March 2008 News Flash
In this edition:
- President’s Message from Alan Rigg
- NSA-Arizona March 8 Monthly Meeting
- Meeting Sponsor for March
- Upcoming NSA Programs
- New NSA-Arizona Members
- Living Room Forum
- NSA-Arizona Speaker Lab
- NSA National Updates
- Business-Building Bulletin
- NEW! Learning from NSA Greats
- Word Trippers from the Platform
- About This Newsletter
President’s Message from Alan Rigg
Strategies for Winning More Paid Speaking Engagements
After every NSA-Arizona meeting, our executive director, Gwen Henson, summarizes the scores and comments from the meeting evaluation forms and publishes them to the NSA-Arizona board of directors. I look forward to reviewing this information every month as it provides some of the most direct and timely feedback we receive to help us determine whether our programs are hitting the mark. Your comments also let us know what kinds of programs you would like to see delivered at future meetings.
I can’t remember the last time I reviewed the suggestions for future programs and DIDN’T see at least one request for more programs on “how to book more paid speaking gigs.” If this is a topic of interest for you, the March 8th meeting is a “must attend.” VOE Deborah Gardner will be helping us discover untapped potential within ourselves that will help us beat the competition. Main stage speaker Vickie Sullivan will educate us on how find and pitch sponsors to pay our speaking fees…and more.
Do you want more speaking business? Is this one of the reasons you belong to NSA-Arizona? If it is, be sure to join us on March 8th!
Alan Rigg, NSA-Arizona President 2007-2008
NSA-Arizona Monthly Meeting – March 8, 2008
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12 noon; networking 8:30 a.m.; Business Building Session 12:15 p.m.
Location: NSA Conference Center, 1500 S. Priest Dr., Tempe, AZ
Prepaid registration (by 5 p.m. Wed., Mar. 5): $30/members, $45/guests
At-the-door registration (after Mar. 5): $40/members, $55/guests
No refunds after the early registration deadline.
Please notify us if you require any special needs for the meeting.
Speaking of Sponsorships: How Experts Get Big Fees in This Lucrative Market FAST!–Vickie Sullivan
You’ve heard it everywhere: sponsorships are hot! This session will focus on the getting sponsors to pay your speaking fee and more. In a fast-paced “tell it like it is” format filled with data, strategies, and tools, Vickie Sullivan shares market intelligence, trends, and strategies that will help you package your expertise for this $15 BILLION marketplace.
You will learn:
- Two current trends and why you should care about them
- Top misconceptions speakers have about sponsors
- What sponsors look for in selecting speakers
- Three ways to find sponsors
- Two mistakes speakers make when pitching sponsors
- Two questions that will unlock hidden sponsorship opportunities
- Who can help you get sponsors
Nationally recognized as the top market strategist for experts on the professional speaking circuit, Vickie Sullivan speaks about speaker selection trends in high-fee markets. Her market intelligence updates are distributed to experts in 18 countries and her articles have been published in Speaker magazine, Presentations magazine, and the Handbook of Business Strategy. She also has been quoted in Fortune.com, The New York Times, and Investor’s Business Daily. She has been one of the top-ranked speakers at Mark Victor Hansen’s Mega Speaking events. Her groundbreaking work as earned her an appointment on the Kennedy School of Government, Women’s Leadership Board at Harvard.
VOE: How is Competition Affecting YOU?–Deborah Gardner
Are you ready to discover your untapped potential to WIN?
Competition is part of every facet of our lives…in business, in our families, in dating, in our recreational activities and even within ourselves. Today, it’s not about having the competitive edge, it’s about crushing the competition. Everyone’s goal and objective is the same … to WIN, however …
- Do you compete or merely co-exist with your competition?
- Have you discovered your competitive advantage? Do you even have one?
- Do you ignore your competition? Do you know who they are?
- Do you know what it takes to be successful?
Some people compete with a “winner take all” mindset that keeps us ever-ready for an all-out smack down battle. Some regard competition as an unhealthy disorder to be denied or avoided, and others pretend that we can all get along and “play nicely.” Finding the answer to these extremes can actually be a healthy, constructive approach to competition that, when realized, you will rely on only one line of attack. To uncover just what that is, you must gear up to go beyond the finish line.
