Recently, I set about a plan to record devotionals. I don't have a recording studio I can access, nor do I have a so-called desk studio in my home. The high-value, low cost shock mount mic is still at the local music store. My subscription to Voice 1-2-3 remains fun to watch, and the only mixer I have access to is made by Sunbeam.
What's a speaker and budding recording artist to do??
Use your imagination. With that very thought in mind, I picked up my smartphone, swept my app screens to the left and stopped on the Voice Recorder. A gentle tap, the app opened, I tapped record and started talking. Problem was...I was in the house. Family, neighbors, animals and all manner of noisy life tend to ignore the sign on your head that says ON AIR.
I was forced to retreat to the only available haven for peace, the only retreat for solitude...my Bronco. That's right. A classic, 1995 Ford Bronco (351 V-8, Cleveland Block, just sayin') was calling my name and beckoning me to slide behind the wheel and go for a ride. Don't know if you've ever sought peace and quiet in a Bronco. I'll say this: Peace - a state of mind - is possible. Quiet - a state of noise - is not.
This is where imagination came to the rescue. My thought was why not make this devotional series real and raw? Forget the sterility of a studio with its sound engineers and 256 track board! Forget the desk studio and the eggcrate cone of silence! I say give me hundreds of ponies under the hood, and ambient sound that would make Mad Max proud!
My first Bronco Devotional turned out to be quite a success. The mic on the smartphone (samsung, android) is actually pretty good. There was never a time that I had to wonder what it was I said because the entire 12-minutes was clear as a bell! I converted it to MP3 and had a keeper. The road noise actually added an interesting backdrop and lent an edge of authenticity to my remarks. No script while driving. You either know the material or you don't.
Recall when those TV shows began to use a camera that seemed to move all over the place? I think it was NYPD Blue that broke the ground for that trend. After feeling an initial irritation, I realized the genius behind the ploy; I concentrated all the more on the center of the frame. And so it is with the Bronco Devotionals - listeners pay close attention to the 'center' of the sound.
Want to record for an audience? Want to podcast? Want to burn to CD for giveaway or sale? Get your imagination involved and create opportunities! If you want to succeed, you will. If you want to make excuses...you will. Don't make excuses, make successes. The recording studio is where you choose. Turn on your mic, but first turn on your imagination.
Fearlessly,
JD
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Arrive Early...Stay Late
Arrive early, stay late. Not just a recipe for getting the most out of a baseball game, this is the recipe for delivering a speaking homerun!
I learned the truth of this adage years ago when I was scheduled to roll out a new record retrieval process to my company's client, a national insurance company. As is my habit when unfamiliar with a company's location, I arrive in the area as much as an hour early if time permits. It is important to avoid unnecessary distractions prior to speaking, and feeling rushed is the easiest distraction to eliminate. On this particular day, I was about thirty minutes early to the assembly.
Arrive Early
As the Southeast Regional Sales Manager it was my job to be the face of the program, and to answer any questions the affected insurance company staff might have. The paralegals tasked with record retrieval in defense of personal injury claims were my audience that day, and about 50 were scheduled to be in attendance. By arriving early I was able to meet with the lady who organized the gathering. She provided invaluable insights as to the general mood in her office regarding the change in procedure her company was undertaking.
After chatting for about ten minutes, I was shown to the auditorium where I would speak. She briefed me on their sound system, gave me the mic to use, showed me how to use their overhead projector, and the entrance the paralegals would use. All that was left was to walk the room and get comfortable with the stage, which I did.
Five minutes prior to the start of the meeting paralegals began to trickle in. As they did, I was able to engage them individually, learn their names, and (this is important) not discuss the whole point of the meeting. Why not mention it? Well we were about to spend 45 minutes discussing the new procedures with a Q&A to follow. But I wanted the audience to view me as a person with whom they could relate; someone there to make their life easier rather than as a bureaucrat with an agenda.
I was able to meet, greet, and discover personal information about five of the paralegals, and as an added bonus these five professionals sat with other of their colleagues. This gave me five 'friends' spread across the room. During my remarks I was able to personalize the new procedures by noting how they would help Bob or Nancy, for example, do their job. For a laugh I poked fun at the guy who graduated from a college known to be a rival of my own school. Because of the pre-meeting interaction the atmosphere was lighter and the new procedures were more readily embraced.
