Fripp THE Executive Speech Coach

Beware of What You Write on Social Media - Advice from Francine Denise Ward

Check out this video of Attorney Francine Denise Ward's interview on View From the Bay, dealing with Social Media legal issues that can land you in court.

A 1989 graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, Francine Denise Ward earned her undergraduate degree in 1986 from the City University of New York---Hunter College. Admitted to practice in both California and New York, her IP focus is on copyrights, trademarks, internet, and publishing law. Ms. Ward has carved out a niche working with eCommerce entrepreneurs, information marketers, authors, and professional speakers.

Not surprisingly, Francine loves working with entrepreneurs and authors--because she is one! She understands from firsthand experience the importance of safeguarding what she's invested so much time and money creating, e.g, books, articles, web content, product, videos, her brand and the right to create these things.

For more information, visit www.francinewardblog.com and www.fwardattorney.com

Add Value for Your Association Members and Gain Loyalty

Add Value for Your Association Members and Gain Loyalty
By Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE

It is no secret Associations have to add value for their membership and increase their own revenue. At the same time, attendance at conventions and meetings is down. Many, like the American Payroll Association, are adding Webinars to their educational offerings…with great success. When it comes to embracing and utilizing the latest technology, Dan Maddux, APA’s Executive Director, and his ambitious Education Department have always been ahead of the crowd.

Dan Maddux told me “For many years TeleSeminars have been a popular delivery method for APA. We have members in the US and abroad, and if it wasn’t for audio programs, webinars, and internet-based training, we would not be providing for the needs of those who geographically have difficulty traveling to face-to-face education. We also have member companies who need our information yet can’t budget the funds to provide training and education to everyone within their corporation who needs it.”
 
The American Payroll Association is driven by its dedication to education. This means that while other associations are losing members, APA is exceptionally healthy. Dan said, “In 2008 we taught a total of 656 days of live, face-to-face education and training. This includes the substantial number of in-house courses.   We currently provide several TeleSeminars each month and at least one webinar each week. APA’s goal it to take our vast curriculums in our industry that span from a member’s first day in the field to high-level executive level training.”

When an association has information, Dan recommends they can provide the same curriculum and information in multiple deliveries: audio, webinar, internet-based, and face-to-face delivery. Dan said, “TeleSeminars and Webinars are the fastest way possible for our organization to provide the latest information and education to the industry. Much of the information what we disseminate is legislative and regulatory changes. The payroll industry requires this type of information as quickly as can be provided. Webinars are a great way to substantiate the information with visuals.”

In case you are concerned TeleSeminars and Webinars will lead to less attendance at live meetings, Dan has not found that to be APA’s experience.
 
He says, “Education and training provided through various means of technology have only helped cultivate more attendance at face-to-face meetings and Congress, our annual convention and exhibition. The important thing for associations to remember is that when people don’t have choices that fit into their current environment, they forget how much they need you.”

APA hired my associate Tom Drews to provide training on how to deliver Webinars well. Don’t worry! Some of our best ideas are in this article.
 
Dan’s association is expanding how they use the new technology. “Webinars have been received extremely well! So much in fact, APA has administered 4-day board meetings through highly interactive webinars. We are preparing for the delivery of a popular 3-day course to be provided through a Webinar format over an eight-week period. This program will include weekly labs with the instructor throughout the eight weeks.”

If you are ready to add Webinars to your offerings or want to find ways to improve the quality of the ones you are delivering, this is what the Fripp team taught APA.

HOW TO ADD IMPACT WHEN YOU PRESENT THROUGH WEBINARS

No matter what your level of public speaking experience, whenever you open your mouth, whether you’re talking to one person or a thousand, you usually want to get a specific message across. Anyone who sets out to present, persuade, and propel with the spoken word faces pitfalls. And, as technology and travel budgets play a more important part in our lives, you have yet another challenge: What do you do when you are communicating through a Webinar? What is different about a Webinar presentation? How do you catch and keep your audience? Here are some tips.

BEFORE YOU START, USE LOOPING SLIDES
Once your audience tunes in, how do you make sure they are entertained and feel involved even before the event starts? The best way is with a series of Looping Slides. Looping Slides are a great way to convey important information and keep attendees entertained while waiting for your presentation to begin.

