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How To Become Your Own Robin Hood 🏹

I don’t mean start stealing from the rich! Robin Hood did something way more powerful than that.

I recently spent two weeks touring the UK. So how could I not visit Sherwood Forrest.

The visit had me thinking about Robin Hood. While redistributing the wealth was a great deed, his most powerful act was spreading the message that people did not have to live under a tyrant. Spreading his ideas, thoughts and helping others create a dream that was worth living for, gave something far more valuable than money.

While Robin Hood may be a fictional character [spoiler alert], you aren’t.

Do you have a message you need to spread?
How can you authentically and genuinely share your message to others?

For some it will be a simple conversation, coaching a team mate or sharing information. Others will want to take it further and share it from the stage.

If you are in Melbourne on Thursday 23rd, join me for a one day intensive on how to Get More Speaker Success.

Discover more info here http://GetMoreSpeakerSuccess.com

How Important Are Words of Praise?

So much research has show that people join a company but leave a manager. Yet so many managers think that all their team wants is a regular pay check. These managers are wrong.

Most people I have spoken with tell me that they want to know that they are doing a good job. The only way they will know this is being told as much by their boss. Their colleagues can tell them but it doesn’t mean as much as when it comes from your boss or someone in authority.

This was reinforced with something I saw on twitter this week.

Recently a high school drama class put on a school production of Alien with a tiny budget. That is a pretty big call! Looking at some of the stills and video on Twitter, it does look pretty cool.

Last night the North Bergen High School in New Jersey put on ‘Alien’ as their school play and it looks absolutely incredible.#hrgiger #Alien #rushmore pic.twitter.com/5jopUecFil

— Paul Owens (@oh_pollo) March 23, 2019

Well word got around. The twitterverse got excited. Sir Ridley Scott, the man whose company made the original films heard about it. Seeing the fabulous job they did on a miniscule budget, he wrote a letter of thanks with some encouragement built in.

If you haven’t seen this … A letter from Ridley Scott to the students who put on Alien at their High School. The kind of letter that every kid needs at least once in life to fuel them. God bless Sir Ridley for such a clever letter. pic.twitter.com/66QY9y4g9h

— Matthew Graham (@TremensDr) March 28, 2019

How do you think the kids, the teachers and the school feel right about now?
How delighted must you be when the person you are paying homage to lets you know you did an amazing job?
How thrilled would your team, family, colleagues, friends be if you told them how much they mean to you and how much you appreciate what they do?

How important are words of praise?

They are the most valuable currency you have.

Long trench in hard dry ground for putting pipe in

On Saturday I had the rockstar trenching guy come and spend an hour digging about 40 metres of trenching (it saved me a stack of hard work digging rock hard clay).

I then spent the next 5 hours laying the pipes, running cables and conduit, testing everything worked, and then burying it all. Mind you it was 32C as I was doing this. I did a stack of hard work yet the trenching dude was the most impressive.

It made me think of the number of times one or two people get all the credit (the rock stars) yet there were so many people doing a stack of hard work to achieve the results gained.

In your workplace and your life, who are the people who continue to work tirelessly while the Rock Star gets the credit? In the events world, while the speakers get the credit, it is the eventprofs, the admin team, the AV crew, the back stage team, the security crew, the cleaners and even the humble MC who help bring the show together.

Make sure you are showing gratitude to those who are doing the work!

The Food Of Love

Sometimes you just need a bit more love in your life. Love for you, love for your fellow person, love for a cause. Shakespeare said it best.

Have you achieved some amazing things in your life? Things that made your family, friends, colleagues and clients go “WOW”.

When you achieve these things and the people in your life say how cool it is, do you go, “Yeah but it’s only….” or “Nah but it is not as good as … ” or “Yeah, but anyone could have …”?

You may find that your perspective is robbing you of some pleasure and acknowledgement of success.

We often get hung up on the detail and the micro perspective of a situation or actions. We focus on what we did wrong and not on the progress or the impact of what we have done.

