October 2007 NewsFlash
In this issue:
- President’s Message from Alan Rigg
- NSA-Arizona October 13 Monthly Meeting
- Meeting Sponsor for October
- Living Room Forum for 2007-2008
- Upcoming NSA Programs
- Speech Development Lab
- Business-Building Bulletin
- Word Trippers from the Platform
- About This Newsletter
President’s Message from Alan Rigg
What Do YOU Need to Grow Your Speaking Business?
In today’s “information age” with its unlimited amount to consume, how do we determine where to invest our limited time and resources? If we’re not careful, we can get trapped into becoming “information junkies”—always on the lookout for the next great idea. Never mind that we haven’t IMPLEMENTED any of the previous 20 great ideas we picked up. The NEXT one may be even better, right?
Fortunately, I seem to have a built-in governor that tells me when to switch from “learning mode” to “execution mode.” While actively looking for new ideas or doing targeted research, I inevitably reach a saturation point and switch into “execution mode.” In this mode, I’m extremely discriminating about investing time in new learning experiences. Instead, I maintain a heads-down focus on my current project. When it is completed, I make a CONSCIOUS choice to either pursue new knowledge or execute another project. But only when it’s done!
How can you apply this mindset to your own business? Should you be seeking new information or executing something you’ve already learned? If you answered “new information,” what kind will have the greatest impact on the success of your business? Be strategic in your thinking. Prioritize your learning needs. Then, bring your top priorities to the NSA-AZ meeting on October 13th. Our speaker Sam Silverstein will provide a terrific opportunity to help you learn about and execute business issues of most concern to YOU.
I look forward to seeing you on October 13th!
Sincerely,
Alan Rigg President, NSA Arizona
NSA-Arizona Monthly Meeting – October 13, 2007
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., October 10): $30/members, $45/guests
At-the-door registration: $40/members, $55/guests
No refunds after the early registration deadline.
Your Speaking Business … Keep It Real™ - Sam Silverstein, CSP
Is your speaking business thriving? Have you created multiple streams of income? Have any excuses for why things aren’t going the way you want them to?
Come hear Sam Silverstein speak about the 10 reasons people fail to create a thriving speaking business. He will open your eyes to new possibilities! This is no canned program; you’ll have input on the direction of this conversation on business. Whether you want to learn more about thinking strategically in your business, creating more products, technology, or sprucing up your marketing program, Sam offers a no-holds-barred approach to building successful businesses.
This entrepreneur, author, and speaker has a solid record of building million-dollar business, plus more than 100 million dollars of products and services. He’s even sold one of his businesses to a Fortune 500 company.
The publisher of the Build A Better Biz newsletter (with 60,000 business professionals as subscribers) and author of numerous business books (The Greatest Secret to Business Success, Creating and Communicating a Memorable Marketing Message, The Success Model, The Power of Choice, and Only The Best On Leadership to name a few), Sam contributes to countless publications and more than 450 radio stations nationwide.
Currently president-elect of National Speakers Association, Sam uses humorous stories to paint pictures for his business audiences. His client list includes Lucent Technologies, National Association of Home Builders, Prudential Insurance Company and The U.S. Postal Service.
VOE: Protect Yourself from Fraud, Lawsuits, and More—Kia Ratliff, MBA
It doesn’t matter whether you sell Mary Kay or own a dental practice, you could be exposing your clients to unnecessary risks if you:
- Accept credit cards, debit cards, or checks
- Store customer or client data
- Have a DSL or wireless connection
Kia Ratliff addresses data security issues that face every business, regardless of size or revenue. Know the steps you MUST take to protect yourself from fraud, lawsuits, reputation damage, or worse. Kia has an MBA and is a certified risk management specialist and president of US Prevention Solutions LLC, based in Arizona. She speaks to hundreds of business owner a month regarding data security and breach prevention. She works with industries and associations to provide relevant practical knowledge to business owners on the changing landscape of fraud detection, prevention, and mitigation. US Prevention Solutions provides seminars, workshops, and other tools help to corporate officers and HR professionals train employees to collect, handle, store, and destroy data.
Stephanie Angelo stephanie@hressential.com heads the Program Committee 2007-2008.
Business Building Session: Welcome to the Jungle: Your Survival Guide to the Speaking Profession
Formerly called the Candidate Program, this Business Building Session starts promptly at 12:15 p.m.and ends at 1:30. All morning attendees are welcome.
Are you exploring speaking as a profession? An expert panel will guide you to discover the lay of the land, identify interesting species, and avoid hidden dangers.
Take a journey through the jungle of the speaking profession with seasoned guides Marcia Reynolds CSP, Neil Dempster CSP, and Kathy Christensen CMP.
Don’t go on this safari alone! Be there October 13th.