At this session, you will:
- Find out your competitive style in order to be the best
- Use “winning” strategies to your competitive advantage
- Hear what’s the ONE thing that really separates you from the competition
- Understand the mindset and healthy aspects of competition
- Learn to empower and elevate your “game” to a higher business performance level
- Learn the secrets of being a champion in YOU!
Deborah Gardner, CMP (known as “The Competition Gal”), possesses a unique blend of creativity, experience, and education that make her a well-versed student AND teacher of competition concepts. As president/founder of COMPETE BETTER NOW!, she helps individuals and organizations win by applying the constructive aspects of competition to their businesses and their lives.
Stephanie Angelo stephanie@hressential.com heads the Program Committee 2007-2008.
Business Building Session–Writing Your Way to Recognition with Barbara McNichol and Mary Westheimer
Formerly call the Candidate Program, this Business Building Session starts promptly at 12:15 p.m. until 1:30. All morning attendees are welcome.
Experts say that an article appearing in a publication is worth ten times as much as an advertisement. So how can you get such effective exposure?
Using real examples and proven techniques, Barbara McNichol and Mary Westheimer show you how to write and place articles in publications your audience reads. This lively session not only explains what works when writing articles to promote your business, it gets you started using these powerful techniques. You’ll be able to write your way to recognition immediately!
Mary Westheimer has garnered exposure for businesses and individuals in numerous print, Internet and broadcast outlets locally and nationally. Barbara McNichol helps speakers write articles and books more persuasively as a professional editor. She also edits NSA-Arizona’s NewsFlash monthly newsletter.
Dave Sherman dave@connectionspro.com and Dr. Michelle May mmay@amihungry.com head the Candidate Committee 2007-2008.
Prepayment Procedures: To streamline check-in at our monthly meetings, please prepay for your meeting attendance. Members and guests save $10 when they prepay by 5 p.m. on the Wednesday before the Saturday meeting. Registration at the door (available as space allows) is $40 for members and $55 for nonmembers.
Note from Executive Director Gwen Henson: We’re happy to keep your credit card on file for meeting payments but it’s not an automatic service. Please specifically ask us to do that.
To register for this meeting and save $10, follow these prepayment procedures. Three ways to register:
- Online: go to http://nsa-arizona.org/meetings/march-8/
- By email: send name, company, and number of attendees to Gwen@nsa-arizona.org
- By telephone: call (480) 968-7443
SUPPORT OUR MEETING SPONSOR – Don Rice & Associates
Don Rice & Associates, LLC, represents over 15 companies in all areas of healthcare benefits. It provides medical, dental, vision or any other type of healthcare benefit plan for you, your family or business. Its representatives will provide free quotes and cost analysis and service existing plans, all with NO FEES! “Our primary goal is to customize a healthcare benefit plan that meets your specific needs. We represent YOU, not the insurance company, and live by the motto Customer Service Comes First,” says Don Rice. Allow Don Rice & Associates, LLC the opportunity to prove that to you. Call 480-699-5745 for detailed information.
Hilari Weinstein hilari@highimpactcommunication.com heads the Sponsorship Committee 2007-2008
Upcoming NSA-Arizona Programs
April 12
- Karyn Ruth White, Craft Like a Comic, Sell Like A Speaker
- VOE: Dave Barnhart, Why Your Business Should Have a Blog
- BB Session: E-Marketing Excellence with Ron Cates
May 10
- 30th Anniversary Special Presidents Event
- BB Session: The Business Side of the Speaking Business with Carolyn Brown
June 14
- Mike Rayburn, 17 Ways to Get a Bazillion Bookings
- VOE: Robin Craig/Norma Ory, “Do you know your FIQ™ (First Impression Quotient)?”
- BB Session: (TBD)
- Online: go to http://nsa-arizona.org/meetings/march-8/
- By email: send name, company, and number of attendees to Gwen@nsa-arizona.org
- By telephone: call (480) 968-7443
New NSA-Arizona Members
Welcome to our newest members.