That is why I love this lookout tower at Mitchelton Winery. It must be so easy to get stuck looking at label designs, menus for the restaurant, the chemistry of the wine making, the details of the grape harvest and so on.

But from the top of this look out you can see the hundreds of acres of grape fines, the motel wing, the rivers edge chapel area, the art gallery, the full car park and the large number of very happy customers.

Don’t rob yourself of the pleasure of your hard work and skill. Make sure you look at the full perspective of what you have done and when someone gives you a compliment, say “Thank you”.

One of my speaker buddies gave my a gift yesterday. Yes that’s right. It is BaconJam!!

Made right here in Melbourne at the Salami Shack. It’s made of 90% bacon. No bacon flavouring here!!

Now my buddy knows my passion for bacon. So as a token of thanks for some event work we are doing together, when he saw this, he bought one for me.

What a gift! It is not too big so I don’t feel indebted. It is something he knows I love, so I feel heard and considered. And it is something out of the ordinary, so I feel surprised and delighted.

Contrast this to when I often receive a speaker gift of a bottle of wine. While I am grateful for the gift, I don’t drink – so it is a little bit wasted. It is also very common, as in the previous speaker also got one, so I don’t feel that special, and if I have travelled interstate, I now have the added issue of trying to get it home without it breaking.

When you are giving gifts to your speakers, or associates, is it a gift worth giving?

A few subtle questions to the recipient and a stalk on their social media may help you give a gift worth giving.

Want to Do Something Delightful in the Dark?

Photo: DialogueInTheDark.com.au

At the recent Australasian Incentives and Meetings Expo (AIME2019), I got to meet some fabulous puppies and some amazing people!

They work with Guide Dogs Australia to host the Dialogue in the Dark sessions.

I have always admired the massive amount of training and care that a guide dog needs. Even more so since my friend Vic started training and caring for puppies for Seeing Eye Dog Australia. But this conversation (or dialogue) was a fabulous one to have.

What is Dialogue in the Dark, I hear you ask. Well it is a simulated tour of Melbourne done in the dark!

Don’t worry though, you get a white walking cane to assist you and some very capable guides (usually visually impaired people so you are operating on the same level playing field) and often their canine friends.

That’s not all they do. They also run individual and team activities conducted in complete darkness and delivered by these professional facilitators with blindness or low vision.

The workshop place you in unpredictable situations similar to many business landscapes, highlighting the importance of effective communication, leadership and trust. It also provides a great reminder about the importance of human interaction.

Dialogue in the Dark workshops have been operating for 30 years in more than 40 countries.

From its Aussie base in Docklands, Dialogue in the Dark offers a range of professional development workshops, team building tours and school experiences in partnership with Guide Dogs Australia. It also provides more than 20 people who are blind or have low vision with employment, training and development opportunities.

And, the best part is that all the revenue generated from Dialogue in the Dark is re-invested into the operation.

If you are after something fun and different to do or you want to take your team (of have your boss take your team) on a great team building exercise, I highly recommend Dialogue in the Dark.

So do you feel like a tour of Melbourne in low visibility? It is one of the most delightful things you can do in the dark!

The Best Thing to Do With Your Conference App

I am fresh back from AIME2019. The events for events. It was interesting to say the least.

I was particularly interested in Conference Apps. There is so much to offer with Conference Apps in 2019 and there are many options.
Some of the well known ones in Australia are CrowdCompass, DoubleDutch, Entegy, Whova, EventsAir, and Cvent. Some events still create their own apps as well.

But I can’t help think that something is missing with the majority of conference and event apps.

Ah yes… the delegates!

I continue to see delegates ignore the conference app and rely on a printout of the program or refer to banners listing events around the conference. It would be hard to justify the $5k+ investment in an app for your event if the majority of your delegates don’t use it or get value from it.

Yes it is “cool”, yes it can do “amazing things”, yes it keeps us interconnected but we need to keep in mind that a conference app is like fire. It is a brilliant tool but a poor master.

So what is the best thing to do with your Conference or Event App?

