A Note from Your President

Gratitude Gives a Great Return on Investment

In the beginning, I myself didn’t fully believe the hype.

When this year’s theme formed for me (“Your Best Year Yet”), I was certainly hopeful that it would offer a solid foundation on which we could build another great NSA North Texas Year. But I realize now that I didn’t actually “buy-in” that it could possibly be MY best year ever. You see, last July I was a bit disappointed about the status of my business. I had hoped to be in a stronger place when I began my service as Chapter President. I was a bit discouraged at myself, which can sometimes be easy to do in this crazy journey of solo business ownership.

And then Gratitude worked its wonderful magic.

As I considered what would be the highest value that I could offer in my Board role, I chose Gratitude – for all the energy, talent, experience, and effort invested by all of you in our amazing Chapter. In choosing to be thankful throughout this year, I have constantly found new and emerging things for which to be thankful. Being appreciative “creates the environment” for more things worth appreciating to become real!

After practicing and teaching leadership for the past two decades, and then working more “solo” the past five years, THIS year I learned (and re-learned) so much about leadership by observing others volunteering their individual energy – collectively helping us continue the wonderful NSA-NT momentum of the past several years.

Looking back on this 2015/16 Year, I’m proud to be able to share that:

• Our membership continued to grow. We are nearing a total of 140 Members and Membership Candidates. Nearly 90 are National Qualified Professional Members.
• Our Chapter finances further strengthened, providing us a solid 24 months of operating expense cushion. This offers valuable security in the face of any future economic downturn, which can threaten the viability of even the strongest professional membership associations.
  • Still, we continued to “give back” value to our Members and Candidates. From National Event incentives, to continued sponsorship of the NSA Foundation Convention Event, to free participation for All-Access Pass holders in our Spring 2016 series of NSA-NT Labs, we continued to aim for smart fiscal responsibility, while providing top-notch benefits.
• Our Programs quality continued to be a “Gold Standard” for many Chapters.
• We strengthened our appreciation of local Chapter talent with experiments like NSA-NT Labs, ED Talks, and other opportunities for people to be involved in our various activities.

Like any endeavor, we didn’t always get everything right, but I am so pleased with how our team of Chapter volunteers always adapted quickly and gracefully – keeping YOU as the Chapter member in mind as the ultimate customer, colleague, and NSA family member. Our highest aim as a team was to serve in a way that helps our Chapter creatively move forward – Keep doing the things that are working, Work on fixing problems, and Create a space for experimentation and creativity.

In the process, my pride for our NSA North Texas Chapter grew further. And, from a personal and business perspective, I can say that my service experience challenged and taught me enough to be able to now say this:

• I’m having My Best Year Yet! And it is because I chose Gratitude, which always offers a great return on the investment.

Management Team Thank You

Thank you all for supporting me and the entire NSA-NT Management Team this year – a group consisting of your Board Leadership and Key Coordinators – together Thinking and Doing the right things to continue that NSA-NT special sauce. We have truly enjoyed serving you. Click HERE for an overview of our talented 2015/16 Management Team.

I want to Thank our Association Management partners at Madeleine Crouch, and especially our Account Executive Paul Shimp, who has worked tirelessly this year for us. From managing our registration process, to tracking our progress, to making this monthly newsletter look spectacular, Paul is the consummate professional, and we deeply appreciate him, Gay Selman, and the entire Madcrouch team.

And, I’m looking forward to a terrific 2016/17 NSA Year with the incoming team and the leadership of incoming President Stu Schlackman. Stu has been a Charbonneau Academy Dean the past three years, is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), was our 2015 Charbonneau Award winner, and was our 2011/12 Chapter President. He recently served a two-year term on the National Chapter Leadership Council (CLC), and is simply the epitome of NSA service, professionalism, and fun. We are in great hands with the entire 2016/17 team.

May Meeting Shout-Outs

Christine Cashen, CSP, CPAE – for her funny and insightful ED (Foreman) Talk on how to accelerate your success in the speaking business, with helpful pro tips and tricks. A real treat!

Ed Rigsbee, CSP – for his detailed and provoking session on More Business via Article Writing for Associations. A real area of opportunity for many speakers, Ed provided the ideas and tips to shorten your learning curve to getting booked more with Associations, and their individual members! And Ed’s generous offer of additional training and materials financially benefited our NSA-NT Chapter and the NSA Foundation via the always-fun Cigar PEG group.

