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Is It Safe to Face the New Year Yet?
Time to Look Ahead (but not too far!)
It’s December! For those of us in the Southern Hemisphere it means we are getting into full Summer mode. (The forecast for Sydney today is 42C – so its hot!)
Experience has also shown that often, business get into a phase down approach. Not sure if this year will be any different. COVID and 2020 in general has been a kick in the pants for many. So what usually happens is not longer what is going to happen.
But it is time to take time. Time to consider your plans for 2021. Time to consider how to finish 2020 in a strong position (or as strong as possible).
2021 will still be a bit weird and flexibility will be paramount. There is no “going back to normal” as this is the new normal. What this means is that it is not worth considering too far ahead, but it is time to at the very least plan some time for planning.
To help you, I have a one pager called a Regular Results Review. Click on the link and download it and spend an hour or so considering how far you have come this year and what next year may hold.
Here’s to a cracking time ahead!
Why Thank You Counts
Recently I had done a few favours for one of the bureaus that represents me. I was happy to do them. It is all part of continuing to position myself as someone who can host and produce energetic and engaging online events.
But they knew what I had done was no small thing. So to say thank you they sent me something. When it arrived I had my suspicions on what it may have been so I shot a quick unboxing video. See how big my grin gets as I unbox it!! It is only 100 seconds, check out the video. I will wait.
It was pretty cool yeah?
Anyway, saying thank you is so important. Even if it is exactly what you are paying them to do for you. You don’t need to give expensive gives, some times simply saying thank you is enough. Taking the time to let that person know what they are doing really contributes to you and your bigger picture of success allows them to be part of it.
It enables them to feel good about the contribution they make and shows them how valued they are. Something that is often missed.
So whether it is your partner, your kids, your boss, your colleagues, your suppliers, your customers, your shop assistants, your wait staff or your cleaner, saying thank you will always make a big difference.
Who do you need to say thank you to today?
What Can You Celebrate?
It’s Friyay! – time to Celebrate the Good Things
I have had a huge week. I produced/hosted a three day online summit. So many moving parts! At the end, my client said “I could not have done this without you”. The delegates said, “I loved the energy, engagement and humour that Warwick brought.”
Add to that my monthly planning session with The Forge Mastermind (highly recommend this!), virtual choir practice, some video editing, tech support for my brother, a pre-recorded live stream, and almost finished the OnlinePresenterPro series and all while my gorgeous wife is doing night shift so I have to keep it quiet when I can!
2 new clients also signed up this week so I have a couple of online award ceremonies to plan/host/produce.
I am happy! Exhausted … but happy and looking forward to a quiet weekend (due to more night shift!)
How was your week?
What fabulous things did you get up to?
Why Donut Day can Reconnect Us
In Melbourne yesterday (and again today), it was Donut Day. That is 0 new cases of COVID and 0 deaths due to COVID. To celebrate, our neighbour bought us these sensational donuts (the dog didn’t get any!)
One of the biggest tragedies of this pandemic is the separation of communities that were once previously connected. From “Australia – we’re all in this together” we quickly transitioned to “Every state is on their own”. This worsened to Metropolitan vs Regional.
It didn’t stop there though. There seemed to be a separation along political lines as well, and not just from the leaders of each party. There was also separation between employees and self employed. Worse still, everyone in the arts community just seemed to be abandoned, yet national sporting teams got special permissions.
So now, with a reduction in restrictions we can start to reconnect. We can rebuild our great community.
We can realise we ARE in this together. We are on the same ocean but we are in different boats. We have different levels of impact. Different levels of suffering. Different perspective on next steps.
But with empathy and understanding of what others are going though, we can reconnect and continue to face this pandemic stronger than ever.
Yay for Donut Day!
What’s the Best Way to Say Thank You?
I am very fortunate. Over the years I have received some lovely gifts to say thank you.
As a speaker it is very common to receive a bottle of wine (or two!) But as a non-drinker it was always a little disappointing (my wife and friends loved it though.) I have also received different vouchers from books stores, music stores and even cafes. And every time I was grateful for the gift.
