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26 Essential Items for a Professional Speaker’s Carry-On Bag

admin — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 19:32:50 +0000

Be a Prepared Speaker with this List of Must-Have Items

February 2012

Over the years, I’ve done some public speaking, mainly to position myself as an expert in my field. In that time I’ve been exposed to a variety of challenging situations that required on-the-spot creativity and preparedness. Murphy’s Law comes into play with technical difficulties, poor time management by meeting planners and just plain bad luck. At times I wondered how to make the most of a dire situation and still deliver a professional presentation.

Orvel Ray Wilson has put together a list of items a speaker must have to prepare for the inevitable. He has graciously allowed me to share it with you. Orvel has made a name for himself as a speaker with his Guerrilla Selling series and now is coaching speakers. He’s worked with a several of my clients, helping them launch products and keynote speaking careers. Make his list a part of your speaking preparedness routine, and you may save the day for yourself or someone else!

26 Essential Items for a Professional Speaker’s Carry-On Bag

by Orvel Ray Wilson, CSP

After 30 years as a Professional Speaker, I presented a two-day Guerrilla Selling seminar recently in Nairobi, Kenya, where I was reminded of the importance of being self-sufficient on the road. Africa is like a whole other country, and it’s hard to find stuff. The same could be said of Lincoln, Nebraska. Every Professional speaker should take responsibility for their own comfort and equipment, and always be prepared for the inevitable catastrophe.

The Professional Speaker’s Gig bag should contain:

Your laptop computer
A dedicated power supply that stays in your bag. (I recommend the universal Targus AC70U.) Leave the factory version at your desk. That way you’ll never make the mistake of forgetting to pack it. And you won’t be too disappointed when you leave the universal one behind at a venue. You can always get another at Staples.
Your own PowerPoint controller (I highly recommend the Logitech Professional Presenter R800, which includes a green laser and a cool timer that vibrates to tell you when to shut the hell up.)
A small portable mouse (a cheap one works fine; you won’t be using it that much.)
Copy of your install disk for Microsoft Office for when you’re sitting in a FedEx Kinko’s at 2:00 AM and need that obscure printer driver.
A 4 gig flash drive for backing up your presentation, and another for using sneakernet to transport it between platforms. Better still, carry an extra backup in your pocket or purse. It will save your show when your laptop dies or is stolen out of the meeting room while you pee.
Portable travel alarm clock with a display that you can read from across the stage. (Try the free iPhone app NightTime for its big red-number display.)
Portable digital thermometer, to settle the argument between the hotel engineer and the whining guest who insists it’s too cold.
Fully loaded iPod, with royalty-free music that you can play during walk-in and breaks in your program, plus news podcasts, a movie and a favorite TV show or two.
iPod/iPhone USB connector cord and AC adapter/charger
A spare pair of Apple earbuds so you can listen on the plane
A stereo 1/8″ (mini) phone to 2 mono 1/4″ phone send return (insert) cable so you can plug the iPod directly into the sound system (write it down and ask the geek at Radio Shack).
Noise canceling headphones (I highly recommend the Bose Quiet Comfort 15′s. They sound great, and are a great comfort when stuck on a plane next to the inconsolably crying baby.)
Three or four spare AAA batteries to power your remote and headphones.
Package of 2 spare Duracell 12V batteries for the wireless mics, even when the hotel supplies them. When they go dead, it’s always in the middle of your show.
Package of Halls Honey Lemon Cough Drops (the Cherry ones make your tongue look weird)
Pack of chewable Pepto Bismo tablets
Package of Imodium AD (for when the Pepto Bismo doesn’t help)
Melatonin tablets. The absolute best herbal remedy for jet lag. Take two an hour or two before sleepytime.
Blindfold (for airplane sleepytime. Also handy for terminating unwanted conversations with annoying seatmates.) You can buy them in most airport shops, but they hand these out free in first class, so ask the cabin crew for one on your next long haul.
Copy of your room setup instructions. The hotel will have lost the one you sent ahead. Trust me on this. And carry a version in Spanish, for when you’re working in a Latin American city like Los Angeles or Miami.
Copy of your standard introduction, printed in 24 point type. Your introducer will have forgotten the one you sent ahead. Trust me on this too.
Color copy of your passport (and applicable visas)
Color copy of your drivers license (enlarged 2x)
A crisp $100 bill (series 2000 or later; some overseas hotels won’t accept the older ones). Hide it in a zippered pocket of your computer bag. This can bail you out of a lot of trouble almost anywhere in the world.
$100 in 20s for tipping the hotel housemen when you have ask them to reset the whole meeting room classroom style instead of rounds.

