Do Not Start With The Roof: A How To Blueprint For Your Presentation Content March 2, 2012 by Jeff Hurt Imagine you’re going to build a house. You don’t just start building and add more wood as you proceed. Nor do you start with the roof and build from the top down. You start with a blueprint. You create a detailed and precise plan of what you want your house to be. The blueprint serves … [Read more…] Filed Under: Speaker Coaching Tagged With: , industry speaker, presentation best practices, presentation strategies, speaker, speaker tips
Speakers Talk Too Much! January 13, 2012 by Jeff Hurt You talk too much! Yes, that’s right. You talk too much! Talk, Talk, Talk I remember growing up that my sister and father never stopped talking. They seemed to be in an endless competition to see who could talk more. They never shut up. They even talked when other people weren’t listening. My father would … [Read more…] Filed Under: Speaker Coaching Tagged With: , presentation best practices, presenter, speaker, speaker tips
Three Conference Speaker Processes That Will Alarm You [Free Speaker Report] December 15, 2011 by Jeff Hurt Who has the final decision making power to hire a professional speaker for an organization? The answer may surprise you. And it may cause you to drop your jaw, raise your eyebrows and shout, “Huh?” Recently, Velvet Chainsaw partnered with Tagoras, Inc., a leading continuing education company, to survey conference professionals about their use of … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education, Speaker Coaching Tagged With: , association trends, conference education, conference tips, conferences, industry speaker, meeting industry trends, speaker
Fostering Hot And Spicy Audiences November 18, 2011 by Jeff Hurt Imagine for a moment that you’re preparing for a presentation for an upcoming conference. Close your eyes and visualize that your audience appears to be actually sizzling in their seats with enthusiasm. They are on fire for your words. Creating Audience Combustible Motivation Now imagine you have that same experience every time you present. This … [Read more…] Filed Under: Speaker Coaching Tagged With: , conferences, presentation best practices, presentation strategies, presenter, professional speakers, speaker, Speaker Emerging Practices, speaker tips
Conference Organizers Top 15 Professional Speaker Pet Peeves November 17, 2011 by Jeff Hurt Recently, Velvet Chainsaw partnered with Tagoras, Inc., a leading continuing education company, to survey conference professionals about their use of speakers. One question asked respondents to share their biggest pet peeves regarding professional speakers. 15 Guaranteed Ways Speakers Destroy Their Marketing Strategy Here are their top 15 most disliked pet peeves about professional speakers. 1. … [Read more…] Filed Under: Conference Education Tagged With: , conferences, presenter, professional speakers, speaker, Speaker Emerging Practices, speaker tips
Creating Sizzling Audiences: From Essential Sparks To Combustible Motivation October 10, 2011 by Jeff Hurt Imagine for a moment that you’re preparing for a presentation for an upcoming conference. Close your eyes and visualize that your audience appears to be actually sizzling in their seats with enthusiasm. They are on fire for your words. Now imagine you have that same experience every time you present. Creating Audience Combustible Motivation This … [Read more…] Filed Under: Speaker Coaching Tagged With: , brain-friendly conferences, brain-friendly meetings, engagement, presentation best practices, presentation strategies, speaker, speaker tips
Helping Your Audience On The Hero’s Journey September 23, 2011 by Jeff Hurt Let’s take a trip back to your junior high days. If you’re like me, immediately your palms begin to sweat. Your throat tightens. Your heart starts racing and your mouth gets dry as you remember those trying teen years. Imagine that today is that day! It’s the big day when you have to deliver your … [Read more…] Filed Under: Speaker Coaching Tagged With: , presentation best practices, presentation strategies, speaker, speaker tips
They Are The Heartbeat Of Your Presentation: Do You Know Them? September 15, 2011 by Jeff Hurt “Getting to know you, Getting to know all about you. Getting to like you, Getting to hope you like me.” These lyrics from the King and I’s “Getting To Know You” would make a great theme song for every presenter. They clearly articulate one of the very first steps all presenters should take: get to … [Read more…] Filed Under: Speaker Coaching Tagged With: , presentation best practices, presentation strategies, speaker, speaker tips
Speaker Tips When Using A Live Stream, Backchannel And Face To Face Experience June 30, 2011 by Jeff Hurt In the past two weeks, I’ve done three live streamed presentations. It’s more work than a traditional presentation. With a few tweaks to my traditional face to face presentation, everyone benefits. The rewards of the extra work are worth it! Presenting To Three Audiences At Once The challenge when presenting for a hybrid event is … [Read more…] Filed Under: Hybrid & Virtual, Speaker Coaching Tagged With: , backchannel, hybrid event, meeting planning best practices, presentation best practices, presentation str, speaker, speaker tips, twitter, virtual events
The HIPPO In The Room: You Are Not Your Audience June 14, 2011 by Jeff Hurt Dear Conference Organizer: You are not your audience. You are not your customers. Yes, you have your own preferences, your own likes, your own tastes. But you are not planning that event for yourself. And what you like is probably far from what your audience likes. You have to get out of your own mind. … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning Tagged With: , conference tips, meeting planner, meeting planning basics, meeting planning best practices, speaker, Speaker Emerging Practices