Communication

1. Fuzzy sound system. Always test the sound system and make adjustments before the audience arrives. Hand-held microphones are generally much better in sound quality than lavaliere mics. Get the name of the audio-visual specialist on site and talk with him/her personally prior to the day of the event. Indicate any special needs.

2. Visuals too small or poorly located for optimal viewing by all the audience. Provide presenters with guidelines for producing the best visuals. Let the speaker know the anticipated size of the audience. Walk through the meeting site and check to see that the visuals are easily seen by everyone, regardless of where they are seated.

3. Generic presentations for specialty groups. Share demographic information with the speaker months ahead of the event so that content and related examples will be pertinent to the group.

4. Poor quality handouts. Tell the speaker that he/she will be presenting to a savvy audience that proofs and edits as part of their jobs. Demand quality handouts. Individually proof all material submitted and suggest changes (if necessary) before you reproduce.

5. Inadequate facilities. Carefully check the layout of the presentation site before you sign a contract. At the beginning of the session, inform attendees where to find multiple restrooms, snack bars, smoking areas, phones, and other amenities they might need during the day. If parking tickets must be validated, collect them and stamp them yourself to save attendees from waiting in line.

6. Having your speaker “lost” in a sea of participants, tables, and chairs. As attendance numbers increase, reconsider your specified room design. A large audience may require that the speaker present from atop a riser, small screens may have to be replaced with larger ones, additional monitors may need to be added for videos. Your AV specialist can make the best recommendations, being familiar with the site and equipment.

7. Not “warming up” your audience. Exceptional sessions begin with an audience that feels comfortable in the setting and with each other. Audiences that have an opportunity to interact with the speaker and hosts prior to the session, where refreshments are available to provide opportunities for attendees to mix, and where logistics are running smoothly and details appear under control will feel most “at home.” That’s the reason live shows hire comedians to circulate and tell jokes between takes. The crowd responses better.

8. Attendees have left the front rows empty and people seem not to be interacting with one another. Invite attendees to select seats up front as they enter the room. Introduce strangers to one another and provide conversation starters. Welcome registrants and put them at ease—with you, the speaker, and one another.

9. Agreeing with negatives or not refuting them. If attendees begin to find fault with the weather, facilities, the registration materials, the coffee, etc., try to tease them out of a bad mood and point out the pluses of the situation. Don’t let a few disgruntled folks set the tone for the entire audience.

10. Making the session labor intensive. Bring some fun and excitement into the presentation. Yes, people enrolled for information, but they also want to enjoy the learning experience. Lighten up. A relaxed audience learns and retains more than one that is stressed.

25 years ago (still OK on occasion) vs. Today (effective alternatives)

(For simplicity’s sake, the speaker will be referred to as "he" for this article.)

Oftentimes, chapters don’t give a lot of thought to the program topic that members want covered at a monthly meeting, or who would be the best person to deliver it.

 Instead, they look for someone who will do a program (sometimes any program) for free. Needless to say, this is not the best selection process. However, let’s assume that you have surveyed your members, identified a suitable topic, and found someone who is knowledgeable and graciously agrees to present. At that point, what should you do to make sure that the program goes smoothly and members find benefit from the interaction? Here are some suggestions: 

• Don’t force your speaker to talk about an area that is outside his range of interest. You’ll both be disappointed. Instead, ask what’s hot in his area and what other audiences are requesting. He might be able to provide a bent on a topic that is unique or very timely that you which you haven’t considered.
   
• Make sure your speaker understands the purpose of the presentation. Will it serve as a new member recruitment lure? Is it for Exec Night on Bosses Day? To showcase the chapter to students? Begin with the end in mind.
   
• Send him information on the association if he is new to it. The more he understands your group, the better he can prepare.
   
• Provide information on the audience members. How many do you expect? What companies do they work for? Are these experienced people or novices? The more he knows about the audience, the better the focus.
   
• Give specific details as to time and place. If you are inviting the speaker to the networking reception, formally issue the invitation and give the time. If dinner will be provided, make that known (also asking as to any special dietary needs). Don’t expect the speaker to talk during dinner amid shuffling waiters and the clank of dishes, and then leave on an empty stomach. Be considerate. If you have devised a time frame for the event, let him know it well ahead and stick to it. Don’t say “You have a full hour” and then shortchange him by 15-20 minutes. You should pick up the slack, not your presenter. Don’t punish your guest for your inability to stay on time. Always send him the same invitation going out to the others. For a speaker, there’s nothing worse than finding out that someone has changed your title or description right before you go on stage.
   
• Give the speaker a single point of contact. Let that person handle all speaker arrangements, such as: getting a bio and reproducing handouts; securing, setting up, and pre-testing AV equipment; introducing the person; etc. Make sure the presenter has your cell phone number. You won’t be in the office to take a last-minute emergency call.
   