Let’s Finish Strong

We are approaching our last Chapter meeting for the 2015/16 NSA Year. Come join us, and let’s keep progressing toward the goal of achieving 100 National Professional Qualified Members by the end of calendar year 2016. We’re close to 90 already!

• Sat, 11-Jun — Walter Bond, CSP, CPAE – Who Said Talk is Cheap?
  • plus ED (Foreman) TALK with Gary Rifkin, CSP, 2015 Cavett Winner plus 2015-16 Year-End Party (Fun at the Schlackman House!)
• Watch our Facebook Group and Speaker.org for more information — plus our final Labs Sessions for this year (All-Access Pass holders get in free!).

To your continued Success and Happiness,

 

 

Chris Price (@ChrisPriceCDP)
President 2015-16
NSA North Texas (@NSANorthTexas)

Time to Renew Your Membership!

Attention Members: It is time to renew your local dues. Pay before June 30th to get the Early Bird Special! Watch for communication next week coming your way: Letter in Mailbox and an Email!

Any questions, contact Lauren Midgley, Membership Director – 817-965-4244

Our Next Seminar June 11, 2016

Who Said Talk is Cheap? with Walter Bond, CSP, CPAE

The old saying once said talk is cheap.

But we all know in the world of professional speaking, talk isn’t cheap at all. Walter Bond, CSP & CPAE shares pivotal lessons learned on his 15 year journey in the speaking business.
This session shares principles and lessons learned while building a seven figure business:

• Platform and Communication Skills
• Multiple Streams of Income
• Branding Your Expertise
• Carving out your niche
• Setting Your Mousetraps

Learn the fundamentals of building your rock strong speaking and training business. There is a difference between professionals who speak and a professional speaker.

 About the Speaker:

For nearly two decades, Walter Bond has been a premiere expert on peak performance. Walter’s mastery in two different global industries has made him an authority on peak performance. Walter has delivered his entertaining and dynamic message to companies and associations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe. Clients include Accenture, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, The Dwyer Group, Allianz, Amway, GNC, Hilton, Medtronic, UPS Store, Radio Shack, Red Robin and many national associations.

Walter’s passion for personal development has been anchored by his professional basketball career.
Although a reserve throughout his college basketball career at the University of Minnesota, Bond miraculously enjoyed an eight year career while spending time as a shooting guard for teams such as the Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz and Detroit Pistons. This is where he learned peak performance truths that he has also applied to a wildly successful speaking career.

Bond’s college basketball career did not say NBA at all. Only hard work, dedication and commitment got him there. That mentality is what he wants to share with your audience. Whether it’s a new product launch, hitting sales goals, gelling as a team Bond is passionate about sharing his 31 Truths to Boost Peak Performance.

In 2013, Walter appeared as the host of The Food Network’s show Giving You The Business. Walter was chosen over numerous candidates because of his infectious personality and franchise business experience. Episodes featured restaurants such as Saladworks, Famous Familia and Jersey Mike’s.

Walter’s program is not ” just another session.” Treat your audience to a memorable, impactful and educational experience. Walter is sure to make you look good.

Website

Mark your calendar and make your reservation now!

Saturday, April 9 ,  8:00 am – 12:30 pm
Hilton Garden Inn Dallas / Richardson

June Author Showcase

If you are a Professional Member and an author, then it is time to showcase your work! Your North Texas NSA members want to know more about you!
Show off your hard work! Make some sales! Meet a member you haven’t met yet! Call or email Paul Shimp to reserve your spot TODAY! Only 4 spots left.

 

 

 

 

 

Our chapter’s most notorious member

by Dave Lieber, CSP

I’ve been a member of our chapter for a decade but never heard about our most notorious member.

His name was Bill Cathey. He was treasurer of NSA-North Texas in the late 1980s.

Now he’s in an Oklahoma prison with a release date of 2066.

I learned about him while reading some of D magazine’s 40 greatest stories. D mag profiled Cathey in a 1993 story: “The Professor and the Love Slave.”

After describing how Cathey kidnapped a woman, locked her in his closet and turned her into a love slave, writer Glenna Whitley explains: “In 1987, with an eye toward developing a business as a motivational speaker, he joined the North Texas Speakers Association and a year later became the professional group’s treasurer.”

He was tall and good looking. He lived in Sunnyvale. Taught at UNT and TWU. Oh, and kept a love slave in the closet.

