From Podcaster to Pro Speaker at PodcampToronto 2011

Tomorrow, Saturday Feb. 26, I’ll share tips with Toronto’s leading multi-media, audio podcasters, vloggers, web show hosts and online content creators at podcamptoronto 2011. If you are in town, it’s a great event and I highly recommend it. Chris Brogan was one of the original founders of the event, and it is a true un-conference and a great learning fest for all concerned. Plus, I hear pub night is awesome. Registration is free, and you will find the networking is world class.

Today, I’m putting the finishing touches on the notes that I’ll share at Podcamp. To be honest, the notes are as much for me as they are for the audience. Since this is a special event, I will use the slides as ‘triggers’ or ‘prompts’ so I can figure out what I need to say or ‘riff’ on a topice until the next point or slide.

It also helps me to have the slides so I know what I’ve already covered and won’t miss key points or information that I’d really like to share. What I want to use the slides for is to avoid repeating myself, droning on about something that people don’t or won’t want to hear about, or have a public peri-menopausal ‘duh’ moment.

The slides will also help me remember stories that I think will help folks know what it’s like to get front of an audience, the kind of things they can expect, how to create good relationships with meeting or event planners, or ideas about topics or things they can do to start or kick-start their own speaking careers.

None of my ‘stories’ are ‘rehearsed.’ So if you heard me talk, I’d welcome your comments to tell me if they ‘flowed’ well into and out of the rest of the content.

If you want any more information or insights, or have suggestions for topics, please let me know.

Hopefully my talk will go as I hope it will, and everyone there will learn more about the world of professional speaking. If more people can become actively involved in charity, cause, event, educational, public and professional speaking with new, fresh, solid, thoughtful ideas, then all of us benefit in the long run.

And if folks can leave with more useful info than before they first walked into auditorium, and they enjoyed the time I’m ‘on,’ then that just makes my day.

Persuasive Speaker’s Kit

Keeping your speeches interesting is a consistant challenge for a professional speaker. While it’s important to have a practiced talk you’ll also want to mix it up with new, interesting and persuasive talks.

What’s included in the Persuasive Speaker’s Kit?

The speaker’s kit is a complete package of 2000 interesting topics, 12 research checklists and 6 speech outline templates. They are delivered instantly after order completion in pdf format.

Who’s It For?

The Persuasive Speaker’s Kit is for novice and experienced speakers alike. With this large resource of topics, checklists and outlines anyone can be up and running with a professional speech in no time.

The Cost: Just $9.95

How to Order:

To get your own copy of the Persuasive Speaker’s Kit click the link below and order now. You’ll get instant access:

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Trade Your Talents For a Free Cruise

~ By Daniel Hall It’s true!  You can trade your talents for free (or substantially discounted) luxury cruises. Cruise line management is very interested in keeping their passengers happy at all times.  This goal is a bit more challenging on days when the ship’s at sea.  To address this issue the cruise lines offer all manner of onboard activity.  Many of these activities are staffed by outside people who typically cruise free or at discounted fees paid to booking agencies.  One key advantage is the time commitment, which is generally minimal for those who are contracted (usually an hour per day on days when the ship’s at sea).

Also, most
outside contractors get to bring along a traveling companion who also cruises free.

You may consider whether you could trade your talents for free cruises.  To assist in your self-assessment here is a list of positions typically staffed by outside people:

Enrichment Lecturer:  Many cruise lines have formal enrichment programs that offer edutainment type programs in a variety of topics.  A majority of these programs use destination-driven lectures although many lines will also consider general interest topics.

Arts and Crafts Instructors: Craft classes are an onboard staple at sea.  Projects range from so called “high art” like watercolor classes to simple macramé projects.  Typically, the more popular classes are those that are also destination related, i.e. handicraft or folk art of one of the countries on the itinerary.

Dance Instructors: These classes too are often related to the destinations being visited, i.e., Line dances (Texas); Meringue (Dominican Republic); Salsa (Puerto Rico), Samba (Brazil), Tarantella (Italy) etc..  Obviously you must have happy feet and know your business, but there is much fun to be had.

Bridge Players: If you enjoy playing bridge and have a “knack” for it, you can spend a couple hours a day in the game room playing in exchange for your cruise.  Many times a requirement here is that your traveling companion must be ready, willing and able to sit in on a game should a pair need to be completed in order to play.

Gentleman Host: Single? Chatty? Happy feet? Impeccable manners? Gentleman will be expected to
appropriately entertain unescorted ladies on the cruise.   Dancing and polite company are the stock
in trade for this onboard position.

Computer Instructors: Many cruise lines are very interested in contracting with folks who can deliver a series of onboard computer classes.

The list does not end here.  Many cruise lines will consider any kind of tasteful and interesting activity.  In any event, trading your talents for free cruises is worth investigating further.

Daniel Hall, has cruised the world as an onboard speaker and is teaching others to do the same through his new program Speak on Cruise Ships: Eight Easy Steps to a Lifetime of Free Luxury Cruises

Get started cruising free at Speakers Cruise Free.