Speaker - March 2008

Quips, tips and parting shots

Qualified Here are 12 questions you should independent ask someone doing work for you to co_ntractor?determine if the person is truly qualified as an independent contractor:

What do you charge to speak for 54minutes?

“Okay, in your case we’ll make an exception and pay you on time.” —book publisher who never has paid on time

“Paying these royalties is a real hassle.”

—same book publisher

“Instead of hiring a speaker we decided

to spend our money on ice sculptures.”

—meeting planner

“I know you’re a better speaker, and that your content is better, your materials are better and your fee is lower, but I decided to use an out-of-state seminar company because my boss will approve it without asking any questions.” —training manager

“I want you to send me a proposal with complete descriptions of all of your workshops, a resume, your client list for the past five years, a dozen testimonial letters and a fee schedule. I’ve got 21 proposals so far and I want to collect 25.” —training department rookie

“You ask too many questions. You’re not supposed to figure out that this is illegal.” —small-business owner who was told, “No deal.”

1 Who has the right to control the activities of the person?

2 Who supplies the tools of the trade?

3 Who provides the workplace?

4 What costs are borne by the worker?

5 Can the worker profit from his/her skills?

6 What special skills are required? Do you train the worker?

7 Is the relationship long-term vs. short-term?

8 Is the service he/she provides part of your business?

9 How are payments made?

10 Does the worker get fringe benefits?

11 Does the worker see himself as an independent contractor? Do you see him/her that way?

12 What is the custom in the industry?

“I save all the invoices in a drawer and
every four or five months I go through
the stack to approve them.”
—training manager

Source: Steve Kaye, www.stevekaye.com

Source: Adapted from Francine Ward’s “Litigation Landmines: Legal Pitfalls Every Speaker Should Avoid!” www.esteemableacts.com

Cropping: It’s All in the Eyes

Next time you have your headshot taken, leave room for cropping. “Have your photographer shoot so that you have options,” says Eric Weber of Denver, Colo., who took this shot of me and merely cropped it differently to

give each print a different feel and mood. A crop can make you appear to be leaning in and a tilt comes off as friendly, accord- ing to Weber.

His rule of thumb for the eyes: Always crop so that the eyes are in the upper third of the picture. “You want the viewer’s eyes to travel somewhere. If your eyes in the photo are dead center,

the reader’s eyes don’t go anywhere. You come off as static, posed and, well, boring,” Weber explains. You can hear more photogra- phy tips from Eric Weber on the March edition of Voices of Experience, NSA’s monthly audio magazine.