Where Professional Speakers Convert Knowledge Into Results.

Etiquette for Participating on a Teleseminar

Please observe the suggestions below to increase the satisfaction of your teleseminar learning experience.

1. Use a land telephone. Using a cell phone as a means of connecting to the class is distracting and unsuitable for the participation needs of the group. If you are using a cordless phone, please be mindful if it causes static or background noise.
2. Turn off the “call waiting” feature of your phone during the call. For most phones, simply dialing *70 will allow you to disconnect this feature momentarily for unique situations like a teleseminar.
3. Use the mute feature on your phone or be aware of muting your phone per the moderator’s instructions to ensure a non-distracted class. On this conference line hit *6.
4. Do not put your phone on “hold” during the class. Rather, hang up and get back into the call if you are called to another matter during the class time. The hold music makes it rather difficult to conduct an effective call.
5. Be sure to enter into the call at least two minutes prior to the posted call time, so the moderator can begin on time without any distractions or interruptions.
6. When joining the call, be sure to announce yourself by first and last name. If you enter in on the call after the start time, please wait for an appropriate break time to announce yourself.
7. When participating in the discussion, please identify yourself by first name prior to your comment or question. Please phrase your questions or comments clearly and concisely so that we use our time in the best possible way.
8. Please wait for others to finish speaking before you speak. Within a virtual call/class, it is difficult to “see the raising of the hands” that would normally happen in a face-to-face class, and we need to be aware of speaking over one another. The moderator will do their best to facilitate the discussion.
9. As a general call expectation, we want to remind you to respect all participants on the call. Respect the participants’ needs, questions, and comments. We are all here to help each other to be successful chapter leaders.

**Submitted by Jan Dwyer Bang, CSP Chapter Leadership Council Chair- January 2010.

by Rhoda Israelov (Say It For You professional ghost blogging and blog coaching service)

If anybody’s got a keen sense of what an audience wants, it has to be singer/actor Mel Tillis who’s been onstage for the past fifty two years. Now age 77, Tillis is still going strong, performing 100 or so live shows each year, according to a recent article in Speaker Magazine.

Today Tillis performs at the speaker’s lectern, giving motivational talks about how humor helped him through his career. In fact, I’m going to hear Mel Tillis speak at the National Speakers’ Association Winter Conference in Nashville, Tennessee in February.

There are two points Tillis emphasized in his interview with Speaker Magazine contributing writer Jake Poinier that I believe are worth sharing with all my Say It For You readers and clients, in fact with anyone using blogging to market a business:

1. Talking about the twenty different performances he’d done last November alone in the Branson theatre he used to own, the singer/comedian remarked, “I’m always coming up with new anecdotes and stories, so it seems to work.”

This lesson is one bloggers need to learn, for sure. Since maintaining consistently high rankings on search engines means maintaining the discipline of posting blog material by putting content on the Web over and over again over long periods of time, what makes the tactic work is finding new anecdotes and stories to keep the material fresh.

2. Tillis, Jack Pointer stresses, empathizes with one of the main challenges facing professional speakers. “Sure, I get tired, like if I have to sing “Coca Cola Cowboy” one more time, I think I’m gonna die. but what you need to do is act like it’s the first time you’ve ever done it.”

Whether composing blog post #17 or #577 for that business, the blogger needs to write as if it were #1. In fact, since blogging is a form of “pull marketing”, attracting only searchers who have a need relating to what you do, what you sell, or what you know about, for most of those searchers, it will be the first time they’ve ever read your blog posts!

“Every time I walk out there, it’s a different audience,” says Mel Tillis. Every time you step up to the blog “lectern” (or hire a professional ghost blogger like me to do it for you), that Tillis mantra can serve as the inspiration to deliver your blog message - in every single post - with gusto and panache.

I heard a speaker at a United Way Tocqueville Society luncheon yesterday, who gave us insights into the economy.  CNBC pundit, Joe Battipaglia, was the speaker.  A large man with a large personality, his energetic approach, even with the grim news, kept the audience interested.  Despite that positive assessment of his speaking style, I still have some comments that could improve his presentation … tips that you can put into use in your speeches, also.

He started his presentation with a  joke.  I really don’t like speeches that begin with jokes.  They can put an audience ill at ease.  You never know whether it will be funny, edgy, offensive, or delivered poorly.  He did deliver it well.  But it was too long.  It took several minutes to tell.  And the punch line dealt with sex, always a no-no in speaking. 

