Having an engaged audience is every speaker's desire.

In this sixth podcast in Season 3 of the KEY5 Podcast Sarah Jo Crawford and Robert Ferguson unpack interesting options speakers use to emotionally and physically engage their audience. Here is some of what is included:

• What props are useful and how do they work well?
• How can the space you've been given best engage the audience?
• The stage as a visual experience - choreograph your presentation.
• Technology can engage! Use a "catch box", audience cell-phones, etc.
• Preparing for engagement before and after the presentation, and more.

Plan ahead to engage and to continue the engagement after the presentation!

Use some of these ideas to add value with engagement - it will help you win future opportunities.

Anton Gunn is an Author, Leadership Consultant, Speaker, Presidential Advisor, and Diversity Officer. He often does the exact opposite of what people are expecting, and this begins the engagement. Listen as he shares some of his unique ways of capturing attention.

Connect with Anton Gunn on LinkedIn, or on his website. 

Reach out to Sarah Jo Crawford on Twitter - and Robert Ferguson on LinkedIn.

The KEY5 Podcast is produced by the Team at Your Local Studio

Is a speaker website important? What needs to be included? Robert Ferguson and Sarah Jo Crawford talk about websites for speakers and explore this aspect of the speaking business. They cover

• naming your website,
• platforms to use for your website,
• finding someone to build your site,
• the important items to have on your website,
• best and worst practices for your website and more...

This episode of the KEY5Podcast answers questions about your website as a speaker - and if you're serious about building a speaker business, you need to continue to regularly refresh your site. Reach out to Sarah Jo if you need more questions answered because this is one of her areas of expertise.

And then Robert chats with Grant Baldwin, the creator of The Speaker Lab Podcast.

Grant Baldwin, in addition to being a speaker himself, teaches other speakers how to find and book paid speaking engagements. Robert and Grant continue the discussion on what's needed on a speaker's website.

They dive deeper into what's really needed so a speaker is more likely to book paid gigs, including a quick reference to website SEO.

"Be the steakhouse, not the buffet." ~ Grant Baldwin, Creator of The Speaker Lab Podcast

Connect with Grant on Twitter, or on his website, TheSpeakerLab.com

Reach out to Sarah Jo Crawford on her website, Sparkworth, (website development, content creation, & digital strategy for public speakers) and Robert Ferguson on LinkedIn.

The KEY5Podcast is produced by the Team at Your Local Studio

In this 4th KEY5Podcast in the 3rd season, Sarah Jo Crawford and Robert Ferguson discuss:

Will your presentation slides look good on the day you speak? 

• the best aspect ratio for the slides,
• fonts that will cause issues and why,
• animations - what not to use and why,
• video files - how to be sure you have the video in your slides,
• best practices for sound and speakers if you have video/audio.

Other technology:

• live polling during the presentation (with suggestions),
• set up a single slide that will encourage connection via social media,
• scheduling auto tweets ahead of the presentation to show up to retweet,
• your "clicker" for slides - not all clickers are made equal,
• how to use your clicker to make your screen go light or dark,
• laser pointer or not? Are they outdated?
• microphones - what can go wrong - how to test and practice,
• recording your own audio for later use,
• and add in "redundancy" backups - what are they?

At the end of all this discussion, Sarah Jo and Robert feel you need to be able to present without any technology... just in case!

Evan Carroll, Customer Experience Keynote Speaker and Author, shares his experiences and suggestions when dealing with technology and presentations. He gives tips on his favorite tech, including microphones and new technology that will capture your imagination. He shares his caveats and must-dos.

The KEY5Podcast is produced by the Team at Your Local Studio.

Robert Ferguson and Sarah Jo Crawford discuss the 8 "P"s of public speaking. Some call them rules and always follow them and others delight in breaking these 8 P's. And then there's the bonus "P".

Do you follow the public speaking rules or break them?

Robert interviews Alan Hoffler, the author of "Presentation Sin: The Practical Guide to Stop Offending (and Start Impressing) Your Audience ". Robert's copy of the book is dog-eared because he's constantly referring to the ideas.

In this 3rd KEY5Podcast in the 3rd season, Alan shares some of his presentation "sins". Robert and Alan talk about what to do if you don't have a great voice as a presenter, Alan shares some of his observations of political candidates, their posture and how it impacts their presentations, and how to avoid predictability and more.

Alan Hoffler is the Executive Director and Chief Instructor at MillsWyck Communications. Connect with him on LinkedIn

You can find Robert Ferguson and Sarah Jo Crawford on LinkedIn also. Reach out and let them know if you break the public speaking rules or uphold them!

The KEY5Podcast is produced by the Team at Your Local Studio

Sarah Jo Crawford and Robert Ferguson discuss the ideas on how to develop content:

• mine social media for discussions
• dig deeper in specific areas
• use audience "magic moments"
• solve a problem or pain point
• trending topics and their impact on your area of expertise

On developing content... should you plan all your content ahead of time? What do you think?

