The Speakers Group launched the ROI Speakers division about a year ago to help meeting planners and business executives maximize the value of their speaker engagements and generate a higher ROI by going “beyond the keynote” with follow-up content such as breakout sessions, webinars, articles, trainings, teleseminars, etc.

“Phase One” of ROI Speakers was largely philosophical or strategic in nature — helping clients shift from agenda-based speaker bookings to results-based speaker bookings. In other words, encouraging clients to look at the desired end result — “to increase sales,” for example — and working backward to create a speaker engagement that would create the desired outcome.

To really move the performance needle, a keynote by even the best speaker is not enough. Once the initial message has been set forth, follow-up material — via something as simple as an article series or as complex as a year-long consulting engagement — is necessary. This has not always been the practice of meeting planners, though.

The newly introduced SixOnSelling initiative is the beginning of “Phase Two” of ROI Speakers — a more tangible application of the results-based philosophy. Exclusively serving corporate sales executives, SixOnSelling makes the content of six top thought leaders on selling and/or sales management available in a variety of formats to help these sales leaders achieve their sales objectives.

Robert Thompson, author of The Offsite: A Leadership Challenge Fable, has over three decades of executive coaching, speaking, and most importantly, real-life, in-the-trenches business experience, and he recently spoke with Shawn Ellis, founder of The Speakers Group and ROI Speakers, about his book and his views on leadership as “a moment-to-moment choice and not about title, tenure or position.” Listen to the audio below to hear Robert talk about:

• Whether or not any of The Offsite characters are based on real people
• Five myths of leadership, such as “leadership and management are the same” and “open door policies are always the best policy”
• Five Practices of Exemplary Leaders
• The research that supports The Offsite and The Leadership Challenge
• Solutions offered by The Offsite and Robert’s speaking programs during these challenging times

Listen here:

And watch a preview video of Robert’s “Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership” presentation here.

SPECIAL “STIMULUS SPECIAL” BONUS OFFER:

Meetings budgets are more restricted than ever, yet never have meetings been so valuable. In response, Robert is offering a significant discount on his speaking engagements — more than 50% off his standard rates — for all bookings confirmed between now and December 31, 2009. To learn more, submit an inquiry or call us at 615-526-6600 extension 105.

Why is employee recognition so important in hospitals today?

Why don’t managers use recognition more effectively with their staff?

How do you get managers on board with recognition practices?

Shawn Ellis, founder of The Speakers Group (parent of ROI Speakers), asked those questions and more of Dr. Bob Nelson, one of the leading authorities on the topic of employee recognition who has worked with nearly 100 hospitals and hospital systems. Listen here:

Bob is helping hospitals build cultures of recognition and engagement by conducting intensive full-day sessions — leadership training days — that involve the hospital’s executive team, all managers, and the HR department. The power-packed itinerary includes the following components:

Executive Briefing: A one-hour session, possibly over breakfast, with the hospital’s executive staff in which Bob offers a big picture view of the topic of recognition based on his research into what employees most want when it comes to recognition (almost all of which requires little or no money) and his experience with almost 100 hospitals and related healthcare organizations.

Leadership Training: Two or three 1.5- to 2-hour sessions on “The Rewards of Recognition: Creating a Culture of Recognition” for the hospital Directors and Managers (perhaps one session for Directors and two for Managers since multiple sessions makes it possible for all hospital leaders to attend one of the sessions). In these sessions Bob covers a Head (conceptual), Hands (skill/technique) and Heart (motivation) approach to show why recognition is so important today for employees and the success of the hospital, what it specifically looks like, and how busy managers can make it happen on a daily basis.

Recognition Task Force/Steering Team/Champion Network: One 1.5-hour session, possibly over lunch, with the hospital’s new or existing recognition team/network to discuss rollout challenges in creating a culture of recognition.

At the end of the day, Bob will have (1) shown hospital executives how to support and model recognition behaviors, (2) helped managers better understand what recognition means to their employees and how they can systematically provide that recognition on a daily basis, (3) helped to set up peer-to-peer recognition, and (4) provided the framework for an ongoing network of Recognition Champions throughout the hospital.

