Morning Lab is on the 2nd & 4th Tuesday
The Speaker Lab
If you are a Speaker Lab member and want to renew your membership in the Lab, click here.
Speaker Lab This Month
Our Special Guest Evaluators for this month are: TBA
Morning Labs
9:30 to 11:45 a.m.
February 14—Naomi Rhode, CSP, CPAE
February 28—Dave Richardson, CSP
March 13—June Cline, CSP
The Speaker “Lab” is the ultimate opportunity to test new material or refine/improve existing material. The Lab is offered exclusively to members of the “Elite” NSA-Arizona Chapter–the only chapter nationally to offer this unique service.
speaker lab \ ’spē-kur * ’lab \ vb 1: elevating your speech to the next level; going from good to great. n 2: a meeting place where speakers come together to raise one another up. vb 3: the spirit of our founder Cavett Robert; living the NSA vision.
Speakers are allotted 30 minutes to present and receive feedback. Five-, ten- and forty-minute slots are also available, upon request.
- Elevator Speeches
- Humor
- Key Notes
- Openings/closings
- Recorded materials, DVD’s, CD’s
- Signature Story
- Special Vignettes
- Training exercise
- 3 minute story
What’s the Speaker Lab all about?
An important function of the Lab is to get confirmation on what we do right and awareness of what we do that can be improved. It’s been suggested that “magic” takes place at Speaker Lab.
Presenters get ideas, feedback in a “safe” place
What happens at Speaker Lab? Speakers get lots of critique, yes, but much more importantly, they get many suggestions for adding value to already good material. These speakers, already being paid to speak, recognize the need to get better so they can expect better fees!
Presenters range in experience from beginners to seasoned pros. Even the seasoned presenter is looking for ways to do better. Or working on new material. Or looking for a way to improve an introduction or a signature story. Or they’re venturing into a new area and need a “safe” place to experiment.
Morning Speaker Lab
The Speaker Lab is held on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month.
Location: NSA Headquarters
1500 South Priest Drive
Tempe, AZ 85281
New time: 9:30 a.m. Networking / 9:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. LAB
Don Thoren and Debra Exner co-lead the AM Speaker Lab, with back-up support from Liz Recchia, Kristen Nelson and Vickie Mullins.
Contact Debra Exner regarding open speaking slots/scheduling
Debra Exner dexner@exnerassociates.com
Contact Don Thoren for Speaker Lab questions and feedback.
Don Thoren, CPAE, CMC, Don@DonThoren.com
or 480-838-7406
Typical Morning Agenda
9:30-9:45 AM – Networking (and set-time for presenters)
9:45-10:00 AM – Open Meeting, Announcements, Intros
10:00-10:30 AM – 1st Speaker
10:35-11:05 AM – 2nd Speaker
11:10-11:40 AM – 3rd Speaker
11:45 AM – Close Meeting, Thank You’s
Come on down!
You are invited to visit the Lab as a guest twice at no charge. You must be a Candidate or Professional Member to present at Lab.
A message from former Speaker Lab President, Larry Colbert
The late singer/songwriter John Denver is reported to have said… “For years I would write songs and sing them to myself all the while longing for someone to listen”. His dedication, hours of practice, and the passion for his music eventually paid off and the audiences found him.
Do you have a song to sing or a message to deliver? Have you longed for an audience who would listen? Well, wait no more. The NSA-Arizona Speakers Lab is ready for you!
Three times a month the members of the NSA-Arizona Chapter have an opportunity to speak to an eager group of individuals with a shared passion for the art of oral communication. Whether you are a veteran keynoter, seminar leader, or aspiring candidate, you will have an audience. The insight from the positive and constructive evaluation process of your peers is designed to assist you in fine tuning your message, refining your platform skills, and developing your signature stories. An added bonus is the video recording of your presentation and the oral evaluations.
The investment is small, yet the benefit is great. I encourage you to join us for 2 hours of fun and enlightenment as you work towards achieving your goals as a Professional Speaker
Carpe diem, Larry Colbert
Membership
Lab membership is included in the Candidate dues. For Professional NSA-Arizona members, lab membership dues, just $75 annually (or the Pay-as-you-go option), help to defray the cost of the facilities used. Here’s your chance to try out new material, revise current material, practice delivery, and receive feedback from NSA speaking colleagues. New Members must attend at least 2 meetings before presenting so they will have an opportunity to learn how the group works. All Members are welcome to join the AM or PM Labs.
Speaker Lab Membership
Pay-As-You-Go Option
Register for Speaker Lab—$10 per Lab
Speaker Lab Practice Presentation
For those who are not members of Lab and wish to present and receive feedback and critique of their presentation.
Register for Practice Presentation—$25
Lab Members must be an active NSA-Arizona Professional or Candidate Member. To become a chapter member, click here
A message from Don Thoren, CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame and Past National President
“Early in my career, I spent two days with Cavett Robert, Bill Gove, Patricia Fripp, Charlie “Tremendous” Jones, Don Hutson and others as we reviewed video tapes of each others presentations. I never saw so much support, positive reinforcement, improvement ideas and enriching suggestions given by a group of speakers to each other. It was a help each other love-in!! During the past six years of the Speakers Lab, we have met twice a month to observe each other, recognize each others talent and offer suggestions for improvement. The results have been dramatic and the process personally satisfying. It is our own Arizona ‘help each other love-in’ and our doors are always open to those who want to help others and improve themselves.”
Don Thoren, CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame and Past National President
Questions? Contact Don Thoren, CPAE, at don@donthoren.com or Gwen Henson, Executive Director, at Gwen@NSA-Speaker.org.
