Speaking 101: 5 Speaker Fails You Need to Avoid

As the role of thought leadership continues to gain importance in generating new business opportunities, speaking opportunities are becoming more essential to building a brand. The problem? The demand for speakers is greater than ever - even with the number of events, webinars, podcasts, etc. on the rise.

In other words, every opportunity is equally as important in establishing your speaking cred. If your audience isn’t engaged, you’re failing them and also limiting your scope for future opportunities.

Here is a list of the top five most common fails that you, as a speaker, need to avoid:

1. Misreading or not recognizing interest - Don’t fret if you only see the tops of people’s heads. “Old school” speakers might tell you to measure interest by the number of people who are making eye contact with you. However, in this digital age, keep in mind that your most engaged audience members are rapidly tweeting out your content as you speak. (So don’t ask people to turn off their phones, and try to create “tweetable” quotes!)

2. Not being involved in conversation on social media - Set yourself apart by taking part in the conversations occurring online and networking with other attendees ahead of time. This can help cultivate interest and drive attendance at your panel or session - especially important for those public speaking opportunities that have concurrent sessions.

3. Reading PowerPoint slides or notes verbatim - Don’t do it. As digital storyteller Christina Green states, “If you don’t know the topic well enough to discuss it without reading, you’re probably not the best person to lead the discussion.” #Truth

4. Not knowing your audience - Sure, you can up-cycle parts of your old presentations. Since every audience has different needs and concerns, you should still be personalizing the content for each audience. Make sure what you have to share is actually applicable; otherwise, you’re wasting their (and your) time.

5. Using too much ‘marketing speak’ - As mentioned above, know your audience - but also know how they speak. Most people want to be spoken to in easily digestible terms, save the small percentage of “C-Suite who are are still quoting management books from the ‘80s.”

There you have it! Take these insights into consideration as you plan your next presentation, and become a better, more conscious and more engaging speaker that people will rave about.

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FOR THE FULL LIST OF 11 SPEAKING FAILS TO AVOID, CLICK HERE.

Event Spotlight: B2B ESP Predictive Intelligence Summit

B2B ESP

757 MARKET STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CA

THURSDAY, JULY 14TH, 2016

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The party doesn’t end July 4th. Join us and the industry leaders in B2B marketing & sales at the July 14th B2B ESP Predictive Intelligence Summit. Be sure to REGISTER NOW before prices increase!

B2B ESP is a forum for professionals responsible for fueling the growth engines of the largest enterprises and the fastest growing SaaS companies. Hosted by 6sense, this summit provides the opportunity for peers to share how they make sense of their customer data and use predictive intelligence to capture demand, build pipeline and grow their business.

Hear from C-level speakers from:

Girl Rising

Dell

LinkedIn

Forbes

Cisco

Oracle

NetSuite

SiriusDecisions

Xactly

and many more as featured on the event website.

"B2B ESP will examine the impact of connecting data across channels with 100% visibility into buyers," says CEO and Founder, Amanda Kahlow." Our vision is to continue to deliver the industry's premier predictive intelligence event, where the best minds in business architect ways to change how businesses interact with prospective customers. We're in an exciting era when every industry and every sector has the opportunity to transform to meet the needs of the market."

REGISTER NOW to secure your spot! (and use code credPR25 to get 25% off your tickets)

Event 101: 3 Essentials for Event Venue Selection

The standard convention layout is changing—and event planning agencies are looking for venues that provide experiences beyond the event itself. Aside from budget, number of attendees, and the type of event, there’s a lot to think about.

To help you break through the crowd and ensure your guests have nothing to complain about, here are three essentials to consider when selecting a venue:

1. Flexible space - The demands of your guests are going to vary, and you can only anticipate so much. However, at the basic level, all event spaces should have areas that provide privacy, places to comfortably network prior to the event, and depending on the industry, spaces to work. This means if your guests need to check their emails or social media during the event, you will need to consider having Wifi readily available too.

2. Connectivity with the destination - Remember: it’s also about the experience beyond the event and beyond the venue. If your host destination has something special or unique to offer, incorporate it into the event somehow. Food is the easiest, but be creative! Music, art, activities - the world is your oyster. Providing a list of pre and post-convention activities is always appreciated too.

3. Location - On the topic of cool destinations, location is everything. Choosing a convenient location—something that differs between events - can really help leave a good impression on your guests. If many attendees are from out of town (or the state), choose a venue close to places that will accommodate them for the night. Consider parking too.

On top of the content of the event, making everything seamless and convenient for your attendees is key to ensuring your success. If this means putting up a few extra 8x11 signs to point them in the direction of the check-in area, do it. It can also give you a get-out-of-jail-free card if other aspects of your event don’t work out according to plan.

For more venue tips, check this article out.

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Need help planning your future events or conferences?

Get in touch on Twitter @credpr

Or email us: events@credpr.com.

Speaking 101: 5 Tips for Writing A Great Bio

“[A bio] is a vehicle for quickly communicating who you are and what you do.”

- Jörgen Sundberg, Founder & CEO at Link Humans

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Whether it’s for the About Me on a company website, public speaking opportunities, or a personal social media account, an interesting bio makes all the difference. Why? Because many of us suffer from information overload and are already quick to ignore repetitive, uninteresting, or too-lengthy content.

To get you started, we’ve compiled a list of five tips for writing a great bio:

1. Avoid writing in first-person (exception: social media accounts, which are conventionally less formal). For professional bios, refer to yourself in third-person.

