http://www.exec-comms.com/blog "...a new favorite blog for professional excellence in public speaking, speech-writing, and executive communications." - The Register, May 24, 2008 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:15:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 en ©Ian Griffin ian.griffin@exec-comms.com (Ian Griffin) ian.griffin@exec-comms.com(Ian Griffin) 1440 Speech, speechwriting, business, communications, presentations A forum for professional excellence in public speaking, speechwriting and executive communications. Ian Griffin Ian Griffin ian.griffin@exec-comms.com No no http://www.exec-comms.com/Pictures/0209_exe-comms_141.png http://www.exec-comms.com/blog 144 144 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/03/08/50-great-examples-of-data-vizualization/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/03/08/50-great-examples-of-data-vizualization/#comments Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:15:25 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=2022 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/03/08/50-great-examples-of-data-vizualization/feed/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/03/06/interview-vickie-sullivan-branding-queen/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/03/06/interview-vickie-sullivan-branding-queen/#comments Sun, 07 Mar 2010 03:40:43 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=2012 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/03/06/interview-vickie-sullivan-branding-queen/feed/ 8:31 Vickie Sullivan is internationally recognized as a top market strategist for experts. Specializing in branding for high-fee professional speaker markets, she has launched ... Vickie Sullivan is internationally recognized as a top market strategist for experts. Specializing in branding for high-fee professional speaker markets, she has launched thousands of thought leaders since 1987. Vickiersquo;s groundbreaking work has earned her an appointment on the Womenrsquo;s Leadership Board for the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. In that capacity, she presented three times to the Harvard student body on personal branding and prominence. On Saturday she presented to a somewhat less august institution than Harvard. She rocked the house at the meeting of the Northern California Chapter of the National Speakers Association. Her presentation, Brand It And They Will Come: Build a High-Fee Brand When You Are Not Famous, was short on fluff and long on street-wise detail to help the average $1,000 - $5,000 speaker in the audience stand out from the crowd. An era of practicality With meeting expenditure down, even as the number of meetings are trending higher, clients are doing more with less. Unlike the go-go days of the boom period, we are now living in an era of practicality. Executives are micromanaging meetings down to the level of choosing the theme and seating arrangements. They are sending interns to do first-round interviews with prospective speakers. Many speakers are not only competing with each other for gigs, they are competing with the authors, bloggers and social media mavens who will speak for free in order to pimp their books and consulting programs. So what's a novice speaker to do? First, lose the obsession with presentation skills. Being able to present well is table stakes. Next, realize meeting organizers divide the world into speakers who are nice to have and those they gotta have. In order to fall into the latter camp the information you offer has to overlap with the buyers perceived needs and beat out the other options being considered for the meeting agenda. You have to stand out from the crowd by uniquely branding yourself. Getting hired requires you create a vivid picture in the client's mind of what they will get when you speak at their event. Craft your brand in a way that appeals to the buyers emotions and creates an image of you in a category of one. Vicki goes into more detail on the importance of differentiation in this Special Report on her website: If branding is the promise you make to the market, then differentiation is the stage you use to deliver on your promise. The Three Keys to a High-Fee Brand One: A Successful Story Your compelling story is only useful to the extent it teaches others. Sports hero's have a problem on the speaking circuit if their motivational stories don't connect with the couch potatoes in the audience. We can connect with the audience by telling stories that break with the expected and bring opposites into play, compare unexpected things or roles or reveal a Eureka moment. Vickie's website has an article on writing Stories That Create The Emotional Drive To Buy. Two: A Point of View Build a point of view around hot issues. Focus on a Big Idea. Make the invisible visible. Tell people things they've not heard before. Three options that help build a unique point of view: Predict the Future - what can we expect that will impact the audience's world in unexpected ways? In my world, I'm seeing a growing backchannel of communication using PDA's and social media to converse about the speaker while they are still onstage. Sound the Alarm - what does the audience need to know that will save their skins? Again, in my own world, too much information is being crammed into presentations by subject matter experts. Someone else in the audience today shared how middle managers in Silicon Valley technology companies are addicted to the corporate crack of repeatedly launching projects to boost their career without realizing they are burning everyone out with their 7x24 demands. She realized she could develop... Business,Communication,,Marketing,,Podcasts,,Public,Speaking Ian Griffin no No http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/03/02/toastmasters-speech-you-say-tomato/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/03/02/toastmasters-speech-you-say-tomato/#comments Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:59:04 