Dave Sherman dave@connectionspro.com and Dr. Michelle May mmay@amihungry.com head the Candidates Committee 2007-2008.
SUPPORT OUR MEETING SPONSOR – Maximizing Success
Patricia Drain encourages you to join the Maximizing Success team in beautiful Sedona, Arizona November 9-11 for the 6th Maximizing Success event. Maximizing Success features 12 world-renowned speakers. Be prepared to hear life-changing information that will enhance your business forever.
“I walked away with all the tools and information I needed to take my business to another level. I have tripled my income to date! Thanks for Maximizing Success.” - Barb Bruno, Chicago
Check out the Maximizing Success website and sign up today as an affiliate http://www.maximizingsuccess.com.
Hilari Weinstein hilariweinstein@cox.net heads the Sponsorship Committee 2007-2008
To register for this meeting and save $10, follow these prepayment procedures.
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.
Three ways to register:
- Online: go to http://nsa-arizona.org/meetings/october-2007/
- By email: send name, company, and number of attendees to Gwen@nsa-arizona.org
- By telephone: call (480) 968-7443
Living Room Forum – Authors and Publishers, See You October 24
Getting involved in the Living Room Forums is an excellent time to get to know each other over a light dinner and great ideas. Our next LRF will be facilitated by Ted Rogers, who believes that authorship and publishing should generate not just expert status and publicity, but profits, too. He has perfected powerful marketing programs with sponsorships and special market sales. He says, “I want to sell my books by the truckloads with a single sale!” This attitude has generated single sales in excess of 100,000 books in one order, paid in advance, with a no return policy. Learn how you can, too!
Specifically, Ted will have the group address these questions:
1. What is special market sales?
2. Who is your ideal reader?
3. Where do you start in seeking, securing, and closing a sponsor for your book or product?
4. What new, unique or creative marketing programs are available for your book?
Bonnie Mattick will host this forum for authors and publishers Wednesday, October 24 from 7 pm to 9 pm. RSVP at http://nsa-arizona.org/meetings/living-room-forums/oct-24/ 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.
Reserve these important dates now for future Living Room Forums!
| Facilitator/Host | Topic | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Loretta Love Huff/Debbie Exner | Seminar/Workshop | Nov. 28, 2007 |
| Eileen Proctor/Robin Craig | Humorists | Jan. 23, 2008 |
| Debbie Waitkus/ASBA | Consultants/Coaches | Feb. 27, 2008 |
| Michelle May/Janet Miller | Authors/Publishers | Mar. 26, 2008 |
| Neil Dempster/Neil Dempster | Seminar/Workshop | April 23, 2008 |
| June Cline/June Cline | Humorists | May 28, 2008 |
Kitty Wiemelt kitty@kittywiemelt.com and Kathy Marcil kathy@kmarcil.com co-chair Living Room Forum, 2007-2008
NSA-Arizona Speaker Development Lab
Come on down! Here’s a chance to practice new material and/or learn from others. Speakers are allotted 30 minutes to present and receive feedback (40-minute slots available on request). Guests are invited to attend the Lab twice at no charge. Even at a cost of $75 per year go to NSA-Arizona website http://www.nsa-arizona.org, participating in the Speakers Lab is a true bargain.
The AM Speaker Lab meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month at NSA Headquarters 1500 South Priest Drive - Tempe, AZ 85281 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Coordinator: Celeste Bumpus celeste@celestebumpus.com or 602-430-2786
The next AM Lab meets on Tuesday, October 9th.
Presenters are Vickie Bouffard, Steve Banick, and Larry Colbert (see Larry’s story below).
The Evening Speaker Lab meets on the 3rd Tuesday of every month at Sherman Training Center
4600 E. Shea Blvd - Phoenix, AZ 85028 (main cross streets are Tatum & Shea). 6:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Coordinator: Silver Rose - 602-354-7193 - silver@silverspeaks.com
The next Evening Lab meets on Tuesday, October 16th. Two slots are available.
“I love speaker lab – I get some many ideas from the audience! I go home and re-work my material with all the great input I get. I always feel vulnerable, but I am always glad I put myself out there. It pushes me to the next level!” - Vickie Bouffard
I attended a lab and received the most excellent feedback, ideas, and direction from my fellow Labbies! As a pack, we whelped an absolutely awesome adjunct for my career and my tail hasn’t stopped wagging! (A little doggy humor there! But what else do you expect from the Top Dog?!) - Eileen Proctor
Have You Heard About Banner’s Incredible Adventure? Part 2
We hope you’ve heard about the sensational rescue of Larry Colbert’s seeing-eye dog Banner on Friday, July 13th. Larry is creating a keynote based on this event and turned to the Speakers Lab for assistance. These are Larry’s words.