These slides need to communicate:
• When the session will begin.
• The Conference Dial-in number.
• A photo, name, and title of the presenter.
• What the audience is going to learn.
• What to do in case of problems.
You may also have quotes about the content they will be learning.

BE MORE VISUAL IN YOUR PRESENTATION
Be creative. Think Hollywood! Tell stories and give examples as you go through your program, the same way you would in person. However, your Webinar needs more visuals to help engage the audience. Use more slides than with an in-person presentation. Add bullet points one at a time as you “build.” Don’t present a list of all your points before you discuss them. Keep it simple, keep it moving, and interact often.

PLAN YOUR STRUCTURE
Outline your presentation on paper or a flip chart and then build the PowerPoint®. You have to get “messy” before you get tidy! It is better to have fewer points and illustrate them well.

Be sure you:
• Introduce your objective.
• Sell the benefits.
• Explain the Agenda and timing of your session.
• Add any logistics and how they will interact with you.

OPEN WITH A GRABBER SLIDE AND COMMENT
After your grabber slide, it is up to you to engage your audience immediately with a powerful, relevant opening that includes the word “you.” Your grabber opening might be:

A catchy FACT: “It may interest you to know Ferraris hold their value more than polo ponies!  I first learned this lesson when...”

A startling STATISTIC: “Did you know that if you had spent a million dollars a day every day since Jesus was born, you would not have spent a trillion dollars. Please keep that in mind as we strategize how to increase sales by only 5%...”

An intriguing CHALLENGE: “Ten years ago we were the market leaders. This year we are 13th. You are now in an exciting position to turn that around…”

Grabber openings get the attention of your audience. Then it is up to you to keep it. Never start by saying, “Good morning.” Instead, say something like, “Welcome! You are in for a treat! You are about to learn how to…” As you introduce the session, SELL the listeners on how they are going to benefit. Keep them glued. Remember, they can’t see you, so it is all too easy for them to answer their email or go get a cup of coffee.

INTRODUCE YOURSELF
Once you have sold the session, you can introduce yourself if someone else is not doing it. Do NOT do it first. Just as with an in-person session, say something the listeners care about, and then they care about who you are.

FORGE AN EMOTIONAL CONNECTION
The most powerful communication combines both intellectual and emotional connections. Intellectual means appealing to educated self-interest with data and reasoned arguments. Emotion comes from engaging the listeners’ imaginations, involving them in your illustrative stories by frequent use of the word “you” and from answering their unspoken question, “What’s in this for me?” Use a high I/You ratio.

For example, don’t say, “I’m going to talk to you about Webinars.” Instead, say something like, “In the next 56 minutes, you will learn: the 6 secrets of making a Webinar work; the 4 benefits of using Webinars as part of your client interaction; and the 3 mistakes our competitors are making when they use them.”

BUILD IN INTERACTION
Depending on the technology you are using, make sure you interact whenever logical. For example, stop and ask, “Based on what you have heard so far, what are your questions?”

USE MEMORABLE STORIES
People rarely remember your exact words. Instead, they remember the mental images that your words inspire. Support your key points with vivid, relevant stories. Help them “make the movie” in their heads by using memorable characters, exciting situations, dialogue, and humor. With a combination of your examples and visuals, it will be a memorable presentation.

USE EFFECTIVE PAUSES
Good music and good communication both contain changes of pace, pauses, and full rests. This is where your listeners think about what they have just heard. If you rush on at full speed to crowd in as much information as possible, chances are you’ve left your listeners back at the station. It’s okay to talk quickly, but whenever you say something profound or proactive or ask a rhetorical question, pause.

AVOID IRRITATING NON-WORDS
Hmm—ah—er—you know what I mean—. On a Webinar, this habit will only be emphasized. Are you doing it? Why not have a run-through and record yourself. As with in-person presentations, as Michael Caine says, “Rehearsal is the work, performance is the relaxation.”

REVIEW WHAT YOU’VE COVERED
As with an in-person presentation, always review your key ideas: Then say, “Before my closing remarks…what are your questions?”

EMPHASIZE THEIR NEXT STEPS
Be clear what their next logical steps should be. Send them off energized and focused.

