NSA Virginia

NSA VA Communicator

A Newsletter for NSA Virginia

February 2013

In This Issue
Presidents Remarks
NSA Virginia Brings Home the Bacon
Want More Speaking Business in 2013?
Tools of the Trade
Save the Date: Upcoming Events
Welcome to Kg's Korner!!
January Workshop Sponsors
Be a NSA VA Sponsor
2013 NSA Virginia Board
Quick Links
 

 

Newsletter Coordinator:

We appreciate any comments, article submissions and other ideas.

 

Upcoming Workshops

 

Putting Polish and Pizzazz in your Next Presentation!

Friday February 15, 2013 from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM EST

Speaker: Patrick Donadio, MBA, CSP, MCC

Crowne Plaza Williamsburg At Fort Magruder

 

  

This Month in NSA Virginia: 

"Putting Polish and Pizzazz in your Next Presentation"

With Speaker  Patrick Donadio, MBA, CSP, MCC

Friday, February 15, 2013

From 8:00 a.m to 12:00 p.m.

 

The days of the talking head are over! Today's audiences are more sophisticated, more educated and more impatient--they want to be entertained as well as be informed. They are accustomed to watching television and expect a faster moving, more engaging presentation.

The secret to a powerful presentation is not just great content but how well you engaging the audience. By incorporating a variety of tools and techniques to keep the audience engaged, you not only keep their attention but also enhance the learning process. Come learn how to think like an entertainer and add pizzazz to your next presentation. Topics include:

  • Presentation Skills Inventory (Self-evaluation) to Identity Areas for Improvement
  • The Most Common Speaking Mistakes to Avoid
  • How to Plan What to Say - in Less Time
  • Nine Dynamic Ways to Open and Close Your Presentation
  • Ten Techniques to Engage and Connect with Your Audience
  • The Art of Story Telling
  • Using Audio-Visuals, Handouts, and Audience Involvement to Put Pizzazz into Your Presentation
  • Coach Donadio's Continuous Improvement Process (CIP) to Polish Your Skills

Click HERE to Register today!

 

Sponsored By:

 

Presidents Remarks:

Pam Rambo, Ed.D

NSA VA President 2012-13

 

The Great NSA Va. Annual Speak Off is Coming in April!

 

This year in NSA Va. we've participated in workshops provided by some of the hottest NSA thought leaders in the country. As a result, you are turning your vision into reality. You have created original stories and you are putting pizzazz in your presentation. You've calculated and communicated ROI for your clients. Sometimes funny things have happened to you on the way to the podium and lately, people say you've become contagious.

 

The great annual NSA Virginia Speak Off is coming in April and it is time to strut your stuff. Show us how you've grown this year. Give us bragging material. Make us green with envy. Make yourself proud. Compete for the coveted NSA Virginia Speak Off Medallion!

 

There are limited slots available for our April 19th competition. Register to be a speak off presenter by contacting Pam Rambo by March 10th. Get your slot now!

NSA Virginia Brings Home the Bacon:

Pam Rambo, Ed.D

NSA VA President 2012-13

Get your slot now!

NSA Virginia has a Professional Enrichment Group or PEG that meets after every meeting in the hotel restaurant immediately after each monthly workshop at 12:15. The purpose of the PEG is to allow members to share their challenges and success in an informal environment and to share solutions and information.

 

NSA Virginia's PEG has been meeting since September, 2012. The PEG was recently named, the Bacon PEG because the focus of discussion has been about bringing home more money (and those attending seem to also have an affinity for bacon). Meetings are usually attended by 10 -12NSA Va members and affiliates.

 

If you would like to enjoy lunch with your NSA friends at the next Bacon PEG meeting, sign up for the PEG when you register for the February NSA Va workshop in Williamsburg. The cost to participate is $5 (payable on when you register for the workshop) plus the cost of what you order from the menu on the day of the meeting.

 

Have questions about the PEG?, call Pam Rambo at 757-903-6511 or email her at [email protected].