• Give detailed instructions on where the meeting will be held (no initials for the facility – spell it out) and how to get there. Don’t leave the “getting there” part to chance. Yes, he can use MapQuest, but it doesn’t show road repairs, detours, and isn’t always accurate. If necessary, do a test run to be sure you know exact street names and can give landmarks. An address won’t do any good if the facility doesn’t have an address listed out front. Not only is it your responsibility, but you don’t want to be left holding the bag if your speaker gets lost. You’ll both look bad and the speaker will be rattled – not an auspicious beginning.
   
• Greet the speaker at the door, have a pre-printed name tag, and offer to get him/her something to drink from the cash bar (after all, this person is your guest). It’s your job to introduce the person around and make him/her feel comfortable. If it is Exec Night, make sure that each exec meets the presenter. It enhances the execs’ sense of importance and will help the speaker tailor the program knowing something personal about the attendees.
   
• Don’t hit the speaker up to buy raffle tickets or participate in fund raisers. His contribution is his time and professional expertise.
   
• Invite the speaker to sit with you and show him to the table where you want him to sit. Don’t expect him to fend for himself and awkwardly scout out an empty seat with people he hasn’t met.
   
• Be responsible for showing him how the AV equipment works and let him test it out before the talk. You don’t want to discover problems after the program begins. If you are paying him, you can expect that he’ll work on his own set up…but when speaking for free, the onus is on you to make it all work. No speaker should have to crawl under tables to connect wires and plugs. It will take away from his prestige with the crowd. You are there to make him look good (so you’ll look good). If he bombs, so do you.
   
• Take charge of distributing his handouts. Find out if the attendees should get them before the talk or after. There may be specific reasons for doing it either way. Don’t expect the speaker to pass out his own handouts. He should be interacting with the group to establish rapport.
   
• Include him in your table conversation. Don’t make him feel like an outsider. It’s not yet time for you to kick off your shoes and relax. You’re not done until he’s done.
   
• Give him a head’s up about 15 minutes before he’ll be introduced so he can freshen up, look over his notes, or get his thoughts in order.
   
• When the time has come, take the stage, ask everyone to turn off their cell phones, and give them a few seconds to do so. Make sure your phone is off. You should be the role model of everything you expect from the audience. This goes ditto for all the officers. You are in the spotlight, even if you don’t realize it.
   
• Make sure that you have a suitable bio, have read it aloud numerous times, and can pronounce every word, especially his name. If you fumble, mispronounce, or give a weak introduction, you’ve done him a disservice and have poorly set the stage for what’s to follow. Set him up well, start the welcoming applause, then quietly return to your seat.
   
• Be attentive throughout the program. Your face should be the one he can depend on to nod when appropriate and be encouraging.
   
• When he asks for questions from the audience, if no one volunteers, have a couple you can ask. Often that primes the pump and others will follow.
   
• As he steps down, take the stage, thank him, and begin the applause.
   
• If he has spoken for free and graciously given his time and talents, give a gift. Even a nominal one is appropriate and shows that you appreciate his efforts. He won’t expect one, but he’s likely to feel slighted if you don’t acknowledge his contribution to creating a successful event. Some groups donate money to the speaker’s favorite charity…a nice win/win.
   
• Don’t expect him to stay for a chapter meeting that follows. It won’t be of interest to him, just as his institution’s board meeting wouldn’t interest you. Be grateful you got him to donate so many hours already (don’t forget to add in research and prep hours on his part).
   
• Don’t drop him like a hot potato after the talk. See that he comfortably gets out of the room before you go off duty. You don’t want to rush out the door and find out that someone had him cornered for an hour after the event. You are responsible for seeing that he gets to the meeting and back home.
   
• The next day, follow up with a thank you note (or e-mail) and make some reference to his talk and the audience’s response to it.
   
• Don’t abuse his generosity by trying to regularly schedule him on the dais. However, it is okay to ask if he can recommend someone who might talk to your group on a particular topic. But after an event, give him some time and space before you contact him again.
   
• If he has spoken to your group a number of times, consider giving him an award or some symbol of appreciation (even if it is only a nice write-up in your newsletter). Honor him, show him he’s valued by the chapter, and who knows, you just might be able to book him again!

The following information may be helpful as IAAP Chapters recruit members and utilize volunteers from different generations. This was a part of the IAAP District Conference activity in the year 2000.

Different Generations View Work Differently
St. Paul Pioneer Press (U.S.A.)
From Manpower Argus, July 2000 No. 382

If a firm wants to attract, motivate, and retain good people, it must heed multi-generational differences, according to Louellen Essex and Mitchell Kusy, University of St. Thomas professors, business consultants, and authors of Fast Forward Leadership.

