Need to get more bang for your buck when it comes to speakers? Here are a few picks at reasonable price points.
John Chappelear
Fee: $5,000
When the economy is in the gutter and many people are trying to do the work of two or more just to hang on to their jobs, the idea of a work/life balance can seem tough to achieve, if not downright laughable. But for Chappelear, having a fulfilling personal life is imperative for a successful careerand after spending 25 years in the business world, and as a father of three, he speaks to these issues from experience. His signature keynote covers "The Daily Six," which are steps that attendees can take toward setting priorities and creating peace of mind; he also offers presentations on strengthening leadership, communication, teambuilding, and increasing creativity and productivity in an organization.
In addition to keynote speeches, Chappelear offers one-on-one coaching, consulting, and workshops. The workshop program includes over 25 topic choices, such as Handling Conflict and Confrontation; Managing Multiple Locations; Coaching and Mentoring Skills for Managers and Supervisors; and Communicating with Tact and Skill.
Past clients have included the Society for Human Resource Management, Amtrak, Meeting Professionals International, and Hyatt Hotels. Says David G. Speck, managing director with Wachovia Securities, "Any business or organization that values its bottom line, but not at the sacrifice of the quality of its work environment or the core values of its employees, should set aside an hour and invite him to share his thoughts and insights. It will be time and money well spent."
Contact: Gold Stars Speakers Bureau, (800) 844-4384*
David Miln Smith
Fee: $5,000
The "athlete-as-motivator" may seem a touch cliche, but when that athlete is the first man to swim from Africa to Europe (which he did not once, but twice), has kayaked 2,000 miles down the Nile River, trekked through the Sahara Desert alone, and run 25 miles over the Khyber Pass linking Afghanistan and Pakistan, perhaps he's worth listening to for his advice on overcoming the seemingly impossible. "I have hired David Miln Smith numerous times over the last 10 years and I am amazed at his remarkable ability to connect his life experiences with a broad range of my boomer clients. His message is timeless and method of communicating is inspiring," says Steven Hoffman, of Steven Hoffman Consulting in Mill Valley, CA.
As Smith has explained: "I realized that just because everyone thought something to be true, I didn't have to buy into his or her beliefs. I had a dream, turned the dream into a goal, and wrote down the list of what needed to be done." Smith has for some time used his fortitude to encourage and inspire others. In addition to speaking to corporate and association groups, he also works with ex-convicts through the Northern California Service League Life Skills Program, which teaches conflict resolution, teambuilding, and other skills to help participants find and keep jobs.
Contact: Speak Inc., (858) 228-3771*
Bob Ash
Fee: $4,000
Ash, as a former teacher, principal, and superintendent, is adept at keeping the attention of restless and rambunctious groups, and he estimates that he has spoken to over 1,200 organizations and 320,000 individuals since founding his company, Life Lessons, in 1995. Through Life Lessons, he aims to provide actionable, useful, and memorable information to attendees.
Ash's presentations cover Personal Growth (e.g. Priorities and Possibilities: A Lifetime of Choices), Organizational Culture (e.g. Creating and Maintaining a Dynamic Workplace), Managing Change and Promoting Creativity (e.g. Managing Difficult People and Issues), and Leadership (e.g. Becoming an Ethical Leader). In an effort to keep his fees low, Ash prefers to book multiple engagements per plane ticket, and he can adapt all topics to half-day or full-day seminars.
"He is one of the most wonderful people to work with that you could ever ask for," says Beth Hastings, planner for the North Carolina Association of CPAs, who had Ash speak at her 2008 Fall Conference. She quotes an attendee review, which said, "You now have it figured out how to teach ethics. It is not about rehashing others' failures; it is about calling people to a higher standard."
Contact: Convention Connection, (310) 459-0159*
Arnold Sanow
Fee: $5,000
His credentials are solidhe holds an MBA and is a Certified Speaking Professionalbut it is the dose of humor in his presentations on business communications and people skills that makes Sanow a hit with attendees.
"Arnold was excellent. In fact, his audience size grew substantially on his second day, which makes me assume people were talking," says Heather Mathews, meeting planner for the Washington DC-based American Bus Association.
With timely presentations on "Managing Chaos" and "Teambuilding and Leadership Techniques and Strategies in these Changing Times," Sanow speaks to the problems facing companies and their employees today. He also combines topics and customizes programs to meet the needs of individual organizations. It's a strategy that resonates with plannersparticularly since he manages to weave humor into serious discussions. (Don Campfield, who attended a Sanow seminar through the Florida Independent School Business Officers Association, likened him to "a cross between Woody Allen and Jerry Seinfeld.")
Sanow also offers a variety of extras, including worksheets and handouts, articles for the organization's newsletter or magazine to help build interest in advance, and an e-mail follow-up to all attendees with summary information. For an additional fee, he will also attend the entire event and serve as a fill-in speaker should another presenter be unable to speak at the last minute.
Contact: Gold Stars Speakers Bureau, (800) 844-4384*
Garrison Wynn
Fee: $6,500
Wynn takes a somewhat unconventional approach to teaching attendees how to be successful. He avoids the "be the best you can be" mantras favored by fortune cookies and grandmothers in favor of strategies for being "consistently chosen." According to Wynn, people are most likely to make a choice based on who or what they are most comfortable with, not necessarily what is best. So the question becomes how to position your offering as the right choice. In addition to this "Truth about Success" presentation, Wynn speaks on Making the Most of Difficult Situations; Generations Working Better Together; and Getting Great Results: Turning Talent into Performance.
With a solid corporate background, experience as a stand-up comedian, and a Certified Speaking Professional designation, Wynn brings the whole package to the stage.
Past clientsfrom the Independent Jewelers Organization to Merrill Lynchagree that Wynn is a winner. Vicky Jacobson, national director of sales for Morton's the Steakhouse, says that Wynn "took the time to research and speak with my people and it made a world of difference. It is difficult to keep our group focused, but [he] did just that," she says, adding that Wynn's reviews were overwhelmingly positive.
Contact: Speak Inc., (858) 228-3771*
* Note: Most speakers work with multiple bureaus.
Originally published Dec. 1, 2008
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