Are YOU Being Seen?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The switch has been made and eSpeakers for the Virginia chapter and it is now LIVE on the NSA VA Chapter Website. Please take a moment to go to: http://www.nsavirginia.org/site/ , click the find a speaker link and search for your profile.  You will want to make sure that the most up-to-date information is appearing for your  potential clients to view.

 

If you have an espeakers profile and it is not showing please do the following: Login to your profile, be sure you have selected the Virginia Chapter as your NSA Chapter and send an email to [email protected] requesting you be added to the Virginia Chapter Website. If you cannot recall your eSpeakers password you will need to contact them directly at [email protected].

 

If you have not yet created your eSpeakers profile you can do so at no cost to you. You will need a Credit Card to activate your profile; however it will not be charged. . CLICK HERE to activate your eSpeakers profile today!

 

For more information, contact Jim Gordon (804)399-4444.

 

Tools of the Trade

By Dave Miles, NSA VA Publicity Chair

 

In this month's article, I wanted to highlight something that may be a benefit to you in your speaking, writing, and entrepreneurial career. Past articles have looked at online items such as innovative presentation/slide technology (www.Prezi.com), online training resource development (www.Mindflash.com), and webinar offerings (www.BigMarker.com). One item that you might want to consider adding to your bag of proverbial goodies if you already haven't is Dragon Naturally Speaking 12 'Premium' edition by Nuance (www.Nuance.com).

 

Unlike most of the other items showcased in the 'Tools of the Trade' articles, Dragon is a software package instead of a web-based offering. Dragon's speech recognition software allows you to use your voice to navigate through your computer, open and modify documents, send email, etc. All of these things are nice, but for speakers one of the big advantages is the ability to dictate to the computer - not only when sitting down brainstorming, but after a speech as well.

 

Dragon allows you to capture your voice on a digital recorder (recording your next speech), and it will transcribe it for you into a Word document. Think about some of the possible uses for this technology and be creative. Would talking out some of your newest ideas while on a long drive help save some time? Think about recording your next keynote and not only being able to edit the audio for use as a CD/MP3 product, but transcribing it into text for use as a "skeleton" to "flesh-out" for a new book based on your keynote topic. There are several great possibilities for this technology. You can go to this shortened link to see the Dragon software in action (http://bit.ly/WaSAZ9).

 

Of course, with everything good about technology, there are also some downsides to this as well. One thing is that there is a bit of a learning curve with the software in the initial setup. Another is that the software has to eventually learn your voice. This is done at first with the initial setup, but the software eventually 'learns' your voice the more you use it - which is recommended before using the dictation function from a voice recording of you. Also, if you are recording yourself in a speech to be dictated later by the software, you would be well ahead to mic yourself in to the digital audio recorder. This can be done directly with a lapel mic directly to the recorder in a jacket pocket, or with a wireless lavaliere mic to a digital audio recorder (or video recorder that you later strip the audio from with an editor). Either way, the better quality the audio, the better chance of success you will have with the software dictating your voice - plus better audio makes for better product to sell later.

 

So hopefully this month's tool will help you be more productive or get more done with previously unproductive time such as driving. If you have used Dragon Naturally Speaking before, I would love hear the good and the bad. Also, if you know of any other tools that would be helpful to fellow speakers, authors, and trainers here at NSA-Virginia, please pass them along to me at [email protected].

 

Thanks,

Dave

SAVE THE DATE

       Please note: As we strive to have the highest caliber of speakers, with that comes last-minute changes at times. Therefore, speakers and topics are subject to change. Watch your email for details on these meetings. Registrations for these workshops will be open soon! 

 

View Photos From Past NSA Virginia Workshops 

Welcome to Kg's Korner!!!

By Kittygayle McMoon, NSA VA Librarian

 

Here we are again.......a new year to fill!!! Wow! Time sure does fly when we're having so much fun; doesn't it?   Happy New Year NSA-Virginia!!!! May this be a most healthy, joyous, abundant, prosperous year for us all!!!!

