Where Do You Find Good Ideas?

Do you find good ideas in a conference room? Read Seth Godin’s blog for the answer.  http://ping.fm/Iwoh5

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LinkedIn More Popular than Twitter?

More people LinkedIn than tweeting http://ping.fm/tpXNJ

Interview with Tom Martin of Business Lexington

Interview with Tom Martin of Business Lexington

Tom Martin, Editor in Chief, Business Lexington

Tom Martin, Editor in Chief of Business Lexington of Lexington, Kentucky talks to Inside The Speaker Studio about his radio background, how he transitioned from radio to print, how Business

Lexington is a “partner in the progress,” how and where they get their news, and a share a piece of trivia that you’ll find quite interesting. This program was recorded in his office at Smiley Pete Publishing on March 9, 2010.

When a Speaker Cancels: 5 Tips for Survival

As a busy meeting planner dealing with last-minute conference details, the last thing you need is for your speaker or entertainer to not show up or cancel at the last minute. Canceled or delayed flights (one of which I’m quite familiar), family emergencies, or scheduling conflicts can create havoc for you and your already busy time line.  There are steps you can take to be sure you are not caught off guard without a speaker.

1. Plan Ahead – A good rule for planning an event is to always have a backup plan.  Be in contact with your convention and visitors’ bureau or conference/hotel management staff.  They often keep files of local speakers or entertainers who can fill in at the last minute.

2.  Tap into Current Resources – Sometimes other presenters at your conference, such as those hired for your breakout sessions can fill in for the empty slot.

3. Request a Replacement – If the canceling speaker is truly professional, he/she will offer a replacement speaker.  They will NOT leave you high and dry.  That is a good way for a professional to get what we call in the industry, “black-listed.”  So, ask your canceling speaker for a possible replacement.

4. Work with a Speakers Bureau – One of the guarantees a speakers bureau offers is to provide you with a backup should your primary speaker suddenly cancel.  Bureaus filter for professional speakers who live by a strict code of ethics.  Bureaus work for YOU, not the speaker.  Some speakers have agents.  These agents have the speaker’s best interest at heart, not yours.  A bureau is your best solution to assisting you with your needs. It is in their best interest to help you with your event, no matter what the budget.

5. Get it in Writing – Be sure to accommodate for these provisions in your contract with the speaker.  A bureau should be including stipulations for these types of changes.  If not, find another bureau.

Remember to breathe and understand that there is help available.  Keep these simple tips in mind and you will feel more comfortable about dealing with the situation should it ever happen to you.

Recommended Reading:
Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Meeting & Event Planning, 2nd Edition

How to Connect with Introverts & Extroverts

Professional speaker and trainer, Anne Murray, teaches people to understand themselves and each other. She joined me today on my BlogTalkRadio Show, “Inside The Speaker Studio” to discuss introverts and extroverts. She defines the differences between introverts and extroverts and if one prefers one over the other. She also talked about how the two types affect our relationship and the kinds of communication behaviors each has. From body language to how we argue. Is one better than the other? Listen to this 30 minute interview to find out.

Warm Fuzzies & Cold Pricklies

Anne Murray writes:

“Why do some people attack your ideas publicly, criticize you frequently, find it difficult to be tactful, insist on their view of what is logical, fail to give compliments, and then expect you to want to work with them? Why do others give compliments and appreciation, support your ideas in meetings, make suggestions for improvement tactfully and privately, look for the positive and then expect you to want to work with them? What about your customers? Are some of them “cold pricklies”, wanting brief and businesslike transactions, while others appear to be “warm fuzzies”, wanting personal interactions before discussing the business at hand?” Read entire article.

Add Value to a Meeting

Brian Tracy writes in his new book:
“The key to success in a meeting is for you to be persuasive. It lets you affect the direction of the discussion and influence the final decisions and conclusions with your input.

To be persuasive in a meeting, the meeting participants must like you. To be liked, you must be likeable. People must willingly support you and approve of your ideas and your positions. The key to increasing your influence and persuading others to support and agree with you is simple: Make others feel important.

There are six things (“the six A’s”) you can practice to make others feel more valuable in a meeting or any other social or business situation. They are essential if you want to speak to win.

1. Acceptance. One of the deepest human needs is to be unconditionally accepted by others. You express your acceptance of others by looking directly at them and smiling, both when they come in and when they say something or contribute to the meeting. This makes the individual feel valuable and important. It raised his or her self-esteem and improves his or her self-image. It also causes the person, at a subconscious level, to want to support you in the things you suggest or say.” Read entire article here.

Get Brian Tracy’s new best-selling book with 2 bonus CDs, Speak on Your Feet and Communicate With Power for only $29.99!