“Cathey didn’t mind showing off a little,” Whitley wrote. “With his friends at the speakers association, he frequently quoted poetry, Shakespeare, great writers.”

One of his speaking topics: “How to be in control of your life.” And apparently someone else’s, too.

Dennis McCuistion, CSP, was president when Cathey was his treasurer.

“We didn’t know any of that stuff,” he says. “If you like smart people, you had to like the guy because he was smart. He was also strange.”

Cathey only stayed a member a couple of years.

Even though he was a professional thief, he never stole from the chapter, Dennis says.

“We never had any money to steal,” he explains.

Niki McCuistion, CSP, remembers him attending board parties at her home on Friday nights before Saturday meetings.

“He wrote poetry and flirted outrageously,” she recalls.

Bette Price remembers him, too. “With his literary background he would entertain us with highly descriptive stories.”

“I also remember the day I got a call from a reporter confirming that he was treasurer of our NSA chapter, then talking with Dennis who was as shocked as any of us. Poor Dennis. For years we’ve teased him about being a former banker and putting a guy like that in charge of our money. But the reality is, Bill was a perfect charlatan, appearing very confident and because of his intellectual presence he simply fooled everyone with his seemingly genuine wit and eloquence.”

“It was definitely the most notorious time in all our chapter years,” Bette adds. “I doubt that any other chapter has endured anything quite to this extent. All chapters have had their issues: affairs, divorces, marriages, the formation of business partnerships, the demise of business partnerships and a variety of experiences worthy of gossip, but none as salacious as Bill Cathey.”

If you’d like to read the entire magazine story, Google “The Professor and the Love Slave.”

**

@DaveLieber, CSP, is The Watchdog investigative columnist for The Dallas Morning News and a 10 year member of NSA/North Texas.  DaveLieber.org and WatchdogNation.com

May Meeting Recap

More Business via Article Writing for Associations: Ed Rigsbee, CSP, CAE

Ed Rigsbee’s System for Selling Associations

by Bill Lynch

The essence of the system:

1. Write articles appropriate to an association based on your expertise
2. Offer articles free to the publisher of the association magazine
3. Use the relationship you develop with the publisher to get a warm intro to the meeting planner
4. Connect with the planner and sell your services

There are 7500 national associations. That number grows to 100,000 including state and local associations. Association meetings are a gathering of business owners. They are in effect paid showcases. Associations have publications, meetings, experienced meeting planners, don’t have sticker shock on fees and have 700 meetings a day on average. This is a target rich environment.

Associations have boxes into which they put presenters. To be successful you have to fit in one of the boxes. Ed said they are Leadership, Marketing, Sales, Supervision and Human Resources. (Since customer service was not on this list I assume it fits into one or more of the other boxes.)

Step One

Write at least 12 articles. They can be adapted from your book or other materials. Put them in Word or text format so they can be edited easily. Associations like bulleted lists in articles. Sloganize and be Tweetable. Thinner Thighs in 30 Days is better than Lose Weight. Create titles that have a hook. Give something away to the reader. Suggested length is 700 words (one page) or 1500 words (two pages). You can post the articles on Linked In.

To get Google to recognize your work as original go to https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/dashboard. Choose a “verified property”, (there was no search box, you have to enter the url), search Console Dashboard, Crawl, Fetch as Google, enter web page URL extension, click on red box “Fetch”. This makes sense as you step through it.

Begin each article with an informative synopsis. Include permission for “Reasonable Edits” whatever that is. Give permission to print with credit. Add a short bio and photo at the end of the article and request that the bio and photo be printed with the article. Request that a copy be sent to you.

You can create the library on your website and provide a link for access. You can email articles. Do not send them as attachments.

If you know the title of your next book and you are writing articles to be incorporated in the book head the articles “from the soon to be published …”. Makes the article sound cutting edge.

Step Two

Identify the associations or societies that are your most likely targets for success. There is a State and Regional Associations directory and a National Trade & Professional Associations directory. Both are available for purchase at Columbia Books (columbiabooks.com). Your local library may have one or both. Amazon has several copies of the National directory. The 2015 is going for about $2400. Older directories start at as little as $199. Use an old directory to find the association and then go to their website for current information. Ed suggested the website asaecenter.org. The member directory on the site is password protected. I dug around and found the names of a dozen associations in a 10 minute search. The job openings section is not password protected and every listing has the name of the association.

