June 28, 2023 • 27 mins
Ever dreamt of wowing audiences, and keeping the energy ball rolling while at it? The secret lies in mastering your time, energy, and of course, your speech. This episode is a treasure trove of insights for all you aspiring professional speakers out there. It not only equips you with practical tips on how to command the stage with eloquent speeches but also offers valuable advice on creating engaging content, networking smartly, and even designing compelling slides. We take you behind the scenes into the business of speaking - from creating promo videos to setting up email captures and everything in between.
But there's more to professional speaking than just delivering speeches and networking. What about those never-ending conferences and the risk of burnout? We've got you covered there too. Ensuring your well-being doesn't take a backseat, we shed light on self-care practices and energy management techniques that can help you stay on top of your game while on the conference circuit. Hear us talk about understanding your energy levels, the importance of maintaining a routine, and even why something as simple as drinking water can make a big difference. It's all about striking a balance between meeting your career goals and still finding time for yourself. So, sit back, listen in, and prepare to set the stage on fire with your next speech!
Get a copy of my latest book - Micro Course Profits: Build a 7 Figure Income with Bite Sized Courses! Click the Link below...
Brad Hauck
I help you optimise and accelerate your digital marketing using smart strategies and AI tools.
Proficlix.com.au
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Brad Hauck (00:00):
Welcome to episode 33 of the profitable speaking
podcast, where we providepractical tips and insights to
help you succeed as a publicspeaker.
In today's episode, we're goingto look at managing your time
and energy as a professionalspeaker.
As a speaker, your schedule isoften filled with numerous
commitments, ranging frompreparing, engaging in
presentations to networking withfellow professionals, and it
(00:22):
can be challenging to balancethese responsibilities while
also taking care of your ownwell-being.
Effective time and energymanagement is not only essential
for delivering your bestperformance on stage, but also
for maintaining your overallproductivity and avoiding
burnout.
Whether you're a seasonedconference speaker or just
starting your journey, theinsights that I'm going to share
with you in this episode willprovide you with valuable
(00:44):
guidance to excel in yourspeaking engagements while
maintaining a healthy work-lifebalance.
So let's look at settingpriorities.
As a professional speaker, yourtime and energy are valuable
commodities that need to bemanaged wisely.
Setting priorities is the keyto ensuring that you allocate
your resources effectively andfocus on the most impactful
(01:05):
tasks.
I'm going to explore theessential areas to demand your
attention the most, from athorough preparation and
research for your presentationsto networking and building
connections with fellowprofessionals, as well as taking
care of your own well-being.
There are multiple aspects toconsider.
By understanding how toidentify and prioritise these
(01:26):
important tasks, you canoptimise your performance,
deliver exceptionalpresentations and build a
thriving career as aprofessional speaker.
So identifying the keypriorities for your speaking
Number one, preparation andresearch for presentations.
Delivering impactfulpresentations requires a
(01:47):
thorough preparation andextensive research.
This involves studying theconference theme, understanding
the target audience, creatingcompelling content, designing
visuals, rehearsing the delivery, etc.
However, dedicating sufficienttime and energy to preparation
can be challenging when otherpriorities can compete for your
attention.
So let's have a look at some ofthese things.
(02:07):
Understanding your audience isvery important.
There's no point in deliveringa speech to an audience that has
no understanding of the pointof view they're putting forward.
So understanding that you'retalking to business owners or
employees or middle managementor CEOs all affects the level at
which you present, and it alsomakes a major difference to the
(02:30):
language you use, as well as,maybe, the illustrations and
stories that you include.
So you need to understand whoyou're going to be talking to
before you actually hit thestage Super, super important.
Second, let's look at the goalsof the speech.
Have you been brought in toteach something?
Have you been brought in to setup a situation, such as
(02:52):
preparing people for change thatthey don't know is coming yet.
Have a look at what the goalsare.
Those goals can be found bytalking to the conference
organisers, talking to thepeople who have hired the
conference organisers to get youin, etc.
Etc, etc.
So I suppose the key phrase istalking to stakeholders.
Okay, it's important youunderstand why you're there.
(03:12):
This is something that Iprobably didn't do when I first
started out, but I've learnedthat that's really important.
You must plan your speech out.
Okay, don't just wing it.
Never wing a speech, even ifit's partially winged one,
that's okay.
But you must have a plan thatyou can follow, and then you can
(03:33):
add bits and on the fly,depending on how your audience
is or how you're feeling on thatday.
I suppose that brings up theaspect of customisation, and
that's where we adjust thespeech to fit our audience, our
goals, etc.
Etc, etc.
No two speeches should beidentical, and yet I know in
some countries there's theopportunity to say the same
speech to a thousand audiences,whereas where I am, the chances
(03:56):
of saying the same speech overand over again is highly
unlikely because of the smallnature of the country.
We don't have enough people, sotherefore you need to be
producing new sort of ideas andcontent.
But you can have a base speechfrom which you pull aspects, or
have little sections that youbreak off into, depending on
what people need specificallycovered.
(04:18):
Slide design and layout areimportant as well.
When you're doing yourpreparation and research for
your presentations, you wantyour slides to be impactful.
One of the things that breaksmy heart is when I see 1980s
power points go up.
Really, in this day and age,when there's AI built into
PowerPoint, you don't even needto think about it.
Just load your speech in andpress the generate design ideas
(04:41):
and it'll come up with new ideasfor you.
They look really nice andprofessional.
Please just take five extraminutes to let the AI do some
work.
You might not have any designskills, but it certainly does.
So let it do its thing andyou'll get a much better
presentation, because it knowswhat size the font should be for
the clarity that you need, etc.
(05:02):
Using video and audio in apresentation.
Of course, you do need toprepare all that stuff
beforehand.
You need to make sure it'sembedded properly or it's going
to work, and it's a major hassle.
I've mentioned it before in thepodcast, but I don't trust
video and audio in presentations, but I want to start using more
, so I'm looking at otheralternatives.
Could it be an animated GIF?
They don't have to be 10seconds long.
(05:24):
They can be 30, 40, 50 seconds,so maybe the animation is
actually video animation, so tospeak.
You must practice when you'repreparing for your presentations
.
You cannot go in cold, no way.