Here’s what some of Bob’s hospital and healthcare clients have had to say after working with him:

“Thank you again for your fantastic presentation last month. We had an all-time record turnout of nearly 500 managers! I’ve heard a lot of great feedback on your presentations from our management staff.” — Health Alliance, Cincinnati, OH

“The materials presented were very good. Bob gave us new, fresh ideas and strategies to raise motivation and productivity. He helped us to see the value of informal recognition.” — Genesis HealthCare Corporation, Kennett Square, PA

“Bob Nelson was easy to listen to. He gave us a ‘starter kit’ of practical ideas to take forward with little cost to the organization. The visuals were excellent, also. I thoroughly enjoyed the presentation. It has motivated me personally to implement a stellar recognition program!” — Helix Health, Baltimore, MD

“Dr. Nelson is a very sincere, knowledgeable speaker. He made an already interesting topic phenomenal!” — Bert Fish Medical Center, New Smyrna Beach, FL

“Bob Nelson was a very energizing, entertaining, genuine speaker. He gave us lots of very specific, good, practical recognition ideas.” — Frederick Memorial Healthcare, Frederick, MD

To learn more about Bob, we invite you to view the following:

• Biography
• Presentation Summaries
• Sample Video
• Article: Beware These Employee Motivation Mistakes
• Q&A: How Can We Do A Better Job of Recognizing Employees?

To discuss how Dr. Bob Nelson can help your hospital, whether with a Leadership Training Day or a keynote or half-day session, contact us at The Speakers Group at (615) 526-6600. Bob has allowed us to offer special pricing on the half- and full-day sessions, and for a limited time, he is including a free copy of his newest book for each attendee at any of his sessions.

Tim Sanders gets it. He knows that today’s business leaders, meeting planners and audience members demand more value from meetings – and speakers – than ever before. So what’s he doing about it?

“As a professional speaker, I’m focusing my work on generating value for the meeting planners and their customers/clients/attendees — instead of just giving rousing talks and scoring high on event surveys. The best approach to create value is to look at myself as an expert who researches, writes, speaks and delivers after-event results.”

Tim outlined exactly how he’s doing that in a blog post today:

1. Interview the meeting planner and his/her stakeholders to determine the event’s business objective, audience profile, emotional needs and measurable metrics for success.
2. Do more interviews with extended stakeholders. Conduct research to connect my expertise with the business objectives of the meetings. Circle back with the meeting planner to compare notes.
3. Write a one-of-a-kind speech, based on the research. Choose a singular archetypal story to frame the talk, so it is easy for the audience to buy-in to its premise. MOST IMPORTANT: Include at least six action items for the audience that tie-in to the business objectives.
4. Show up at event early enough to conduct on-the-ground reconnaissance with meeting planners, execs, sponsors, attendees and vendors. Rehearse (conversationally) some bits and action items to gauge their ability to move people to action. Sleep on all of your findings.
5. Get up at least two hours prior to sound check time and tweak the speech. Rehearse the entire talk if possible, integrating the customized content. Remember: The attendees know their industry and jargon much better than you do!
6. Psyche yourself into a mental state backstage that “the only reason to give a speech is to change the world.” Right before you go on stage, review the key action items you MUST include for the talk to deliver measurable short-term business value. At a recent event, for example, I knew that reducing the load of cc’d and reply-to-all emails would save my client company money, and the IT director was a stakeholder for the event. I made sure to review my points regarding “less email is better”, and gave it some weight during the talk.
7. Offer your email address from the stage, so the audience can follow up or give your feedback. This is crucial, because much value is created away from the meeting planner’s purview (surveys, word of mouth).
8. Follow up with the meeting planner, if they desire, to share your insights, audience feedback and next steps. Offer up a podcast or PDF key takeaway points document as an after event deliverable.
9. Answer EVERY follow up email from audience members, stakeholders or meeting planners. Encourage action, document it whenever possible, and include all of your findings in a database to help at future events.

Sound like the kind of speaker you’re looking for? Contact us at The Speakers Group today to discuss how Tim Sanders can add value and ROI to your next meeting or event!

Joseph Michelli at Starbucks

Joseph A. Michelli, Ph.D., is an internationally sought-after speaker, author, and organizational consultant who has been described as “catching what is right in the world and playfully sparking people and businesses to grow toward the extraordinary.” In addition to writing best-selling books (such as The Starbucks Experience: 5 Principles for Turning Ordinary into Extraordinary) about enduring business principles, he hosted an award-winning daily radio program in Colorado Springs, Colorado for over a decade.

