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Article: Six Ways to Empower Your Guest Speaker
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Bring exceptional value to your monthly association or club meetings
by empowering your guest speaker. Many speakers view the meeting as a
marketing opportunity. They hope to attract new clients and to earn a
written letter of recommendation to use in marketing their own products
and services. Below are 5 steps for maximizing the event for your association
and the speaker.
- Provide the speaker with a letter of engagement detailing the
following: Subject of presentation, time allocation, driving directions,
what time to arrive, and financial arrangements if applicable. Request
a written introduction.
- Furnish members a short bio of the presenter prior to the meeting.
Include: Experiences, qualifications, honors, awards, testimonials
and why the program will be valuable.
- About a week before the meeting, call the speaker and tell him/her
that you are looking forward to their program. This encourages the
speaker and raises the quality of the presentation.
- Arrive at the meeting location early to greet the speaker as he/she
arrives and provide any help they might need setting up.
- Read the introduction prepared by the speaker. Give a personal
endorsement and transition the floor to the speaker. At the end of
the presentation give the speaker a small gift. It could be something
from a member's business. Show your appreciation with movie tickets
or gift certificates for a restaurant or bookstore. This extra attention
compels the speaker to be an advocate for your association and the
business providing the gift.
- Poll the members regarding the program. If it was good, write
a letter of recommendation on the association letterhead and mail
in a timely manner. State what it was the members liked about the
presentation. This letter is an expected payoff for the speaker's
efforts. The presenter invests time in preparation, rehearsal, presenting,
and driving. The 20 to 30 minute delivery takes a minimum of 4 hours
of time.
Do the above-mentioned steps and you will surpass the speakers' expectations
as well as portray your organization as a quality, caring group of people.
It is truly a win/win event.
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Report: Improve Your Personal Influence by Closing the Communication
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Closing the loop (keeping the juice flowing) is all about communicating
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their efforts will not be wasted.
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