our eye on the next horizon as well,”
says Esther Eagles, president of Eagles
Talent Connection, Inc.
“Right;now,;we’re;trying;to;figure
out how to deliver all of our content
on mobile devices, because it’s all about
staying one step ahead of what our
clients want.”
Snail Mail:
The Anti-Technology
Business professionals are heavily
reliant on digital communication, especially e-mail. Speak Inc.’s Gibbons
comments, “Email may be faster and
more;efficient,;but;it’s;led;to;a;tre-mendously saturated digital fabric. As
a result, pen and ink jump out at you
more than ever.”
When’s the last time you received
a personalized thank-you card in the
mail? Hand-written cards and letters
(not an obvious bulk mailing) make a
tremendous impact on a bureau when
you need to add the human touch and
get points for extra effort.
technology, but are they willing to
absorb the expense and complexity?” Bureaus might not be pushing
the option, but they are catering to the
requests of their clients.
“Virtual platforms seem to be more
effective when conveying information
rather than an experience. A conference may feature a satellite video feed
of a trainer for breakout sessions, but
they are still placing a live person on
the stage for the opening and closing
keynote presentations,” remarks
Patti Plough, RT, owner and CEO of
Speakers & Events-R-Us. “The hair
doesn’t stand up on your arms and you
don’t get goose bumps from watching a
video screen. Will they miss out on an
experience? Yes, but they get the gist.”
to keep people from checking their
e-mail;and;shuffling;papers;around;their
desk. You have to be far more engaging on a Webinar than in person if you
want to hold their attention—especially
with larger audiences.
Smith says, “I’ve signed up for
free Webinars before, but the emphasis
is generally on selling things rather
than providing valuable content.
They may promise seven tips, but
they are so general that you don’t get
anything useful unless you spend $100.
It’s annoying.”
DELIVERING PROGRAMS
Hologram Technology
Though practically all bureaus agree
that nothing will ever take the place
of a live presentation, there are plenty
of factors that enable a more effective virtual delivery. A British company,
Musion Systems ( www.musion.co.uk),
developed a system that delivers life-size;holographic;figures;with;full
motion and no latency between sound
and image. Using a high-speed Internet
connection, it is, quite simply, transforming the future of communication.
We’ve all seen it on Star Trek, so we
get the point. At the current juncture,
the technology is still cost prohibitive,
so it will be a while before 3D projections rival video through a projector or
on;a;flat;screen.
Brian Palmer, president of National
Speakers Bureau asks, “People do seem
to be really taken by the holographic
Video Webinars
Nothing is more boring than a monotone voice talking over PowerPoint®
slides. If you’re going to do a Webinar,
incorporate live video.
Engagement is key. Ask them questions, and make sure they are alive on
the other end. Deborah Smith, president of Deborah Smith Group, Inc.,
recalls, “I have a program that I turned
into a Webinar, but it’s challenging to
create a real connection with people. I
ask questions, no one answers, and we
don’t produce the results together that I
do with a live group.”
Go with a service such as Telenect
( www.telenect.com) where you can
appear on the viewer’s screen as part
of a live video feed. Develop a presentation with a heavy emphasis on
participation and interaction if you plan
ASK THE AUDIENCE
Peter Shankman delivered a live
program about Web 2.0 for the
American Marketing Association,
and started his speech with, “Who in
this audience is going to be tweeting
during the next 60 minutes?” About 25
percent of attendees raised their hands.
Theresa Beenken, vice president of
Global Speakers Agency, confesses, “I
used to be offended when I saw people
playing on their cell phones during
a speech. Now, twittering, emailing,
texting and blogging actually can
enhance the experience of sitting in an
audience.” In addition to hearing and
feeling a speech, we are able to interact,
digest and share the messages being
delivered.
Assuming it’s relevant to your topic
and will ultimately add value for the
audience, invite them to blog, tweet and
post updates regarding the presentation
as it unfolds. Scrap the idea if you are
unsure whether it will cause confusion
or be a distraction.
As a young punk who enjoys playing with the big boys, Jessica Kizorek straps on her high heels to speak about Internet video and keep up with the college students she teaches at the Miami Ad School. Kizorek is a regular contributor for CNN, and was nominated as one of CNN’s “Young People Who Rock.” She is the author of four books on digital media and speaking. The interviews and
quotes in this article were drawn from her newest book, Digitally Speaking. For more
information, visit http://jessicakizorek.com.