But last week I was blown away!
I was given a thank you gift of 2.5kg of gourmet bacon! It was astounding.
Now I am not saying you should give bacon to say thank you. In fact for many, their religious/personal beliefs and lifestyle habits would mean they would be more offended than appreciated. What I am saying is match the gift to the person.
The person who gave me the gift knows I do go on a lot about bacon and I am a big fan. She also knows that I don’t drink and that chocolate is not really my friend. So when she wanted to thank me, she knew that for the same price as a really nice bottle of champagne, she could get 2.5kg of gourmet bacon delivered to my door.
So the best way to say thank you is with something that the recipient loves. Maybe they knit so would appreciate some special wool. Maybe they paint and some awesome coloured oils/water paints would be appreciated. Maybe they are into woodwork and so would appreciate a specific chisel.
A little bit of investigating, like their Facebook page, a conversation with their partner or even asking them directly, will give you some strong direction on what would be appreciated.
A general thank you is awesome but a targeted, specific thank you will make them feel extra special.
How will you be saying thank you?
How to Take Your Awards to the Next Level
Oh my lawks a lordy! What a full on session it was!
Friday I had the delight of hosting and producing an annual awards ceremony for one of Australia’s medium sized banks.
In 1 hr (59 minutes to be exact) we had:
- Almost 200 people on the Zoom session
- A big countdown video
- A welcome video
- The CEO speech
- Almost 30 awards
- 6 acceptance speeches
- 98 slides
- 10 prize draws off the prize wheel
- Board Chair Speech
- Breakout rooms for networking
- Plenty of laughs
- Lots of dancing
- Two outro videos
And it was all run from mission control that you see above.
Look closely and you will see two cameras (good to have a back up), vision mixer, sound input, one laptop for slides, one laptop for video, two screens for running the show, one screen showing what was happening in the vision mixer, multiple computers recording the session and an empty cup of coffee (and that was before we started!)
Award winning conference organiser Sue Ryman-Kiernan from Wise Connections had done all the hard work in getting it organised and then … we were live!
What did the client say? “It was superb!”
The CEO was laughing and celebrating all the way through.
A huge success in anyone’s language.
How we look at events has changed.
Never before has this bank been able to have so many of their staff engaged in an awards ceremony in a way that celebrates who they are all while keeping them safe. It was more than “just another Zoom call” and it has them all excited about the year ahead.
So what do you need to consider for your next online event?
How can you make it stand out, get your entire team engaged and set a new standard for “how things are done around here?”
Get in touch if you need any guidance or support to take your awards to the next level.
How Getting Help, Helps Getting Good
I have a large awards event coming up with almost 200 people online.
It is really exciting! There will be video, slides, spotlighting of winners, spin the wheel prize games and a whole lot more. I know that everything the PCO and I have lined up is going to be fabulous. But I wanted to be sure!
That’s where my fabulous friends and colleagues came in.
You see, there was one thing I was going to do that I knew the theory of but I wanted to test it. To test it, I needed over a screen of people on Zoom – so over 26 people. I put the call out a couple of days before the Friday afternoon test and we were away.
People generously joined in knowing nothing about what I was trying to do. We tried a few different things and people all shared their thoughts and ideas and now I am concretely positive that what I want to do can be done.
Everyone then stayed on and swapped Zoom skills and ideas. It was a fantastic way for everyone to give a little and gain a lot. So a big thanks to everyone who jumped online. By giving a little help we all helped each other to get good, an Online Presenter Pro!
Where can you give a little help?
Let me know if you need a little help with your online events and presentations.
It Is Not As Obvious As You Think!
You could have knocked me over with a feather!
Last week I was talking with a couple of clients. They had used me before on several occasions and I thought they knew what I did, particularly with my shift to online event production and hosting. I was certain I had even talked about with them directly.
Both of them didn’t realise that I was producing events (pressing buttons, mixing audio and video, showing slide decks, highlighting speakers) as well as being the MC for that online event. Following these conversations I have booked two gigs with them.