2. Use plain English. It can be easy to forget that the rest of the world doesn’t speak your industry’s language. Numbers are great to use, as it’s important to quantify your accomplishments, but don’t try to get too fancy with your word choice. Keep it simple.

3. Watch the length. Again, we live in a content-saturated world. Save the entire list of accomplishments for your resume (well, even there, be careful) and only include necessary, relevant information that makes people want to know more, write an article about you - or ask you to speak at their event! (See: "How long should my bio be?")

4. Know your audience. Important to consider when planning a presentation or speech at an event, knowing your audience is also key to writing a successful bio. For instance, when submitting a proposal to speak at conferences, you should cater your bio to who’s going to be in attendance. Feature the facts that are most relevant.

5. Keep it professional. Talking about college and graduate school degrees, charitable activities, and passions is okay. Some people even recommend sharing personal aspects of your life in your bio. We say that’s fine—as long as you keep it minimal. And if it’s really personal, make sure to relate it to how your character has been shaped or demonstrate why it is so impressive. For instance, one of our clients grew up below the poverty line and moved more than 22 times before turning 18. In spite of this, she still went on to found not one, but two successful companies. Now THAT’S something worth mentioning.

What do you think is the most important thing to consider when writing a bio? 

Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Find the full article here!

Rocking with Mayfield at Off the Record

Studio Trilogy - San Francisco, California

Taking place for the first time at Studio Trilogy, Off the Record with Mayfield was a night filled with good vibes and energy. We welcomed over 70+ entrepreneurs for a full day of songwriting workshops and sweet jams.

Mayfield’s vision was to create an atmosphere where invitees could step out of their element and let loose with a 2 hour songwriting workshop. Featuring musical talents like Eoin Harrington, Peter Chung, and Mayfield’s own Tim Chang who rocked the workshops with eclectic views on the synergy between songwriting and starting your own business. For the songwriting session, participants used the “Cut Up” technique, which can be a really fun way of creating unique lyrics without having any previous experience.

The 3 teams then hit the stage and took over the crowd with their own hit singles. From rap verses, to sultry female vocals, and guitar solos it was definitely a night to remember. Friends and colleagues from Mayfield’s network were invited post-workshop for drinks, networking and to cheer on the pumped up performances.

Check out some of our favorite scenes from the night above and be on the lookout for our next event!

Need help hosting your next event? Contact events@credpr.com.

3 Take-Aways From The Digital Growth Summit

May 20th, 2016 - Sunnyvale, CA

Last Friday, cred attended Digital Growth Summit, hosted by MediaLeaders at the Silicon Valley Moffett Towers in Sunnyvale, CA. It was an intimate event, with 35 Digital Leaders from Facebook, Lending Club, Sprinklr, Visa and more discussing tips and tricks, actionable takeaways and real-use cases over the course of 10 compelling themes.

We noticed three key themes prominent in the discussions around Digital Marketing:

1. Make your organization customer-focused. In discussing CRM Best Practices, LiveRamp’s Lindsay Chastain, stressed the importance of making your of data standardization in order to deploy a CRM strategy successfully.

2. Create content that audiences want to consume. Highlighting Instagram and Snapchat, the panelists highlighted the importance of useful content:

• Case of success: Gatorade released a Superbowl filter on Snapchat that received 160 million impressions, demonstrating the powerful combination of perfect timing, smart platform usage, and innovative consumer engagement.

• Case of misuse: Snapchat’s release of a Bob Marley filter.

3. Be authentic. Be your own toughest critic. While sharing Influencer Campaign Best Practices, Oliver Roup of VigLink emphasized authenticity in campaigns and why companies need to keep content standards high. It can take just one post that feels inauthentic, for instance, a product placement, to drive audiences away.

About MediaLeaders

MediaLeaders hosts Digital Growth Summit events that unite thousands of marketing, advertising and technology professional in LA and San Francisco. From these events, the MediaLeaders team stays on the bleeding edge of word-of-mouth marketing and they use this as their “secret sauce” to coach clients and advise brands on how to connect with their customers.

Introducing the Knowledge LUMAscape

*Shared from LUMA Partners Blog

Digital media and marketing is a complex, dynamic and often convoluted space and the continuous disruption has created significant opportunities in the market. LUMA is committed to help foster better comprehension of this complex sector with the infamous LUMAscapes that are created to help map the key players in each channel. 

Understanding the ecosystem is essential for all constituents from markets to agencies, publishers, tech intermediaries and investors. The knowledge landscape is LUMA Partners newest attempt to map these various 'knowledge' sources. It can be used an an invaluable tool to all constituents by presenting the key players in each discipline broken out below.

Check out some of the newest disruptors and see how the familiar tech giants are evolving. An exciting space to watch! 

Event Spotlight: Applied AI Conference

APPLIED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CONFERENCE

44 TEHAMA STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CA

WEDNESDAY, MAY 25TH, 2016

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Interested in learning how applied AI is changing the way people connect, work, and live? We’ve got the event for you! Come learn from the experts at the Applied Artificial Intelligence Conference, hosted by Bootstrap Labs.

hackers.ai brings together entrepreneurs, business leaders, researchers, and investors committed to empowering future generations with shared resources, knowledge, and networks in the field of applied AI. Their belief is that “innovation and progress will happen at an accelerated pace in all corners of the globe and that bringing people together around their shared passion for AI will drive positive impact in our world.”

Speakers include Head of Machine Learning at Uber, Founder at SignalFire, Data Science Manager at AirBnB, and Founder of AltaVista, who will be covering topics like smart cities, eHealth, virtual assistants, the connected home, and more.

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Register today with the code ‘AAI16tech20’ for a 20% discount!