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=2008 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/03/02/toastmasters-speech-you-say-tomato/feed/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/02/23/what-will-be-socially-acceptable-100-years-from-now/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/02/23/what-will-be-socially-acceptable-100-years-from-now/#comments Wed, 24 Feb 2010 07:40:13 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=1985 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/02/23/what-will-be-socially-acceptable-100-years-from-now/feed/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/02/20/interview-jack-sramek-land-banker/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/02/20/interview-jack-sramek-land-banker/#comments Sat, 20 Feb 2010 20:14:48 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=1982 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/02/20/interview-jack-sramek-land-banker/feed/ 4:50 Jack Sramek is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a former Marine Corps Fighter Pilot. He flew 125 combat missions in ... Jack Sramek is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a former Marine Corps Fighter Pilot. He flew 125 combat missions in Vietnam as a member of the famous ldquo;Blacksheep Squadronrdquo; and served as the personal aide to Lt. General Lewis W. Walt, commander of all Marines in Vietnam. Upon leaving the Marine Corps, he continued flying as a pilot with Trans World Airlines, completing a 30 year career. In parallel with his position at TWA, he obtained a California Real Estate Brokerrsquo;s license in 1974. Remembering his parentsrsquo; experience as owners of a 50 acre farm near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which they sold at retirement for 100 times more than they had initially paid for it, he began a career in Land Banking. He watched Orange County and the San Jose area go from agricultural land to what they are today, as urban growth multiplied land values. Bob Hope, Gene Autrey, Roy Rogers and others built huge fortunes by buying and holding land in the path of growth. Strategic land banking has been the best kept secret in the investment community. Few people are aware of how, why and where to take advantage of this simple supply and demand option or the fact that they can use their IRA, 401(k) or other investment funds to acquire pre-development land. With one out of every eight people in the United States living in California, Jack is on a mission to teach people how to use this vehicle for diversification, college educations, retirement or general wealth accumulation. He frequently speaks professionally on the subject, is honing his skills at Pro-Track and is presently completing a book on how to use land banking to ldquo;hatch a million dollar nest egg.rdquo; Jack can be reached at Jack@StirlingSP.com His website is www.StrategicLandBanking.com. To hear what he told me about his background and his reasons for enrolling in Pro-Track, click on the podcast icon below. Podcasts,,Public,Speaking Ian Griffin no No http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/02/15/heckling/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/02/15/heckling/#comments Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:37:37 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=1969 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/02/15/heckling/feed/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/02/12/riveting-analysis-of-steve-ballmer-speech/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/02/12/riveting-analysis-of-steve-ballmer-speech/#comments Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:18:02 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=1964 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/02/12/riveting-analysis-of-steve-ballmer-speech/feed/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/02/09/winter-weather-wallops-writers/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/02/09/winter-weather-wallops-writers/#comments Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:12:01 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=1953 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/02/09/winter-weather-wallops-writers/feed/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/02/09/the-2010-ragan-speechwriters-conference/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/02/09/the-2010-ragan-speechwriters-conference/#comments Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:26:49 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=1814 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/02/09/the-2010-ragan-speechwriters-conference/feed/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/02/03/life-caching/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/02/03/life-caching/#comments Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:57:23 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=1908 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/02/03/life-caching/feed/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/01/27/book-review-the-backchannel/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/01/27/book-review-the-backchannel/#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 02:39:57 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=1900 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/01/27/book-review-the-backchannel/feed/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/01/25/interview-frauke-schorr-centered-leadership-coach/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/01/25/interview-frauke-schorr-centered-leadership-coach/#comments Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:07:00 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=1878 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/01/25/interview-frauke-schorr-centered-leadership-coach/feed/ 3:32 In order to gain a competitive edge it is essential for professionals to strive