Once you have a short list of associations you want to pursue then start researching them. Website is a good place to start. Most associations have publications. The publisher (or editor or communication director) is usually not very guarded. Unlike the meeting planner he does not get 50 calls a day from speakers.

As an experiment I Googled “Franchisor” and found the International Franchise Organization. At their website I found their publication “Franchise World”. The media kit provided an editorial calendar for the next year giving me clues about how to customize an article to a topic that fits. It also gave me a list of the topics on which they publish. It did not give me the publisher. I found a “Search the Site” box and typed in Publisher, no name. Typed in Director of Communication and found a press release naming the new director of communication. Eureka! As Ed said, there is no magic bullet it just take time and tenacity.

Next I would call the Director of Communication and see if he is interested in getting free articles from me on topics I found in his published list of topics in the media kit for Franchise World. Continue to work at adding value to the life of the Director of Communication. He is not as used to being courted as the meeting planner.

Step Three

While on the phone Ed suggested we ask for the name of the meeting planner. If he gives it to you, then ask if he would connect you. Ed says it sometimes works. Continue to leverage the relationship with the Director of Communication until you can get a warm introduction to the meeting planner.

Step Four

Sell yourself to the meeting planner.

Ed Foreman Talk – Christine Cashen, CSP, CPAE

Christine’s 20 ideas to jump-start your speaking business:

1. Write the Book (yes, you can) find someone to keep you accountable.
2. Pre-call on every job. Who will introduce you? What are critical topics to include/avoid? How many participants? Group demographics? Stage background color?
3. Invite others to watch you. Connect with speakers or bureaus in the cities where you speak and invite them to the program or out for a beverage.
4. After your program, offer other good fit speakers to your meeting planner.
5. Don’t call free speeches FREE. Speak in exchange for marketing dollars. Can I get a video, three good referrals, a membership in the organization, something of value to me in exchange for the part of my fee you can’t afford?
6. Get more involved in NSA. Contacts and skills acquired are valuable.
7. Park your ego. Be the best person to work with your client has ever seen.
8. Be kind to the AV people. She plays pranks on them to loosen them up but always seeks them out and makes friends with them.
9. Buy your own microphone. Sets you apart and means you know what your tool will be and you know how to use it effectively. (Consider a Samson headset it has all the connections to different types of systems)
10. Arrive early. If there is a reception the night before, go to it. Arrive when the room is empty if possible and scope it out. Own it.
11. Compass the room (N, S, E, W) before you speak. Get people in the audience to mingle with one another. Make friends with your audience members.
12. Prepare a great introduction. (Listen to VOE with Michael Hoffman or contact Christine for her killer formula)
13. Prepare an Outro for when you are finished. “Thank you! Christine will be at the back table answering questions, taking selfies, selling her book and signing programs- make sure you go see her!” Creates celebrity feeling.
14. Video yourself and listen how you say things. Check your “I” vs “you” language. Eliminate clichés and put things in your own voice. Make content sticky and tweetable.
15. Have a power opener and closer to your speech.
16. Give people actionable steps to do after the meeting.
17. Spend the money for a professional demo video- best investment!
18. Find Universal truths; things that bug people and offer solutions.
19. Don’t get caught up in a bad evaluation, unless you get a bunch of them
20. End on Time

Good News from Our May Meeting

Dave Hill competed in the Toastmasters North Texas District International Speech competition.

Veronica Sites 2nd book is expected in June: “Conflict Resolution Solutions.”

Christopher Bianez has received his Masters Degree in Human Resources Training and Development.

Sandi Leyva just completed her 5th annual Ultimate Accounting vCon, a 2-day conference where she interviewed 4 Shark Tank alums.

Mary German delivered the keynote at the Encore Luncheon in Fort Worth and the Welcome address at the Texas State Missionary Baptist Convention Women’s Auxiliary Conference.

Chris Price presented in New Orleans at the National Conference for Boys and Girls Clubs of America. It is the beginning of a year-long leadership development partnership between Chris and Harvard Business School.

Chris Price has also been accepted for a two-year term on the National Chapter Leadership Council of NSA.

Chapter Meeting Location

For the 2016-17 meeting schedule, we’ll be meeting a the Hilton Garden Inn located at:

1001 W. President George Bush Hwy,
Richardson, TX 75080
Phone: (972) 792-9393.

Click here for a map.

 

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