All this, and more, fits neatly in my IBM Thinkpad’s little backback. Not only has it saved my skin, but it’s rescued more than my share of other speakers as well.

Orvel Ray Wilson, CSP is a 30 year veteran of the platform, award-winning international speaker, and co-author of the legendary Guerrilla Selling series. Call him at 800-247-9145. Visit his website: The Guerrilla Group.

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Karen Saunders is the owner of MacGraphics Services, a unique graphic design firm for today’s entrepreneur. Get your copy of her free audio: Put the Bling Into Your Brand and free eCourse: 5 Deadly Design Mistakes that Could Kill a Sale and How to Avoid Them by visiting http://www.macgraphics.net/FreeStuff.php You can also contact her at 888-796-7300, or Karen@macgraphics.net.

Do your marketing tools focus on YOU or your PROSPECTS? Take a quick quiz!

admin — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 02:45:12 +0000

December 2011

A client pointed out that the projects my team and I create – websites, one-sheets, and other marketing tools – successfully “encapsulate” what the target audience really wants; they don’t simply describe the product or service being sold. In other words, the copy focuses on the benefits and results the target audience receives. I asked my team member Patrice Rhoades-Baum to address this idea. Patrice is a marketing consultant specializing in branding for solopreneurs and micro-businesses, and she’s an expert copywriter for websites and one-sheets.

Do your marketing tools focus on YOU or your PROSPECTS? Take a quick quiz!

By Patrice Rhoades-Baum

Decades ago, I learned this marketing maxim: Your customers are always listening to radio station WIFM: What’s In it For Me? It’s a well-worn phrase, but it’s right on the money.

Throughout my 30-year marketing career, I’ve held onto this adage like a touchstone in a pocket. Why? Because WIFM reminds me to focus on the prospects and their needs or challenges. WIFM reminds me to look for the top benefit or result that prospects receive, whether I’m branding a client’s business or writing copy for websites and one-sheets.

Remember: It’s about THEM. It’s not about you.

Weirdly, the key messages in your brand, on your website, and in your marketing tools shouldn’t place the emphasis on you, your services, or your products. Instead, the focus should be on the prospects’ needs and how your services and products meet those needs. For many solopreneurs, this is a 180-degree shift in thinking.

Why is benefit-driven copy important?

Copy that clearly states the top, resonating benefit helps prospects quickly connect the dots and answer their key question: “What’s in it for me?”

Example 1: Let’s say a corporate manager seeks a teambuilding expert, visits a consultant’s website, and sees this tagline: “We Are the Teambuilding Experts.” The prospect’s response: “Hmm, I know what this business offers, but can this consultant successfully address my challenge? I need to spend more time at this website – or go to another website.”

Example 2: The manager visits another consultant’s website and sees this tagline: “Create a Dynamic, Inspired Team of Leaders.” The prospect’s response: “I’ve landed at the right place! This consultant gets my immediate need – and my long-term goal. I’d like to learn more.”

Is your marketing copy YOU-focused? Take a quick quiz!

Go to your website and print out your Services page (or your Home page, a landing page, or an article you’ve written). Now follow these two steps:

Circle the words we and our in red, count them, and write down the number.
Circle the words you and your in blue, count them, and write down the number.