Generation X employees (nearly 33 million in the U.S. workforce, born between 1961 and 1980) resist close supervision, guard autonomy, and gravitate to work that is self-paced and independent. Baby Boomers (66 million on the job, born between 1943 and 1960) are loyal and hard working; they favor face-to-face encounters and group process. Traditionalists or Veterans (people born before 1943, 17 million working) respect authority, value stability, and plan to work beyond traditional retirement age, either out of desire, necessity, or both. All three age groups are vital to the organization, Essex and Kusy maintain.

The authors tell employers to “stop thinking that everyone wants what you want.” Leaders in major organizations, including American Express, Andersen Consulting, AT&T, BMW, Oracle, and Medtronic told Essex and Kusy that anyone who believes “my way is best” is arrogant and out of touch.

So, what does one need to know about the three generations? Excessive group work, team building, activities, and superfluous meetings will drive Generation Xers to job-shopping, say Essex and Kusy. Their advice is to eliminate systems steeped in needless paperwork and processes. They annoy everyone, but especially the Xers. As Xers move through their careers, they will not move in lockstep up the ladder.

Boomers see their careers as symbols of prosperity, rewards, and status. And nothing kills motivation more than a deadlocked career. “To Boomers, careers become stale when they are not offered adequate opportunities to participate in key organization decisions,” maintain the authors. “Denying them opportunities for self or team discoveries will further alienate them,” they say. “Boomers do not want to wait for final decisions. They want to be part of building consensus around a decision.”

Recruiting Tips

Here are some generalizations on motivational and attitudinal differences among different generations (not always true, of course, for individuals among these groups)

Veterans

• Think beyond full-time to part-time, contractual, or job sharing

• Use them for project work

• Appeal to family, home, patriotism, and traditional values

• Let them know their age and experience is an asset, not a liability

• Use please and thank you, good enunciation and avoid profanity

Boomers

• They will put in their time, but want to get credit and respect for accomplishments

• Let them know they can make a difference

• Stress that it’s a warm, dynamic, humane environment

• Show them where they can excel, their “track”

• Show them how they can be a star

• Promote the leading-edge nature of your company/industry

Gen Xers

• Tell them you want them “to have a life”

• Convince them that ideas are evaluated on merit, not years of experience

• Tell them your organization is going through change and change means opportunity to them

• Stress it’s a fun, relaxed place to work

• Talk of “hands-off supervision”

• Have customer service departments for the workers to help them with special needs like finding day care and securing loans

Nexters

• Stress your goals, understand their goals and interweave the two

• Forget any gender roles

• Teams can be larger, but need a strong leader

• Watch for conflict between Xers and Nexters if they work closely

• Promote training and skill building

• Establish mentor programs

Generation Gaps In The Classroom
By Ron Zemke, Claire Raines, Bob Filipczak
In Training Magazine, November 1999

Tips for Training Veterans

They prefer a learning environment that is stable, orderly and risk-free. They tend to be conformers, so they like consistency, logic, and discipline. They prefer content to be anchored in precedent or related to tried-and-true practice. They like classroom style set-ups with conservative trainers who establish ground rules early and stick to them. They dislike too much familiarity and overly casual dress and speech.

They are respectful of authority and are the least likely group to have face-to-face disagreements. But it will show up on the evaluation forms. Tie learning to the overall good of the organization, missions, and long-term objectives. Make presentations straightforward and not too personal. Know that anecdotes are a turnoff; they want left-brained, logical material. Don’t put Vets on the spot in front of their peers or colleagues. Remember:

• Don’t rush things. Train in an atmosphere as free of stress as possible.

• Some Vets are uncomfortable learning things from a “wired 20-year-old.” Younger trainers in particular must be careful to build rapport.

• Establish rapport by acknowledging the employee’s background and experience.

• Ask permission to coach. Coach tactfully. Be respectful.

• If you’re teaching computer skills, don’t assume all Vets are technophobes. Many older employees do just fine with technology – it’s just not their preferred milieu.

Tips for Training Boomers

• Watch for the Boomer with an “I know it all” chip on the shoulder. Many, do in fact, know a lot – in a textbookish way. But they’re often not applying it.

• Focus on personal challenges. Boomers want to solve problems and turn things around. Ask Linda Boomer how she might handle situation X if it arose in her area of responsibility.

• Provide Boomers with developmental experiences – assignments that allow them to earn kudos, while you help them develop skills.

• Approaches like Harrison Owens’ open-space meetings – which assume that the necessary expertise lies within the group itself and that participants should plan and implement every aspect of a conference agenda themselves – are in keeping with the Boomer’s preference for nonauthoritarian learning.

Tips for Training Xers

• Gen Xers tend to ask a lot of questions, so allot plenty of time for questions and answers. Also, consider giving them a list of who to call for more information on the subject being covered.