CLOSE ON A HIGH
Your last words linger. Make sure they are yours—don’t quote anyone else—and make sure they are powerful.

HAVE BACKUP COMPUTERS!
Here is a practical suggestion that has paid off for me. Have two computers tuned into the Webinar. My Fripp Associate Tom Drews is very experienced with presenting through Webinars. He recommended this technique to Jim Prost and me when we were presenting through Webinar for the American Payroll Association. Suddenly, Jim, who was taking lead, said his computer had frozen. I immediately jumped in and delivered my portion earlier than planned. This gave Jim time to get his second laptop to the place where the first had frozen. He had it tuned into the Webinar, so it only took a few moments. With technology…you never know!

Patricia Fripp and Fripp Associates are experts in business communications.
They improve meeting quality through effective presentation skills.
Fripp Associates are experts in Webinar Training.

If you are interested in presentation skills, public speaking or sales presentation skills, check out one of Patricia’s Webinars on Business Expert Webinars or her two-day Speaking and Presentation Skills School.

Patricia Fripp is an in-demand executive speech coach, award-winning keynote speaker, and sales presentation skills trainer. Meetings and Conventions magazine calls Patricia Fripp, “One of the 10 most electrifying speakers in North America.” Patricia is a Past President of the National Speakers Association, Co-author of Speaker's EDGE: Secrets and Strategies for Connecting with Any Audience, (415) 753-6556, www.fripp.com, [email protected]

Have an Extra Edge at Networking Events: Susan RoAne & Fripp

Have an Extra Edge at Networking Events:

I just had a birthday dinner with my pal best selling author Susan RoAne. Her world class and best selling book How to Work a Room just celebrated its 21st birthday.

She quotes me in her speeches and books and we both tell our audiences about a networking technique that is natural to us. However, not to most people.
Enjoy!

We all attend events promoted as the perfect format to make new contacts and develop potential business relationships. I never stop being amazed how many talented and well-educated people often do not know how to maximize these events. Here is an easy way you can make the most of networking events.

"TRAVEL WITH YOUR OWN PR AGENT" TECHNIQUE.
It's simple and cost free. Enlist a co-sales professional, friend, or fellow speaker to form a duo. My networking buddy in San Francisco is Susan RoAne, the best-selling author of How to Work A Room, Secrets of Savvy Networking, and What Do I Say Next? We attend many meetings together.

Here's what we do. When we arrive at an event, we alternately separate and come together. I'll walk up to Susan as she is talking to someone, and she'll say, "Larry, let me introduce you to Patricia Fripp. Patricia is truly one of the greatest speakers in the country." And, I will turn around and say, "Larry, I bet Susan is too modest to tell you she's the best-selling author of five books."

When you do this, just as RoAne and I do, you're saying great things about each other that you'd love your prospects to know, but modesty prevents you from telling them.

Suppose Natalie and Fred are secret partners. As Fred walks up, Natalie says to the person she's been talking to, "Jack, I'd like you to meet Fred. Fred has taught me nearly everything I know about sales and our product line. There has never been a sales contest in our company he hasn't won." Then, Fred can say, "Well, Natalie's being very generous. It's true; I've been with our company for sixteen years. But, Natalie's been here for only six months, and she's brought in more new business than any other person in the fifty-three year history of our firm, so she knows a couple of things too. I tell you, you couldn't do better than work with someone as enthusiastic as Natalie."

Consulting Over Fifty--Where Gray Matters & Experience Counts

My smart and entertaining friend Rick Hubbard has started a group in LinkedIn for Consultants Over 50. Rick will interview me on January 4th, 2010 at 10am PST. When you sign in he asks for our elevator pitch. This is what I wrote....

"Fripp builds leaders and transforms sales teams by increasing the clarity, specificity and persuasiveness of the presentations."

Subject: Rick Hubbard invites you to join Consulting Over Fifty--Where Gray Matters & Experience Counts on LinkedIn

Scott McKain "Seven Biggest Lies in Business" this is #3 Management

Biggest Lies in Business : #3

Time for the third in our series of the "Seven Biggest Lies in Business" - our ongoing series here in the UCE-zine -- moving you to enhance and alter your perceptions of what is true...and what isn't...in today's dynamically changing business world.