How did you do? Ideally, the words you and your appear more frequently than the words we and our. If not, rework sentences to shift the focus to the prospect.

Here’s an example:

WE-focused: We have provided reliable, award-winning products since 2003. Plus, we offer our customers 24×7 customer service.
YOU-focused: Since 2003, customers like you have turned to us for reliable, award-winning products. Plus, if you need assistance, our 24×7 customer-service reps are here to help you.

With benefit-driven marketing tools, your prospects will instantly grasp the top benefit without puzzling out “how does this relate to me?” And they can immediately answer their key question: “What’s in it for me?”

About Patrice Rhoades-Baum, Branding & Website Expert

Specializing in Small-Biz Branding and Expert Copywriting for Websites and One-Sheets

Backed by 30 years of strategic marketing communications, Patrice teams with professional speakers, authors, and consultants to clarify their brand and write copy for their new website and one-sheet. An expert copywriter, Patrice has been published in Fortune magazine. She is creator of the forthcoming product Nail Your Brand: A 5-Step System to Brand Your Business. Learn more at www.BrandingAndWebsites.com.

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Common Acronyms Used in Publishing, Printing, Design and Graphics

admin — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 23:18:33 +0000

November 2011

Common Acronyms Used in Publishing, Printing, Design and Graphics

Are you stumped by new acronyms that have suddenly as popped up and become part of the current lexicon in the publishing, marketing or advertising arenas? I’ve notice new acronyms are born whenever there is a new leap in technology, such as the emerging field of ebook publishing. Here are definitions of some common and newly coined acronyms you’ll be sure to hear about, if you haven’t already.

AI — Adobe Illustrator

A vector-based graphic file format developed by Adobe.

BMP — Bitmap

A raster-based file format.

CMYK— Cyan-Magenta-Yellow-Black

A four-ink color system used by printers to print full color images. This is “process color” printing.

CTP — Computer to Plate

A technology used in the printing industry. A desktop-published document is imaged directly onto a computer plate, skipping the film negative state.

DPI — Dots Per Inch

A measurement for gauging resolution in printing. In printing it refers to the number of dots placed in a line within one linear inch in a halftone image.

DRM — Digital Rights Management

A proprietary file encryption that helps publishers limit the illegal sale of copyrighted books.

EBOOK — Electronic Book

A book in electronic form. Ebook files have file extensions of .mobi, .prc, .pdf, or .epub.

EPS — Encapsulated PostScript

A graphics file format developed by Adobe.

EPUB — Electronic Publishing

A file format for electronic books and Web publishing. The Apple ipad tablet with the ibookstore app, the Sony Nook, and the Adobe Digital Editions application all use this format to open ebooks.

FTP — File Transfer Protocol

A standard network protocol used to transfer files from one server to another over the Internet. Very efficient and fast.

GIF — Graphics Interchange Format

A file format developed by CompuServe and is used for bitmap images used on the Internet.

HTML — HyperText Markup Language

Standard coding protocol used for formatting and displaying text and graphics on the Internet. This language is used in formatting ebooks now too.

ISBN — International Standard Book Number

A unique 13-digit book identifier. Publishers purchase a separate ISBN number from Bowker.com for each book and every format of that book.

ISSN — International Standard Serial Number

An 8-digit unique identifier for a printed or electronic periodical publication.

JPG — Joint Photographic Experts Group

A file format was developed by the this group to standardize compressed graphics files. Often used for images on the Internet, photos and large graphics.

LCCN — Library of Congress Control Number

A serially based system for numbering catalog records (books) in the Library of Congress.

MOBI — Mobipocket

A file format for ebooks used on the Amazon Kindle, Mobipocket Reader and other ereader devices.

OCR — Optical Character Recognition

Software that scans images of handwritten or typed words and translates them into editable text. It is widely used to convert printed books and other large documents into electronic formats.

PDF — Portable Document Language

A versatile file format allows you to view the document on a variety of platforms (Macintosh, PC, UNIX, etc) using the free Adobe Acrobat reader.

