2-Minute Tip: Use an Event Form

 

I used to travel from Seattle to Irvine, CA, quite a bit. It got to the point where I thought I knew where I was going down there. That was a false confidence. I began making wrong turns because I didn't think I needed a map to help me. As we do more public speaking, we can easily make that same mistake. It's easy to blow past the initial logistics of a talk and just assume, "I got this."

 

That's when things start to go wrong.

 

The more speaking you do, the more important it is to have systems in place to manage logistics. A standardized event form is an important piece of that.

 

The event form you use should be standardized so you use it the same way for all your presentation. At a minimum, it should include:

 

• Event Name
• Event Date
• Flight Schedule
• Flight Confirmation code(s)
• Hotel Name and address
• Hotel reservation confirmation
• Directions to the hotel
• Rental car details
• Rental car confirmation
• Loyalty card numbers
• Venue Name
• Venue address
• How to enter the venue
• Host/organizer name, email, and cell
• On-site contact name, email, and cell
• Talk summary

 

Keep room on the sheet so you can make additional notes. And carry a pen with you.

 

Post Tip Discussion

 

This week I talked about the 7 Deadly Sins of Public Speaking. Well, I talked about 5 of them. The other two, I talked about a couple weeks ago in Episode 049.

 

The 7 Deadly Sins of Public Speaking are:

1. Droning on
2. Going overtime
3. Starting late
4. Failing to rehearse
5. Ignoring the audience
6. Getting dragged off topic
7. Using inappropriate language

 

These thing seem pretty basic, but I see speakers doing it all the time.

 

Call To Action

 

• Are there any Deadly Sins I missed? Let me know in the comments below.
• Are you interested in stroke, neurology, and recovery? Check out Strokecast in your favorite podcast app or at Strokecast.com
• Use an event form at your next event
• Don't get best…get better