You need to think about yourcalls to actions that you're
going to put into your speech,where you're going to build them
in, how you're going to buildthem in, and also you need to be
(05:44):
thinking about what you'regoing to do after you leave the
stage, and we'll talk about thata little bit later.
So the second key priority isthe back end of business stuff.
Okay, as a speaker, you're notjust responsible for delivering
presentations, but you're alsoresponsible for managing the
administration aspects of yourspeaking engagements.
This includes contracts,logistics, invoicing and
(06:08):
maintaining professional onlinepresence.
Balancing these back end tasks,along with other priorities,
can be overwhelming, especiallywhen you've got deadlines coming
up.
If you're the only person doingall the work, it can be very
difficult.
So, understanding the businessside of things like keeping up
with connections to other people.
You've got your connectionswith people in the room
(06:30):
connections with other speakers,connections with bookers and
making sure you stay connectedto people is a very difficult
thing.
As the world becomes moredigitally connected but less
personally connected, it'sharder to get with people to
talk.
But you need to work out wherethe best use of your time is,
(06:51):
and sometimes it might just behaving coffee with everybody
regularly.
It's up to you, but I found,depending on your business, that
sometimes it's about justcatching up with people And that
leads to referrals or morebusiness, etc.
You need to make sure you getpaid.
Okay, get 50% upfront, 50% ondelivery.
Never go and speak and expectto be paid afterwards.
(07:14):
That's a guaranteed way to findout that you're not going to
get paid.
Okay, if you only get paid 50%upfront, make sure that 50%
covers your costs So if anythinggoes wrong, at least during the
clear, you're not left in ahole.
This is really important.
Too many people get ripped offbecause they don't get the money
(07:35):
upfront.
You've got to get paid.
Doesn't matter what they thinkthey wouldn't do it for free.
And if you're not doing it forfree, if it's a paid engagement,
then you make sure that theyunderstand.
There's a requirement to pay abooking fee 50% upfront or more,
depending on what you wantbefore you leave home.
Don't forget, you're going toneed to organize travel Now.
Sometimes that'll be donethrough the person who books you
(07:57):
, or if you're speaking at aconference that you've been
invited to to speak for free,etc.
You'll need to organize yourtravel yourself.
If you're smart, you'll useflight points.
So I'm a big Virgin flyer, aflying Virgin.
My flight points will give mefree flights but also get the
lounge and different otherthings.
And if you book through thesame flight company, most of the
(08:17):
time you know what your serviceis going to be like.
You know about your reliability, but also all your bonus points
build up and then you get theextra bonuses for some friends
that fly Qantas everywhere andthey have the Platinum lounge,
etc.
These things are worth workingon.
It makes life so much easierwhen you can go to an airport
check in priority check in gothrough the lounge and have
(08:39):
something to drink and eat whileyou're there and do some work
for a while before you get on aplane, rather than sitting with
the general public.
Okay, it's a much betteratmosphere for you when you're
traveling a lot, i'll say youcan have a shower and there's
toilets, etc.
Etc.
You're going to have time awayfrom other stuff.
You're going to need toprioritize that.
Okay, if you've got a podcastepisode, it may be that week
(09:01):
that gets missed out, sadly, andyou pick it up the next week.
Or maybe you've got a deadlinedue and you've got to have some
work done because you'll be onstage the day that it's supposed
to be released.
It's important that you knowthat for that week you may not
be able to do anything, could becaught up, focused on the
conference, and sometimes that'swhere you really need to be
because your future bookings maycome from that.
(09:22):
And, of course, there's thefamily side of things.
Don't forget about family.
It's very important.
It's all very well to be aspeaker and travel the world and
do all these great things, butif it costs you a family, was it
really worth it?
And my personal opinion is no.
It's not.
Nothing's worth losing all that.
You're never going to get yourkids' lives back and you're
(09:43):
certainly never going to build arelationship with your partner
as effectively once you'vedamaged it.
Number three content creationand streamlining.
High quality content is crucialfor engaging and inspiring your
audience.
This includes continuouslydeveloping fresh ideas, crafting
persuasive narratives andadapting your materials to
different events and audiences.
(10:04):
However, finding time togenerate new content while
simultaneously streamliningexisting material can be a big
challenge.
There's a whole pile of contentneeds to be developed as a
speaker, just around a gig,there's a pile.
So first of all, you got thebefore speech promo video.
Most people would like a littlevideo from you talking about
what you're going to do.
Then you got posts talkingabout where you're going to be
(10:27):
speaking, so you let theaudience know you're going to be
at this event.
They might like to get a ticket.
It'll be very interesting.
There's lots of other greatspeakers, et cetera.
You've got email capture to setup, so if you have an offer
where you're on stage or peoplewant to download your
presentation slides or something, you could have an email
capture so you can send it tothem.
Setting up upsells from stage.
Developing free content thatpeople can download once they've
(10:50):
seen you speak that continuesto build your brand.
You've got to develop yourbranded workbooks so that when
you're on stage, there's thingsyou can give people that they
can do while you're speaking.
That has your branding, so thatyou've got all your details in
front of them.
That could lead to lead capture, et cetera.
You got catch-ups to organize,which is part of that kind of
(11:12):
content creation.
So I was setting up calendarsand booking scripts and things,
collecting cards And rememberpart of the content creation is
pushing forward, that you'realways looking for that next gig
and book me now, sort of stuff.
There's a lot to be done thereand streamlining it
Realistically, it's worth hiringsomeone to help you.
I've used, for example, ai tohelp me.
(11:33):
There's a lot you can do thereif you do it properly, but in
the end, you still only want apair of hands.
Number four networking buildingand building connections.
So networking and buildingconnections Networking plays a
vital role in expanding yourprofessional reach as a speaker.
Building connections with eventorganizers, fellow speakers and
attendees can lead to newspeaking opportunities,
(11:54):
collaborations and valuableindustry insights.
However, attending networkingevents, following up with
contacts and nurturingrelationships require a
dedicated time and effort, whichmay compete with other
priorities.
So what can we do to make thiswork for us?
First of all, i'd say you needyour elevator speech.
That is what you talk on Soquick, less than one minute.
(12:16):
This is what I do and this iswho I am.
That is memorable.
That makes you that guy or thatgirl.
Okay, as I've said on the past,when I had the SEO company as I
make you number one for whatyou do or sell on Google.
Very simple, isn't it?
And straight away, people knowwhat I do As a speaker.