This one applies if you are an entrepreneur, executive, HR official, or manager of any type:

Lie #3: We Cannot Keep/Get Good People

Of course you can. You just haven't been willing to engage in the kind of organizational or personal behavior that secures it.

Imagine for a moment that you are Dr. Bob Brockelman, driving a snowy road on a Midwestern winter's day to a university campus to recruit prospective employees to work with you at your $110 BILLION company.

That may sound like it is no problem if you're running a hip and progressive high-tech company, working to hire all the good people you can acquire. That is, until you realize that Dr. Brockelman's company - competing for top talent against the GE's and Microsoft's of the world - is the Farm Credit Bank of Wichita, Kansas. You are asking soon-to-be college or business school graduates to forego the offer from Proctor & Gamble and instead head to Hastings, Nebraska to begin your career.

"The silly thing," says Dr. Brockelman, "is that it's really pretty easy. The problem for most companies is that they've told each other this lie that it's impossible to get and keep great people for so long that they simply aren't doing what it takes to make it happen."

In fact, they are so good at it, Brockelman and Farm Credit Bank of Wichita have reduced turnover to a miniscule (and unheard-of) 3%. Within this lie, "We Cannot Get/Keep Good People," are three erroneous assumptions many of us make --

1) "Money is the only motivator of employees"

There's a major problem with believing this: Every major study proves it isn't the case. Employees want to be paid comparably with those in similar work situations. However, this belief is a mere cop-out by those managers unwilling to confront other motivators. It's easier for us to believe we aren't getting what we want from our employees because we aren't paying them well enough - as opposed to thinking it might be because we aren't managing them well enough.

2) "The (fill in this blank with any age group except the one to which you belong) Generation has no loyalty and a horrible work ethic."

Wrong. However, different generations have different standards of loyalty and differing responses to varied leadership styles. You just have to learn how to appeal to the loyalty of the different generations and what motivates each generational group. If you need more on this topic, check out information from my friend and colleague, Eric Chester, CSP.

3) "We just train them and then they go work for someone else."

There are two problems with this statement:

a. First, why should they stay if all your organization is providing is training -- and not opportunity after the training has concluded? Education that precedes a lack of opportunity to apply what is learned breeds frustration.
b. Second, the most terrible approach isn't training them and they leave - as my good friend, Jim Cathcart, CSP, CPAE says, the worst thing is to NOT train them and they STAY!

"Nearly 100 percent of the top-performing key people have the souls of entrepreneurs."
Brian Whitlock, "Modern Machine Shop", January 2006

It is NOT impossible to acquire and retain good people. The fundamental problem is that managers are better trained and emotionally equipped to make investments in R&D, capital improvements and better operating procedures instead of people.

What will YOU do so that you obtain and retain your best people - so they can help you create Ultimate Customer Experiences?

--Scott McKain

Public Speaking with Webinars

These days I am delivering more and more Webinars. My guru is Tom Drews the Fripp Associate who is one of the country’s leading experts in Public Speaking using Webinars. One of Tom’s unique ideas is to use visuals to communicate information before the Webinar starts. An excellent and little utilized technique called “looping” can help prepare your participants for the webinar. “Choose a series of ten slides that automatically ‘loop’ while people are logging in. Provide colleagues with start times, direction for downloading resources, speaker information, upcoming meeting dates and other relevant content. The loop will keep everyone on target and engaged, regardless of when they log in.”

To prepare for your next webinar ask yourself these four questions.

1. “What is my key message?” Start by creating one sentence or premise that sums up your entire forty-five minute presentation. This will help you clarify your objective.
2. “Why would an audience care about this content?” Feeding audience facts and figures won’t make them any more interested in what you have to say. Be sure you explain why the content will be important to them.
3. “What is essential to my presentation? It’s better to say less and have people grasp your information than have them listen all day and hope their eyes aren’t glazing over. Webinars usually run no longer than an hour.
4. “What elements can I incorporate that will entertain, as well as inform?” Use pictures, stories and slides that are educational, informational and fun.