PHP — Hypertext Preprocessor

A scripting language used to create dynamic web pages

PMS — Pantone Matching System

A proprietary color ink system by Pantone. These premixed spot colors are used in the printing industry.

PNG — Portable Network Graphics

A file format for bitmap images that incorporates compression. It was created to replace the GIF format for Internet graphics and photos.

POD — Print on Demand

A printing technology that allows individual books to be printed one at a time, as they are ordered.

PPC — Pay Per Click

An Internet advertising model to direct traffic to websites. The advertisers pay the publisher (i.e. Amazon) each time the ad is clicked.

PPI — Pixels per inch

A measurement for gauging resolution in video or printing. In video it refers to spacing between the red, green and blue dots and in printing, it’s the number of pixels that appear in one inch.

PRC — Palm Resource Code

An alternate file format for ebook documents used on Amazon Kindle, Mobipocket Reader and other ereader devices.

QR Code — Quick Response Code

A square matrix barcode made up of little black and white squares. You’ll see them printed on products, marketing pieces and ads. When you use your smart phone to scan them, you’ll be taken to a website where a video or more information about the product or service is found.

RSS — Resource Description Framework (RDF) Site Summary

A family of web feed formats to publish updated works such as blogs, audios and videos.

SEM — Search Engine Marketing

A form of Internet marketing that promotes web page visibility in search engine results.

SEO — Search engine Optimization

The process of improving a webpage rank with search engines such as Google.

TIF — Tagged Image File

A format for raster-based images such as photos.

URL — Uniform Resource Locator

The address of a particular file or page on the Internet. It usually begins with http://www as in: http://www.macgraphics.net

XTML — Extensible HyperText Markup Language

An update of HTML which works as well or better than HTML, but has certain additional requirements in coding.

FROYO — Frozen Yogurt

Just seeing if you’ve read through the whole list!

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What to Consider When Buying a Desktop Scanner

admin — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 20:21:22 +0000

September 2011

What to Consider When Buying a Desktop Scanner

In this digital age most photos are created as electronic jpg files inside our cameras, but sometimes we need to scan old photos, drawings or paintings as digital images for projects. Currently we are designing the cover and interior or a biographical book. Many of the old photos we plan to use in the book were taken decades before the invention of the digital camera.

I would like to share some basic information about scanners so you know what to consider when buying a scanner. Some of our clients prefer to scan the old photos and give us the files.

Scanners are popular tools for doing desktop publishing and web design. You’ll find a wide range of scanners available—from a low-cost black and white hand-held variety to high-quality, professional color devices. For the highest quality, printers and service bureaus use expensive drum scanners. The high-quality scans they produce are required for high-end printing projects such as book and magazine covers, images for coffee table books, and advertisements. A skilled operator using a CCD (charge-coupled device) flatbed scanner can produce similar high-quality scans.

Optical Resolution

When determining which scanner to use for your work, look for optical resolution specifications. These are two numbers that indicate how many pixels per inch (e.g., 600 x 600 PPI) are scanned in each direction. (I suggest you ignore the interpolated resolution numbers—these are measurements made when the scanner inserts new pixels between scanned ones.)

How much resolution your scan needs depends on how you plan to use your scanned images. For example, photos for offset printing are usually scanned at 300 PPI. Line art (such as black and white pen and ink illustrations) for offset printing need to be scanned at 1200 PPI to ensure that the lines are smooth. Images to be printed on desktop laser or color inkjet printers are scanned at 100 to 200 PPI. Photos and line art for the Internet are scanned at 72 PPI while images for PC-PowerPoint presentations are 96 PPI. Text that will be converted to text characters (using OCR technology) are scanned at 300 to 400 PPI.

Eye-Popping Tip. Always scan your images at the final size you plan to use them. Do not enlarge your scans, as they will lose resolution.