You need the same thing Whenyou're making contacts.
(12:37):
You're probably going to needto make lots and lots of
contacts, but very few are goingto be really good contacts.
So have a look at theconversations you're having and
work out which ones are reallyimportant that you need to
connect with and build on,because you need to make sure
your time is focused where itneeds to be.
That doesn't mean you ignoreother conversations with people.
(12:58):
If you like that person, thenspend time with them, but
remember you're looking forthose really special connections
, that with people that you getalong with.
That not just using them forleverage, of course, just
because you enjoy them andbecause you share common bonds.
Okay, don't try to meeteverybody.
You just you can't do it.
Okay, it's just not possible.
(13:20):
Take your time, go backregularly if you're going to
networking events and get toknow everybody there.
Make sure you've got some wayof sharing your information.
So business cards are alwayssimple.
They might be old fashioned butquite frankly they work.
You can use a tapped orsomething like that where you've
got a QR code or a NFT modulein a card, where you just tap it
(13:42):
on someone's phone and transferthe information.
But business cards get carriedand put down and left on desks
and people see them for monthsafterwards.
For example, i literally gotone in front of me from
Singapore, from the photographerwho did all the photos, and
this is sitting in front of mehere And every time I look at it
I think I should put that away.
I see Ken's card here and thereit is.
(14:03):
If it was digital I wouldn'tsee it.
And don't forget when you'renetworking book a chat right
there.
Open your calendars.
Everyone's got a phone calendarthese days.
So open your calendars and booka chat.
Don't wait to contact later.
Don't add in an extra step.
Make that step then.
Number five self-care andmaintaining personal wellbeing.
In the midst of a busyconference schedule, it's
(14:24):
crucial not to neglect your ownwellbeing.
Taking care of your physical,mental and emotional health
ensures that you can perform atyour best.
However, finding time forself-care activities such as
exercise, relaxation andpersonal time can be challenging
when there's a constant demandon your schedule.
We're going to look a littlebit further into this, but
(14:44):
there's a couple of things NapsI like my nap of an afternoon if
I can get it in 30 minutes ormeditation, depending on what
I'm doing.
Make sure you get a good sleep.
Did your exercising?
If you can't exercise walk, youcan walk the hallways.
Eating right is hard when you'respeaking.
Often the conference food isnot the sort of food you would
normally eat, especially whenyou're in another country.
So make sure that you aregetting the right food for your
(15:07):
body, and that's reallyimportant.
I know it's an issue thatWestern speakers have when they
go to non-Western countries Ifthey're not used to eating
exotic foods or spicy foods orsomething like that.
Make sure you take things likefood bars and that with you So
you've got something at leastthat you can put in your stomach
with the solid.
Don't forget to pack medications.
(15:27):
Okay, a lot of people havemedications these days and you
won't be able to get them easilythere, so make sure you pack
them, also preventativemedications such as panadol and
caudal, because inevitably ifyou're going to fly places on
the plane.
You're going to catch stuff.
It's that simple.
And you can't just fly all theway to the other side of the
world to turn around and go I'mtoo sick.
(15:48):
Even when you're really sick,you can do a 45 minute session
if you've practiced.
Okay, i can remember at leastone presentation where I don't
remember a thing.
I remember going into the room.
I remember coming out andpeople telling me the next day
it was awesome.
I don't remember being on stage, but the cauldron got me
through it.
Haircuts Now get a haircutbefore you go so you're nice and
(16:09):
tidy and cut your nails andthings like that.
Okay, self-care is reallyimportant and it also makes you
feel professional because youknow you look right.
The challenge lies in findingthe right balance amongst these
five priorities.
Okay, each one is essential forsuccess as a conference speaker
, and neglecting any of them canhave detrimental effects.
However, it's important torecognize that time and energy
(16:31):
are finite resources.
By employing effective timemanagement techniques, setting
clear boundaries andprioritizing tasks based on
their impact and urgencies, youcan strive to build a harmonious
balance and ensure that allthese crucial areas receive the
attention that they deserve.
So let's have a look at someenergy management techniques.
(16:53):
Let's have a look atrecognizing and understanding
energy levels and patterns.
Now, this might sound a littlebit weird.
Energy is an important part ofbeing a speaker.
Energy levels fluctuatethroughout the day and being
aware of your own energy patternis crucial for optimizing
productivity and performance.
However, when you're jugglingmultiple responsibilities, it
(17:14):
can be challenging to recognizewhen your energy is at its peak
or when you may need to conserveenergy for crucial tasks.
So, for example, i am best inthe mornings.
If I get up early and dowriting or go and do anything,
i'm always better in themornings.
I like to exercise anytime inthe morning, from early to
midday, but my afternoons aregood for busy work.
Okay, they might not be greatfor creative work, but they're
(17:36):
definitely good for busy workwhere I've just got to sit down
and nut through and do the hardstuff.
I like my own company.
So when I'm speaking, i like toleave breaks in what I'm doing.
That might mean I miss asession or something like that,
but I always have to have breaksor I can be by myself, away
from the crowds.
That's just a personal thing.
(17:57):
Sometimes it gets a bit peoplyfor me If you're at a conference
.
I like to go outside and getsome sun.
If I'm being shut inside underthe artificial light for some
reason does not agree with me,and I like to get outside and
feel a bit of sun on my skin,not get burned or anything like
that, but just to get that freshoutdoor air and that feeling,
that openness.
So I always try and go for awalk regularly, just go outside
(18:21):
for five minutes and come backin and keep going.
And also, when you're in therooms, make sure you stay warm
or cool.
Sometimes you get a room that'sfreezing and that can be
terrible.
I've had days where I cannotget warm And then about other
days where the room's too hotand you're like, oh, this is
terrible, it's stifling.
You never know.
With conferences, big rooms,it's quite a balance, getting
(18:42):
things right.
B we need to practice self careand maintaining physical and
mental well-being.
We talked a little bit aboutthis, but taking care of your
physical and mental well-beingis vital for sustaining high
energy and avoiding burnout.
This includes getting enoughsleep, nutritious meals,
exercising regularly.
Engaging activities promoterelaxation and mental
rejuvenation.
However, finding time for selfcare when you're speaking, that
(19:05):
means that amidst a demandingconference schedule can be a
constant challenge.