The very best thing to do is … turn it off! Not permanently, but for now, turn it off, put it to one side and get the key element of your app sorted. That key element is the Strategy.

Here are some important considerations as you put your App and Event Strategy together:

Old Mature People

Yes the work force is starting to add Digital Natives and they are welcomed with open arms. But don’t forget not all people aged 45 and over (myself included) are as comfortable putting everything on our phones. Also, our eyesight is not as good as it used to be and we haven’t worked out how to make the font bigger yet. Plus we also think it is rude to be on your phone all the time rather than it being “normal”.

So how are you going to encourage us to fight our instincts and actually adopt this technology?
In general, people don’t like change and we have been getting a printed copy of the program for years so why can’t I have one now?
Oh and why does everyone start sending me messages now that I have it set up? I have enough email already!
(Can you see their inner grump come out?)

No compelling reason to use

I get it. The app can be fun. There is a competition and you can win things. Not sure how but ok I can do that. Yes I can see the program and the sponsors and exhibitors but what else?

Most apps need to have the delegates download the app, register and then create a profile, Without a compelling reason to use the app, these three steps are your first hurdle.
Add to that, most delegates can be quite protective of their contact information so they don’t fully complete the profile information leaving it challenging the show the value if the data is incomplete.

What is a compelling reason to have delegates take these three steps? An early adopter reward is great but delivering great value is better. What is yours?

Look for longevity

Most Apps are used a little prior to the event, just post event and that is it. How can you make it worthwhile to get extra longevity out of the app? Most people download the app and then just leave it on their phone (I know I do). Why couldn’t you use it for some post event messaging, encouraging people to connect and talk about their conference success stories, or even promote next years event?

Continue to add value to app and delegates

Too often the app is considered because of it’s value to the organiser. The ability to save on printing costs, direct and immediate messages to delegates, and promotion of sponsors and exhibitors. As you continue to use your app, look at adding value to delegates. Can you direct link to social media channels, enable connections with senior managers on site, link delegates to exhibitors they are interested in, have “how to videos” on popular products, behind the scenes interviews with speakers, chances to win high value, industry related services/products?

Make it easy

Too many apps are painful to use. It has to be made intuitive and simple. One conference I hosted decided that each day they would change the order of the icons on the screen so that delegates would be more likely to try some ones they hadn’t. All it did was confuse the delegates and they reduced their usage of the app.

In the initial notification of the app, maybe have a simple How To video and Easy Starter guide. Have App Gurus with big App Guru names badges/t-shirt walking around and supporting the delegates. The easier you make it, the more they will use it this year and from now on.

Make it meaningful/Deliver Value

While the gamification of conferences is an important step, it can’t only be about the games. There has to be meaning to the app. Having an app just to say, “we have a conference app” is not enough.

We need to have an app that makes people love using it and those who haven’t downloaded it yet ask there friends how to get it. So what can you do so that people who don’t have the app ask their friends to help them set it up?

Pay for the free event Wifi

This is particularly true for Australia and for events held in the bowels of buildings.

While speaking at an event in the USA, they had no internet access in the dining/trade show area. You know, that area where people talk and ask about what they have seen and what should they see and what is coming up next. With only the app to guide them and it being reliant on the internet, it was a big fail.

Australian hotels/convention centres free wifi always seems quite limited. I am happy to blame the NBN for some of it but part of it is that the “included” free wifi is usually pretty low speed.

Check your budget, get a sponsor if you have to but have a solid wifi connection across the event.

Get Your Strategy Right

This is THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE.

Your strategy has to be more than “We should have a conference app.” Your ROI, ROO, and ROE (Returns on Investment, Objectives and Energy) will only be as good as your strategy.

At the very least, you may want to consider the following:

What will you do to ensure early engagement?
How will you ensure longevity?
How will you encourage the late adopters?
How can you level the playing field in the gamification areas so that late comes still have a chance to win?
What value will it offer the delegates, sponsors and speakers?
How will you stop it from being a blatant “sell” when talking about exhibitors?
How can you make it more that simply a digital program?
How will you measure it’s success?
Do you need GPS tracking recording to measure tradeshow movements?
Can you include beacons for the tradeshow floor?
What will make the delegates LOVE it?
What fun things can you include?