New Professional Members
Gloria Petersen
Sam Henrie
Karen Russo
Stanley Bronstein
New Candidates
David Sloan
Helen Pugh
Mary Lynn Ilnitsky
Steve Gagnon
NSA-Arizona Living Room Forum–March 26
Join Michelle May, M.D., founder of Am I Hungry?® Mindful Eating Workshops and award-winning author of the Am I Hungry? What To Do When Diets Don’t Work, winner of three ABPA awards, and ‘H’ is for Healthy–Weight Management for Kids, and four companion workbooks. She’ll lead a discussion for Authors/Publishers based on these questions:
- With 200,000 books published each year, how do you/can you build credibility with your target readers?
- How do you/can you leverage your writing to achieve expert status and reach new readers?
- Is your book title brand-worthy?
- How do you know it’s time to find a publisher for your self-published book?
This forum takes place on Wednesday, March 26 from 7 pm to 9 pm in north central Phoenix, hosted by Janet Miller. RSVP at March LRF or call Gwen (480) 968-7443. Cost: $15 members, $25 Guests. Registration and payment are required in advance; no refunds. You’ll receive directions when you register.
Only two months left!!
- Neil Dempster is facilitator and host for Seminar/Workshop leaders on Wednesday, April 23
- June Cline is facilitator and host for Humorists on Wednesday, May 28.
Kitty Wiemelt kitty@kittywiemelt.com and Kathy Marcil kathy@kmarcil.com co-chair Living Room Forum, 2007-2008
Join Us at the NSA-Arizona Speaker Lab
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. Speakers are allotted 30 minutes to present and receive feedback. Forty-minute slots are also available on request. Guests are invited to visit the Lab twice at no charge.
The AM Speaker Lab is held on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month.
Location: NSA Headquarters, 1500 South Priest Drive, Tempe, AZ 85281
Time: 9:30 a.m. Networking / 9:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. LAB
March 11th – All slots are filled.
March 25th – 3 speaking slots are available.
Contact: Celeste Bumpus - 602-430-2786
or celeste@celestebumpus.com
The Evening Speaker Lab meets on the 3rd Tuesday of every month.
Location: Best Western Inn Suites, 1615 E. Northern Ave. (SE Corner of Northern & 16th St.)
Please note this location is for evening meetings only.
Time: 6:15 p.m. Networking / 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. LAB
March 18th – 3 speaking slots are available.
Contact: Eileen Proctor – 602-867-3647
or topdog@speaktopdogspeak.com
If you are interested in coordinating the AM Speaker Lab in April 2008, please contact Speaker Lab President Larry Colbert – 602-480-894-2639 or larry@drivingvision.com or Celeste Bumpus (contact information is listed above). The Lab coordinator term is 6 months (12 meetings) and is an excellent way to build and strengthen relationships at NSA while learning from others.
NSA National Updates
Read a Good Book Lately?
For the majority of professional speakers, staying in tune with the ideas of the day is important. Speaker magazine’s ‘’Relevant Reading'’ column is a forum for us to share what we have read with our colleagues. If you have read a good book lately, we’d welcome your review for this column. Here are the guidelines:
- Books should be relevant to the speaking profession and relevant to those who enjoy being part of that profession.
- The review should be approximately 115-150 words in length.
- The book reviewed cannot be authored by an NSA Member.
- The review should clearly make its point(s) about the value of the book to a professional speaker.
- The review may be gently edited, as necessary.
- Your contribution will be acknowledged with a byline.
Please send your reviews to marsha@nsaspeaker.org.
NSA Jam Session: Presentation & Performance Lab April 11 - 13, 2008, Las Vegas, NV, Golden Nugget Hotel
Whether you are a new speaker or a seasoned pro, The “Ultimate Performer” Jam Session will enable you to drastically increase your entertainment value. In Las Vegas, the entertainment capitol of the world, we will learn from an unbelievable team of experts who will share their unfiltered knowledge and vast stage experience to equip you to:
- Increase your laugh factor by learning to use humor strategically and effectively.
- Construct an experience with dynamic flow and theatrical impact.
- Become a master storyteller by constructing winning stories with captivating characters.
- Create an ideal environment for your performance by leveraging staging, lighting, sound, and visual impact.
- Transfer your unique style and skills to the stage as entertainment elements.
- Stimulate your audiences’ senses using music and movement, as well as words. Prepare to Jam!