So one thing you do is meditateAnd I'm not one for woo-woo, but
I do believe in meditation Andit doesn't have to be sitting
down and trying to clear yourhead.
Okay, i cannot shut the voicesup inside my head, it just
(19:25):
doesn't work that way.
But I've learned that if Ibreathe for two minutes and I in
my head say breathe in as Ibreathe in, and then hold my
breath and then breathe out andsay breathe out in my head, i
can't think or talk to myself atthe same time.
Now, it's a good sign that I'mnot much of a multitasker, but
(19:46):
it's a simple technique And onceyou start being able to do it
for two minutes, you can stretchit out.
But just saying, breathe in,breathe out, breathe in, breathe
out, actually quite the voices,and that is the same as sitting
in silence.
Okay, but you need to find outwhat works for you.
I'll use the calm app, as I'vementioned before.
(20:08):
I mentioned using proper foodpreviously.
That's important.
Okay, have breakfast.
If you normally have breakfast,don't skip breakfast when you
go to a conference.
If normally you have breakfast,your body will react to it.
You'll get lightheaded orsomething, and you do not want
that happening.
When you're on stage.
You need your energy.
You need that energy to be up.
So don't play with your routine.
(20:31):
Make your routine work forwhere you're at And probably
lastly in this one, drink plentyof water, not coffee.
Okay, i love my triple shopcoffee of the morning, but when
I'm going on stage that canactually have quite a drying
effect on one of the sideeffects of that with my body.
It is actually my ears block upand then I can hear myself
(20:52):
talking, which is verydisconcerting when you're on the
stage Talking no microphone.
So the best thing I can do on aday when I'm speaking is not
drink coffee until after I'vespoken and drink lots and lots
of water, because water keepsyou hydrated and when you're
hydrated you're much more yourbrain and everything works
better.
Just a tip, as I said, that'show my body reacts.
(21:13):
Other days I can have it and itdoes not do that to me, but for
some reason when I'm about togo on stage maybe it's just
because the stress levels arehigh or something That's the
side effect I get and it is apain I can tell you See,
incorporating regular breaks andrest periods.
Continuous work without breakscan lead to decreased
productivity, increased fatigue.
It's essential to incorporateregular breaks and rest periods
(21:34):
throughout the day to rechargeand maintain optimal energy
levels.
However, in a fast-pacedconference environment, finding
the right balance betweendelivering your presentations,
networking, listening andwatching other speakers and
taking breaks can be challenging.
So obviously, yes, we'vediscussed a bit of this earlier
but Force yourself to take aquiet moment every now and then,
(21:55):
and if you're really stuck andthere's nowhere else to go, head
to the toilets and shut thetoilet door.
Okay, at least in there You canget five minutes of relative
peace.
You can put your headphones onif you have to, and people won't
be banging on the doors.
So I know sometimes it's justreally hard to get away.
Okay, one of the excuses you canuse that I found work sometimes
(22:19):
is that I need to go and checkon something.
Often I'm staying in the hotelwhere the conference is, so I
need to go check on something inmy room.
So I will go up and check onsomething and about half an hour
later I will have checked on itand I feel much better.
Okay, and so you can drop asession as well.
There's another way of doingthat, but This is.
These are things that I do.
(22:39):
Okay, as I just started say,when you drop a session.
Sometimes when you look at theprogram, there's lots of things
on and there might be a sessionfor 45 minutes.
We look actually, really, i'veheard enough about that topic.
I really don't want to knowanything more.
I've seen the speaker do thisspeech before, which is the
other side to speaking.
So Drop the session, justquietly go out as if you go into
(23:02):
the toilet or get a coffee orsomething, and just zip up to
your room and have a 30 minuteBreak.
You can meditate or just closeyour eyes and put the car map on
or whatever.
Okay, but get those breaks in,because everybody reacts
differently.
Don't Don't force yourself to dostuff that causes your problems
long term.
It's better to take 30 minutesout and come back refreshed Than
(23:25):
it is to be really that by theend of the day.
Effective stress managementtechniques.
The life of a speaker can bedemanding and stressful, as we
know.
You got to manage all thesedifferent things, but it's
crucial that you find out Howyou best deal with stress.
Okay, as I said, i like to takea 30 minute break or do some
(23:47):
meditation.
Some other options might be togo and talk with a friend.
If you see some of theconference, you made a new
friend.
Go outside and have a cup ofcoffee and talk with them in the
hallways For a little break.
Okay, go and get a cup of teaor coffee It's up to you and
just stop for a few minutes andhave that cup of tea.
Make sure you're lookingfriendly and smiling and people
(24:08):
and some probably come over fora chat or something.
Another thing you can do is towalk around the exhibits.
People come to exhibit atconference and often The people
at the conference ignore them,depending on the type of
conference.
So they're sitting there withnothing to do and they really
want to sell something or toshow you what they do, and they
appreciate actually havingsomeone to talk to, because
(24:29):
sometimes it could be an hoursince someone's talked to them
Because everyone's in sessions.
So go for a walk around theexhibits and say hello and find
out what they do.
Sometimes You can make somereally good friendships, but
also you can find out somereally cool stuff That you might
find useful in your business.
Another thing you can do isphone home.
Okay, if you've been alreadyfor a couple of days it doesn't
hurt to phone home and have atalk to someone I know.
(24:52):
Look, i don't necessarily needto talk to my family every day,
they're all busy as well Butit's lovely to be able to call
home and talk with my daughterand my son and my wife And just
spend five minutes seeing afamiliar friend and talking to
them.
And just spend five minutesseeing a familiar face and
asking what they've been doingand just hearing a little bit
about what's going on in thereal world while i'm in the
(25:12):
conference world.
And lastly, one of the things Ilike to do is send memes to
people, because memes are mylove language.
So I send memes and try and geta laugh out of people because I
like to make people happy.
So these also help me managestress, because looking at the
memes makes me laugh.
Okay, the challenge inrecognizing the importance of
managing energy and prioritizingself-care.
(25:33):
Amidst the demanding nature ofthe speaking profession, it
requires a proactive approach.
Okay, to understand your ownenergy patterns, incorporating
self-care practices in yourroutine, scheduling regular
breaks and developing effectivestress management techniques.
By acknowledging thesignificance of energy
(25:54):
management and making it apriority, you can sustain your
vitality and ensure consistenthigh performance throughout all
your speaking engagements.
