Jennifer McClure`

Equipping people leaders to navigate change — and design the future — with boldness and purpose.

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Create High-Impact Presentations and Build a Profitable Speaking Business With Jennifer McClure and Dr. Daniel Crosby [Replay]

I’ve had the best job in the world for over 10 years now – where I have the privilege of speaking on stages and in training rooms to groups of leaders around the world about how to increase their influence, focus strategically, and make a positive impact at work and in life.

When I stepped out on my own in 2010 to start my speaking business, I had a little bit of experience, a healthy dose of confidence, and a whole lot of hope that I could build the relationships, and create impactful presentations that would result in a successful speaking business.

But like a lot of things in my life where I tend to jump off the cliff first, and then think about my parachute later, I wasn’t fully prepared for what it would take to find my lane, to determine how to set my speaking fees, or how to become a recognized expert.

So, queue admission into the school of hard knocks, where I’ve gained quite an education along the way, and as a result, have ultimately managed to build a business and life that I truly love.

Last year, my friend Dr. Daniel Crosby – who is a great public speaker himself, and was a also my guest on episode 14 of the Impact Makers Podcast, where he talked about understanding human behavior to do well, do good and do you – asked if I would join him on his Standard Deviations podcast to talk about what it takes to create great presentations — and if you’re into that kind of thing, how to actually get paid to speak, which is one of the most frequently asked questions we both receive.

Over a year later, the content of our conversation is still accurate and timely, and I continue to hear from people in Dr. Crosby’s audience who have found it helpful. So I asked him if I could share it with you today, and if you’re interested in crafting great presentations, and/or getting paid to speak, I think you’ll find it helpful.

Topics Discussed In Today’s Episode:

  • My path from HR executive to professional speaker, and why I felt like I needed at least 20 years of work experience before starting.
  • How giving away 10% of my time to help others helped me to get started as a speaker, and discover the work that I truly loved.
  • My personal recipe for crafting a great presentation.
  • What comedians and preachers can teach us about giving great presentations.
  • What adult learning theory tells us about what makes for a good speech.
  • Strategies for determining your speaking fee, what can happen if your price is too low, and how to get paid more.
  • Three books that I recommend for speakers to help with picking a lane, determining your pricing strategy, and building a memorable brand.
  • What Dr. Crosby did that 10x’d his speaking revenue.
  • 3 concrete steps to take to build a profitable speaking business.

LISTEN TO IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 91

Listen on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts or Spotify

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

FREE RESOURCE: 10 Tips To BUILD YOUR BRAND and LAND Gigs as a Speaker!

Dr. Daniel Crosby LinkedIn

Dr. Daniel Crosby Twitter

Standard Deviations Podcast

Impact Makers Podcast Episode 014: Understanding Human Behavior to Do Well, Do Good and Do You with Dr. Daniel Crosby

Standard Deviations Podcast Episode 14: Jennifer McClure – On Becoming a Public Speaker

Centennial, Inc.

Mike Sipple, Sr.

Michelle Cushatt

Million Dollar Speaking: The Professional’s Guide to Building Your Platform by Alan Weiss

Million Dollar Consulting: The Professional’s Guide to Growing a Practice by Alan Weiss

Ryan Estis

Jane Atkinson

The Wealthy Speaker 2.0: The Proven Formula for Building Your Successful Speaking Business by Jane Atkinson

Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World by Michael Hyatt

Laurie Ruettimann

Jon Acuff

Toastmasters International

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The Best Articles & Resources for Leaders Transforming the Future of Work: August 2023

Each week, I send a brief email newsletter to leaders seeking to disrupt and transform the future of work.

In this weekly letter, I share my learnings and experiences from over 3 decades of work as a human resources leader, executive coach, and entrepreneur, along with tools, tips and resources that are personally curated to help leaders establish credibility, communicate confidently, and lead with impact.

If you’d like to receive the weekly Impact Makers email newsletter, you can subscribe HERE.

Following are a few of the best resources that I created, read, reviewed, and shared in the month of August 2023.

HIGH-IMPACT LEADERSHIP:

Great leaders promote a culture of curiosity – they lead with questions, not answers.

✏️ The 50 Most Powerful Questions Smart Leaders Can Ask by Gustavo Razzetti

PERSONAL BRANDING / THOUGHT LEADERSHIP:

Can you answer the question “What do you do?” in one sentence that makes someone want to know more?

