Key Takeaways from our March Chapter Event

The view from my seat…

President-Elect Jay Townsend welcomes the attendees of the March meeting.

Some speakers educate us on the finer details of the speaking business. Some speakers entertain us with their storytelling and mastery of their subject matter. A gifted few speakers know how to do both so seamlessly that you aren’t sure whether you are being entertained or educated. If you missed our March 8 NSA NYC chapter meeting, well then you truly missed out on some of the finest “edutainers” in the business.

For starters, the meeting was held at the historic Three West Club, which dates back to 1934. The ballroom was the most elegant site for our chapter meeting (more information: https://wnrc.org/history).

Once again, the meeting was run effectively and efficiently by our master of ceremonies Jeanne M. Stafford. She immediately challenged us with the thought-provoking question; “How do you warm up your audience?” This was a precursor to our keynote presentation to come.

Jeanne M. Stafford getting the show started!

Tony Chatman opened the speaking festivities with a concise and entertaining presentation on “Making Real Money with the Federal Government”. Tony covered all the basics including; DUNS numbers, NAICS Codes, SAM Registration and most importantly “Hot Topics” that might get you noticed (and paid) by the US Government. Who knew speaking to the government for fees was a possibility? Tony did and he shared some great tips on how to get started. Tony is a true edutainer.

Exceptional insights from Tony Chatman.

Next, we were introduced to our featured speaker, author, mother and Speaker Hall of Fame member Christine Cashen. “Christine is an authority on sparking innovative ideas, handling conflict, reducing stress and energizing employees.” She’s considered an expert in: Time Management, Interpersonal Communications, Stress Management, Teamwork, Creativity, Innovation and Conflict Management. Christine is also a very funny person and the essence of an “edutainer”.

Our incredible speaker of the month, Christine Cashen, CSP.

Here are just some of the tidbits Christine had to offer:

Make your speaking topics sexier and more exciting so your conference bookers will take notice and potential attendees will make your presentation their reason for coming to the show.
Get important people to see you. Invite local club influencers to come to your presentation. Invite bureaus, fellow speakers or potential corporate clients to your presentation as well. “You need to be seen!”
“Be human when you speak.” Don’t be “speaker person” (i.e. robotic, stiff, unapproachable, etc. Be relatable (funny doesn’t hurt).
Appreciate the conference organizer. Show the organizers you are easy to work with. Also, ask to work with the AV Department before the show and try to make their job(s) easier. “They can make you look (and sound) great or they can just let “stuff” happen.”
Warm the audience up before the presentation. Use games, current events (on the lighter side), thought-provoking questions, location humor, etc. to “get the audience on your side” before you even get into your subject matter. You can start with some simple yes/no questions to get the audience out of their own heads and into your topic.
Write your own introduction for the conference organizer. Control the narrative about who you are and what you do. Add some humor as well to make your self “real”.
Stay in touch with organizers post-show. Send thank-you notes in a timely manner and stay in touch. You never know where an organizer has an influence for you.
Don’t sell from the stage. Even if you are allowed, don’t be a pushy sales person trying to sell your stuff. The stage is for presentations.
Have a topic people want to buy. Make sure your presentation solves problems for attendees. Create a memorable experience.

Of course, there were more tips, tidbits and humor, lots of humor. A few paragraphs could never fully capture the essence of Christine Cashen. Which is why you have to attend NSA NYC meetings.

We then moved on to our book-of-the-month selection by our own Michelle Tillis-Lederman titled “The Connectors Advantage” which emphasizes how important it is to keep connected with your network of contacts. Michelle’s book explains the following:

Why relationships and connecting are critical to your results, success and even happiness.
Connectors have a way of thinking and action that enables stronger relationships.
How ANYONE can infuse these mindsets and behaviors into their interactions and see the impact.

More: https://michelletillislederman.com/books/the-connectors-advantage/

We loved hearing about Michelle’s new book!

As usual, John A. Demato handled all things photography as he always does. So while you didn’t attend the meeting you can see some of the photo highlights via John. John has a great headshot package for those in need at the May meeting.