I hope you found this episodeof this podcast really
interesting.
If you did, i have a challengefor you.
Hit that like button, subscribeto the podcast right away And
then share this episode withanother speaker who could use
(26:15):
the tips and strategies thatI've shared.
Let's help each other, grow ourbusiness and make an impact in
the speaking world.
Together, we can reach evenmore people and make a bigger
difference.
So don't wait.
Take action now and share thelove.
Thanks for tuning in and getready for more exciting business
(26:35):
building tips in the nextepisode.
Welcome to episode 33 of the profitable speaking
podcast, where we providepractical tips and insights to
help you succeed as a publicspeaker.
In today's episode, we're goingto look at managing your time
and energy as a professionalspeaker.
As a speaker, your schedule isoften filled with numerous
commitments, ranging frompreparing, engaging in
presentations to networking withfellow professionals, and it
(00:22):
can be challenging to balancethese responsibilities while
also taking care of your ownwell-being.
Effective time and energymanagement is not only essential
for delivering your bestperformance on stage, but also
for maintaining your overallproductivity and avoiding
burnout.
Whether you're a seasonedconference speaker or just
starting your journey, theinsights that I'm going to share
with you in this episode willprovide you with valuable
(00:44):
guidance to excel in yourspeaking engagements while
maintaining a healthy work-lifebalance.
So let's look at settingpriorities.
As a professional speaker, yourtime and energy are valuable
commodities that need to bemanaged wisely.
Setting priorities is the keyto ensuring that you allocate
your resources effectively andfocus on the most impactful
(01:05):
tasks.
I'm going to explore theessential areas to demand your
attention the most, from athorough preparation and
research for your presentationsto networking and building
connections with fellowprofessionals, as well as taking
care of your own well-being.
There are multiple aspects toconsider.
By understanding how toidentify and prioritise these
(01:26):
important tasks, you canoptimise your performance,
deliver exceptionalpresentations and build a
thriving career as aprofessional speaker.
So identifying the keypriorities for your speaking
Number one, preparation andresearch for presentations.
Delivering impactfulpresentations requires a
(01:47):
thorough preparation andextensive research.
This involves studying theconference theme, understanding
the target audience, creatingcompelling content, designing
visuals, rehearsing the delivery, etc.
However, dedicating sufficienttime and energy to preparation
can be challenging when otherpriorities can compete for your
attention.
So let's have a look at some ofthese things.
(02:07):
Understanding your audience isvery important.
There's no point in deliveringa speech to an audience that has
no understanding of the pointof view they're putting forward.
So understanding that you'retalking to business owners or
employees or middle managementor CEOs all affects the level at
which you present, and it alsomakes a major difference to the
(02:30):
language you use, as well as,maybe, the illustrations and
stories that you include.
So you need to understand whoyou're going to be talking to
before you actually hit thestage Super, super important.
Second, let's look at the goalsof the speech.
Have you been brought in toteach something?
Have you been brought in to setup a situation, such as
(02:52):
preparing people for change thatthey don't know is coming yet.
Have a look at what the goalsare.
Those goals can be found bytalking to the conference
organisers, talking to thepeople who have hired the
conference organisers to get youin, etc.
Etc, etc.
So I suppose the key phrase istalking to stakeholders.
Okay, it's important youunderstand why you're there.
(03:12):
This is something that Iprobably didn't do when I first
started out, but I've learnedthat that's really important.
You must plan your speech out.
Okay, don't just wing it.
Never wing a speech, even ifit's partially winged one,
that's okay.
But you must have a plan thatyou can follow, and then you can
(03:33):
add bits and on the fly,depending on how your audience
is or how you're feeling on thatday.
I suppose that brings up theaspect of customisation, and
that's where we adjust thespeech to fit our audience, our
goals, etc.
Etc, etc.
No two speeches should beidentical, and yet I know in
some countries there's theopportunity to say the same
speech to a thousand audiences,whereas where I am, the chances
(03:56):
of saying the same speech overand over again is highly
unlikely because of the smallnature of the country.
We don't have enough people, sotherefore you need to be
producing new sort of ideas andcontent.
But you can have a base speechfrom which you pull aspects, or
have little sections that youbreak off into, depending on
what people need specificallycovered.
(04:18):
Slide design and layout areimportant as well.
When you're doing yourpreparation and research for
your presentations, you wantyour slides to be impactful.
One of the things that breaksmy heart is when I see 1980s
power points go up.
Really, in this day and age,when there's AI built into
PowerPoint, you don't even needto think about it.
Just load your speech in andpress the generate design ideas
(04:41):
and it'll come up with new ideasfor you.
They look really nice andprofessional.
Please just take five extraminutes to let the AI do some
work.
You might not have any designskills, but it certainly does.
So let it do its thing andyou'll get a much better
presentation, because it knowswhat size the font should be for
the clarity that you need, etc.
(05:02):
Using video and audio in apresentation.
Of course, you do need toprepare all that stuff
beforehand.
You need to make sure it'sembedded properly or it's going
to work, and it's a major hassle.
I've mentioned it before in thepodcast, but I don't trust
video and audio in presentations, but I want to start using more
, so I'm looking at otheralternatives.
Could it be an animated GIF?
They don't have to be 10seconds long.
(05:24):
They can be 30, 40, 50 seconds,so maybe the animation is
actually video animation, so tospeak.
You must practice when you'repreparing for your presentations
.
You cannot go in cold, no way.
You need to think about yourcalls to actions that you're
going to put into your speech,where you're going to build them
in, how you're going to buildthem in, and also you need to be
(05:44):
thinking about what you'regoing to do after you leave the
stage, and we'll talk about thata little bit later.
So the second key priority isthe back end of business stuff.
Okay, as a speaker, you're notjust responsible for delivering
presentations, but you're alsoresponsible for managing the
administration aspects of yourspeaking engagements.
This includes contracts,logistics, invoicing and
(06:08):
maintaining professional onlinepresence.
Balancing these back end tasks,along with other priorities,
can be overwhelming, especiallywhen you've got deadlines coming
up.
If you're the only person doingall the work, it can be very
difficult.
So, understanding the businessside of things like keeping up
with connections to other people.
You've got your connectionswith people in the room
(06:30):
connections with other speakers,connections with bookers and
making sure you stay connectedto people is a very difficult
thing.