✏️ How to Simplify the Way You Talk About Your Work (No Jargon Allowed) by Lee Price

I enjoyed this discussion on how to use writing to connect with your audience and communicate who you are as a thought leader.

🎧 Steal the Show podcast — How to Use Writing as a Thought Leader with Michael Port and Queena B.

PRESENTATIONS & PUBLIC SPEAKING:

To succeed as a professional speaker, you need a plan.

On this podcast, Dan Irvin shares his 4-step prospecting and contact strategy, and the systems he’s developed that have turned his speaking business into a well-oiled machine generating over 6-figures a year.

🎧 The Speaker Lab Podcast: The 6 Step System to Book More Paid Speaking Gigs with Dan Irvin, M.A.Ed/Adult Education and Training

In this podcast, popular keynote speaker and New York Times best-selling author Jon Acuff shares his 15-year speaking journey, and the lessons he wishes he had known when he first started.

🎧 Speak Like a Pro: A Crash Course in Public Speaking

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION & BELONGING:

On August 1, 2023, Living Corporate, a media network focused on centering and amplifying Black and brown voices at work launched the Living Corporate Collective, an invite-only virtual space that will empower, educate, and elevate all of its members by facilitating monthly private webinars and sharing resources on the landscape of DEI and HR.

🎟 I’m in! Join me.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (one of the largest philanthropic Foundations in the US) created this toolkit to share their experiences, lessons and recommended tools and resources for implementing racial equity strategies as part of an HR function.

🗄 HR Toolkit for Racial Equity

HUMAN RESOURCES / PEOPLE & CULTURE:

Jennifer Kim’s focus is on teaching startups how to hire + grow, and in this post, she shares 3 lines of questioning to help founders or c-suite leaders filter out mediocre and incompetent people leaders from the applicant pool for Head of People jobs.

✏️ 3 interview questions to sniff out Heads of People who can’t deliver by Jennifer Kim

Employee engagement levels reached a record high in 2022, but it’s also the second year in a row where worker stress reached record levels as well.

🗄 Globally, Employees Are More Engaged — and More Stressed via Gallup

Lots of interesting insights in this report, including the significance of pay and compensation to today’s workforce, the importance and impact of flexibility, an increased desire for caring workplace cultures, and the effects of uncertainty about the future.

🗄 People at Work 2023: A Global Workforce View via ADP Research

New research highlights three key times when bringing employees and teams together in person creates lasting connection.

✏️ In the Changing Role of the Office, It’s All about Moments That Matter via Microsoft WorkLab

The big brains and researchers at The RBL Group believe that HR functional effectiveness is about creating value for all stakeholders. Through extensive research and practice, they’ve identified 10 dimensions to create value-based HR, ensuring that HR is not about HR, but about creating value.

✏️ What Makes an Effective HR Function? via The RBL Group

RECRUITING & TALENT ACQUISITION:

Fifty-seven percent of job seekers are already using social media as part of their job search.

I was interviewed to share some tips – as well as key mistakes to avoid – in this article on Dice.com.

✏️ How to Use Social Media to Land a Job in Tech

BOOK OF THE MONTH:

One of the books I recommend to anyone interested in pursuing professional speaking is The Wealthy Speaker. The book covers in detail how to set yourself up for success as a professional speaker, including mindset, positioning, marketing, fees, creating an epic speech, and more.

A third and updated edition was released earlier this year. I’ve read all three, and always appreciate the refresher, as well as the new topics addressed, because the world (and the business of speaking) is ever-changing.

📕 The Wealthy Speaker 3.0: Your Recipe for Building the Speaking Business of Your Dreams by Jane Atkinson

FROM MY POINT OF VIEW:

Recently, I joined Bill Banham on the HRchat podcast to discuss all things DisruptHR LLC.

We spoke about the unanticipated wild ride that DisruptHR has been on over the last 10 years, and how it continues to grow expand around the world. I also highlight some standout events, some of my favorite DisruptHR Talks, and who my dream speaker would be. (You’ll never guess.😉)

🎧 A Decade of Disrupting HR: HRchat Episode 614 with Jennifer McClure

What the heck is a “balcony person”? And why would you want to be one?

As a leader, one of the most meaningful ways that you can make an impact in the lives of those that you lead and serve is to be a balcony person for them.

✏️ How to Lead with Impact: 4 Key Traits of Mentors Who Make a Difference

Are you a lifelong learner? If you want to be a successful leader, the answer has to be yes.

