| Speaking to an audience can imply lots of things. | | | | standard fees are paid promptly in advance. An |
| You're assumed to be a seasoned professional | | | | old and famous cliche is "you get what you pay |
| speaker with much knowledge worth hearing by | | | | for" which is usually a truism but not always. |
| the attending audience. Your resume was most | | | | Some speakers are great at marketing |
| likely reviewed by the search committee or | | | | themselves but their speaking skills are limited. |
| speakers bureau and presented to the | | | | Sometimes, not very often, you can turn a good |
| membership for their endorsement or rejection | | | | audience into hostile, rebellious, unkind responders. |
| before an invitation was issued by the executive | | | | Not a normal situation but speakers sometimes |
| secretary. | | | | bring the negative response on themselves and |
| Maybe you should give an opening introduction to | | | | deserve the rejection. |
| the audience sharing a few supporting credentials | | | | Proper training is missing or something tangible has |
| for their perusal. Seeing a person for the first | | | | caused a negative reaction. Audiences are usually |
| time at the podium causes many questions. Who | | | | very quiet and courteous to their speakers but |
| is this person that's going to speak to us today? | | | | not always. Most of us play the business game |
| Why? What's his/her expertise and primary | | | | with integrity and honest dealings but sometimes |
| message? Let them know you're an active | | | | our spirits move in the opposite direction if we |
| member/director of Toastmasters International, a | | | | feel taken advantage of by a scam artist or an |
| member of the NSB ~ the National Speakers | | | | unprofessional guest speaker. |
| Bureau ~ credentialed with other top professionals | | | | Authentic, real, and a reliable role model is what |
| like Ty Boyd, Bill Gove and 100's of others | | | | we expect from everyone in our firm or anyone |
| possibly known from past engagements at your | | | | from the outside asking to make a presentation |
| firm. | | | | to our executive officers and staff. Profit is our |
| Talented entrepreneurs do a lot of speaking | | | | motive and we have no time to waste with |
| engagements for good reason. It enables them to | | | | losers. Times are tough for most companies and |
| enlist the wisdom of their audiences with | | | | their families. Too much greed and bad blood has |
| questions peppered strategically throughout their | | | | caused the marketplace to be skeptical. Trust has |
| presentation. At times it's a huge risk for the | | | | vanished from the scene. Bankers have turned |
| speaker unless a true professional. Speakers are | | | | away from their fiduciary roll. Rates for credit |
| challenged by their audiences to keep them | | | | loans are not acceptable even if funds are now |
| interested or get tuned out. Group thinking and | | | | available. Bankruptcy faces many unprofitable |
| open participation can be mutually encouraging and | | | | businesses causing much concern and questions |
| beneficial to the entire audience or turn into a bad | | | | about the future. |
| situation for both. | | | | Patience and empathy for the speaker is our |
| Making presentations to business executives is | | | | usual response out of courtesy. However, if a |
| part of your usual week and weekends. Some | | | | guest speaker brings an unacceptable idea or |
| groups are very large and then you often speak | | | | shady proposal then he/she can expect a full load |
| at smaller sessions with 10 or 15 top gurus of an | | | | of unleashed frustrations to land in their lap |
| industry. Money is the same whether large or | | | | without remorse. Deserve it and you'll get it from |
| small as fees do not waver based on size. It's the | | | | most audiences in a world of high unemployment, |
| message that's expected and the value it will | | | | little if any profits and few orders to change the |
| ultimately bring to your audience. | | | | landscape. |
| Some speakers are in high demand and their | | | | |