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January 20, 2007

Linda Miller, President, Space City/Houston Chapter

February 3, 2007

Marie Verderame, President, Cape Canaveral Chapter

Sherry Gasaway, Past President, Cape Canaveral Chapter

Janet Mattson, CPCM, Fellow, Membership & Fellows Chair, Bethesda/Medical Chapter

February 10, 2007

Speaker Selection Process:Best Practices for Producing Excellent Programs

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Agenda

• Where can I find high quality speakers?

• How do I select the topic?

• What are the mechanics and etiquette of outside speakers?

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Where Can I Find High Quality Speakers?

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NCMA Resources

• Speakers Roster www.ncmahq.org/education/speakers.asp

• Found on NCMA’s Main Page under the “Education” Tab

• Over 200 speakers listed!• Searchable by location, topic, competency, market

segment• Virtually all ask no fee, but …

– Many request travel reimbursement if outside local area

– Most will waive travel reimbursement if speaking engagement dovetails with other travel to the area

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Local Major Employers

• CEOs, Commanding Officers, Elected Officials typically view “connecting with the local community” as part of their job

• Surprisingly, a request from someone not otherwise connected to the individual often works as well or better than an insider …– Request from ABC Company Director of

Procurement for CEO of ABC Company to speak may be put off or on the back burner

– Request from NCMA Chapter President, not connected to ABC Company but representing 250 local business professionals may easily make the executives schedule

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Hire a Heavy Hitter!

• Washington Speakers Bureau www.washingtonspeakers.com

• Founded in 1979, the Washington Speakers Bureau has become the world's number one lecture agency.

• Highest caliber, variety, knowledge, and experience found anywhere. Political leaders to media headliners, best-selling authors, business and economic experts, to humorists and great achievers from entertainment, sports, and politics

• Fees range from $1,000 to over $40,000 per event• Expensive, but when chosen well, can anchor a local

conference and more than pay for itself in the number of attendees attracted and average registration fee paid

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Grow Your Own Speakers!

• Toastmasters International www.toastmasters.org • Toastmasters International is the leading movement

devoted to making effective oral communication a worldwide reality.

• Through its member clubs, Toastmasters International helps men and women learn the arts of speaking, listening and thinking – vital skills that promote self-actualization, enhance leadership, foster human understanding and contribute to the betterment of mankind.

• It is basic to this mission that Toastmasters International continually expand its worldwide network of clubs, thereby offering ever-greater numbers of people the opportunity to benefit from its programs.

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Six Degrees of Kevin BaconFriends and Relatives

• Ask your local members who they are connected to that is a “star”

• It is a small world and if you open your horizons to interesting, high-profile speakers from other walks of life, you’ll be surprised who your members may have an “in” with to speak to your chapter!

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Other Resources

• Local Chapters of similar professional organizations– PMI, NIGP, ISM/NAPM and similar– Distinguished local members of other associations

may be “new to you” – Exchange of local speakers may work very well

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Other Resources

• National Speakers Association (NSA) www.nsaspeaker.org – NSA is the leading educational and networking

organization for professional speakers! – NSA is a national not-for-profit association with

thousands of members across the United States. – NSA has chapters in every major market and sister

organizations across the globe. – NSA does not book speakers but has a free,

searchable directory which puts thousands of speakers at your fingertips.

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Other Resources

• Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB)– Nearly all cities have a CVB– CVBs are very knowledgeable about the needs of

not-for-profit groups, to include need for inexpensive, high impact speakers

• Local Chambers of Commerce– Many operate speakers referrals at no cost– Local business, civic, professional leaders among

their membership

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Other Resources

• Local Colleges and Universities– Many professors speak for no fee or modest fee to

on their area of expertise, especially for local not-for-profit groups (like NCMA!)

– Start point can be Office of the Dean of the School or College of Business

• Local Professional Sports Teams– Most make team members, coaches, senior staff

available to local groups for events, presentations– Costs often free, low, or modest, depending on

nature of group presenting to

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How Do I Select the Topic?

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How Do I Select the Topic? Generally – You Don’t!

• Professional paid speakers typically have a set of ‘standard’ topics they speak on– Synopsis of topics normally found on speakers

website– Generally can customize within his/her area of

expertise, but often charge for doing so

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How Do I Select the Topic?Generally – You Don’t!

