May 28, 2008
As some of you probably know, I speak a great deal. Over the years I've learned a few things about speaking from a speaker's perspective, which I want to share with both meeting planners and prospective speakers, although my comments are mostly aimed at those finding themselves newly on the speaking circuit.
Before agreeing to speak:
Determine your requirements. The single biggest issue facing those new to the speaking game is what to ask for as compensation. Leaving out the many pro bono gigs that you will continue to do, you must decide what you will require for events for which you will not be speaking for free. If I had to choose, I'd say the single biggest mistake that up-and-comers make is either asking for nothing, or seriously undervaluing their contribution. A good rule of thumb is to ask for what will make you happy when you're climbing back on the plane or into your car to return home. If you get turned down it may be too high, if you never get turned down it may be too low. Reimbursement of expenses is in addition to this, and should always be expected unless it is for an organization you support, at which point you are also probably not requiring a fee. One last tip: determine your fee then bump it up a bit, quoting both the higher version as well as a discount for being paid on the day of the event. This way you will likely be paid on the day you speak, and if not, you'll be compensated for waiting.
Get all the relevant information. A key piece of information is where is the meeting located? I have agreed to speak only to find out that I must fly into a small airport, rent a car, and drive for an hour and a half. Such a location may require a second vacation day (if you are doing this on your own time) and another hotel night depending on when you are speaking. You will need to factor this in when setting your terms.
Check the date(s) with your schedule and your family's. It's one thing to look at your own schedule and see if you're free, but if you miss your child's first public performance (not that I have, mind you), it will be hard on you.
Agree on terms. Despite the fact that it has recently been de rigueur to complain about how speakers are treated by conferences, I have no sympathy for speakers who complain about how they are treated when they fail to make their terms plain at the beginning. The time to negotiate is before you agree to speak, not after. Most meeting planners do not require contracts and that's just fine by me. My word is my contract (see "Do whatever it takes to get there" below) and I can't remember a time when I've had major difficulties with a meeting planner.
After agreeing to speak but before the big day:
Do your homework. Who will be attending? What is the mix of librarians, library staff, civilians, and for what types of libraries or institutions do they work? What is your role? Are you supposed to challenge, entertain, or inform? Use examples from local institutions whenever possible, except when you wish to point out flaws, at which point it's better to use distant examples. They can connect the dots themselves, no need to rub their noses in it.
Answer any requests for information promptly. Meeting planners will need such items as a short bio, a publicity photo (get one of these if you don't already have one, Cindi Trainor will be updating mine at the upcoming ALA Conference), and a talk title and description. Try to respond promptly, as often there is a publication deadline involved (mea culpa, I'm not always good about this myself, but I try!).
Keep all correspondence. If someone calls me about a program, I ask them to follow-up with an email message. I then file the email message in a folder that I can refer to in the future when I need to remember what was said. This is essential if you speak a lot, since you will forget the details of any one obligation and will need to remind yourself.
Know your technology. If you're using a computer, know how to operate it. This may sound ridiculous, but I hate to tell you how many speakers I've seen fumble with software in front of an audience. If you have a Mac, have the requisite adapter to be able to connect to the computer projector. If you plan to use anything beyond a computer projector and screen, let your event planner know. For example, many events will not expect to patch your computer into the sound system.
Never, ever, plan to read your remarks. There are few things deadlier than reading to an audience. I'm not saying that you should never write out what you have to say. But I very much doubt Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address as poorly as I've seen nearly all speakers who write their remarks do. If you must write everything you wish to say, then deliver it as if you hadn't. This will require work, which may make you reflect on whether writing them out is the way to go. If you speak from brief notes, or PowerPoint bullets, you are forced to come up with your own words and be direct and real. This is much more engaging than written prose spouted by someone with their head down over the page.
If you plan for an online demonstration, plan the backup. These days most event venues will have some sort of Internet access. Online demonstrations can be better if response time is not an issue since something happening live is always more compelling than something static. But as you know, stuff happens. Have screen shots that you can use instead of an online demo if things go wrong. If the demo works, you can easily skip over the slides.
Get a wireless remote. The next deadliest thing to reading your remarks or delivering your talk in a monotone is being nailed to the podium. A wireless remote will allow you to advance your slides from anywhere in the room and will often also provide a laser pointer. That and a lavalier microphone (which you should request from the event planners) will put you in the driver's seat.
The event:
Do whatever it takes to get there. No matter what size meeting you are speaking at, it's a big deal to someone. Treat it like that. If you've promised to speak at an event you should move heaven and earth to make good on that promise. One time I flew in on the heels of a hurricane to honor an obligation, while another speaker on basically the same intinerary demurred. Another time the last flight to my city was cancelled so I told the airline to put me on the next plane to the closest city, rented a car, and drove for hours. On a particularly bad night I got in at 4am with no baggage, washed my shirt in the sink, ironed it dry a few hours later and met the person picking me up to go do my thing.
Be at the event in plenty of time to set-up and deal with any problems. The last thing event planners want is a major speaker breezing in with only seconds to spare. They want to know that you're there, you're ready, and any potential technical problems have been ruled out.
Warm up the audience. Do not force humor, which can fall flat, but if you can think of something funny to say to start out, it can be a good ice breaker. Also act like you're happy to be there, no matter what it took to show up. No one wants to know what you went through to get there unless you can joke about it.
Roll with the punches with effectiveness and good humor. There will be times when you have to deal with "issues". These may be technological (duh) or environmental or lord knows what. I remember one talk when a fire alarm emptied the building shortly after I began my remarks. We filed out in puzzlement, waited the requisite time, and filed back in. I made light of it with a joke and swiftly moved on.
After the event:
Report expenses promptly and properly. Some events will have a special expense reimbursement form that they will want used. Use it without complaint. If a form is not provided, submit an itemized expense report (set up a standard template for this) as well as the original receipts. Claim no expense for which you have no receipt. If you have small expenses (e.g., bridge or highway tolls) for which you have no receipts, your fee should be set appropriately (see above) to accommodate such trivialities.
Provide a copy of your presentation to the event sponsors. Most events will want a copy of your presentation to put on their web site. This is also most easily provided at the event by transfer via a USB drive.
This may not be everything prospective speakers need to know about speaking, but it's a lot more than I knew when I first started. And I was lucky enough to have a wonderful mentor. I think of her whenever I give speaking advice, whether publicly in a blog post such as this or privately to an up-and-comer who has caught my eye (you know who you are). I offer advice because advice was offered to me, and I followed it as well as I could, and I'm where I am today largely because of it.
May 29, 2008 In response to:Speaking From a Speaker's Point of View Ellie Lyman commented:
As a reference librarian and a member of Toastmasters International, I agree wholeheartedly with your advice. Thanks for providing something so useful.
May 30, 2008 In response to:Speaking From a Speaker's Point of View stevenb commented:
You mention know your technology but I'd add to that by suggesting a few things. First, be very explicit about your technology needs and what they will provide and what you will provide. I've been incorporating more multimedia into my presentations so I make it clear that I need support for video and audio - I still show up and find an inadequate sound system. Put all this in writing as well. I would even indicate that the event sponsors should provide me with a local technology support person who can quickly orient me to their local setup - it differs wherever you go - and is on hand in case I have a problem.