As the world becomes moredigitally connected but less
personally connected, it'sharder to get with people to
talk.
But you need to work out wherethe best use of your time is,
(06:51):
and sometimes it might just behaving coffee with everybody
regularly.
It's up to you, but I found,depending on your business, that
sometimes it's about justcatching up with people And that
leads to referrals or morebusiness, etc.
You need to make sure you getpaid.
Okay, get 50% upfront, 50% ondelivery.
Never go and speak and expectto be paid afterwards.
(07:14):
That's a guaranteed way to findout that you're not going to
get paid.
Okay, if you only get paid 50%upfront, make sure that 50%
covers your costs So if anythinggoes wrong, at least during the
clear, you're not left in ahole.
This is really important.
Too many people get ripped offbecause they don't get the money
(07:35):
upfront.
You've got to get paid.
Doesn't matter what they thinkthey wouldn't do it for free.
And if you're not doing it forfree, if it's a paid engagement,
then you make sure that theyunderstand.
There's a requirement to pay abooking fee 50% upfront or more,
depending on what you wantbefore you leave home.
Don't forget, you're going toneed to organize travel Now.
Sometimes that'll be donethrough the person who books you
(07:57):
, or if you're speaking at aconference that you've been
invited to to speak for free,etc.
You'll need to organize yourtravel yourself.
If you're smart, you'll useflight points.
So I'm a big Virgin flyer, aflying Virgin.
My flight points will give mefree flights but also get the
lounge and different otherthings.
And if you book through thesame flight company, most of the
(08:17):
time you know what your serviceis going to be like.
You know about your reliability, but also all your bonus points
build up and then you get theextra bonuses for some friends
that fly Qantas everywhere andthey have the Platinum lounge,
etc.
These things are worth workingon.
It makes life so much easierwhen you can go to an airport
check in priority check in gothrough the lounge and have
(08:39):
something to drink and eat whileyou're there and do some work
for a while before you get on aplane, rather than sitting with
the general public.
Okay, it's a much betteratmosphere for you when you're
traveling a lot, i'll say youcan have a shower and there's
toilets, etc.
Etc.
You're going to have time awayfrom other stuff.
You're going to need toprioritize that.
Okay, if you've got a podcastepisode, it may be that week
(09:01):
that gets missed out, sadly, andyou pick it up the next week.
Or maybe you've got a deadlinedue and you've got to have some
work done because you'll be onstage the day that it's supposed
to be released.
It's important that you knowthat for that week you may not
be able to do anything, could becaught up, focused on the
conference, and sometimes that'swhere you really need to be
because your future bookings maycome from that.
(09:22):
And, of course, there's thefamily side of things.
Don't forget about family.
It's very important.
It's all very well to be aspeaker and travel the world and
do all these great things, butif it costs you a family, was it
really worth it?
And my personal opinion is no.
It's not.
Nothing's worth losing all that.
You're never going to get yourkids' lives back and you're
(09:43):
certainly never going to build arelationship with your partner
as effectively once you'vedamaged it.
Number three content creationand streamlining.
High quality content is crucialfor engaging and inspiring your
audience.
This includes continuouslydeveloping fresh ideas, crafting
persuasive narratives andadapting your materials to
different events and audiences.
(10:04):
However, finding time togenerate new content while
simultaneously streamliningexisting material can be a big
challenge.
There's a whole pile of contentneeds to be developed as a
speaker, just around a gig,there's a pile.
So first of all, you got thebefore speech promo video.
Most people would like a littlevideo from you talking about
what you're going to do.
Then you got posts talkingabout where you're going to be
(10:27):
speaking, so you let theaudience know you're going to be
at this event.
They might like to get a ticket.
It'll be very interesting.
There's lots of other greatspeakers, et cetera.
You've got email capture to setup, so if you have an offer
where you're on stage or peoplewant to download your
presentation slides or something, you could have an email
capture so you can send it tothem.
Setting up upsells from stage.
Developing free content thatpeople can download once they've
(10:50):
seen you speak that continuesto build your brand.
You've got to develop yourbranded workbooks so that when
you're on stage, there's thingsyou can give people that they
can do while you're speaking.
That has your branding, so thatyou've got all your details in
front of them.
That could lead to lead capture, et cetera.
You got catch-ups to organize,which is part of that kind of
(11:12):
content creation.
So I was setting up calendarsand booking scripts and things,
collecting cards And rememberpart of the content creation is
pushing forward, that you'realways looking for that next gig
and book me now, sort of stuff.
There's a lot to be done thereand streamlining it
Realistically, it's worth hiringsomeone to help you.
I've used, for example, ai tohelp me.
(11:33):
There's a lot you can do thereif you do it properly, but in
the end, you still only want apair of hands.
Number four networking buildingand building connections.
So networking and buildingconnections Networking plays a
vital role in expanding yourprofessional reach as a speaker.
Building connections with eventorganizers, fellow speakers and
attendees can lead to newspeaking opportunities,
(11:54):
collaborations and valuableindustry insights.
However, attending networkingevents, following up with
contacts and nurturingrelationships require a
dedicated time and effort, whichmay compete with other
priorities.
So what can we do to make thiswork for us?
First of all, i'd say you needyour elevator speech.
That is what you talk on Soquick, less than one minute.
(12:16):
This is what I do and this iswho I am.
That is memorable.
That makes you that guy or thatgirl.
Okay, as I've said on the past,when I had the SEO company as I
make you number one for whatyou do or sell on Google.
Very simple, isn't it?
And straight away, people knowwhat I do As a speaker.
You need the same thing Whenyou're making contacts.
(12:37):
You're probably going to needto make lots and lots of
contacts, but very few are goingto be really good contacts.
So have a look at theconversations you're having and
work out which ones are reallyimportant that you need to
connect with and build on,because you need to make sure
your time is focused where itneeds to be.
That doesn't mean you ignoreother conversations with people.
(12:58):
If you like that person, thenspend time with them, but
remember you're looking forthose really special connections
, that with people that you getalong with.
That not just using them forleverage, of course, just
because you enjoy them andbecause you share common bonds.
Okay, don't try to meeteverybody.
You just you can't do it.
Okay, it's just not possible.
(13:20):
Take your time, go backregularly if you're going to
networking events and get toknow everybody there.