And then they turn to an expert, Karin Wiberg, to weigh in on content creation. Robert interviews her and they chat about:

• brainstorming and other tactics
• how to generate specific content for an area
• using your own voice to be fresh after research
• using triggers from daily life
• reasons why speakers (and others) find it hard to find content
• creative ways to develop content
• Karin's ideas on a content calendar
• and more.

Karin Wiberg is a Ghostwriter, Editor, Publisher, and Coach. Connect with her on LinkedIn.

Sarah Jo Crawford is a marketer, writer, and professional speaker - connect with her on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Robert Ferguson is a speaker, writer, and consultant with a passion for values. Reach out on LinkedIn to connect.

The KEY5 Podcast is produced by the Team at YourLocalStudio.

Welcome back to our 3rd season of the KEY5Podcast! 

This season we're raising the bar to include the delightful Sarah Jo Crawford as a co-host. The two co-hosts share relevant ideas surrounding the topic of the featured guest interview, and then you'll hear the interview.

In the first KEY5Podcast this season, the interview guest is Graeme Newell, a marketing researcher, author, and speaker.

He was also a guest in season 1, and is returning to talk about a topic every speaker needs more information on: how to market yourself as a speaker.

Graeme Newell shares his insights on how to sell yourself as a speaker by designing a system to quickly and easily make contact with people. He tells you how he does it, and how long it takes. Pretty cool.

Listen to hear the ideas and details!

You're going to hear ideas you've never heard, with specific details that you can translate into your speaking business.

the KEY5Podcast is produced by the Team at YourLocalStudio.com

Jay Izso motivates and inspires audiences by speaking on how to apply psychology to enhance both business and personal areas of life.

He's known as the "Internet Doctor" and is the author of the book, "Got Social Mediology?: Using Psychology to Master Social Media for Your Business without Spending a Dime".

On stories: The demographics and psychographics of the group you're speaking with are important. "What would make the audience say,  "Wow!" is one of the questions Jay asks the organizers. Listen for more information on how Jay crafts his stories.

On speaking for free: Jay says even when speaking for "free", always invoice the organization. Jay may speak for free for churches and non-profits, and for groups where a specific opportunity is available, including selling books.

More tips: Be well scripted when being asked to speak. He has a few key phrases with which to respond, and Jay shares those phrases on the podcast. Brilliant! He also says that it's important to add new stories and research to be fresh for your audience.

Connect with Jay Izso on LinkedIn and on his website.

is produced by the Team at Your Local Studio!

Meridith Elliott Powell speaks to audiences about how to succeed in business no matter what the economy does. She's the author of three books, the most recent is "Own It: Redefining Responsibility".

Create and participate in a community. Community makes the difference in your speaking career and life. She goes on to expand this topic throughout the podcast.

On stories:  Have a bank of story options. However, having your audience relate and connect to the story is almost more important than having a great story.

On preparation: Interview people who will be in your audience - doing a 3-question survey, for example, is a good way to prepare for an upcoming presentation. On the podcast, Meridith provides some example questions she's used, and how she puts those answers into play.

On speaking for free:  Meridith says that each speaking career is unique. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't speak for free, or that you should speak for free.

Connect with Meridith Elliott Powell on LinkedIn, on her website, or on Twitter.

is produced by the Team at Your Local Studio.

Are you a speaker?  Check out the KEY5 Conference!

Robert Kennedy III helps leaders communicate more effectively with confidence, clarity, and credibility. He's the author of the book, "7 Ways To Know You Were Meant To Lead".

Be Bold.  That's one tip Robert wished he knew when he began speaking in front of audiences. Messing up happens because we're all human, he suggests you turn it into a joke and keep moving on.

He uses himself and his own history to find the stories that will relate to the audience. Listen as he explains how he breaks out a story to vary what's needed. People connect at the heart level, so what you use depends on your audience.

On speaking for free:  when you're beginning as a speaker,  you have a passion for the audience, or if your career is shifting from one space to another, speaking for free is an option. However, if you have a long history in a niche, with much to share with audiences, then perhaps speaking for a fee is a better choice.

The biggest tip Robert says is not a secret: it's to practice. And surround yourself with people who are smarter than you.

Connect with Robert Kennedy III on LinkedIn and at his website, RobertKennedy3.com.

Alan gives examples how to make your story relevant for your audience.

Stephen Monaco is a forward-thinking marketing strategist who speaks on innovation, strategy, marketing, and entrepreneurship. He's an IBM Futurist and author of the book, "Insightful Knowledge: An Enlightened View of Social Media Strategy and Marketing"

Stephen continues to edit and tweak the message he's giving until he's able to provide the most value to the audience. He then uses the rest of the time to rehearse his presentation.

He has some unique activities he uses to overcome anxiety before speaking. Listen to the podcast to learn his ideas. Not everyone is an extrovert or born for the stage and this might resonate with those who are a bit anxious before speaking.

Gaining exposure as a speaker can be a reason to speak without a fee. Stephen feels called to share the wisdom he's gleaned.

Instead of a Q an A time after the presentation, Stephen warmly invites the audience to meet with him afterward one-on-one. He says it's important to him to demonstrate he's approachable and accessible.

Connect with Stephen Monaco on LinkedIn and on his website.