What does this have to do with you?

Possibly a lot.

Even if you’re not an event planner per se… but you lead meetings (live or virtual), plan conferences, run classes, host groups, put on parties, or attend conventions, I suspect you’ll find something in here to take away and apply.

HERE ARE THE 12 MISTAKES:

1. A Series of Dense Presentations at the Start of the Day

Imagine if the Tony Awards began with a series of dense, 15-30 min presentations by various executives. The opening of your event – what I call The First Moment™ – is essential. Even if you must start with a long speech or a set of speeches by internal presenters, then at the very least put something just before them that brings energy into the room and by all means take a break right after.

2. Lack of a Bio Break

I’m always amazed at how event planners are inclined to jam an agenda. The following is a typical overview I’ll hear from an event planner . . . which is a recipe for a meeting that will exhaust your audience and lead to disengagement: “OK . . . First our President will welcome everyone and make some opening comments. That’ll be about 15 minutes. Then one of our VPs will speak for about 20 min. He sometimes runs long. Then we have a panel for 30 minutes. Then a few announcements. Then you’ll go on for 60 minutes.” As a speaker, bringing the energy up after this type of sequence is an extremely heavy lift…and without a bio break, attendees will be exiting the room (live or virtual) during the keynote because human nature is human nature. A break doesn’t mean lost time. It means increased attention. People need time to process what they’ve heard. They need time to use the restroom. So make sure you have a break every 90-100 minutes. You’ve spent effort and money to bring in a keynote speaker, asking even the most seasoned pro to go on stage after an hour of your audience having sat listening to dense presentations is far too heavy a lift for anyone. I recommend having no more than 20 minutes of presentations (30 minutes tops) before the keynote begins. Then have a break right after. Agendas should be designed first and foremost with the audience experience in mind.

3. A Wide Center Aisle

Imagine if a Broadway theater wiped out the center orchestra seats and replaced them with a wide center aisle instead? We all know that center orchestra seats are premium. They offer an unobstructed view of the stage and people pay big bucks to sit here. And yet time and time again, event planners use this space for a wide center aisle. Huh? The solution is simple: create two or more aisles on either side, just as theaters and movie houses do.

4. Lack of Music

An event is…well, an event. Too often there is dead air in a virtual meeting room or live event room when people enter. Music adds to the energy. It also means attendees aren’t whispering for fear of their conversation being overheard. Music creates a new mood; a shift in tone; and a change in experience. And isn’t that what you want?

5. Meals During Speakers… or Speakers During Meals

Even a top Broadway star would have trouble competing with cheesecake. Human beings love food more than they love watching and listening to anyone on stage. When you try to have a meal plus a speaker, you end up with a significantly compromised experience. Choose one or the other. Don’t do both.

6. Empty Chairs

At professionally produced events such as the Tony Awards or Oscars, you won’t see an empty seat. There are professional “seat fillers” who actually fill in the gaps. How can you accomplish this at your event whether virtual or live? Simply set the expectation for fewer people than you think may show up. Then, when others arrive, you have the feeling of a full house. If your event is live, set out fewer chairs than you think you need, and add more as attendees arrive. You can also block off the back rows until they’re absolutely needed. Empty spots or chairs are horrible for morale—both for the attendees and presenters. When I worked in comedy clubs and small theater venues, we used to put out fewer chairs than we knew we needed so that audience members would see the production crew adding chairs as people arrived. The subliminal message to those already present and those arriving: “Wow, this is THE place to be. We’re in the right room. They’re even adding chairs!”

7. Lack of Proper Lighting

Imagine if Broadway producers relied only on the house lights for the stage performers? As an event planner, you don’t need hundreds of colored lights, but you do need to light the stage. Take a sliver of your budget and illuminate the presenters so your audience can actually see their faces.

8. Cutting the Speaker’s Time

Imagine if just before the main act went on at the Tony Awards, they were told their time had been cut by 25%. A speaker’s “performance” is a carefully orchestrated experience. Cutting 15 minutes out means stories have to be cut, key points removed, entertainment elements slashed. Avoid adding unexpected presenters to the agenda and keep all presenters on track (executives included) by giving them a clear time allotment AND a countdown timer.

