ON BEING FRESH

I owned a professional speakers bureau for 13 years and learned what meeting planners look for in hiring speakers. Now it is almost 2008 and some things have changed. Here is the "inside scoop."

The number of meetings is up, lead time for bookings is shorter, meeting durations are shorter. (so fewer speakers get booked)

The isolation that comes from technology creates a demand for face-to-face meetings -people still crave the human experience

Be a "multidimensional" speaker - keynote, train, facilitate, coach and consult.

Provide added value with on going support via teleclasses, webinars, MP3 products

Above all, keep your material fresh and cutting edge. As you speak to younger audiences, they will demand in depth information - skip the generalizations.

What still works - 3 to 4 points that come with your personal stories

The Coach sez . . . treat each group you speak to as if it is your religion. Make the meeting planner a hero!

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