Todd Novak Motivational Minute with Patricia Fripp on How to Be a Great Presenter

Todd Novak Motivational Minute with Patricia Fripp

A Public Service Message for Job Seekers - Two Complimentary Online Audio Lessons

Courtesy of World Champions' EDGE, Patricia Fripp, and Al Hops

One of our World Champions' EDGE members asked "Please create an Audio Lesson about how to excel and be successful at a job interview!" Fripp got carried away! Listen in on TWO 20-minute lessons and learn as Hall of Fame Speaker Patricia Fripp interviews Al Hops, creator of The Interview Edge.

This is a FREE RESOURCE for anybody looking for a job. Please forward!

Need a Competitive Edge in Your Job Interviews? Listen & Learn how you can utilize Al Hops' "Acing An Interview" Formula of "Perception, Observation, Preparation" to get an EDGE! Send this to your friends! Who is Al Hops? Click!
Al Hops Interview ~ PART #1 ~	Al Hops Interview ~ PART #2 ~
Get a 30-Day Trial for the World Champions' EDGE Coaching Program for Only $1	Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE Hall of Fame Speaker www.Fripp.com

Who is Al Hops?

Al Hops is an award-winning sales professional who has consistently developed innovative ideas leading to success in job interviewing and closing sales.

Based on his experience and adding techniques he learned from movie directors and motion pictures, Al became a high tech company’s number-one salesman. Al created the concept of P.O.P. (perception, observation and preparation) which led to the magic of the Schindler Effect and The Interview Edge.

As part of his consulting practice with President Clinton, Bob Costas and Jim Carrey, Al helped open the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville.

In Reno and Vegas, Hops presented the first seminars for Hilton Hotels VIPs on "A Day in the Life of the Internet."  Cirque Du Soleil hired him to develop their first website.  Al presently consults and delivers seminars on "Acing a Job Interview."

Al can be reached at:

Al Hops and Associates
2424 Riffel Ct.
Castro Valley, Ca. 94546
(em) [email protected]
(tel)  510-537-5042
(fax) 510-537-9928

©2009 World Champions' EDGE, Inc.

Are you a successful entrepreneur? Want to be a successful entrepreneur?

Are you a successful entrepreneur? Do you wish you could become a successful entrepreneur?
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This week, Patricia Fripp and 19 business-building experts are coming together in a "radical
experiment." They're practically giving away their premium products and
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will show you how you can identify hire superstar talent for your business
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The Ultimate Entrepreneur Toolkit is only available through June 26th,
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Good Customer Service Is More Than Good PR

Good Customer Service Is More Than Good PR

At a time when every customer counts we must never forget how our customers see us. One single negative contact can ruin your reputation in the eyes of not only that one customer -- but everyone he or she knows as well. After all, word of mouth works both for or against you.

You need to make sure everybody in your organization knows he or she is an important part of it. Each department depends and dovetails into the other to produce quality in service or product. Everyone makes a difference: the sales force, the service technicians, the clerical staff, the PR department all work together toward the same goal -- keeping the customers satisfied.

A perfect example of how everyone makes a difference is when I was in a Nashville hotel attending a board of directors meeting for the National Speakers Association. After the meeting, several of us went to the coffee shop to continue our deliberations. Each of us asked for exceptions or additions to the menu items; we wanted separate checks; and to make things even more confusing, being speakers, we talked to each other the whole time the waitress patiently took our orders.

"My dear, all this confusion is going to be worthwhile -- these guys are big tippers," I said. She said, "I'm not being nice for a tip. It doesn't even matter if I get a tip or not. If we give you good service, your group will bring back its business here and not to the competition."

Isn't that a marvelous attitude from someone on the front lines? I was so impressed, I wrote a letter to the hotel manager congratulating him on his staff and especially the waitress at the coffee shop.

I never received a reply. That waitress "wowed" me with her service and her attitude; but the manager's lack of response almost nullified her customer service savvy. Everyone makes a difference. I think the manager and the waitress should change places for a couple of weeks, she knows more about good PR than he does.

As the late great radio personality Paul Harvey said when we spoke at a convention in Las Vegas, "For a company’s advertising strategy to work it has to be handled corporately and also individually.”

Last week I checked into wonderful Hyatt in Long Beach for The American Payroll Association Congress. Getting out of my taxi with 2 large suitcases and two smaller bags I had to call to the only doorman “Is there anyone to help me please?” He was busy chatting to his two buddies the Valet parkers. As he ran over he asked, “Are you checking in?” AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!