9. A Large “Moat”

Often meeting planners inadvertently set up a huge “moat” – a large gap between the stage and the first row of attendee chairs. An unnecessarily wide moat separating speaker and audience creates an emotional and psychological distance––not ideal for connection, transformation, and learning. Reduce the gap.

10. Separated Seating

There’s a reason that seats at performing arts centers are tightly set. Yes, there’s a dollar value associated; more bodies in the room means more money. But there’s an additional, experiential reason. An audience seated close together increases focus and creates a powerful human experience. Distance disperses energy. The value gained by setting up your space “theater style” far outweighs the value of having a table surface on which people can place their water glass, phone or pad of paper.

11. Stage Too High

A great stage is set just high enough for the audience to see the presenters or performers but not so high that audience members are cranking their heads back to look up. Avoid overdoing the height. The goal is visibility, not alienation.

12. Lack of Adequate Time Before Starting Again

When it comes to meetings, more time sitting in meetings doesn’t mean more learning. This goes for virtual events, too. People need time during an event to check their messages; use the restroom; and connect with others. Most importantly, they need time to process. An effective event flow allows for adequate break time. Intermission for Broadway shows is on average 15-20 minutes. Make yours the same.

So there you have it. 12 mistakes to avoid… and what to do instead.

Risk Forward & Rock On,

P.S. Please share this link with your event planners….

The post 12 Mistakes To Avoid When Planning Your Meeting… And What To Do Instead. appeared first on Victoria Labalme.

Then what?

Do you have the courage to course-correct?

To step back?

To stop?

Or do you feel you need to stay consistent with what you thought and said you would do?

Certainly it depends.

If people are relying on you; if you have a moral or legal obligation; if you’re in a position where changing plans would do more harm than good, it’s a different story.

But what if none of those is the case?

In my experience, very few people have the courage to pause, rethink and redirect.

Most plow forward, dismissing their concerns as either invalid, unimportant, or “limiting beliefs” they need to overcome.

One person who did have the courage to pause, however, is Renee Fink.

Renee is both a Rocker (someone who’s come through my Rock The Room® programs) and a Risk Forward® Special Experience member… a series I hosted this past year for entrepreneurs, artists, consultants, lawyers and executives.

Renee had planned to launch a new course and online community.

It was a project that looked and sounded good on the outside and even at first to Renee.

It was also a project that would require a ton of time and financial resources.

As Renee proceeded, she kept running into blocks and lack of focus.

More importantly though, Renee’s excitement had turned to dread.

It was at this point in time that she signed up for the Risk Forward® experience I was hosting.

In one of our early sessions, after I took people through a series of questions designed to help them reconnect with their Throughline and Inner Current™, Renee took a step back and realized she didn’t want to continue with the project.

It was very clear.

And once she made that decision and told her team it was—in her words—as if a boulder had been lifted.

According to Renee’s estimate, the time, effort and resources to follow through on the project would have cost her company about $2 million in revenue from other clients she would have brought on instead.

What decisions might be unnecessarily costing you time, energy, money focus and/or joy? Please let me know in the comments.

And if you want more insights like this, you’re invited to my next livestream event. It’s free. You can register here.

Risk Forward and Rock On,

The post Why We Need to Pause and Reflect appeared first on Victoria Labalme.

This past March,150 people flew to Los Angeles from all around the world: Thailand, Australia, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Norway, Canada, Germany, Bermuda, France, Switzerland and all across the U.S.

It was an extraordinary gathering of entrepreneurs, executives, sales professionals, authors, consultants, speakers, scientists, artists and performers with a common interest…

…to learn how to express their hidden genius

…communicate their ideas, perspective and value in a way that is distinct and authentic — and in a way that would truly resonate with their audience

…and Rock The Room.

Here are some pix.

ENJOY.

V

P.S. I was going to put up just 12 pix, but I figured a few more was even more fun.

P.P.S. We recorded the LIVE event…check this out.

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The post “Muppet Guys Talking” – Our Movie’s Worldwide Premiere at SXSW appeared first on Victoria Labalme.

This is a talk for the rest of us.

Many of us live in a world that is obsessed with goal setting, achieving and decisiveness.

But what do you do when you’re not sure what’s next?