Business Building Bulletin
Don’t miss this opportunity to tell fellow members about your achievements. This bulletin publicizes events of interest to NSA-Arizona members and announces member accomplishments. Send your information to Barbara McNichol at editor@barbaramcnichol.com
Petrie Sue’s Latest Book
Marsha Petrie Sue’s latest book, Toxic People: Decontaminate Difficult People at Work without Using Weapons or Duct Tape (Wiley, 2007) is a best seller for Barnes and Noble, Bookscan, CEO Read, Amazon and more. Marsha has been quoted in The New York Times, Newsweek On-Line, Investors Business Digest, Legal Management, WorkWise, Business Journal, American Chronicle and others. Her favorite quote is “Silence is Golden. Duct Tape is Silver.”
For more information, visit http://www.MarshaPetrieSue.com or Marsha’s blog at http://www.DecontaminateToxicPeople.com
New Seminar Leader Opportunity Certification Class – March 10-12
Just released is Ron Willingham’s book Ten Laws of Wealth and Abundance. A course leader’s guide and seminar workbook is being professionally produced as an opportunity for speakers needing additional track for new audiences and revenue. Check out the web site http://TheTenLawsofWealth.com to view the book and program content. Willingham’s previous programs—Integrity Selling, THE CUSTOMER, and Managing Goals Achievement—have been attended by 1.5 million people in 80 different countries. The first certification class will be held in Scottsdale March 10-12. For a copy of the book and to see the materials, contact Bill Johnson, CSP, at 602-870-3333.
NEW: LEARNING FROM NSA GREATS
The speaking industry is what it is today because of a few individuals who had a vision of the industry and the passion to make it come alive. Many lessons were learned along the way.
This month begins a series that will profile some of these lessons from NSA Greats. They are contributed by Bill Johnson, CSP, a charter member and NSA’s first executive vice president.
After all, the learning never stops!
At the beginning of NSA 30+ years ago, the most inspiring talents were speakers who could deliver 30 to 60 minutes with NO notes. In the early 1970s, even the “dean” of speaking, Dr. Kenneth McFarland, used notes and stood behind the lectern. Our first NSA President Bill Gove, speaking legend Zig Ziglar, and the famous minister Dr. Norman Vincent Peale delivered their speeches without notes. Some speakers attempted to “memorize” a speech, such as those given in 5 to 7 minutes at Toastmasters. Most of those “sounded” memorized.
What’s the secret of speaking without notes? Bill Gove and Dr. Peale both constructed their speeches as a series of vignettes, a string of word pictures. Dr. Peale said his sermons or speeches never included more than three points so he could remember it easily.
Cavett Robert, our NSA founder, said he would visualize his speech in pictures; he would “see” (in his mind’s eye) pictures on the back wall in the proper order. Like others, he talked about having a “string” of related thoughts, usually couched in one main story. He never used memorized material.
At an early NSA Workshop, one “star” speaker had obviously memorized his speech and he taught us the danger of memorization; he repeated an entire block of the speech and was totally unaware of it!
Bill Johnson, CSP
Word Trippers from the Platform
These featured Word Trippers are perennial “stoppers” when it comes to being accurate. I encourage you to pay SPECIAL attention to them. They’re so commonly misused, it’s easy to mistake them for correct.
Awhile, a while – The dictionary says “awhile” means “for a while” (for a period of time). Therefore, it’s redundant to say “for awhile” because it’s like saying “for for a while.” “Let’s get together awhile. We can drink and enjoy visiting for a while.”
Breath, breathe – “Breath” (a noun) means the air you inhale and exhale; “breathe” (a verb) is the action of taking breaths. “The jogger had to breathe hard until he could catch his breath.”
Browse, peruse – “Browse” means to inspect something in a leisurely way while “peruse” calls for reading it thoroughly, examining it with care. “When we browse through the newspaper, we skim the display ads quickly but we carefully peruse the help-wanted section.”
Word Trippers are featured in The Door Opener, a newsletter on persuasive writing to open doors to your dreams. Subscribe at http://www.barbaramcnichol.com or send an email to editor@barbaramcnichol.com
About This Newsletter
Email your News Flash announcements to editor Barbara McNichol at editor@barbaramcnichol.com or call 520-615-7910 by 15th of each month.
To view back issues of the newsletter, click on Newsletters in the menu at the right and select the edition you wish to view.
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