I thought I was talking about events too much. If it is even possible, I was almost getting tired of my own voice! I was certain that I had mentioned what I am doing several times.
Still, they didn’t really know. Hence, here I am talking about it again.
What about for you? What do you do that your customer doesn’t know about? Maybe they only know you for ONE of your services or products. How can you share with them some of the successes that you have achieved for your other customers? How can you let them know you do more than what you are doing for them?
From personal experience, your clients are busy. They often don’t hear your message – not because they don’t care but because they are focussed on THEIR customer. So how can you make it easy for them to hear about what else you do?
Meanwhile, I will keep spreading the good word about Online Events. (He says, warming up to tell you what he does).
So if you need me, I will be here in my studio. With my four computers, two cameras, vision switcher, audio panel, sound panels and green screen. I will be running my weekly live stream on events (sign up to my YouTube channel to keep in touch WarwickMerry.tv) , sharing content on LinkedIn, and coaching people with their Online Presence.
Let me know if you need help with your next online event!
If you want your next online event or meeting to shine, get in touch with Warwick for some ideas or assistance on how to make it energetic and engaging.
Simply email Warwick [at@] WarwickMerry.com or call +61 408 592 158
How Do You Get Better?
I have to say, I have been pretty busy the last few months.
From producing online events (mini brag here – they have been in Singapore, UK, USA and later this week in Hawaii!) to helping other speakers get their studios sorted for online presentations to working with corporates to making their online meetings engaging and… worthwhile!
Some people have been asking how did I get to know all I do about this online presenting stuff and how they can get better.
I love what the philosopher Kierkegaard said, “Life has to be lived forwards but understood backwards.”
I have been fortunate enough to have some amazing life experiences. Radio DJ, singer, recording music, acting in theatrical productions, improv, stand up, story telling, author, content creator and of course event host and producer. Looking backward, I can understand that each of these elements has taught me something that helps me with my online work.
As you would expect, this puts me in a unique position right now.
I am continuing to learn and get better at what I do. In fact, keep your eye out for something new I have coming soon where I share some of these secrets!!
But for anyone to get better at anything, the key thing is … to do it more!
Wanna be a better singer? Sing more.
Wanna be a better writer? Write more.
Wanna be a better cook? Cook more.
So what do you want to get better at?
One Simple Thing to Becoming an Expert
I spent the weekend working with some old hardwood timber I got from pulling down an old picket fence. My gorgeous wife wanted a narrow table to go behind one of the couches at the shed and who am I to not give her what she wants!! (Plus it was awesome to spend time away from the computer).
As with all things, if it isn’t on social media then it hasn’t happened. So I popped a couple of images there once I finished building it. (The oiling happens next weekend.)
Many people commented on how talented I am. Let me be frank, I am not a talented woodworker! I am a “competent” woodworker and I have spent a bit of money on some tools to help make things easier (thicknesser, table saw, electric sander and so on). Nearly everything I have learnt has come from YouTube and conversations with others who are more skilled than I.
The one simple thing to becoming an expert (or at the very least getting better) is to have a go at it. Step out with confidence and give it a try. At nearly every stage along the way as I was building this I was thinking, “I hope I don’t stuff this next bit up!” But I didn’t let it stop me.
Oh and there were some stuff ups along the way. But that is how you learn. It is part of the “Fail Faster” approach. At the end I have a nice bit of furniture my wife loves, made from upcycled materials and that I can be proud of (plus I have had 2 people ask me to make them one!)
So what do you want to be an expert at?
What are you doing to build those skills?
How can you “Fail Faster?”
The One Thing You Need For Your Online Event To Wow
I was thrilled to host and speaker at a 2 day sales meeting for a client last week. At the end of the event, the delegates, the CEO and the organiser were all going WOW. It was all due to one thing!
Now online meetings and events are almost old fashioned! We have embraced the benefits of online, addressed some of it’s misgivings and the future clearly has online events as part of it.