How do you create a customized leadership development plan that will help you become the best leader you can be?

✏️ 6 Resources to Create a Leadership Development Plan to Fuel Continuous Personal Growth and Career Success

In the ever-evolving future of work, it’s more important than ever to hire exceptional talent.

But beyond qualifications and experience, how can you discern if a candidate is truly exceptional?

✏️ Hiring for Success: An Interviewer’s Guide to Identifying Job Fit and Future Potential

When I’m given the opportunity to speak to an audience – whether from a stage, in front of a camera in my home office, or in a corporate conference room, it’s important to remember that being a “good” or “great” speaker isn’t about just sharing; it’s about resonating. And while every performance may not be a home run, there are certain missteps that I (and you) should avoid.

✏️ How to Deliver a Killer Presentation: Avoid These 5 Common Mistakes

You don’t have to be a famous celebrity or invent something that changes how millions of people engage with the world in order to make a difference. Every act of kindness, every word of encouragement, and every moment of connection has a ripple effect that impacts the people you come across every day.

✏️ You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Lead With Impact: 5 Ways to Make a Difference

THE IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST:

Want to discover innovative strategies to attract top talent, enhance HR processes, and redefine employee engagement in the future of work? I’ve got ideas you…

🎧 Transformative HR Leadership: Embracing Disruption and Shaping the Future of Work with Jennifer McClure and Shari Simpson, SHRM-SCP, MBA, MHRM

Khalilah “KO” Olokunola shares her personal story from the streets, to prison, to a job as the Chief People Officer of a for profit organization with the social mission to unite gang rivals and decrease violence, and now to boardrooms and training rooms around the world equipping leaders to create more impact.

🎧 From the Block to the Boardroom: Impact Architect Khalilah Olokunola Breaks Boundaries in HR

Zachary Nunn – CEO of Living Corporate – shares how he transformed his frustration with performative corporate DE&I efforts into a multimedia diversity, equity, and inclusion network that centers and amplifies Black and brown professionals in the workplace through narrative storytelling.

🎧 Amplifying Black and Brown Voices in the Workplace With Zachary Nunn, Founder of Living Corporate

Noah Warder – Head of People at Guusto shares about building people-centric cultures that provide purpose, well-being, and opportunities for all.

We also discuss the value of simplifying HR, quantifying ROI for people strategies, the importance of trust and transparency in fostering a strong company culture, and leveraging conflict for optimal results.

🎧 Creating People-First Cultures Through Transparency, Trust, and Transformative HR With Noah Warder

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion practitioner, speaker, and podcast host Shahzia Noorally, M.Ed (she/her) discusses challenges and biases that persist in traditional leadership models. We also explore the concept of sponsorship versus mentorship, which can create a space for authentic expression, and amplify not just talent, but also the voices that often go unheard.

🎧 Challenging Traditional HR Paradigms to Create More Inclusive and Equitable Workplaces With Shahzia Noorally

FIND ME AT UPCOMING SPEAKING EVENTS & CONFERENCES:

Fall conference season is gearing up, and I’ll be speaking at the following events. I would love to connect IRL if you’ll be there too!

9/20/2023 – Edmonton, AB: Jobber Choose Your Impact Day

Superhero Leadership: Accept the Challenge, Push Past Uncertainty & Embrace the New World of Work

9/27/2023 – Dallas, TX: Federal Reserve Bank Minorities in Banking Forum

Defining and Communicating Your Personal Brand to Help Your Career and Your Organization Grow

10/3/2023 – New York, NY: LinkedIn Talent Connect

Transforming Your HR Team to Deliver Maximum Impact in Today’s Competitive Environment

10/26/23 – Broadview Heights, OH: Northeast Ohio SHRM

I’ll be discussing The Future of HR, along with John Bernatovicz, Tim Sackett, SPHR, SCP, George Sample, MBA, SPHR, and Lauren Rudman, SHRM-SCP, SPHR

 

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How to Deliver a Killer Presentation: Avoid These 5 Common Mistakes

I make my living as a professional communicator, which means I have the honor of speaking to audiences at conferences, association meetings, and corporate events all over the world.

One of the benefits that I truly enjoy when speaking at events is attending other keynotes, breakout sessions, or workshops whenever possible. I’m always interested in learning, and I also want to watch great speakers in action, so I can continue to grow and improve my speaking skills as well.