Make sure you've got some wayof sharing your information.
So business cards are alwayssimple.
They might be old fashioned butquite frankly they work.
You can use a tapped orsomething like that where you've
got a QR code or a NFT modulein a card, where you just tap it
(13:42):
on someone's phone and transferthe information.
But business cards get carriedand put down and left on desks
and people see them for monthsafterwards.
For example, i literally gotone in front of me from
Singapore, from the photographerwho did all the photos, and
this is sitting in front of mehere And every time I look at it
I think I should put that away.
I see Ken's card here and thereit is.
(14:03):
If it was digital I wouldn'tsee it.
And don't forget when you'renetworking book a chat right
there.
Open your calendars.
Everyone's got a phone calendarthese days.
So open your calendars and booka chat.
Don't wait to contact later.
Don't add in an extra step.
Make that step then.
Number five self-care andmaintaining personal wellbeing.
In the midst of a busyconference schedule, it's
(14:24):
crucial not to neglect your ownwellbeing.
Taking care of your physical,mental and emotional health
ensures that you can perform atyour best.
However, finding time forself-care activities such as
exercise, relaxation andpersonal time can be challenging
when there's a constant demandon your schedule.
We're going to look a littlebit further into this, but
(14:44):
there's a couple of things NapsI like my nap of an afternoon if
I can get it in 30 minutes ormeditation, depending on what
I'm doing.
Make sure you get a good sleep.
Did your exercising?
If you can't exercise walk, youcan walk the hallways.
Eating right is hard when you'respeaking.
Often the conference food isnot the sort of food you would
normally eat, especially whenyou're in another country.
So make sure that you aregetting the right food for your
(15:07):
body, and that's reallyimportant.
I know it's an issue thatWestern speakers have when they
go to non-Western countries Ifthey're not used to eating
exotic foods or spicy foods orsomething like that.
Make sure you take things likefood bars and that with you So
you've got something at leastthat you can put in your stomach
with the solid.
Don't forget to pack medications.
(15:27):
Okay, a lot of people havemedications these days and you
won't be able to get them easilythere, so make sure you pack
them, also preventativemedications such as panadol and
caudal, because inevitably ifyou're going to fly places on
the plane.
You're going to catch stuff.
It's that simple.
And you can't just fly all theway to the other side of the
world to turn around and go I'mtoo sick.
(15:48):
Even when you're really sick,you can do a 45 minute session
if you've practiced.
Okay, i can remember at leastone presentation where I don't
remember a thing.
I remember going into the room.
I remember coming out andpeople telling me the next day
it was awesome.
I don't remember being on stage, but the cauldron got me
through it.
Haircuts Now get a haircutbefore you go so you're nice and
(16:09):
tidy and cut your nails andthings like that.
Okay, self-care is reallyimportant and it also makes you
feel professional because youknow you look right.
The challenge lies in findingthe right balance amongst these
five priorities.
Okay, each one is essential forsuccess as a conference speaker
, and neglecting any of them canhave detrimental effects.
However, it's important torecognize that time and energy
(16:31):
are finite resources.
By employing effective timemanagement techniques, setting
clear boundaries andprioritizing tasks based on
their impact and urgencies, youcan strive to build a harmonious
balance and ensure that allthese crucial areas receive the
attention that they deserve.
So let's have a look at someenergy management techniques.
(16:53):
Let's have a look atrecognizing and understanding
energy levels and patterns.
Now, this might sound a littlebit weird.
Energy is an important part ofbeing a speaker.
Energy levels fluctuatethroughout the day and being
aware of your own energy patternis crucial for optimizing
productivity and performance.
However, when you're jugglingmultiple responsibilities, it
(17:14):
can be challenging to recognizewhen your energy is at its peak
or when you may need to conserveenergy for crucial tasks.
So, for example, i am best inthe mornings.
If I get up early and dowriting or go and do anything,
i'm always better in themornings.
I like to exercise anytime inthe morning, from early to
midday, but my afternoons aregood for busy work.
Okay, they might not be greatfor creative work, but they're
(17:36):
definitely good for busy workwhere I've just got to sit down
and nut through and do the hardstuff.
I like my own company.
So when I'm speaking, i like toleave breaks in what I'm doing.
That might mean I miss asession or something like that,
but I always have to have breaksor I can be by myself, away
from the crowds.
That's just a personal thing.
(17:57):
Sometimes it gets a bit peoplyfor me If you're at a conference
.
I like to go outside and getsome sun.
If I'm being shut inside underthe artificial light for some
reason does not agree with me,and I like to get outside and
feel a bit of sun on my skin,not get burned or anything like
that, but just to get that freshoutdoor air and that feeling,
that openness.
So I always try and go for awalk regularly, just go outside
(18:21):
for five minutes and come backin and keep going.
And also, when you're in therooms, make sure you stay warm
or cool.
Sometimes you get a room that'sfreezing and that can be
terrible.
I've had days where I cannotget warm And then about other
days where the room's too hotand you're like, oh, this is
terrible, it's stifling.
You never know.
With conferences, big rooms,it's quite a balance, getting
(18:42):
things right.
B we need to practice self careand maintaining physical and
mental well-being.
We talked a little bit aboutthis, but taking care of your
physical and mental well-beingis vital for sustaining high
energy and avoiding burnout.
This includes getting enoughsleep, nutritious meals,
exercising regularly.
Engaging activities promoterelaxation and mental
rejuvenation.
However, finding time for selfcare when you're speaking, that
(19:05):
means that amidst a demandingconference schedule can be a
constant challenge.
So one thing you do is meditateAnd I'm not one for woo-woo, but
I do believe in meditation Andit doesn't have to be sitting
down and trying to clear yourhead.
Okay, i cannot shut the voicesup inside my head, it just
(19:25):
doesn't work that way.
But I've learned that if Ibreathe for two minutes and I in
my head say breathe in as Ibreathe in, and then hold my
breath and then breathe out andsay breathe out in my head, i
can't think or talk to myself atthe same time.
Now, it's a good sign that I'mnot much of a multitasker, but
(19:46):
it's a simple technique And onceyou start being able to do it
for two minutes, you can stretchit out.
But just saying, breathe in,breathe out, breathe in, breathe
out, actually quite the voices,and that is the same as sitting
in silence.
Okay, but you need to find outwhat works for you.