for both professional and personal excellence. Frauke Schorr's work focuses ... In order to gain a competitive edge it is essential for professionals to strive for both professional and personal excellence. Frauke Schorr's work focuses on professionals who struggle and need outside expertise to bring their careers, businesses, and teams to the next level. As part of her PhD in Organizational Psychology Frauke interviewed highly accomplished entrepreneurs and leaders on their experience of becoming successful. She found that the most successful leaders hold the mindset of a Centered Leadertrade; - They had a continuous curiosity to learn something new, challenge themselves, and stretch their boundaries while being grounded in a frame that was uniquely build on their personal values, beliefs, and passions. They also had the distinct ability to translate this frame into a company culture. They were, as Frauke describes it, leading from the inside-out. Podcasts,,Public,Speaking Ian Griffin no No http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/01/23/speakernet-news-a-great-resource/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/01/23/speakernet-news-a-great-resource/#comments Sun, 24 Jan 2010 02:48:30 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=1876 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/01/23/speakernet-news-a-great-resource/feed/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/01/14/question-how-useful-is-social-media-for-public-speakers/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/01/14/question-how-useful-is-social-media-for-public-speakers/#comments Fri, 15 Jan 2010 04:18:18 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=1868 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/01/14/question-how-useful-is-social-media-for-public-speakers/feed/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/01/11/interview-phillip-van-hooser-president-national-speakers-association/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/01/11/interview-phillip-van-hooser-president-national-speakers-association/#comments Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:37:16 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=1842 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2010/01/11/interview-phillip-van-hooser-president-national-speakers-association/feed/ 6:56 "We must always remember that the act of speaking professionally is only a part of our individual journeys. It is not a destination." - Phillip ... "We must always remember that the act of speaking professionally is only a part of our individual journeys. It is not a destination." - Phillip Van Hooser The Evolution of a Professional Speaking Career Since 1988, NSA President Phillip Van Hooser, CSP, CPAE, has spoken, written, coached and consulted on leadership and service professionalism issues with groups and organizations around the globe. On Saturday January 9, 2009, he presented at the NSA Northern California Chapter meeting. His talk, Uncommon Business Practices That Will Help You Re-Think, Re-Position and Re-Tool Your Way to Speaking Success, reviewed the evolution of his own speaking career and the lessons this holds for other professional speakers. Van Hooser stated that there are five distinct stages in a typical speaking career: 1. The dream is born Some fall into a speaking career by chance. But Phil has dreamed of being a professional speaker since he was very young. His grandmother was an early influence who told the eight-year-old he would become a Baptist preacher. That didn't happen, but he did became enamored with natural orators: the preachers, teachers and politicians of his Kentucky childhood. 2. The journey begins By age 15 he had started keeping a notebook on public speaking. He recorded what the speakers he heard said, then progressed to noticing how they said what they said #151 the ways in which they delivered their material. 3. A business materializes Every speaker must choose a moment to declare themselves a professional. For Van Hooser, that moment was the afternoon of April 7, 1988 when he quit his corporate job. With the "confidence born of ignorance" he started his business with no prospects or speaking material. He did, however, enjoy the support of his wife Susan who has been his business partner for the past 20 years. Now #151 2,800 paid presentations later #151 Phil's advice to others considering a career as a speaker is not to quit the day job until you have material developed and clients lined up. 4. The work expands Speakers need to stay current. Changes in technology and the economy mean that what worked at the start of our careers will not continue to work. We need to evolve personally and professionally. The secret, Phil says, is to listen to the audience. As speakers we might think we know what people like, but the audience will let us know what they actually benefit from. 5. Reflection is inevitable Many older people, looking back at their lives, wish they had taken more risks. They also wish they had taken time out to reflect, slowing down the weeks and months that otherwise pass by in a blur. Many wish they had contributed something to the world that would outlast their own lifespan. As speakers, we must take the risk of stepping outside our safety zone and learn from our mistakes. We must invest ourselves in the people in our audience, and reflect on the unique opportunity we have to make a difference to thousands of people. Finally, when we speak with passion and conviction, we'll see the light bulb go off in people's eyes and know that we have connected with them. We never know when something we say in a presentation will change someone's life. It's this possibility, Van Hooser says, that makes the hard work of being a professional speaker worthwhile. Grandmother Van Hooser clearly saw something in young Phillip that has now benefited tens of thousands of people. Podcast Interview To hear what Phil told me about his role as President of