Dynamic Range

Most flatbed scanners have a dynamic range of about 2.4. If you need to display better detail in shadow areas or you plan to scan negatives and slides, you may be better off using a top-quality color flatbed or drum scanner that can provide a dynamic range of 2.8 to 3.2.

Bit Depth

Most color scanners are at least 24-bit, which results in near-photographic quality in terms of the range of colors. Scanners that are 30-bit and 36-bit can capture billions of colors. I recommend these for scanning slides and negatives, but beware that few software packages can open these files. Note: Not all monitors can display 24-bit color. If you’re using an 8-bit (256-color) monitor, then a 24-bit image may look blotchy on screen.

Other Considerations

In general, CCD (charge-coupled devices) produce better scans than low profile, less expensive scanners. Make sure the scanning bed is large enough for your documents. Consider the scanner’s speed and determine if you need a slide adapter. Sheetfed scanners take up less room on your desktop, but you can’t scan a 3-D object or book using this kind of scanner.

An option that may come with a scanner and affect its cost is software. Yes, you will need to have photo-editing software (such as Adobe Photoshop) to create quality scans, especially from less-than-perfect originals.

Eye-Popping Tip: OCR (optical character recognition) software allows a scanner to read handwritten or printed text, then convert it into text characters that can be read by any word processing software. OmniPage and Text Bridge are examples of two OCR software programs.

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Karen Saunders is the owner of MacGraphics Services, a unique graphic design firm for today’s entrepreneur. Get your copy of her free audio: Put the Bling Into Your Brand and free eCourse: 5 Deadly Design Mistakes that Could Kill a Sale and How to Avoid Them by visiting http://www.macgraphics.net/FreeStuff.php You can also contact her at 888-796-7300, or Karen@macgraphics.net.

2011 Colorado Independent Publishers Association EVVY Book Awards

Karen Saunders — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 01:41:40 +0000

My client Mike Gannon took home 3rd Place in the Inspirational and Memoir categories for his book If These Ears Could Sing at the 2011 Colorado Independent Publishers Association EVVY Book Awards banquet last night. Melanie Mulhall edited the book, Kerrie Lian designed the interior and I designed the cover. Mike Gannon and Jeri Costa flew in from Reston, Virginia to attend the banquet last night. We had a fabulous time supporting and cheering on Mike as well as Melanie, who took home a 1st Place Editing Tech Award for Called: Women Hear the Voice of the Divine by Gretchen Kloten Minney. Congratulations to all the winners!

Me, Jeri, Mike, Melanie

www.OfficialLawOfAttraction.com

The Yellow Brick Road Map to the Book Production Process

Karen Saunders — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:45:27 +0000

January 2011

The Yellow Brick Road Map to the Book Production Process

Are you publishing your first book? Congratulations! Would you like a road map to show you the steps to go from manuscript to a professional, printed book or ebook listed on Amazon?

Over the years of designing books for independent publishers I’ve recognized first-time publishers could use a quick reference guide on time frames, tasks they are responsible for, and how to work with contractors such as editors, designers and printers.

I created an easy-to-follow 10-page guide with checklists of action items, standard time frames, an overview of the design process, and where to obtain important items (such as ISBN and LCCN numbers) on the Internet.

This guide will help you become familiar with your role as the general contractor; what to do yourself, and when you should consider hiring a subcontractor. I also have links to important websites you need to access during the publishing process.

Learn how to save time and money, in what order to do certain tasks, what to avoid, and what you absolutely must never forget to do if you want a professional book.

For a limited time only, The Yellow Brick Road Map to the Book Publishing Process is only $10.

You can purchase and immediately download the PDF file from my website. Just click this link:

http://www.macgraphics.net/book-cover-design.php

and scroll down the page until you see this Yellow Brick Road Map graphic:

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Karen Saunders is the author of Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools! Learn more about her book and get free instant access to her eCourse: 5 Deadly Design Mistakes that Could Kill a Sale and How to Avoid Them, and audio class:  Put the Bling Into Your Brand at www.macgraphics.net/