• Give them plenty of elbowroom. Yes, be there when they need help – but err on the side of freedom - back off and let them figure things out for themselves.

• Add games and fun activities to training programs pitched at Xers.

• Don’t expect them to respect you just because you’re the trainer. You’ll have to earn their respect through your knowledge on the subject.

Tips for Training Nexters

• Whereas Gen Xers prefer self-directed learning options, most Nexters enjoy training that incorporates interaction with their colleagues.

• Be sensitive to conflict when Xers and Nexters work side-by-side. The gap between these two generations may end up making the one between the Boomers and Xers look tame.

• Establish mentor programs. Hewlett-Packard has developed a tremendously successful mentoring program with schoolchildren in which H-P employees connect with their proteges through e-mail.

• Consider matching young employees with your most seasoned people – with whom they say they resonate. They particularly admire members of the Veteran generation.

What Xers Want From Employers

Not all Xers want the same thing, of course, but according to Jim Rapp in an August OfficeSystems 99 article, you can’t go wrong if you offer them:

• Total honesty. It’s absolutely necessary to build a trusting relationship.

• Unlimited access to information. They thrive on it.

• Training for another job. Not the promise of another job, but acquiring the knowledge and skills needed for other jobs.

• Total responsibility for projects. Let them achieve some goals entirely on their own.

• Constant feedback. Make it informal. Use many channels to communicate, not just the verbal.

• Few rules. Give them as much freedom as you possibly can.

• Telecommuting. Offer them some work at home and provide the necessary resources.

• The latest tools. Don’t skimp on hardware or software. Keep everything state-of-the-art.

Salespeople have found that Gen Xers respond positively to:

• factual presentations

• technical presentations

• peer endorsements

• written information

• proofs of claims made

• short presentations

Turn Ons That Mean Job Satisfaction

According to Morris Massey, one of the first to examine the changes in generations and attempt to give them some kind of meaning, people are turned on by different things. The following is a list of a wide variety of satisfiers that people can obtain from their jobs.

• Help society – do something to contribute to the betterment of the world.

• Help others – involvement in helping other people in a direct way individually or in small groups.

• Public contact – have a lot of day-to-day contact with people.

• Work with others – have a close working relationship with a group or work as a team toward certain goals.

• Affiliation – be recognized as a member of a particular group/organization.

• Friendships – develop close personal relationships with people as a result of work activities.

• Competition – engage in activities that pit abilities against others where there are clear win/lose outcomes.

• Make decisions – have the power to decide courses of action, policies, etc.

• Work under pressure – work in situations where time pressure is prevalent and/or quality of work is judged critically by supervisors, customers, or others.

• Influence people – be in a position to change attitudes or opinions of other people.

• Work alone – do projects by oneself without any significant contact with others.

• Knowledge – engage in the pursuit of knowledge, truth, and understanding.

• Intellectual status – be regarded as a person of high intellectual prowess or as an “expert” in a given field.

• Artistic creativity – engage in creative work in any of several art forms.

• Creativity (general) – create new ideas, programs, organizational structures, or anything else not following a format previously developed by others.

• Aesthetics – Be involved in studying or appreciating the beauty of things, ideas, etc.

• Supervision – be directly responsible for the work done by others.

• Change and variety – have work responsibilities that change frequently in content and setting.

• Precision work – work in situations where there is little tolerance for error.

• Stability – have a work routine and duties that are largely predictable and not likely to change over a long period of time.

• Security – be assured of keeping a job and having reasonable financial reward.

• Fast pace – work in circumstances where there is a high pace of activity; work must be done rapidly.

• Recognition – be recognized in a visible or public way for the quality of work done.

• Excitement – experience a high degree of or frequent stimulation in the course of a job.

• Adventure – have work duties that frequently involve risk-taking.

• Profit gained – have a strong likelihood of accumulating large amounts of money or other material gain.

• Independence – being able to determine the nature of one’s work without seeking direction from others; not to have to do what others tell you to do.

• Moral fulfillment – feel that work is contributing significantly to a set of moral standards that one feels is important.

• Location – finding a job in a town/community that is conducive to a preferred lifestyle that affords the opportunity to do what one enjoys.

• Community – living in a city or town where one can get involved in community affairs.

• Physical talent – having a job which makes physical demands that one finds rewarding.

• Time and freedom – having work responsibilities where one can work on one’s own schedule, no specific hours or location required.

• Prestige of being the first – getting to participate in new endeavors or using new technology or equipment.

A good exercise would be to consider chapter or division roles (office responsibilities or committees) that would provide each of the listed satisfiers.

Excellent advice and leadership training format ideas in this article by Colleen S. McMahon originally published by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). Many of these ideas could be adapted by IAAP chapters and divisions—and some chapters/divisions already incorporate these methods.

