JOE SHERREN, CSP, HOF, GLOBAL
SPEAKING FELLOW, is an internationally
acclaimed speaker, trainer, and coach on
identifying thinking styles and communication
preferences, and improving management
effectiveness. He is past-president of the
Canadian Association of
Professional Speakers
and the Global Speakers
Federation. He is a national
best-selling author and
his latest book is iLead:
Five Insights for Building
Sustainable Organizations.
BY JOE SHERREN, CSP
MEDICAL
EVACUATION
INSURANCE
If you get sick or injured when you’re speaking in a different country, it can mean more
than just missing your presentation. It can be
complicated and expensive. I found this out
the hard way when I contracted a bad virus
in Dubai and needed to be transported to a
Canadian hospital. Thankfully, I had a medical
evacuation insurance plan.
When working abroad or on a cruise ship,
you may have access to your own health care
insurance, but that won’t cover transportation
home if something serious happens.
When evaluating medical evacuation insurance plans be sure to fully understand when
coverage is in effect, along with specifics of plan
coverage and limitations.
Most medevac policies coordinate and pay
for emergency medical transportation to get you
to a medical facility or return you home where
you can obtain medical care. Some provide language translation services to help understand
what the local medical team is saying.
The cost of a plan is based on your age,
length of trip, and optional coverages. An
annual plan is around $200 and a single-trip
plan costs between $45 and $68. This could
be tax-deductible for a speaker on an international assignment.
Go online to compare plans, get quotes,
and buy insurance from most major companies—plus, be sure to ask other speakers who
travel internationally about their experiences.
All travel insurance companies should include
a “free look” period with a refund that lets you
review the plan documentation.
WITHOUT A PLAN, GETTING HOME
WHEN YOU NEED CARE CAN BE A PAIN
Businesses overseas want content
speakers and want value for their
investment, such as immediately
usable tools for their employees and
clients. Having spoken in 58 countries,
I have found these to be the hot topics
conference organizers and companies
are seeking right now:
INCREASED VALUE: How to
increase sales, provide better customer
service, and use social media.
INCREASED EMPLOYEE
ENGAGEMENT: Tips on understanding
millennials and getting the best out
of them. Also, managing diversity
and working with different cultures
(including Americans).
EMBRACING CHANGE: How to
increase productivity and profits with
new and flexible ways of working
remotely, along with using technology
to make it happen.
HOW GLOBAL CHANGES WILL
IMPACT BUSINESS: What’s
happening in the rest of the world
politically, economically, and
technologically, that may affect their
business and how they can meet
these challenges.
FRANK FURNESS,
CSP, FPSA, GLOBAL
SPEAKING FELLOW, is
an internationally sought-after
sales and technology speaker and
social media presenter. His lively
and humorous style has inspired
audiences all around the world.
BY FRANK FURNESS, CSP , FPSA,
GLOBAL SPEAKING FELLOW
Global Hot Topics
DEVELOPING BETTER LEADERS:
How teams and businesses can
grow leaders who inspire and
challenge people to be their best.
PLUS, DON’T FORGET:
Clients everywhere want real-life examples that relate to their
business and environment. While
stories about Google, Uber, and
Southwest are interesting, they
aren’t relevant to businesses in
China. Outside the U.S., change
your stories and examples to
soccer and rugby instead of
baseball or American football.