Conference Apps are here to stay. But we MUST do more to make them of significant value to the delegates.

If I can help with your approach, please get in touch.

From Little Things Big Things Grow

Not only is “From little things, big things grow” a great line from a Paul Kelly song, it is true of our efforts as well.

Two years ago, my brother in law gave me an apple tree. And I am so thrilled that after fighting back bugs, possums, drought, hail and bashing it with a lawn mower (accidentally), we have been harvesting the first fruit from it.

Like a conference or event finally coming to fruition, it is a joy to taste the fruits of your labour.

But the thing is, it hasn’t been a hard slog. Yes there are times when it is hard work but most of the times it is just a load of little pieces.

Pruning back the tree (or the run sheet) to focus on the real value elements.

Sharing the progress of the buds (or registrations) as the tree/event comes to life.

Ensuring the right support is there (fertilisers, AV, MC) and now to enjoy the final product.

What event or project are you working on where all your little things are finally falling into place?

Don’t worry if seem like you are only doing little things.

Remember – from little things, big things grow.

Here is the song from Paul Kelly that chronicles the struggles of our indigenous peoples performed at the memorial service for Gough Whitlam.

How You Can Easily Add More Value To Your Prospect

I just got off the phone from a prospect who is looking for someone to host their annual industry awards and dinner.
Her colleague had seen me host an event and had been part of my Sponsorship Workshops, so it was a lovely phone call to get.

She was talking to me about some of the concerns she had, the unique industry issues they have, the history of their events and was looking for solutions and ball park pricing.

It would have been very easy for me to give a ball park price and have a limited conversation and not give her too many ideas before they sign me up. In fact, some of my colleagues tell me I am too generous with my information.

But I know something they are yet to work out. This prospect even admitted it!

She said she was a little concerned about the event – because of it’s history, their limited budget and the pressure to get it “right.” But after speaking with me, discovering that my dad worked in the industry, hearing some of the suggestions and possibilities she could do so shift the focus of the event and make it more positive for everyone, she felt far more comfortable.

That is worth the risk of giving away too much.

When your customer or prospect feels better or more comfortable about an event because of you, you are becoming part of the team. Some of the PCO’s I work with have said to me, “Now we know you are the MC, we know we don’t have to worry about that anymore.”

If you can make your customer or prospect “feel comfortable”, the value is immeasurable.

So how can you make your customers and prospects feel more comfortable?
What can you do, what information can you share or what ideas can you give them so that you are strongly embedded as part of the team?

All relationships start somewhere. If you can add comfort to the relationship as swiftly as possible, the value is priceless.

In a World of Change, What’s New for You?

Our friend Christine loves horses. She has quite a few. Now she has one more!

Seven days ago, baby Jewel was born. So this weekend we went to say hello.

Seven days old and she was running around and frolicking enjoying all her world has to offer. She was shaking her tail like a puppy. The wind in the grass seemed to fascinate her.

In business, people are often heard complaining about how much change there is, but I loved Jewel’s approach to change. In her seven days, she has seen a colossal amount of new things and new changes in her life. Each change seemed to fascinate and excite her.

Now I am not so naive to say, “treat each change like a new foal.” Sometime we understand the impact of the change well before it kicks in and it is not always positive.

Having said that, there was something in the fasciation that Jewel was facing some of the big changes in her world. So maybe we could look for the fascination in change. Maybe we could look for the fun. Maybe we could look for joy. Maybe we could look for the fresh start. Maybe change is not always something to be feared.

In our world of change, what’s new for you?

If you are looking for a fascinating change in your next event or conference, get in touch and let’s create some excitement.

Here’s 13 seconds of Jewel the foal for you.

