public speaking

My Goals (and a single New Possibility) for 2011

2011-Goals-and-Possibilities ?

As each year begins anew, we typically set goals or make New Year?s resolutions. Last year I wrote about my possibilities for 2010. The concept of (and term) possibilities is appealing because possibilities are future-based, without limits or boundaries. Whereas resolutions??tend to be past-based in nature ? i.e. fixing what is broken.

Setting goals can be a tricky thing. If we set goals that are too generic we run the risk of potentially limiting ourselves (if set too low) or frustrating ourselves (if set too high). Hence, we frequently end up with broken New Year?s resolutions.

Last year I listed 4 possibilities?for myself: refocus; consolidate; action; and cash flow. My last post?put in perspective how I did on those 4 possibilities. Overall, I did OK and give myself a ?B+? grade.

This year I?m listing only one possibility and 8 very specific goals. It?s my belief that by accomplishing the 8 goals ? the 1 possibility will become a reality.

If you are planning to make your own list of goals or possibilities for 2011, review my friend Pete?s list that includes the 7 goal-setting mistakes??people typically commit when making New Year?s resolutions.

Where are you headed in 2011? Have you made your own list of goals or possibilities?

Here is my list…

Sunburst 2010 ? Being Agent Friendly in a Google World (Part 3 of 3)

Sunburst20100-Presidents Agent Friendly is a term used by both Speakers Bureaus and Agencies that book entertainment such as tribute bands, tribute artists?and impersonators. (Let?s just refer to both distinct groups as Agents going forward.) The term Agent Friendly specifically refers to the promotional materials (i.e. web sites, one-sheets, headshots, etc.) that the speaker or tribute artist provides to the agents so that they can better promote and sell the speaker or tribute artist (hereafter both referred to simply as Talent). Agent Friendly promo materials intentionally omit the talent?s specific contact information. Rather, it has the contact information of the agent.

The reason behind this? The agent is acting as the principal dealmaker between potential clients and the many talent options. Agents have the difficult job of sending out many unique talent proposals to a single client for any single event. After the client does an initial screening, the agent may help the client select the talent that will best fit their specific needs. For example, an agent may send one particular client proposals for 5 different speakers. The client then selects the one or two they like best, then the agent may give additional advice on the specific speakers that client has selected. Now expand that task to potentially a hundred different clients with hundreds of proposals with thousands of different talent options and you can easily see a complex management task that the agent must deal with on a daily basis.

Agent Friendly promo material is an efficient way to keep the communication between the client and agent (i.e. broker) and not get the talent involved during this initial screening process, and frequently not until the specific job is booked.

Besides making an efficient process unnecessarily confusing, a client calling the talent directly and bypassing the agent raises a specific ethical dilemma. When clients and talent decide to do business directly, eliminating the agent who was the original dealmaker, a valuable link is removed and devalued. This would be similar to a manufacturer who decides to sell directly to the public after a previous agreement has been made to sell through a channel of wholesalers and retailers. How would the middlemen feel in that situation?

Fast forward to 2010 and a world where Google is king, when it?s possible for anyone to find anyone else in seconds with a simple internet search and clients can find the talent that want almost instantly; you now leave the scenario screaming for some clarification and new common sense guidelines.

Does this make agents obsolete? Unnecessary? I say, ?No!? Speakers Bureaus and Agencies still have a vital role to play going forward. Understanding the role of agents and operating from a foundation of integrity will make it both practical and beneficial for agents to broker deals between clients and talent.

Here are the key issues as I see them and the principals that I believe are necessary for clients, agents and talent to work together productively and ethically in a Google dominated world.

A Report from the 2010 NSA Annual Convention

Steve meeting his original coach and mentor, Arnold Sanow, at the 2010 NSA Annual Convention in Orlando, Florida

This past weekend I attended the National Speakers Association (NSA) Annual Convention?in Orlando. Last week I shared here in my blog that this would be the first Annual Convention that I?d be attending since becoming a member of the NSA. I related the story of Fishing Where the Fishermen Fish??from now Past-President Phil Van Hooser?. The moral of that story was that if you want to learn to be the best, then hang out with the best ? this past weekend I did indeed hang out with the very best!

To say that I learned would be an understatement. I?m still swirling with possibilities from everything I experienced and everyone I met. I accept that the results of my new learning and new friendships will take months, and possibly even years, to fully be measured and come to fruition. To acknowledge a few individuals will discount the contributions of the many others that I?ll forget to mention. So my intention today is to limit my observations to the global experience. Specifics will be revealed in time, and most likely with future dedicated blog posts that will highlight some of these remarkable individuals.

Here are the 5 key themes or lessons I brought home from the 2010 NSA Annual Convention.??

Fishing Where the Fishermen Fish

Forrest-Gump-Keynote-Presentation Last November I attended the National Speakers Association (NSA) Fall Conference in Phoenix, AZ. During that conference, I met many outstanding people who are fellow speakers, as well as coaches and trainers. I learned about my own strengths as a keynote speaker, and I also learned where I could personally improve my skills. Years ago I adopted the philosophy that learning is a life long activity; as a speaker, the NSA?is the premier university for that pursuit.

This week I?ll attend my first NSA Annual Convention. I met Phil Van Hooser, the president of NSA, at last November?s Fall Conference. He personally welcomed me into the NSA family and encouraged me to become a member. I distinctly remember that Phil compared joining NSA to Fishing Where the Fishermen Fish.

Phil reasoned that if you want to learn to be a good fisherman, the best way to learn is to go where the expert fishermen are already fishing and watch what they do. Where are the good spots on the river that they?re fishing? What type of equipment do they use? What bait are they using? What casting techniques do they use? Why and when? What is their mindset?

This Saturday thru Tuesday I?ll be casting my net at the 2010 NSA Annual Convention?learning how to Fish where the Fisherman Fish. Here are a few of my goals while attending and a few examples of the progress made since last November.

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