In fact many of us now how online social events. In the past month I have had drinks sessions, dinner parties, improvised theatre performances, cabaret performances, and some music concerts all from the comfort of my own home. My nieces, nephews and close friends all study online regardless of whether it is secondary, tertiary or post grad.
But there is one thing that takes it from “Meh” to “WOW!”
That one thing is having the right event host! (Naturally I recommend me!)
My clients were thrilled that I lifted their event from the regular sales meeting to something memorable, special and fun.
My nieces and nephews happily tell me of the teachers that really bring the session to life rather than the same old – same old!
The right host is the glue that holds everything together. They build the energy when needed, make sure the technology behaves itself (and when it doesn’t, they deal with it), and ensure that the focus stays on the delegates as the main players in the event.
Whether it is me as the host, the teacher, your managers, you as the team leader, or someone else, what are you doing to make your delegates go “WOW!”
PS Warwick talked about this topic in more detail on the recent episode of the Get Events Online Live Stream. You can see the recording here.
I have a Severe Case of Kummerspeck
German is a fantastic language. It gives us wonderful words, that for the non-native German speakers, can sound harsh, guttural and slightly ridiculous.
But they express a situation so well.
Schadenfreude (which means getting pleasure from the pain of others) is the basis of so many tv series and YouTube channels. It is the guilty pleasure of many of us, myself included!
Zeitgeist means the mood of the culture or the spirit of the times and is now commonly used in English conversations.
But the word that best sums up what seems to be happening in my life and those around us is Kummerspeck. Literally this means Grief Bacon.
Many around me are talking about Corona Kilos added from excess eating during lock down or feeling out of control so eating over it. Surely this is grief bacon!
The pandemic has shattered our illusion of control and so we do what we can to feel more in control or to use the time we have as productively as possible. For me that means making cinnamon scrolls, brownies and other yummy treats and then giving most of what I made away.
The longer the pandemic goes on, the more of a challenge it will be for us. Personally, I suspect this pandemic will go until late 2021. There will continue to be rolling lock downs as we deal with trying to minimise the impact of the disease.
The Germans have a word for this too, Scheisse.
But in the mantra of 2020, “It is what it is”. So let’s continue on, grateful we are not dodging bullets, having bombs dropped on us, or suffering from something far worse than being forced to stay in our homes.
If you need to get out virtually, don’t forget to join my What’s Up Wednesday sessions that happen every Wednesday. Click here for more details. We just chat about what is going on and see what help everyone needs (and have a fair bit of fun along the way!)
Stay strong and love your Kummerspeck.
Do You Have Glorious Blooms that Make you Feel Good?
Let’s face it. This whole COVID thing sucks.
Having your life restricted, not being able to do what you want, business crumbling, let alone the health impact! It is also a major topic of conversation because we are all caught by it, impacted by it or influenced by it to some extent.
It is easy to get caught up in it – and that is perfectly natural.
What I try and do is focus on something glorious that makes me feel good. This image is of the tulips we have in the back yard. The kaffir lime tree is also laden and the jasmine smells fabulous. I can’t help but feel good when I see this.
I was fortunate to be in the audience of a show on Saturday night. The super talented Tash York put on a cabaret show that streamed on YouTube. It was a pay as much as you can and for 90 minutes I was entertained by her and also by the comments as the whole audience got into the show.
On Sunday, I was thrilled to be part of an Improv show, Virtually There, hosted by Paper Goat, a NZ based, world focused Improv collective. You can probably see the recording on Facebook.
Friday night I was having a Zoom call with a friend, solving the problems of the world.
Each of these things brought me some kind of joy and delight. Most of these things didn’t cost me any money. For the time I was present in those events, COVID and it’s impact were forgotten. It was an enjoyable escape.
I have found so many ways to shift my focus from the troubles and issues I am facing to something that makes me feel good, even if it is only a temporary reprieve.
What are you doing today to get your burst of feeling good?
(At the very least, check out these tulips!)
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