Leadership training programs don’t have to be expensive—and they don’t have to last all day. You can schedule several different types of education and networking programs that are inexpensive yet interesting and beneficial. Here are five examples.

One best-idea session

This session consists of five or more chapter leaders who in advance prepare a 5- to 10-minute presentation on one idea or technique that they have used and benefited from within the past few months.

Programs of this type typically receive high marks because they allow chapter leaders to learn from others who are also in the trenches. You can use this to test the waters and determine if the leaders would be more interested in hearing or learning more about a specific topic.

This type of format lends itself fairly well to a breakfast or lunch meeting. If you schedule this event in the morning, you can provide a continental breakfast. If you plan this event during lunch, provide a box lunch or ask participants to bring their own food.

The key to this program is to confirm the date, time, and location as soon as possible. Determine the appropriate panelists by working with a committee of your leaders. Contact the speakers and confirm that they’re willing to participate.

Allow the speakers some time to determine what they’ll cover during their portion of the program.

When developing the agenda, be sure you check the length of each presentation so that each person is given equal time. And don’t forget to allow enough time for a question-and-answer period.

Don’t forget to follow up. No doubt some chapter leaders who want to attend the program will be unable to participate for some reason. Assist your leaders by distributing a summary of the best ideas from the session. Members who attended get a reminder of the discussion, and those who couldn’t attend get several good ideas. Don’t forget to list the contact information for each of the speakers. The speakers will appreciate extra visibility, and leaders who couldn’t attend can contact the speakers for more information. Distributing the list of ideas also provides you with an opportunity to promote your next educational event. If your chapter leaders find the information valuable, they’re more likely to consider attending your next event.

Panel discussions

For a panel discussion, three or four experts discuss a specific topic. The topics can range from the implications from the latest legislation to new marketing techniques.

When developing the program, you should choose topics that are of interest to the leaders.

Results from a quick online survey can come in handy here. Work with your committee to determine the panelists. Don’t be afraid to look outside your membership for a panelist.

Be sure you have your chapter leaders submit some questions prior to the meeting. This will allow the panelists the opportunity to prepare specific material that participants are interested in.

After the event, don’t forget to distribute a summary of the session to your chapter leaders. Again, this helps those who can’t attend the event. It also serves as a reminder to participants.

Chapter leaders, for example, might pick up on something that they didn’t hear during the session. And don’t forget to promote your next educational offering.

Roundtable discussions

Begin the discussion by announcing a topic or asking a question, then asking the leaders to brainstorm ideas with those at their table. For a little variety, plan a different topic for each table.

Make sure the topic is fairly common so that each leader will have an opportunity to share ideas. Your education or activities committee can determine the topics in advance based on suggestions from member surveys or past event evaluations.

Be sure you have someone write down the ideas for each table. You can have this person or another chapter leader present the ideas to the rest of the group at the end of the session. You can then distribute these ideas to the rest of your leaders.

Social events

Never underestimate the value of holding a social event for your leaders. Social events give them an opportunity to network within a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. These events can include luncheons, receptions, or dinners. If your chapter presents any awards, this would be the perfect opportunity to hold the presentation.

Sports events

Sports events can also help leaders develop professional contacts in an informal setting. Be sure you choose an event that the majority of your chapter leaders can enjoy, such as a golf outing or boat ride. You may wish to use this opportunity to turn the event into a charity event. By giving your leaders the opportunity to raise funds for a charity, you can also generate some good publicity. Be sure to choose a charity that’s either appropriate to your industry or non-controversial.

—Colleen S. McMahon is the director of member services for the Council of Residential Specialists, Chicago. This article was adapted from her chapter in the forthcoming ASAE book on component relations.

Has your chapter or division ever been called on by someone in the community who is looking for a speaker? Were you able to help them out and promote IAAP and the profession by sending them someone in whom you had total confidence?

If you had a Network of IAAP Speakers in place, this request could lead to the creation of a new IAAP corporate chapter, the recruitment of additional members for your unit, or just the push a group needs to register for the CPS Examination. It would also give your chapter/division credibility in the business community and enhance your own personal skills portfolio.

Here are a few tips that will help you form a Network of Speakers that receives a five star rating every time a show goes on the road!

• Find out how many members in your chapter/division are interested in developing and perfecting public speaking skills.

• Arrange for the group to receive training from local professionals over the course of a few weeks. 

No-charge trainers are likely to come from:

• Members’ corporate training departments

• United Way Headquarters staff or their affiliate non-profit associations

• College professors in the communication field

• Local members of groups like the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), National Speakers Association (NSA), or Toastmasters International (check their Web sites, call their national headquarters office to locate a chapter near you, or ask a reference librarian to help you find a local member).

Provide this extra, free training to participants who agree to be listed in the network directory. You can meet for a few hours each week to learn presentation techniques and practice assignments…all in a supportive atmosphere. You’ll all be learning together!

