes it was hard to tell if anyone was getting anything out of my presentations. High school students are known for being a tough audience, and frequently they were just too cool to let on if they got anything out of it.

But years later, I would be at the checkout counter, or paying a parking attendant, and that person would say to me, "I remember you. You came to my classroom freshman year and talked about healthy relationships. That talk was really helpful to me."

That's my standing ovation.

5 Ways to Win Business in a Recession -- Guest post by Joey Asher

This post is adapted from Joey Asher’s new book “How to Win a Pitch: The Five Fundamentals that Will Distinguish You from the Competition." It is available at http://www.howtowinapitch.com and on Amazon (pre-order until May 19).

I attended many high school parties where there weren’t enough girls. Competition for dance partners was fierce. That’s what the marketplace looks like in today’s recession. New business is scarce. And competition is fierce.

Just as when there aren’t enough dance partners, when business is scarce you need to hone your pitch. In your next sales presentation, focus on five fundamentals to separate yourself from your competition.

Fundamental #1. Present a solution and nothing else. Many of your competitors start presentations by talking about themselves. “Before we start, let me tell you about how our company began . . .” Blah. Blah. Blah. Who cares? Your prospect only cares about how you can save them money, grow their revenues, or reduce their risk. Detail your plan to help your prospect and tell stories about how the plan has worked for others.

Fundamental #2. Keep it simple. I watched three construction firms pitch to build a new school. No presentation had less than 10 points. None of the messages were memorable. Instead, you should hammer at three messages. “We’ll build your project on time. We’ll meet your budget. We’ll deliver quality work.” Simplicity separates you from the competition.

Fundamental #3. Speak with Passion. If you’re one of three firms competing, you know that your competition can do a great job. Personal style can be the separator. “When it’s close, many of the decisions just come down to who connects with us best,” one CEO told me. Passion in the voice helps you connect.

Fundamental #4. Leave half of your time for questions. Questions address your prospect’s hot buttons. Your competition often makes Q&A an afterthought. Avoid that mistake.

Fundamental #5. Rehearse. “I can always tell who has rehearsed,” said one CEO who has heard hundreds of sales presentations. Most people don’t rehearse much. Practicing sets you apart.

In a recession, the pool of new business is small. Focus on fundamentals to grab your share.

Read Joey's blog, Talking Points, here.

Saying goodbye

Today's blog post is personal. I said goodbye to one of my kitties yesterday, and I wrote a tribute to her here. Will be back with public speaking material soon.