the National Speakers Association, how American speakers are perceived internationally and why professional speaking is the hardest job he's ever had, click on the podcast icon below. Phil can be contacted at phil@vanhooser.com. Business,Communication,,International,Communication,,Podcasts,,Public,Speaking Ian Griffin no No http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2009/12/31/as-the-world-turns-a-video-of-the-known-universe/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2009/12/31/as-the-world-turns-a-video-of-the-known-universe/#comments Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:44 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=1832 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2009/12/31/as-the-world-turns-a-video-of-the-known-universe/feed/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2009/12/28/interview-janet-hebert-american-cancer-society-speaker/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2009/12/28/interview-janet-hebert-american-cancer-society-speaker/#comments Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:09:40 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=1822 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2009/12/28/interview-janet-hebert-american-cancer-society-speaker/feed/ 6:43 Janet Hebert has been a ranch hand (her parents raised prunes on over 100 acres in the Coyote Valley), an elementary school teacher, a full ... Janet Hebert has been a ranch hand (her parents raised prunes on over 100 acres in the Coyote Valley), an elementary school teacher, a full time single mom for her two children Katie and Jeff, and a caregiver for her own mother. Janet has been speaking for the past 15 years. She has been a frequent competitor in Toastmasters District 4 ndash; progressing to the Division and District contests several times, and all the way to the Regional level in the International Speech Contest in 2000. It was in the process of attending the Toastmasters contests that she met her husband Paul, also a winner at the District level. Janet is a 16-year breast cancer survivor. For the past 15 years she has been speaking to audiences large and small on behalf of the American Cancer Society, helping raise awareness and inspire action for individuals and groups. While listening to Janet, audiences learn about cancer in general, how to detect it early, and what help is available when cancer is discovered. Listeners learn not only the facts - they learn about the compassion and human warmth behind the work of the American Cancer Society. Her engaging style, candor and deep commitment to helping others - as she herself was helped - make her a preferred presenter for ACS. She enjoys the opportunity to share information and her story, believing with each talk that she may be helping to save someonersquo;s life. Pro-Track Profile The 2010 Pro-Track program kicks off on Saturday January 23 at the Burlingame, CA, Hilton Hotel. Janet is excited to be a part of Pro-Track. She is pursuing her dream of becoming a professional speaker and impacting many more lives with both her unique perspectives and heartfelt good will. I talked with Janet on the phone about the origins of her interest professional speaking and what she is looking for in the Pro-Track program. To hear what she told me, click on the podcast icon below. Janet can be reached at (408) 226-8283 or by email at janet@costaclan.com. Podcasts,,Public,Speaking Ian Griffin no No http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2009/12/22/book-review-confessions-of-a-public-speaker/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2009/12/22/book-review-confessions-of-a-public-speaker/#comments Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:20:25 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=1805 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2009/12/22/book-review-confessions-of-a-public-speaker/feed/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2009/12/10/interview-krim-stephenson-the-branding-implications-of-social-media/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2009/12/10/interview-krim-stephenson-the-branding-implications-of-social-media/#comments Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:30:38 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=1797 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2009/12/10/interview-krim-stephenson-the-branding-implications-of-social-media/feed/ 6:05 I met with Krim Stephenson who presented at the December lunch of the Silicon Valley Chapter of the IABC on the topic of social media ... I met with Krim Stephenson who presented at the December lunch of the Silicon Valley Chapter of the IABC on the topic of social media - beyond the hype. Krim is a principal in the Arlington Mill Group. A former journalist with Bloomberg News and communications leader at Microsoft, he focuses on helping clients find the best expression of their brand and message for success online. He has led strategy, outreach and brand initiatives at companies including Visa, Oracle and Chase. I asked Krim about how social media has affected branding by large companies. He shared his thoughts on how branding has changed since the era of the MadMen when ad agencies and marketing departments exercised control over all branding elements. Krim explains why social media is opening up new forms of communication to enliven brands. To hear his thoughts, click on the podcast icon below. Business,Communication,,Social,Media Ian Griffin no No http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2009/12/01/9-secrets-communicators-will-never-tell-you/ http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2009/12/01/9-secrets-communicators-will-never-tell-you/#comments Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:48:05 +0000 Ian http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/?p=1792 http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2009/12/01/9-secrets-communicators-will-never-tell-you/feed/