Have each participant determine the topic(s) they are willing to speak on. You may also have a few popular categories that you ask people to adopt. Good starters are:

• How technology is changing the administrative profession.

• Effective tips for working more closely with your executive.

• The benefits of professional certification for you and your employer.

• A refresher short-course on basic grammar and writing skills.
  Why the office administration may be the right career choice for you.

• Skills needed by office workers in the 21^st century.

• Computer shortcuts for admins that save time, money, and frustration.

• How to create teamwork among your administrative staff.

Work with a volunteer who has experience producing marketing brochures. Get his/her input before you design. Above all, aim for a very professional piece.

• Ask each speaker for a picture, a 1-2 sentence bio, and a short 3-sentence description for each presentation. Get your volunteer to rewrite where necessary to jazz up the descriptions. Selections will be made based on the write-ups.

• Indicate the recommended length of time for each session. You can even have the same topic available in 15-, 30- and 45-minute sessions.

• Have a central contact listed in your brochure for quality control. This person clarifies the requesters’ needs and puts them in touch with a presenter who has stipulated any special requests (like evening talk only, etc.).

• The inquirer contacts the presenter after receiving background information and the two agree on time, location, and details.

• The presenter takes copies of a pre-written evaluation designed by the faculty. It should be completed immediately after the session. Results are given to the central contact so that each year the programs can improve and ineffective presenters can be coached.

• At each scheduled session, distribute information on your chapter and give a brief commercial (a minute or less). Make this part of the deal up front.

• Use mailing lists to promote your speakers network and mail your brochure to members of the Chamber of Commerce, area company HR departments, and members’ companies.

• Distribute this information to your local newspaper and radio stations…especially during Administrative Professionals Week in April. You have ready-made interviewees.

• Enjoy having a behind-the-scenes look at being a professional speaker and gain new work skills in the process.

1. Wear something comfortable. Don’t wear something new that you haven’t tested before.
   

2. Dress for the audience. If you have to under- or over-dress, go for the more formal look. You won’t alienate your audience by "dressing up."
   

3. Keep in mind that you may be wearing a clip-on microphone and it works best when placed mid-line upper chest, as on a man’s tie. If you clip it on a lapel, you may lose sound when you turn your head to the side away from the microphone.
   

4. Clip-on microphones have a power pack that must be hung from a belt or waistband or slipped into a pocket. They are best hidden when wearing a jacket. Dresses without waists or form-fitting clothes that would show the power pack as a big bulge in the pocket won’t work for you.
   

5. Find out if you’ll be speaking from behind a lectern. Oftentimes, women barely appear above the stand and look, literally, like "talking heads." You can ask the hotel for a small riser to stand on. It can be positioned under the lectern and pulled out before your appearance.
   

6. Keep jewelry to a minimum. It used to be recommended that you wear no more than three pieces and that included rings, chains, and eye glasses. While four pieces may not be unreasonable today, avoid wearing multiple rings and do without dangly earrings. They detract from your message. Highly refractive jewelry (like sparkly tie pins or earrings) are also to be avoided.
   

7. Put your notes in a solid-colored folder. You may carry this to the lectern with you or place it on the lectern shelf before you speak. Be sure to number each page in case you accidentally lose your place. If you place it under the lectern top, be careful that an earlier speaker doesn’t walk off with it in hand.
   

8. Find out the color of the backdrop so you can wear something that compliments it and makes you stand out from it. For example, black suit with black background -- not good.
   

9. Wear a bright color that makes you stand out from the back of the room. Colors like navy, brown, or black can work for men if they are worn with a bright tie. Women wearing pastels may get lost in the setting unless they add some pizzazz, like a colored scarf or unusual necklace. Your aim is to play up the facial features.
   

10. Shiny fabrics look even shinier under bright lights. Wool blends works well and don’t wrinkle. Linens travel and crease the worst!
    

11. Always have two copies of your speech. Keep them in two different places in case one gets lost or misplaced.

First, keep in mind you are not the only person who gets butterflies when it’s time to step up on the podium. Everyone goes through pretty much the same thing. Some people just hide it better.

Second, the biggest key is preparation. The better you’re prepared, the easier it is. If you plan to wing it, don’t expect much. Don’t underestimate the need to take short presentations seriously. Most speakers find that if they’re going to get anxious, it’ll be during the first minute or two they speak. Therefore, if you have just a two or three minute presentation, you may be nervous through the whole thing. By the time you work through it, it’s over. So actually, you need to prepare more, not less, for those shorter presentations.