I'll use the calm app, as I'vementioned before.
(20:08):
I mentioned using proper foodpreviously.
That's important.
Okay, have breakfast.
If you normally have breakfast,don't skip breakfast when you
go to a conference.
If normally you have breakfast,your body will react to it.
You'll get lightheaded orsomething, and you do not want
that happening.
When you're on stage.
You need your energy.
You need that energy to be up.
So don't play with your routine.
(20:31):
Make your routine work forwhere you're at And probably
lastly in this one, drink plentyof water, not coffee.
Okay, i love my triple shopcoffee of the morning, but when
I'm going on stage that canactually have quite a drying
effect on one of the sideeffects of that with my body.
It is actually my ears block upand then I can hear myself
(20:52):
talking, which is verydisconcerting when you're on the
stage Talking no microphone.
So the best thing I can do on aday when I'm speaking is not
drink coffee until after I'vespoken and drink lots and lots
of water, because water keepsyou hydrated and when you're
hydrated you're much more yourbrain and everything works
better.
Just a tip, as I said, that'show my body reacts.
(21:13):
Other days I can have it and itdoes not do that to me, but for
some reason when I'm about togo on stage maybe it's just
because the stress levels arehigh or something That's the
side effect I get and it is apain I can tell you See,
incorporating regular breaks andrest periods.
Continuous work without breakscan lead to decreased
productivity, increased fatigue.
It's essential to incorporateregular breaks and rest periods
(21:34):
throughout the day to rechargeand maintain optimal energy
levels.
However, in a fast-pacedconference environment, finding
the right balance betweendelivering your presentations,
networking, listening andwatching other speakers and
taking breaks can be challenging.
So obviously, yes, we'vediscussed a bit of this earlier
but Force yourself to take aquiet moment every now and then,
(21:55):
and if you're really stuck andthere's nowhere else to go, head
to the toilets and shut thetoilet door.
Okay, at least in there You canget five minutes of relative
peace.
You can put your headphones onif you have to, and people won't
be banging on the doors.
So I know sometimes it's justreally hard to get away.
Okay, one of the excuses you canuse that I found work sometimes
(22:19):
is that I need to go and checkon something.
Often I'm staying in the hotelwhere the conference is, so I
need to go check on something inmy room.
So I will go up and check onsomething and about half an hour
later I will have checked on itand I feel much better.
Okay, and so you can drop asession as well.
There's another way of doingthat, but This is.
These are things that I do.
(22:39):
Okay, as I just started say,when you drop a session.
Sometimes when you look at theprogram, there's lots of things
on and there might be a sessionfor 45 minutes.
We look actually, really, i'veheard enough about that topic.
I really don't want to knowanything more.
I've seen the speaker do thisspeech before, which is the
other side to speaking.
So Drop the session, justquietly go out as if you go into
(23:02):
the toilet or get a coffee orsomething, and just zip up to
your room and have a 30 minuteBreak.
You can meditate or just closeyour eyes and put the car map on
or whatever.
Okay, but get those breaks in,because everybody reacts
differently.
Don't Don't force yourself to dostuff that causes your problems
long term.
It's better to take 30 minutesout and come back refreshed Than
(23:25):
it is to be really that by theend of the day.
Effective stress managementtechniques.
The life of a speaker can bedemanding and stressful, as we
know.
You got to manage all thesedifferent things, but it's
crucial that you find out Howyou best deal with stress.
Okay, as I said, i like to takea 30 minute break or do some
(23:47):
meditation.
Some other options might be togo and talk with a friend.
If you see some of theconference, you made a new
friend.
Go outside and have a cup ofcoffee and talk with them in the
hallways For a little break.
Okay, go and get a cup of teaor coffee It's up to you and
just stop for a few minutes andhave that cup of tea.
Make sure you're lookingfriendly and smiling and people
(24:08):
and some probably come over fora chat or something.
Another thing you can do is towalk around the exhibits.
People come to exhibit atconference and often The people
at the conference ignore them,depending on the type of
conference.
So they're sitting there withnothing to do and they really
want to sell something or toshow you what they do, and they
appreciate actually havingsomeone to talk to, because
(24:29):
sometimes it could be an hoursince someone's talked to them
Because everyone's in sessions.
So go for a walk around theexhibits and say hello and find
out what they do.
Sometimes You can make somereally good friendships, but
also you can find out somereally cool stuff That you might
find useful in your business.
Another thing you can do isphone home.
Okay, if you've been alreadyfor a couple of days it doesn't
hurt to phone home and have atalk to someone I know.
(24:52):
Look, i don't necessarily needto talk to my family every day,
they're all busy as well Butit's lovely to be able to call
home and talk with my daughterand my son and my wife And just
spend five minutes seeing afamiliar friend and talking to
them.
And just spend five minutesseeing a familiar face and
asking what they've been doingand just hearing a little bit
about what's going on in thereal world while i'm in the
(25:12):
conference world.
And lastly, one of the things Ilike to do is send memes to
people, because memes are mylove language.
So I send memes and try and geta laugh out of people because I
like to make people happy.
So these also help me managestress, because looking at the
memes makes me laugh.
Okay, the challenge inrecognizing the importance of
managing energy and prioritizingself-care.
(25:33):
Amidst the demanding nature ofthe speaking profession, it
requires a proactive approach.
Okay, to understand your ownenergy patterns, incorporating
self-care practices in yourroutine, scheduling regular
breaks and developing effectivestress management techniques.
By acknowledging thesignificance of energy
(25:54):
management and making it apriority, you can sustain your
vitality and ensure consistenthigh performance throughout all
your speaking engagements.
I hope you found this episodeof this podcast really
interesting.
If you did, i have a challengefor you.
Hit that like button, subscribeto the podcast right away And
then share this episode withanother speaker who could use
(26:15):
the tips and strategies thatI've shared.
Let's help each other, grow ourbusiness and make an impact in
the speaking world.
Together, we can reach evenmore people and make a bigger
difference.
So don't wait.
Take action now and share thelove.
Thanks for tuning in and getready for more exciting business
(26:35):
building tips in the nextepisode.
Popular Podcasts
United States of Kennedy
United States of Kennedy is a podcast about our cultural fascination with the Kennedy dynasty. Every week, hosts Lyra Smith and George Civeris go into one aspect of the Kennedy story.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com