When you’re in a time of transition and not knowing?

These periods of uncertainty, when a path or a project is not yet clear, are fertile and full of promise.

They are to be respected and honored.

And the key to finding your way is to Risk Forward.

Watch the talk to learn more.

Big hug,

P.S. My book, Risk Forward is now available! Unlock your hidden genius and achieve remarkable results. Click here to get your copy.

The post My TEDx Talk: Risk Forward®: The Importance of Uncertainty appeared first on Victoria Labalme.

Let me know what you think!

11:37 here and just adding this to the blog, but it’s one of my favorites!

V

The post Delight Your Customer, Client or Prospect: How to Stop Time for Those You Serve appeared first on Victoria Labalme.

I arrive at the headquarters of a Fortune 100 company, dressed in full, elegant high-end business attire. The guard at the front door steps out from behind his wooden podium to block
me. “Can I see some ID?”

Nice greeting. Imagine if his opening line had been, “Welcome to XYZ company. For your security and to keep everyone here safe, may I see your ID?” Big difference.

This, however, is not his fault. It’s likely that his orders were, “Stop people and check ID.”  But what percentage of people coming into this building (and yours) are actually interlopers or terrorists? If the significant majority of those entering your environment are either employees of the company, consultants who contribute to your company’s success, or clients and prospects who are ultimately writing your paycheck, wouldn’t it be worthwhile to have the standard opening line be one of welcome?

Your front door is not a border crossing, and if your company has “humanity”, “community”, “client focus”, or “world class service” as a top value, why isn’t this value part of the first exchange?

What’s the value of a value unless it shows up in all interactions, especially the FIRST?

* * *

In my keynotes, communication skills & presentation skills training events, I work with clients on their intention.  What’s the “Throughline”?  This is important because Intention (your Throughline) affects behavior.

Let’s look at the guard’s intention. It was something along the lines of, Intention A:  Block & Check ID. But imagine if it had been… Intention B:  Welcome & Confirm ID.

Intention affects your tone, your delivery, the words you use and the feeling generated in the person to whom you are speaking.

What’s the intention of your front office staff and security team? What’s the direction you give them for reacting to someone coming through your front door? Are your organization’s values made manifest and readily apparent in the very first live, in-person exchange someone has with your company?

Hmmm. Maybe it’s time to go talk to your security desk.

The post FIRST MOMENTS – THE CLIENT EXPERIENCE appeared first on Victoria Labalme.

At the Cirque du Soleil performance of KA in Las Vegas, the show begins before you even arrive at your seat.

Taking your ticket are ushers dressed like characters in the show or as my friend thought, “Like the Ohh-lee-ohh characters in The Wizard of Oz.”
Sort of. But the point is this. The music was mysterious. The lighting was dark and magical. The ushers were “characters” in full warrior attire. Wow.

The EXPERIENCE had begun. These individuals did not greet us as the typical usher tends to with that reprimanding tone of “Let me see your tickets” or “Are you together?”  wagging a
flashlight and with a puckered, annoyed expression blurting out, “Follow me.”

Unfortunately, the experience of arriving at most people’s offices isn’t far from this. In fact, there’s a pretty standard FIRST moment.  A woman (sorry, but it often is) sitting behind a desk blocking you. When you arrive, she puts down the phone from chatting with her friend, looks up, and says with a tone that’s just a bit inconvenienced, “May I help you?”

Hmmm. Sound familiar?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            You bet. Easy to point the finger, though. So…what’s the experience of someone arriving in your office? What’s the first moment? Do you have cheeseball fluorescent lighting? Plastic plants with dust covered leaves? A bowl of hard candy? Boring magazines on an old boring coffee table? Marshmallow chairs and a sofa with a stain? AND…a receptionist who doesn’t really “receive” but who in fact acts like a mosquito?

What’s the first thing your receptionist says when someone comes through the door? Is it a welcoming phrase or an inquisition? What does she offer your “guest”? How are people made
to feel welcome? What’s the “set” like? The scenic design? The staging? The sound design? The lighting? What cool props are on the table?

How can you create such a wonderful first moment, such a great experience that when someone arrives they nod, smile and look around in wonder thinking, “Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

The post First Moments – What’s The Experience of Arriving in YOUR Office? appeared first on Victoria Labalme.