 

First of all, let me publicly thank Monica Wofford for her generous contribution to our library of her book, "Make Difficult People Disappear"! What a delightful surprise!

 

(As your librarian, of course I feel obligated to read it first and check it out to see if you all would enjoy it and/or get any good "nuggets" out of it! {hee!hee!} So, it should be available, hopefully, by the Feb. 15th meeting.....)

 

Because this is such a wonderful & unique addition to our library, we have to insist that borrowers please return it in one month's time so others may enjoy it.

 

Speaking of "returning," once again, I send out my plea for you to search your closets, cars, CD collection to find our lost, "children," namely our missing CDs. I do wholeheartedly thank those who did just that and returned the six that came back at this month's meeting!!! (You should have seen the joyous reunion they had with all their friends!)

 

Now, for our current CD Selection.......

 

This month, I chose to review "The Public Program Option: Control Your Calendar, Make Monday (Money) and Market Yourself" by Linda Keith. (2010 NSA Winter Conference)

 

In this very useful CD, full of essential information, Linda Keith succinctly explains how she adjusts her public programs to successfully pay the bills, give excellent customer service and brings an otherwise "dry" topic to life, namely Tax Return Analysis. She has created a "niche" market both in topic and geography; she teaches us how to do the same.

 

Linda explains how she has adjusted her business, her fees and worked with her customers to, not only stay in business in these tough economic times, but to ensure her future business when her customers have more money to spend. She doesn't desert them in their time of need, nor will they desert her.

 

Her step-by-step description/instruction of how she has built her most successful speaking business for the last 20 years in the public speaking arena (and how we can do it, too) should be a very valuable addition to anyone seeking to do the same.

 

Being a speaker does not necessarily mean one has to earn his/her living only professionally speaking. Learning to be a speaker allows one to be even better at whatever it is one chooses to do in life. It enhances every profession out there. We have extremely valuable resources in our library that can help anyone, give you ideas, reassurance, hope and (if implemented/adapted) the ability to reach more people and reach more success in our own lives in our own professions, helping to make this a better world.........

"Do I have to?"

By Dick Olenych, Spectrum Printing

"Home of the Happy Printers"

 

 

I was told I had to write this article because I'm sponsoring our February meeting.

 

You know, I still get told what to do, a lot...even today. At 54, I thought I'd be the one telling people what to do by now. But that just ain't the case.

 

I've been married for 27 years and I have yet to tell my bride anything. She wears the big boy pants in our family. Actually I'm a little afraid of her. She's a... well she's...a kindergarten teacher for crying out loud!

 

Don't you remember mean old Mrs. Crabtree always making you stand in the corner, alone? That is until your make believe friend, Fluffy showed-up.

 

Mrs. Crabtree would wilt under my wife's stare. So, I dutifully obey my wife, every time she tells me what to do. Fear is an amazing motivator.

 

I digress.

 

I have a secret that not even Fluffy knows, but I'm going to share it with you. I like to write. I'm a WAS; a writer, author and speaker.

 

Giving me a pen and a clean sheet of paper is like giving Ron Chapman a microphone. You'll never get it back. He's kinda pushy like that don't you think? Him and his Sequoia side kick, Lumbering Tom.

 

I'm digressing yet again, huh?

 

I'm really an author first. But AWS didn't make sense, so I fudged a bit.

 

I wrote a book several years ago, "Joe Sails" and it won a couple of awards. It was in all the big box stores and I loved the accolades, don't we all?   I'll bring a bunch of copies to the February meeting and give'em out for free. Free's good.

 

Life got in the way during my second book, "the ladder part of our lives". And it took a very long time to complete. Plus it was a very tough write.

 

During that time I wrote a lot of articles, though. I can bang those out in my sleep. They're easier for me to write.

 

One time when I was on an elevator this stranger said to me, "I really like your articles." Wow! That was cool. I have my own groupies. Take that Brad Pitt.

 

Sorry. There I go again.