At a recent conference, I chose to attend a breakout session led by a speaker with an impressive title. His bio listed many professional accomplishments and years of experience in a topic that I was very interested in learning more about. Even though his session was scheduled a few hours before my closing keynote, I made a point to get to the convention center early in order to take advantage of the opportunity to learn from him.

Unfortunately, very quickly into the 75-minute session, it became clear that learning was going to be a challenge. Even though his professional experience and accomplishments related to the subject were impressive, the speaker conveyed zero excitement or passion for the findings of the case studies and research that he shared, and he didn’t seem to care at all about connecting with the audience.

Pretty soon, in an effort to salvage my time investment, my note taking shifted towards capturing quotes and actions from the speaker that affected my ability to learn from him.

10 Audience Engagement Killers

  1. “I’m not going to bore you with that…”
  2. “We don’t have time to talk about that today…”
  3. “What time is it?”
  4. “Here’s a picture of an article I wrote in 2008…”
  5. “I’m not going to go through each one of these…”
  6. “How much time do I have left?”
  7. “There are a variety of reasons for this, we just don’t have time to talk about them here…”
  8. “I’m not going to go into this, it’s too involved for this gig…”
  9. “Am I still okay on time?”
  10. “This slide shows a whole bunch of reports which focus on financial metrics. Blah, blah, blah, blah…”

The 10 statements above were exact quotes from the speaker during this session – even number ten.

Unfortunately, I left the session frustrated, because myself – and about 150 others – had wasted 75 minutes of our time. We had met the speaker’s expectations of not being able to understand or take action on the information presented, but he did not meet my expectations as an audience member – which is for the speaker to provide value.

I can guarantee you that no meeting planner plans for their audience to leave a session having learned nothing new or at least challenged to try something new – and no speaker should either.

As someone who has been speaking on stages for over 15 years, I know that speaking in front of any size of audience can be tough on the ego. Even when I feel that I’ve knocked it out of the park, there is always someone in the audience who didn’t connect with my material, or who didn’t care for my delivery.

But I also know that I can increase the odds that my message will connect with the majority of audience members if I can answer the following question:

“What do I want the audience to DO with this information following my presentation?”

Once I have the answer to that question, I then need to care enough to use the time that I’ve been given to help the audience to understand why and how it’s possible for them to do just that.

Successful speakers care about the audience and their learning experience.

If you’ve been selected or appointed to speak in front of an audience – you’ve been given the valuable gift of people’s time. Whether it’s a keynote in front of thousands, a DisruptHR Talk, or a presentation to your team in a conference room, you can show your audience respect and appreciation by never making the following mistakes as a speaker:

5 Mistakes Successful Speakers Never Make

1. Never show, mention, or refer to something the audience cannot see clearly on the screen.

Examples: “I know this is an eye chart, but…” or “You can’t see this, but let me tell you what it says…”

2. Never show a statistic, reference a study, or display a quote without also sharing the source.

Who said this? When was it? How can I follow up to learn more? <- What your audience is thinking.

3. Never include stats, studies, or reference material on a slide that is more than 2 years old.

If your idea or premise is based upon 10-year-old research, find (or create) new research to support it.

4. Never refer to your own presentation materials, content or speaking style as boring.

Don’t plant seeds that you don’t want to grow. If the audience wasn’t already thinking that – they surely are now.

5. Never ask how much time is left for your presentation.

Asking the audience about time remaining shows a lack of preparation – and implies that you plan to fill the allotted time – no matter what. Bring a clock, use a time app on your phone, or have a friend hold up a sign to keep track of time – but never ask the audience to do it for you!

Any presentation that you create and deliver should be with the goal of educating, informing, encouraging and inspiring your audience. They’ll love you for it – and maybe they’ll even say something nice about it afterwards!

Do you want to build your personal brand and share your expertise as a speaker?

Download my free guide today: 10 Tips to Build Your Brand and Land Gigs as a Speaker – to discover how!

The guide includes links and examples of how successful speakers are marketing themselves using online and offline tactics and strategies.

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How to Choose Speaking Topics and Create Great Presentations

By far, the most frequently asked question I get is “How do I become a speaker?”, or something similar.

And while I’ve written blog posts on the subject, and have been interviewed on other people’s podcasts, and shared about the beginnings of my own journey as a professional speaker in Episode 7 of this podcast, there’s always more to learn, and everyone is at a different place in their speaking career, so I don’t think that I’ve run out of things to say on the subject.