Have you ever gotten choked up over a simple  telephone commercial because you see the grandmother wiping her eyes with joy as her grandson calls to wish her a Happy Mother’s Day?

OK. Maybe you don’t but a lot of people do. In literally 30 seconds, the advertisers have reached their audience on a profound level. How about you? Are you accomplishing that in a 30-minute meeting with an important client?

When a car is advertised, it’s done so with sensuality, adventure, fun, status, or joy.  We see the car careening around mountain roads, across rocky terrain, or swerving to avoid a dangerous obstacle.  Music adds to the mood. The emotion and imagery sell the car and depending on the brand, variables will range from the luxurious (Lexus) to the rugged (Jeep) to those that illustrate family safety (Volvo).

Unless a particular deal is being heavily promoted, all the details regarding price, financing, lease, and dollars appear as an adjunct, often quickly, at the end of the spot and often at the bottom of the screen.

What we are left with is a strong impression of the “future experience” — the story and emotional promise behind the sale — one that is based not on intellect, but on emotion and imagery.

Too often in sales, however, people do exactly the opposite. They focus on details, data, facts, figures and functions, pointing to complicated graphs and tossing out terms the prospect barely understands.

Years ago, I did a television commercial for Metro-North, the local rail system in the New York Tri-State area. My role was that of a working mother coming home to her son and husband.

The commercial began with a series of shots of the train moving through urban landscapes, and a soundtrack that was rhythmic, pumping, and hopeful.  The finale: A series of shots that added the critical human element and dream. (1)The first of the closing shots shows me coming off the train in business attire, with trench coat and briefcase. (2) The second: my husband and little son standing on the platform eagerly awaiting my arrival and then my son running towards me smiling gleefully. (3) The third reveals me kneeling, wrapping the little boy in my arms.  On this final image, the music comes to a crescendo and the Metro-North logo appears.

We weren’t simply selling train tickets. We were selling family unity and love.
What are you selling? How can you help your customers and prospects see the mini movie, the commercial or story of what their life will be like if they buy your product or service, and how what you offer can truly help them achieve their dreams? Start with the challenge; offer the solution. This doesn’t have to be done with fancy camera work, film/video and actors. It can be done verbally — by telling a great story, by painting a verbal picture of the future.
And if what you create is extraordinary enough, you might just end up in the Super Bowl.

The post Mastering the Art of Communication – What MultiBillion TV Commercials Know & What Your Company Needs to Learn appeared first on Victoria Labalme.

Often, we look for innovation on large scales. The Kindle. The iPhone. The Prius.

Innovation, however, starts with following our own creative impulses in small doses first. The trick is not to wonder whether we have the impulses or not. Because we all do. The trick is to trust them and act on them.

Leaving the subway one evening in Manhattan, I noticed that behind the thick bulletproof dingy glass of the subway station’s office, sprouted a colorful, tiny, world of delight.

There, displayed in the window of this decrepit underground office, was a collection of tiny colorful creature sculptures, all made – upon closer inspection – of Manhattan Transit Authority fare cards.

The thin blue and gold plastic credit card had been slivered, sliced and folded into a miniature Metrocard version of Disneyland.

Where most MTA underground offices exude grubbiness and dismal gloom, this office — at least a corner of it — sprung forth with LIFE and DELIGHT!

I knocked on the thick tinted glass, then waved. The station operator came out. He was delighted by my delight, and when I asked him if he was the creative force behind these sculptures, he lit up. He was bashful, and he was thrilled.

Look at the joy in those eyes…and that smile about to bust open. Interestingly enough, while he let me take his photo, I promised not to post his name or station number, because as he told me, he might get in trouble with the MTA.

Hmmmm.

You shake your head. “Oh, those terrible MTA people! They’re so restrictive!”  

But let me ask you this. If you run a company, manage a department (or even just one person), if you parent a child or manage your own mind, you must turn the mirror on yourself:  Whose innovation and creative impulses are you squashing?  

At work?  

At home?  

In yourself?

And if today, or tomorrow, or next week you have the seedling of a creative idea, take two minutes to plant it.

The post Innovation & Creativity: Small Acts appeared first on Victoria Labalme.