Dr. Michelli transfers his knowledge of exceptional business practices through keynote presentations that explore ways to develop joyful and productive workplaces with a focus on the total customer experience. His insights encourage leaders and frontline workers to grow and invest passionately in all aspects of their life.

To maximize the impact of the time that Dr. Michelli shares on the keynote stage, he customizes the experience for each client by offering the following:

• Early meeting to explore the possible fit between your needs and Dr. Michelli’s scope of presentations
• Partnering with you in the creation of the presentation title and development of key learning objectives
• Interviews/site visits with representatives of the your business or association to increase the personalization of Dr. Michelli’s messages to the common experience of those in the audience
• Customized marketing support, in the form of audio or video messages produced by Dr. Michelli
• Written customized articles for inclusion in websites, newsletters, etc. to pique interest in the keynote
• Participation in media interviews to support the event or create “buzz”
• Discounted pricing of Dr. Michelli’s books
• Book signings at the event
• Complimentary resources for participants such as free weekly podcasts and quarterly newsletters
• Complimentary post-event webinar hosted by Dr. Michelli
• Participation in post-event debriefing meetings with your event organizers
• Formal post-event assessment of the event planners rating the overall quality of The Michelli Experience

It all stems from Dr. Michelli’s belief that a keynote is “not an event, but a process.” How do clients respond?

“Dr. Michelli was incredibly dynamic, incorporating humor, irony, and experienced insight into his presentation to our attendees. He effectively tied a business improvement model into the healthcare arena, making the message all the more poignant by integrating his personal connection with our attendees’ line of work. Fabulous, informative, and captivating.” – Kate Shaughnessy, Member Relations Manager, Oncology Nursing Society

“Over the years I have enjoyed the privilege of hearing many top business and leadership speakers, including Joseph Michelli. Prior to hearing him speak, I had read his book “The Starbucks Experience” but hearing Joseph live was a special occasion. Joseph was phenomenal. His presentation was absolutely full of content and practical application. His style was humorous yet sobering and his personal story was the grand finale that makes him a true “Icon” in the speaker world today. I will seek out opportunities to hear Joseph again. He is truly one of the best business speakers available today.” – Mark Nichols, Chick-fil-A Franchisee

“The audience loved your energy, and the topic of ‘Sparking the Ultimate Association Member Experience’ was particularly relevant to our audience. We are now three weeks past the event and people are still talking about what a wonderful time they had.” – Mark Milory, Senior Director, ASAE & CenterU

Contact us today to discuss bringing “The Michelli Experience” to your organization!

More About Dr. Joseph Michelli

Dr. Michelli’s book, The Starbucks Experience: 5 Principles for Turning Ordinary into Extraordinary, published by McGraw-Hill, regularly achieved bestseller status on the Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek Magazine, and USA Today lists. He has been featured on television programs such as The Glenn Beck Show and CNBC’s “On the Money” and has conducted hundreds of radio and print interviews.

Dr. Michelli’s other books include The New Gold Standard about service excellence at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and When Fish Fly: Lessons for Creating a Vital and Energized Workplace which was co-authored with the owner of the “World Famous” Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle.

When it comes to adding more value and ROI to your meetings and events, Dr. Jackie Freiberg and Dr. Kevin Freiberg know how to make it happen!

For instance…

Recently, Jackie taped six video segments that are being presented, one per month via internal webcast, to attendees of a corporate client’s meeting as a preview and teaser of coming attractions. The client is over the top grateful and this innovative twist has added a whole new educational / inspirational component to the upcoming event in August. The client is certain their attendance will go way over the original expected numbers!

Here’s a quote from the client:

“The webcasts are a hit! Jackie is fantastic. We have assigned three managers to each video. They must come to the event prepared to discuss how they implemented the video into their daily life, either personal or professional.”

Best of all: Jackie did not charge an additional fee to record the video segments! (The client was responsible for the videographer fees and worked with the Freiberg office on managing the taping itself.)

Our specialty at ROI Speakers is helping clients go beyond the keynote to add value to their meetings and maximize their buying power. We’d love to help you with your next event! Contact ROI Speakers today to discuss the best options for your unique program objectives.