Last month at the Speakers Lab, I gave a brief overview of this traumatic incident. While this wasn’t scheduled, my Lab Buddies did provide feedback (ever know a fellow speaker who wouldn’t?). Here’s the progression of what I learned.
Session 1: Building on the story and incorporating suggestions from that morning, I developed version #1 of this event and delivered it at the Evening Lab to about 15 of our members. Again, I received serious feedback.
* Title - “Friday the 13th was my Lucky Day”. Several evaluations pointed out that I never mentioned this anywhere in my message. Hmmm?
* Consider a “Flash Back” scenario. Begin at the end and tell us why the 13th was lucky for you and Banner. (This was most beneficial.)
* We want more emotion about my feelings during the incident “Your story is too logical and technical. We want to see and share your pain.”
Session 2: Back to the computer for another re-write incorporating ideas, suggestions, and concepts from first version.
* Opening - Began with the end as suggested. This worked much better and allowed me to insert Friday the 13th at the beginning.
* Sequencing of event - Evaluations recommend I drop the cab driver bit and use dialects and different voices for characters involved.
* Emotions - Added Banner’s panting noises as he struggled through his pain. Five-star responses on this. Aha!
Session 3: Now it’s on to the third version, which I’ll present at the October 9th Lab. The variety of feedback has provided invaluable assistance in crafting this message to evoke emotions and develop logical transitions to a business audience. As Don Thoren would say, I’ve treated these evaluations as though they were items on a smorgasbord. I pick and choose the ones the build story, enhance the message, and best showcase my talent.
As a member of NSA for nearly two decades, I strongly feel the Speaker Development Lab is one of the highest-value benefits our chapter offers. It isn’t just for Wanna Be speakers; it’s for all members. Come pick up techniques to enhance your speaking skills!
Upcoming NSA Programs
NSA Jam Session: Product Development Lab—Nov. 30-Dec. 2—New Orleans, LA Developing Products, Services and Platform Skills that Create Revenue Streams, Position a Unique Expertise and Help Close the Deal
SpeakerPalooza San Francisco! NSA’s Winter Meeting—Feb. 14-17—San Francisco, CA NSA’s Four Day Festival of ROCK-Solid Value for Your Speaking Business…Not a Workshop, not a University, not a Convention
Register at http://www.nsaspeaker.org
NSA-Arizona Helps Provide a Fresh Start
Fresh Start Women’s Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping empower women through the services of the Jewell McFarland Lewis Fresh Start Women’s Resource Center. It accommodates more than 2,500 visits a month by women striving to improve their lives. The Foundation hosts workshops for women and several NSA-Arizona members volunteer their time, including Dr. Michelle May, Loretta Love Huff, and Marcia Reynolds.
NSA Arizona will be collecting travel-size toiletries for Fresh Start emergency kits for women in crisis. Bring extra shampoos, lotions, soaps and other items from your hotel stays and drop them in our Fresh Start donation bin during the October and November chapter meetings.
Any questions, please contact Michelle May mmay@amihungry.com or Deborah Gardner deborah@competebetternow.com.
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
MEMBER ACHIEVEMENTS
Michelle May, MD, will appear live from Chicago on the nationally syndicated NBC program, “In the Loop with iVillage” on October 5th. The show will also be available for viewing at http://intheloop.ivillage.com/. In addition, the East Valley Tribune is hosting Michelle’s new blog, Consumed: http://blogs.eastvalleytribune.com/view.php?blogId=43.
Marsha Petrie Sue speaks on her new book Toxic People: decontaminate difficult people at work without using weapons or duct tape Tuesday, October 9, 7 p.m. at Barnes & Noble, Southeast Corner of Shea and the 101 (10500 North 90th Street, Scottsdale, 480.391.1509).
Word Trippers from the Platform
Ever get tripped up by confusing commonly used words? This column helps you select the perfect word when it matters most—whether you’re writing or speaking.
Transparent, translucent – When an object is “transparent,” it is completely see-through. With a “translucent” object, light goes through it but you can’t see to the other side. “We can see the view clearly through the transparent window in the kitchen but not through the translucent glass in the bathroom.”
Urban, urbane – “Urban” means related to or located in a city. “Urbane” (accent on second syllable) means polite, refined, and elegant. “The farm girl enjoyed traveling to urban areas where she could finally put her long white gloves to their urbane use.”
Verbiage, verbage – These are often confused, yet only “verbiage” is correct. It means an excess of words, or the manner in which something is expressed in words.
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
Condolences
I’d like to acknowledge the wonderful support and kindness my family received from our NSA-AZ members during my mother’s passing. The idea of NSA as “family” was certainly evident during this time. Being a part of this caring and supportive family has meant a lot. My heartfelt thanks to everyone.
- Ted Rogers, past president, NSA-Arizona
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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