• Volunteer Speakers (NCMA roster, local business/civic leaders, local celebrities) will generally speak only within their comfort zone

• General rules– select based on their area of known expertise– Provide background of your group (audience)– Describe setting, duration of talk desired– Then let them pick how best to address the group

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How Do I Select the Topic?Generally – You Don’t!

• Exceptions –– NES

• topics are predefined, as are the materials• NCMA Speaker Roster is searchable by speakers who are

ready, willing and able to speak on the available NES topics– Panel Discussions at Conferences

• Conference Organizers select themes, topical areas• Conference Organizers invite Panel Moderators and Panel

Members to speak on the topic selected• Specifics (within the theme and topic) are generally left to the

moderator and panelists to work out among themselves• Involvement of Conference Organizers to ensure Moderator

and Panelists are prepared is a good idea (left to own devices they may not talk among themselves until 5 minutes before walking on stage!)

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How Long In Advance Should I Invite the Speaker?

• At least 3 months in advance to confirm the speaker and allow for travel arrangements – 6 or more months is better!– Generally, the longer time in advance the better,

with periodic reminders between initial acceptance and date of event

– Paid speakers can (sometimes) be retained with shorter notice

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Planning

• The further in advance you begin your speaker selection process, the more likely you are to get the speaker you desire– Example: Gregg Garrett is NCMA’s most highly

sought NES speaker. Gregg books engagements 18-24 months in advance. Invitations less than 6 months in advance are rarely accepted.

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What are the Mechanics and Etiquette of Outside Speakers?

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Planning

• Be Flexible– For the right speaker, be willing to deviate from

your usual meeting date or meeting time• Play to Your Strengths - examples

– If you are in Phoenix, do not plan on drawing the big name speakers in July, but an invite for February might be very welcome!

– If you are in Indianapolis, a late May invite may be very welcome (especially if Indy 500 tix are part of the offer!)

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How Do I Get My Invitation Noticed?

• Find the “gatekeeper” and win him or her over!• With the exception of paid speakers, most senior

people have aides, secretaries, confidential assistants, etc whose job it is to keep the leaders calendar clear– Identifying this person and approaching him or her

with respect, dignity, and appreciation can go a long way toward getting a YES to you invitation

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I Got a Verbal YES – What Now?

• If your invitation was extended verbally and you got a YES …– Quickly follow-up with a well written, hand signed

formal invitation from the Chapter President– Write the invite as a confirmation of the YES (don’t

give the speaker’s gatekeeper the opportunity to renege

– Provide all logistics information, to include POCs prior to and day of the event, including cell phone numbers, email addresses etc. Make the gatekeepers job easy!

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I Got a Verbal MAYBE – What Now?

• If your invitation was extended verbally and you got a MAYBE …– Quickly follow-up with a well written, hand signed

formal invitation from the Chapter President– Provide all logistics information, to include POCs

prior to and day of the event, including cell phone numbers, email addresses etc. Make the gatekeepers job easy!

– Be positive but not arrogant; write as if expecting a YES in response

– Follow up persistently with the gatekeeper until a final YES or NO is received

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Avoid the Cardinal Sin!

• NEVER, EVER have two open invitations for one speaking opportunity– Murphy’s Law dictates that if you invite two high

status individuals to Keynote your event (just in case one says no) then BOTH will accept

– Always bring prior invitations to closure, even if it is a definite NO, before inviting a replacement speaker

• Do recognize that the higher placed the speaker is, the longer you will generally have to wait for a definitive YES or NO to your invitation– Factor this waiting time into your planning schedule

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Lions, Tigers, and Gifts Oh My!!

• Just as in personal gift-giving, a poorly selected business gift can do more harm than good– Example: giving a Congressman known for his

strong views on keeping US jobs in the US a fancy , personalized clock that was made in China!

• Be aware that ALL government officials and many corporate officials are subject to laws and regulations regarding what they can or cannot accept as gifts

• Check with the speaker’s gatekeeper as to what is appropriate before selecting the gift

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Lions, Tigers, and Gifts Oh My!!

• Most senior speakers have zillions of plaques, especially military and government speakers – one more won’t hurt, but generally won’t help either

• Within applicable financial limitations, donations to a speaker’s preferred charity can be an excellent and thoughtful gift

• Whatever you give, be prepared to ship it for the speaker and offer to do so

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Questions?Comments?