Australia’s Best Conference MCs

I had a whole other idea to post about today but I found out that on Friday, I have been listed as one of the Best MCs in Australia.

It is very exciting!

The list was released by Industry Authority David Staughton in his review here.

He notes that with many conferences and events costing in the hundreds of thousands, it needs a professional Master of Ceremonies to keep things under control and on track.

I must confess, it is esteemed company that I am on the list with and there is one factor that is common with them.

They make the Emcees job look effortless!

This is a double edged sword (and it is for every profession). If you are doing your job so well that it looks easy, pretty soon other non-professionals think, “well anyone could do that!” I have to tell you, that is simply not the case.

Most of us have been to an event where it was hosted by; the CEO, the Sales Manager, the funny guy from accounts, or some kind of celebrity. If nothing goes wrong or off script, they usually can do a fairly good job.

Events RARELY go to plan and nearly always go off script!

Events are now needing far more from the Master of Ceremonies too. It is not enough to simply read the introduction and manage the time. Some of the additional tasks that I do are: social media commentary during the event, pre-event videos, event marketing, post event summaries, engagement with delegates during breaks, audience warm-ups, panel session and fish bowl moderation, and sponsor relationships.

If you are spending a lot of money on an event, you want that event to maximise the value gained, that is what a great Master of Ceremonies does.

Check out the list of Australia’s Best Masters of Ceremonies and let me know who you love to see on stage.

Top 10 Technology Tools to Tame Your Troubles

This is the view from my seat as I type todays post. In it is so much technology that I would have only dreamed about in the past.

My good friend and speaker buddy, Dave Staughton asked me a couple of weeks ago, what are the top 10 technologies that I use in my business. I could only narrow it down to 19 – some of them I use constantly and others intermittently.

Here is the list for you: (Click on the heading for more details. No affiliate links just more info!)

Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones.

I use these every time I fly, for making phone calls (did you know they have a mic in them and are great for phone calls?), in co-working spaces and in cafes. I have the old version with the cable, and still I am a huge fan.

Zoom.us

This software is GOLD! From recording podcasts, meetings, connecting with absent friends/family, webinars, integrating with Facebook, it is fabulous. Starting price is…. FREE! I am fortunate, my professional association, Professional Speakers Australia is currently finalising a deal so it’s members get a substantial discount.

Rode Video Mic Me shotgun mic

I bought this to use with my phone but then set it up so that it records into the computer. A discreet microphone so that when I do webinars and online work, you don’t see a microphone but you hear it’s impact. (It is the small mic resting on the red handled prop in the picture)

Shure SM58 mic

That is the big mic on the boom arm. While it is not the ideal mic for recording podcasts (loving the look of the new Rode PodMic) this one makes my voice sound smoother and deeper. Just what I want for my recordings. I had the mic from my singing work so thought I may as well use the good gear I already have before I head out to buy something else.

Zoom H4n Digital Recorder

I have a few of the Zoom Recorders. Originally I bought them for my choir performances but this H4n is brilliant for recording face to face podcast interviews and also for recording my speaking performances.

Smart Phone

I mean, who hasn’t got one nowadays. Even the biggest luddites are conforming. Even though it is mainly used to watch cat videos, there is so much that it can do.

Video editor (I use iMovie)

On both the phone and the computer, this software is easy to use and does amazing things.

Sound Editor (I use Garage Band but have a hot spot for Adobe Audition)

Same, same as for the Video Editor comments.

Canva

Such an intuitive service. Easy to create some amazing graphics, slides, posters, marketing collateral and so on.

DropBox

I barely know it’s there yet it automatically backs everything up, including my photos from my smart phone. I could smash my phone and my computer right now, go out and buy another one and within an hour or less I would be good to go without losing any of my data, images, video or anything else I hold dear.

Honorable Mentions

Send Pepper (Part of Ontraport) – for CRM and Newsletters
HostGator for hosting all my websites and podcast
Laptop for doing all the work on (I use a Mac but the next one probably won’t be a Mac)
LinkedIn for networking
Green Screen and Box Lights (so much more video nowadays, so these are essential)
Selfie stick/tripod
Pen and Paper (Sometimes, you have to go old school!)
G Suite for email, calendar, docs, sheets, etc
The DPA Headset mic that I talked about here.