Your own stories are better than a canned joke.  Later in his presentation he told about some interactions he had with his family about the economy.  They were much funnier and captured the audience attention better than his opening remarks.  

The other public speaking tip that applies to everyone relates to the use of audio visuals. He did not use any, but should have.  Joe dealt with very heady issues about the economy.  Those in the audience with financial backgrounds were fine with his information, but those in the crowd who did not have that expertise got lost a few times.  Some visual aids would have helped the audience retain the information much more easily.

And the audience is what public speaking is all about.

Jean Palmer Heck

www.Real-Impact.com

President-elect 

A few weeks ago, we had a wonderful visit with some old friends. It seems they recently ran into a former neighbor who had attended their wedding. They had not seen her more than a few times since. During the course of the conversation she mentioned that she still had their wedding gift at her house! Yes, more than 25 years later, this woman not only confessed that she never gave them a wedding present, but that the present she intended to give was still in her possession.

Our friends replied that they understood and that she should just give it to someone else, when the woman stated that she couldn’t - because it was a custom-made item with their names on it!

Whatever the reason we procrastinate, the momentum to move forward is often a gentle nudge from someone else who has been in a similar situation. Such is the case with the National Speakers Association - Indiana Chapter. Our members provide resources, support and a sincere understanding for the pursuit of a dream to anyone interested in a speaking career. If you have the desire, expertise and a message you believe will benefit others, the National Speakers Association and your local chapter will help make you accountable for action.

Procrastination vs. Accountability - with NSA, there’s no comparison!

We invite you to learn more by attending our 2009 events. Visit the NSAI web site.

Terry Seitz
NSAI Program Chair
www.intercommgroup.com

If you’re a professional speaker, member or NSA/Indiana or not, you might want to watch the conventions to see the good and the bad.   I’ve been an ardent watcher of conventions since I was a child.  There are no limits to the quality of speeches.

Yesterday, the extremes of speaking styles were there.   I’ve been blogging about them and would love to have you comment on my grades for the speakers.

You can visit it at:    http://real-impact.com/2008/08

Hello to fellow NSAI members and visitors…

Your chapter leaders are pumped for the 2008-2009 year which features programs that will improve your platform skills and benefit your business development efforts. For the months of September, October and November, we have decided to adjust our meeting day to best coordinate with our speakers’ schedules as we are truly delighted to have such outstanding talent in our midst!

Thursday, September 25: Phillip Van Hooser MBA, CSP, CPAE will lead us in “How to Re-Think, Re-Position and Re-Tool Your Way to Speaking Success”. Member-only and open sessions will be held at the Meeting House of the Village of West Clay. Visit the Home Page for registration and agenda details. We encourage members to bring a guest to our first meeting of the new year.

Tuesday, October 21: In a Members-only session, Patti Hathaway, CSP, will present “Strategies for Building a Speaking Business that Lasts: Tips and Tools to Increase Your Repeat and Referral Business.” This member-only event is a full-fledged meeting and will take place at the home of Pam Burk. Visit the Event Page for details. Directions to Pam’s house will be provided with the October meeting reminder. Patti will also speak to a joint meeting of NSAI and Meeting Industry organizations in Indianapolis the next day.

Thursday, November 13: Jean Gatz, CSP, will share “How to Discover, Develop and Deliver Powerful Stories”. For this meeting, we’re back to the same location and format we used in September. See the Events Page for details.

On behalf of the NSAI Board, I’d like to thank Margie Thomas for her work in revamping our chapter web site and making it an instrument for successful communication.

Terry Seitz
Program Chair
www.intercommgroup.com

Greetings!

As the Indiana Chapter of NSA continues to develop great programs for our members and guests, we are trying a new format this fall.   Our fall 2008 meetings will be held on weekday EVENINGS.   Our line up includes top name speakers from around the country.

Details will be coming soon.  But save these evening dates:  

Thursday, September 25,2008

Tuesday, October 21 (evening - members only), 2008  (Patti Hathaway will speak the following day.  Details to follow.)

Thursday, November13, 2008

Jean Palmer Heck

President-Elect

Welcome to the National Speakers Association, Indiana Chapter’s member blog.

On this blog you will find: 

• posts about the chapter,
• Information regarding upcoming events,
• posts from our members on a variety of topics, and
• other interesting tid bits.

So please visit often to keep up on the news. If you are a member and have not recieved your log in information, please contact Margie Thomas.