Third, do what you do best. Some people can wing it. If you’re good at that, more power to you. But most of us need to work from notes, and others are best off working from a complete script. If that’s what you need, do it. All the books will tell you to use an outline and speak naturally and never look down. That’s great advice for someone who’s a professional speaker, or someone aspiring to be one, but you’re just trying to do a good job. Most of you aren’t professional or seasoned speakers so don’t get caught up trying to be something you’re not. If you have to use a script and read it, do it. Practice your presentation by reading it aloud several times beforehand. Once you’re familiar with the wording, your speech will sound more natural.

There are some tricks to using a script. Write it the way you talk, not the way you write. If you want to sound natural put your contractions right in your script. If you’d drop a letter off the end of a word when you normally say it, write it that way. If you don’t want to sound like you’re reading, don’t write it so that it sounds like you’re reading.

Type your presentations in big, bold type so that it can be read easily and double-space them. Don’t type too near the bottom of the page; use only about two-thirds of each page. Fold the corners of each page in advance so that you’re not fighting with the paper each time you move on or worse, you might even skip a whole page by shuffling two at a time.

Whenever you can, use visual aids and handouts. Not only do they help your audience, but they also help you. If gives you a break now and then – some time to get your breath, to think for a few seconds, to regroup. Good overheads don’t just help your listeners, they act as your outline – and help keep you on track.

Anticipate your audience. Ask in advance about the size and the makeup of the group. There’s nothing worse than going to a meeting prepared to speak to administrative professionals and finding out that half the group is executives.

Be brief. The less time you’re at the lectern the less exposure you have. The wordier you get the bigger chance for problems. Being longer doesn’t make you sound better. As the old adage says – “Be brief, be concise, be quiet.” Another one is: “Stand up, stand out, sit down." Say what you need to say, but the fewer words, the better.

Finally, be yourself, be friendly, be fun. If you’re naturally funny, then use it. If you’re not, don’t try to be. Be yourself. Keep in mind that everyone in the audience is there to hear what you have to say. They all want you to succeed. And remember, if they could do a better job…they’d be up there!

Now, here are a few things that will help you be more comfortable, and look better, when you’re at the podium doing your thing as a speaker.

The first thing you have to do is take charge. When you come into a room and you’re one of the speakers, don’t take anybody’s word for anything. Don’t be bashful, in fact, you need to be aggressive. If you’re not, someday you’ll pay for it.

If someone tells you they just checked the microphone and sound system, check it yourself anyway. Yes, it may have worked an hour ago, but check it again to make sure.

Always arrive early and check the equipment. Know where the switch is on the microphone. Be sure that you can move it where it needs to be for you. Know who’s ahead of you. Are they shorter or taller than you? Will you have to make major adjustments when you’re introduced?

Make sure there’s enough light for you to see, and be sure your papers don’t slide off the lectern. If you’re in charge of the meeting, be sure you know who the audiovisual person at the facility is, and where they’ll be if you need them in a hurry. Never trust AV equipment!

Never put your notes up on the lectern in advance. People will even tell you to leave them there. Obviously have never had their notes disappear! There’s nothing wrong with carrying your notes to the lectern.

The most important thing to remember is never, ever, desert the podium. Nothing looks worse, and nothing is more rude to your audience and you see it done all the time. When you’re done speaking, wait for the chair to come back to the podium and thank you. Stand there until someone comes and shakes your hand no matter how long it takes. “Never leave until you’re relieved!”

Podium Protocol for You as the Chairperson

As the chair or moderator of a meeting, the same thing goes about deserting the podium. If you’re the chair, don’t leave until you’ve introduced the next speaker, waited for them to get to the podium, and you’ve shaken their hand.

If you’re making a presentation, anticipate. Give the item to be presented with your left hand so you can shake with your right. If you’re on the receiving end, accept it with you left so your right hand’s free.

Dealing with waiters after a meal is always an issue. When you can, you want to let them do their job, and you have to sometimes compromise to keep your meeting on schedule. But there’s a point where they can be obtrusive, and if so, you need to let them know it.

If the doors in the back are open, close them, especially if there’s noise outside. (This is also a good way to let your waiters know that you’re starting your program. If you ask them to shut the doors, then they’ll know you’re getting down to business and it’s time to be quiet.) Don’t forget-you’re in charge!

As a chair, you have a responsibility to keep the meeting on schedule. If you have a speaker scheduled for 30 minutes and they decide to talk for an hour, what should you do? First, use your judgment. Is there time in the schedule, which allows for you to be flexible? Is the audience really “into” what the speaker’s saying? If so, you may want to be lenient. There’s nothing worse than trying to stay on schedule just to be on schedule. But, when it’s going to affect your later speakers, or make your audience run late to another session, it’s your responsibility to cut the person off. Remember that you’re not being rude – they’re being rude to your entire audience.

