WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
Casting a reality check on real-world conundrums
I would tell them that I consider
the actual slides to be proprietary, and I’d be happy to provide
them with the handout of the
presentation. My handouts contain bullet points and phrases
from the actual presentation,
reference sources and other information, and include lined areas
for notes. When you offer to provide the handout, even for people
who didn’t attend, they have a
hard time arguing that it’s not the
actual PowerPoint®.
—Stephanie Angelo, SPHR
Chandler, Ariz.
Let it Slide
As a speaker, trainer
and consultant, I believe
the more attendees
use my ideas, the more
likely they will book
me again. During every
presentation, I o;er to
e-mail my complete
program workbook so
they can share my ideas
with their team. My only
requirement is that my
name must be attached
to any idea used. In 28
years, no one has ever
taken advantage of me
or ripped o; my material.
I can identify numerous
companies who later
hired me stating how
impressed they were
with my openness and
sharing. This philosophy
has contributed to over
90 percent of my clients
booking me more than
once.
—Jim Pancero CSP, CPAE
Minneapolis, Minn.
Why aren’t speakers loading their
slides voluntarily onto places like
Slideshare to add value and share
information more freely? Posting
your slides, letting the client
record your presentation for a
podcast, or uploading a video of
the presentation will only help
your message linger and bond
you to your clients. They won’t
forgo hiring you for a conference next time because they
can gather around and listen to
your podcast and click through
your slides! I recommend every
speaker read Jeffrey Jarvis’s
What Would Google Do? This will
change your outlook on hoarding
your slides and knowledge!
— Gina Schreck, CSP
Littleton, Colo.
This is tricky because
speakers are told that
“the more you give
away, the more business
you get.” Giving away
proprietary material,
however, can get out
of hand. I always o;er
to send attendees an
overview of my material,
and if they want more
detailed information, I let
them know it is available
in any of my books on
the subject. In this way,
I don’t turn them down
;at, but I’m not giving
away material that
should be paid for.
—Stevie Ray
Minneapolis, Minn.
The groups you speak to are constantly
requesting copies of your slides to
distribute to their attendees. Audience
members also are asking you to e-mail
your slides to them for “reference” or
to share with their team. How do you
handle these requests? What would
you say or do?
What Would You Do? is a regular column that presents a real-life dilemma faced by professional speakers. NSA members are encouraged to submit a dilemma for possible discussion in this column. Please submit dilemmas to ethics@
nsaspeaker.org. NSA reserves the right to edit submissions for length and style. All dilemmas will be anonymously
attributed. Opinions expressed are those of the individual respondents, not NSA.