What about you? What are your favourite technologies that help make your life easier?

Are You The Conductor of Your Own Destiny?

Maybe “Destiny” is a bit too full on for this time of day, conductor of your own life is a bit full on too. Maybe conductor of your coming year or the coming months is more appropriate.

Whatever you find more palatable, the question is, are you in control?

Not complete control because there is so much that happens that is outside your control that happens that you have to deal with.

Ok, I have worked it out. Here it is. Are you willing to take responsibility for the actions that need to be taken to get the results you are after?

This is more than simply saying to yourself, “Yes of course!”

It is continually stepping up and being willing to make tough decisions and uncomfortable actions.
It is exerting your influence on others (both subtly and blatantly) to get the outcomes you are working towards.
It is training other people to do the jobs they should know how to do themselves anyway but doing it in a patient and caring manner.
It is being willing to put your hand up even when you don’t want to because you know it’s needed.
It is stepping outside your own desires and looking at what is best for the team and taking the appropriate action.
It is being willing to make a fool of yourself and not caring what others think.
It is putting suggestions forward and when they are knocked back, going with the group consensus anyway.
It is getting there early when you would rather stay in bed.
It is going above and beyond to make sure the entire experience is great for everyone and not just you.
It is asking the hard questions to those who don’t always like it.
It is having fun when things are getting a bit too serious.
It is tapping in to the synergy of everyone in the room and making sure everyone knows the part they play.
It is taking a little more than your fair share of the blame and a little less than your fair share of the credit.
It is doing what you don’t want to do when you know it has to be done.
It is shining the light on those that deserve it.
It is keeping things running on time and on budget even though that can sometimes hurt.
It is picking yourself up, cracking a joke and then continuing to move forward when things don’t work out.
It is counting on the team around you and letting go of the control.
It is passing on the baton and training your own replacement (even though you love your job).
It is leaving when it’s time.

Spider Man’s Uncle Ben said to him. “With great power comes great responsibility.” I find the reverse is true also.

“With Great Responsibility comes Great Power.”

The more willing you are to take responsibility for a situation, a position, a life, the more power you have over it.

The Conductor is the most powerful person in the entire orchestra. Are you ready for Great Power?

Are you ready to be the Conductor of your own Destiny?

PS If you are looking to have more power over your next event, be it a conference, a departmental meeting or an internal company event, starting Feb 6th, I will be running live on line sessions on how to be a master event host. It is an eight week course with a stack of additional resources. Check GetMoreMCSuccess.com for more details.

Get Your Happy File Ready for an Awesome Year

Have you got your happy file ready?
Do you have a happy file?
Do you even know what a happy file is?

OK – Let’s start at the beginning. A happy file is a place where you store all the nice emails, cards, things that others have said about you. They are the comments or moments that made you feel good about what you do, who you are and the person you are growing up to be. It could be from a family member, friend, client, competitor, stranger, whoever – just something that makes you go “YEEESSSSS!!!” on the inside.

Maybe they said, “Wow you have done an amazing job with your kids. They are such a joy to be around” or “You are amazing at what you do, without your efforts we could never have received the acclaim we have” or “You always know the right thing to say. Thank you”. You know the times they say it, write it, post it – make sure you capture it and put it in a file somewhere.

A happy file is important because it is a brilliant place to turn to when you have doubt.

I don’t care who you are. There are times you will have doubt.

“Am I doing the right thing, will this work, am I any good at this, am I barking up the wrong tree” – It happens to EVERYONE.

When it does happen, open up your Happy File and have a look at what others have said about you in the past (because sometimes you simply cannot trust your own perspective). It helps boost you in a time when you need it.

With a powerful Happy File in your corner, it will make the coming year a whole lot easier and more successful for you.

Let me know if you need any help.

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