Stay Late
Having been in the audience of many Q&A sessions, I can tell you that all the Q's don't get A'd. Plan your allotted time for the speaking engagement so that you can hang around afterwards for at least ten minutes. It is not necessary to reserve twenty or thirty minutes. Being available for just ten minutes afterwards shows a commitment on your part to the people who are expected to implement the process, procedure, or program you have just introduced.
The good news keeps coming. If unable to give adequate attention to the remaining questions, you can schedule face-to-face follow up meetings with smaller groups on or offsite the company campus. If interest warrants you may also address the entire assembly again, further cementing your position as the subject matter expert and reliable partner in the new program.
Now think about 'Arrive Early, Stay Late' in terms of a paid speaking gig....
Bearing in mind the strategies above, by arriving early and staying late at a paid gig, you reinforce your fees, increase back-of-the-room sales, and solidify your relationship with the client. Word of mouth with Event Planners affiliated with the gig talk, and the talk will be about your willingness to go above and beyond for their clients. It will be noted that you are a true professional, and your business will increase accordingly. Arrive early, stay late. Be the professional other professionals can count on.
Fearlessly,
JD
I learned the truth of this adage years ago when I was scheduled to roll out a new record retrieval process to my company's client, a national insurance company. As is my habit when unfamiliar with a company's location, I arrive in the area as much as an hour early if time permits. It is important to avoid unnecessary distractions prior to speaking, and feeling rushed is the easiest distraction to eliminate. On this particular day, I was about thirty minutes early to the assembly.
Arrive Early
As the Southeast Regional Sales Manager it was my job to be the face of the program, and to answer any questions the affected insurance company staff might have. The paralegals tasked with record retrieval in defense of personal injury claims were my audience that day, and about 50 were scheduled to be in attendance. By arriving early I was able to meet with the lady who organized the gathering. She provided invaluable insights as to the general mood in her office regarding the change in procedure her company was undertaking.
After chatting for about ten minutes, I was shown to the auditorium where I would speak. She briefed me on their sound system, gave me the mic to use, showed me how to use their overhead projector, and the entrance the paralegals would use. All that was left was to walk the room and get comfortable with the stage, which I did.
Five minutes prior to the start of the meeting paralegals began to trickle in. As they did, I was able to engage them individually, learn their names, and (this is important) not discuss the whole point of the meeting. Why not mention it? Well we were about to spend 45 minutes discussing the new procedures with a Q&A to follow. But I wanted the audience to view me as a person with whom they could relate; someone there to make their life easier rather than as a bureaucrat with an agenda.
I was able to meet, greet, and discover personal information about five of the paralegals, and as an added bonus these five professionals sat with other of their colleagues. This gave me five 'friends' spread across the room. During my remarks I was able to personalize the new procedures by noting how they would help Bob or Nancy, for example, do their job. For a laugh I poked fun at the guy who graduated from a college known to be a rival of my own school. Because of the pre-meeting interaction the atmosphere was lighter and the new procedures were more readily embraced.
Stay Late
Having been in the audience of many Q&A sessions, I can tell you that all the Q's don't get A'd. Plan your allotted time for the speaking engagement so that you can hang around afterwards for at least ten minutes. It is not necessary to reserve twenty or thirty minutes. Being available for just ten minutes afterwards shows a commitment on your part to the people who are expected to implement the process, procedure, or program you have just introduced.
The good news keeps coming. If unable to give adequate attention to the remaining questions, you can schedule face-to-face follow up meetings with smaller groups on or offsite the company campus. If interest warrants you may also address the entire assembly again, further cementing your position as the subject matter expert and reliable partner in the new program.
Now think about 'Arrive Early, Stay Late' in terms of a paid speaking gig....
Bearing in mind the strategies above, by arriving early and staying late at a paid gig, you reinforce your fees, increase back-of-the-room sales, and solidify your relationship with the client. Word of mouth with Event Planners affiliated with the gig talk, and the talk will be about your willingness to go above and beyond for their clients. It will be noted that you are a true professional, and your business will increase accordingly. Arrive early, stay late. Be the professional other professionals can count on.
Fearlessly,
JD
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