It’s always a good idea to have a couple of cards handy to hold up that say “five minutes left,” “one minute left,” and finally, one that says “times up.” If you don’t have cards, pass them a note. If worse comes to worse, you may have to stand up and move around behind them. Eventually they’ll get the hint. The purpose of a schedule is to have an effective meeting.

Consider your stage and your head table. Is it all really necessary, or is it all there because that’s the way they’ve always done it? Fewer and fewer organizations still use the formal head table set up for meetings. Break some new ground. Are those big tables and stages really necessary? Remember, you’re in charge, if it’s ever going to change, someone has to be the first to do it.

Another sticky issue that some of you will have to deal with is someone in the audience who is trying to dominate the course of the meeting. The first thing to do in this situation is to consider if the question they are asking is one that concerns more people than the one standing up. If so, maybe it deserves the group’s time. If not, then you need to tell the person that you feel this is an individual issue, and you’ll be glad to talk to them about it in private, but this forum is for questions that concern the entire group. You should also ask yourself if there is someone else to refer them to. Can you ask them to direct the question to a committee chairman, or to headquarters? You can also offer to find the answer and get back to them. You don’t have to know all the answers. Perhaps someone else in the group knows.

Don’t ever let a person get up and make a statement that you know is incorrect without challenging it. There’s nothing worse than the entire group going away from a meeting thinking that what they just heard someone say was true, when in fact it was all wrong.

If you know in advance that you’re going to have problems with a Q&A session, consider using cards so that you can control the damage. Pass out cards in advance or ask people to write their questions on a piece of scratch paper and put them in a special spot during the course of the meeting. Then you can filter out questions that are just individual issues, or may be intentionally disruptive. This also allows you to have the right person in mind to answer the question, or to think the answer through in advance.

But whatever you do, or how you choose to do it, remember one thing, you are in charge. That doesn’t mean you have to be bossy, but it means you have to be the boss. And it’s true in everything from setting the agenda to moving the furniture around, if you have to.

• Fewer panelists are better than too many. Choose only the best and then let each of them shine! Create diversity. Don’t have all one sex, age, race, or title. A mix of views is more interesting.
  

• Consider a relaxed set up that includes chairs around a coffee table, rather than chairs behind a folding table with everyone facing the audience. It’s especially good for novice panelists. You’ll get better responses when they talk “to” the moderator and not face the entire audience. Chairs can be turned to the audience when the floor is opened for questions.
  

• Do have a conference call to discuss time frames and who’s covering what before the day of the event. It will introduce the panelists to each other, set time limits, help them avoid overlap, and allow them to reinforce each other. It’s well worth the time and effort! Having a get-together on the day of the event is too late to establish parameters and set limits. Their “talks”, by then, are on automatic pilot.
  

• Have panelists names prominently displayed (table tents or large name tags) so the audience can direct questions to them personally.
  

• Keep your introductions short. You’re not the star, the panelists are. Your job is to keep the event flowing.
  

• Your program will run more smoothly if you introduce all the panelists at once, rather than each separately before they speak. The latter breaks up the flow.
  

• Have a small clock displayed so that all the speakers can see the time. Tell them you’re doing this to keep everyone on schedule and to allow time for questions. This will help them keep to the pre-established time limits you’ve set for them.
  

• If someone goes drastically overtime, feel free to break in and say, “John, I’m going to have to ask you to hold that thought for our group discussion, so that Mary can share her insights.” You don’t need to apologize. The speakers knew the rules you set.
  

• It’s better to have each person speak on a different facet of the topic, rather than each addressing the same issue. You’ll avoid repeating the same information.
  

• When introducing panelists, say something other than what has been published in the material the audience already has. Choose things that give them credibility with this particular audience.
  

• Save all questions to the end. Otherwise, you won’t get through the entire panel. Tell the audience up front… “Save your questions until everyone on the panel has spoken. Your questions may be answered by someone who follows.”
  

• Another idea – have the audience write their questions on index cards (that you provide) and collect them at the end. Then you read the questions and ask which panelist wants to respond if no one has been indicated. This way you can avoid duplicate questions, combine questions, or screen out offensive ones. It also allows you to control how long the answers will be.
  

• End by having the audience “show their appreciation for the panel by a round of applause” or better yet, have them stand and give the panel a “standing ovation.” It’s a nice send-off.
  

• Give any gifts to the panelists after the presentation. It is embarrassing to receive a gift in front of the audience – even worse if you have to open it before them.
  

• Gifts should be chosen with the person in mind. Don’t give emblematic items or desk clutterers that hold no meaning for someone outside your group. You may give the speakers’ admin staff subscriptions to OfficePRO, a donation in their name to their favorite non-profit group (which just might be IAAP), or a local gift certificate (like to a movie theatre that can be used in small increments for tickets, popcorn, etc. by the entire family).

Remember that panels are generally underused and can be very effective. They require more prep on your part, but audiences enjoy them.