Recently, a good friend of mine – Bruce Waller – reached out to me and asked if he could schedule a call to talk about Speaking. Specifically about how to choose speaking topics, and ideas for creating great presentations and slide decks.

I asked Bruce if he’d be willing to allow me to record our conversation, and share it with you on the Impact Makers podcast. Because it can likely help many people who are either interested in improving their speaking skills as a part of their current job, or who are interested in developing a speaking business either as a side hustle or full-time occupation.

Thankfully, Bruce agreed, and you’ll have the opportunity to learn right along with him in this coaching session. He asked some great questions, and it was lots of fun!

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 31

 

 

How Do You Decide On Topics For Speaking?

Speak about your area of expertise. Think about what questions people ask you the most.

It’s a good idea to keep a question log, and update it as people ask new questions through emails, messages, tweets, or other conversations. So, when you’re considering the content for a speaking engagement, look at your question log. It’s a great resource for a new speaking engagements, a keynote, a blog post, a book, or other topics. If several people are asking you the same question, you are already being viewed as a person with expertise!

Don’t just try to speak on a hot topic. Instead, plan to speak on something in which you have expertise. One way to identify those areas is to look at the themes of what people are asking you.

What Is The Process For Creating A Presentation?

One thing is to consider is that there are at least three different types of presentations. These are breakouts/seminars in which you’re teaching, workshops in which you’re both teaching and involving the participants, and keynotes which are more story-based, and typically provide inspiration.

To create a presentation, one idea is to start with slides and think about the images you’ll use, as well as the visual flow of the presentation. Ask yourself – what does the audience need to know about the topic? What are the questions people ask about the topic, and what are your answers? Share examples from your own experience, or examples of how others have solved those problems, and end with action steps. Participants typically want to be able to write down some takeaways to plan their next steps.

What Are Some Great Resources For Presentation Images?

When it comes to images for your slides, be careful not to use Google images, or images that are copyrighted, because that could lead to a lot of trouble. The good news is that there are several good sites where you can get free (and copyright-free) images, such as Unsplash or Flickr.

Personally, I use Adobe Stock Images, which is not free, but allows me to license a specific number of images for a monthly fee. To up your speaking game, it will be important to either invest in images, or use to find a good source where you can use copyright-free or creative commons use images. If you notice, big-name keynote speakers typically use a minimal number of slides during their presentations, which usually contain only high-quality images, their own quotes, or statistics from their own research. The focus is on what they’re saying, versus the slides that they use (or don’t).

How Does Someone Get Started As A Speaker?

Take a step back and consider who “your people” are. It’s important to be intentional about your audience, and your message. Who is the audience that you’re targeting, and what is the message that they need. Once you’ve determined that, then look at your relationships and ensure that you’re making connections and building relationships with meeting planners in that industry.

A first step might be to attend the events you’re targeting, and maybe even volunteer to help or support the event organizing team. Once you’ve developed some relationships, and become known by the meeting planner, you can submit ideas to be considered for breakout sessions, panel discussions or workshops in your area of expertise. Make sure that the message that you’re pitching is focused on what the audience needs, versus the story you want to tell. You’re there to serve the audience, not yourself!

More Info And Resources

Kary Oberbrunner’s Igniting Souls Conference

 

Thanks to King University, who’s support makes this podcast possible! King is proud to offer sixteen online degrees with accelerated programs and affordable tuition so you can start a new career faster than ever. You can choose from programs in technology, communication, and business – like an online MBA with six concentrations including human resource management. And because the program is offered fully online, you can earn your degree on your own schedule in as little as 16 months. Visit https://online.king.edu/impactmakers to learn more about the King Difference today.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, and if you go through them to make a purchase I’ll earn a commission. Keep in mind that I only link to products or companies because of their quality, or my personal experience with them, and not because of any commissions I receive from your purchases.

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11 Podcasts To Fuel Personal Growth and Leadership Development

I’m a voracious consumer of content in the areas that are of interest to me – specifically leadership, entrepreneurship, speaking and personal development.

Interestingly, I’m not a good book reader (fixing that is a goal for 2016). But I do buy lots of books. I just rarely read them.

So a couple of years ago, I decided to try podcasts as a way to continue learning, and to fill time that was normally spent listening to the same songs in my playlists or on the radio over and over again. Now, I listen to podcasts while driving, traveling, exercising, cleaning the house, fixing dinner, etc. Suffice it to say, I’m hooked on learning.

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