NOTE: Book Dr. Jackie Freiberg and/or Dr. Kevin Freiberg by May 31, 2009, and save 25-44% off their standard rates – even more value! Contact us today for full details.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Watch Video of Dr. Jackie Freiberg: “Leadership is a Choice”

Watch Video of Dr. Kevin Freiberg: “Leadership is a Choice”

When preparing to publish the Spring edition of our magazine, TSG keynotes, we asked Keith Ferrazzi, respected guru on the power of relationships in business, for some insights on how meeting organizers could make their programs cancel-proof. You can read the electronic edition of the magazine on The Speakers Group’s blog, but here are some highlights from our conversation:

• The key to cancel-proofing a meeting is to make it so valuable that the cost of canceling the meeting is greater than the cost of holding it.
• What is it that makes meetings so valuable? Face time. Face time is critical to building relationships, and relationships are critical to success.
• Why, then, are meetings being canceled? Event organizers don’t always maximize the total relationship potential of every aspect of their event.
• How can this be improved? Organizers must give event participants a safe structure to start making real connections that will benefit them during the event, and a structure that allows those connections to sustain throughout the year ahead.

Keith is helping meeting planners do just that with his new “Who’s Got Your Back” keynote package, which transforms a “regular” keynote into a sustainable, high-ROI program that engages your attendees before, during and long after your event has concluded. Learn more about that program and read more from Keith on “how to make your meeting cancel-proof” on pages 4-5 of the TSG keynotes magazine here. Plus, you’ll also find two more articles to enhance your meeting management, as well as access to a special web page with helpful video messages from Keith and a free except of his soon-to-be released book, Who’s Got Your Back.

“Show us any leader who sets clear goals, communicates openly, respects people and treats them fairly, holds people accountable, and creates trusting relationships, and we’ll show you a leader who’s almost got it right.”

Chester Elton, Adrian Gostick - "The Carrot Guys"

That’s from page six of Chester Elton’s and Adrian Gostick’s book, The Carrot Principle — the 2007 bestseller that has just been updated and reprinted and will be #3 in the Advice/How-To category of the New York Times Bestseller List this weekend (May 3).

Elton and Gostick go on:

Show us an organization where people are coming to work on time, doing their jobs, and feel satisfied, and we’ll show you an organization that is close to achieving its full potential.

Show us some good management books that promise to transform your organization from ordinary to extraordinary, and we’ll show you wisdom that will push you nearer to your goals than you’ve ever gotten before.

Almost. Closer. Nearer. Some would argue that they are good words. For some leaders, they might even be good enough. But for those of us who are determined to reach beyond the ordinary to our maximum potential, “almost there” is a frustrating place to be.

What we need is an accelerator.

So what is this accelerator they speak of?

The simple but transformative act of a leader expressing appreciation to a person in a meaningful and memorable way is the missing accelerator that can do so much and yet is used so sparingly. But it is not the employee recognition some of us have been using for years. Not by a long shot. This is purpose-based recognition. It is recognition done right, recognition within a context of effective leadership.

Follow Elton’s and Gostick’s advice and a 10-year study of 200,000 managers and employees says you will:

1. Have lower turnover rates
2. Achieve enhanced business results
3. Be seen as much stronger in the Basic Four areas of leadership: goal-setting, communication, trust and accountability

Are you looking for higher productivity, engagement and retention within your organization? Elton and Gostick can help you achieve it — even in the challenging economy we face today — with powerfully effective recognition which can be done in a matter of moments without breaking your budget.

Contact us at ROI Speakers to discuss solutions including:

• The Carrots Keynote - highlighting proven ideas, powerful case studies, and humorous examples that o show how recognition engages people and improves your bottom line. It’s a no-holds-barred, high-energy, high-level event that entertains and boosts productivity.
• A Carrot A Day Training – teach your managers how to get started and sustain momentum in their recognition efforts with intensive, interactive exercises help you master the skills needed to integrate on-the-spot and formal recognition into your daily relations.
• A Carrot A Day Online Training – This training takes a three-step approach beginning with a customized live webinar, followed by self-paced interactive training and continues with practical tools to reinforce the training. Your managers will learn how to effectively appreciate great work and enhance employee engagement-from their desktops.
• And more!

Give us a call at (615) 526-6600 or just submit our proposal request form and we’ll help you optimize your recognition practices and accelerate the performance of your people and your organization.