 

After my first book, I left Corporate America, there's no correlation, and I bought a printing company, Spectrum Printing, "Home of The Happy Printers". I was going to abbreviate the tagline to HTHP, but it sounds too much like a socially contracted disease.

 

I'm going to try and go national with it. Not the HTHP stuff, but TheHappyPrinters.com. Everything on our site is cheaper than Vistaprint. And I'll be launching another site soon called, www.WeBeatVistaprint.com. I like to poke the big guys sometimes. I'm hoping they sue me. Really.

 

This digression is crazy, huh?

 

My newest book is called "Joe Church" and I feel called to write it. It's about someone who bows their head on Sunday and screws you on Monday. It's a spiritual book. I'm approaching the half way mark. I've had a couple of restarts. Isn't that just like life?

 

I purposely deleted it a couple of times because I didn't like it. The words weren't right. And this is a big deal because it's dedicated to the person in charge. No not my wife. God.

 

It's because of all the writing that I'm here, a member of the greatest chapter in NSA. I want to make sure that I'm memorable in person if I ever make it big in writing.

 

Oh, I gotta skedaddle. My wife is telling me what to do, again.

 

 

 Dick Olenych owns Spectrum Printing in Virginia Beach, Va., and is the author of the business novels, Joe Sails and the ladder part of our lives. He's also a member of the Virginia Beach Rotary Club. He can be reached at [email protected] .

We Our NSA Workshop Sponsors!

By Liz Garrett, NSA VA Sponsor Chair

  
Workshop sponsors help keep our workshops affordable.  They increase the energy and involvment at the event.  They introduce us to new resources and opportunities.
  
Would you like to be a Workshop Sponsor to launch a new brand or service, or to let your colleagues know more about you?  Would you like to share this precious opportunity with one of your service providers, to give them a chance to impress our members?  Please do!  There are only a few sponsorshop opportunities remaining, so please email [email protected] immediately.

Workshop Sponsor benefits include:
*Two (noncompeting) per event
*exclusive right to put promotional materials and giveaways on guest tables in addition to speaker and NSA materials
*logo or company name projected on screen at meeting
*logo or company name published on email invitation and reminders, as well as event page of website
*sponsor receives 1 registration to workshop and display table at the event
*sponsor representative to be recognized at meeting (with introduction they provide)
*Can provide short article in newsletter (2 to 3 paragraphs)
Indicate your preference for Meeting Dates and Cities and we will try to accommodate (first come, first served).
 
15-Mar-13, Norfolk, Turning a Speaking Engagement into a Six Figure Relationship, Ron Karr, CSP &  President Elect of NSA National
19-Apr-13, Richmond, So you Think you Can Speak, NSA VA Speaker Competition (Members Only)
17-May-13, Williamsburg, Grow Your Business with the Growth Expert, Ed Robinson, CSP
21-Jun-13, Norfolk, Do it Well, Make it Fun and Laugh All the Way to the Bank, Ron Culberson, CSP and NSA President One Spot Available
NSA Board Photo! 

The NSA Va Board Winter Retreat was held at the Two Rivers Country Club in Williamsburg. Board members developed our strategic plan to prepare for our 2013-14 year and beyond.

  
2012 - 2013 Officers and Executive Board
 

LEADERSHIP TEAM

President- Pam Rambo
President-Elect- Jim Gordon
Immediate Past President- Coleen Kenny

Vice President- Ron Chapman
Secretary- Nancy Giere

Treasurer- Shirley T. Burke

Member at Large- Gloria Thomas

Member at Large for Planning- John Lewis

 

LOGISTICS TEAMS

 Chapter Growth:

Membership Chair- Joan Bowling
Hampton Roads Liaison- Cathy Lewis

Richmond Liaison- Barb Upchurch

Peninsula Liaison- Lori Hobson

Sponsorship- Liz Garrett
Publicity- Dave Miles

   Member Education:

ProTrack- Winston Bersch
Newsletter- Jayme Miles

Librarian- Kittygayle McMoon

 

CLICK HERE to VIEW their profiles and see contact information on the NSA Virginia Website.