Your top sales people work very hard to achieve success in your company. They deserve outstanding recognition that shows that you value their efforts. With a little bit of attention to detail, you can make your people feel like a million bucks.

1. Make a Plan – Rehearse the Plan. A quick rehearsal and a few helping hands can make all the difference. In your rehearsal, establish who will be welcoming achievers to the stage and who will be placing them in their spots. Don’t let people come to either side of the stage. This causes confusion and usually looks sloppy. People appreciate being shown where to go so they don’t look goofy trying to find their way. Have a system so everyone on stage and those helping from back stage know exactly what to do and when to do it.
2. Make it a BIG deal! Do everything possible to set apart your recognition from the look and feel of you general session. The lighting should be more dramatic and the decorations need to be scaled up – making for a special evening and great photos. Even the voice of the presenter should take on a more regal tone. Make sure your music also reflects the importance of the occasion. Choose your music ahead of time. Don’t rely on the sound guy to pick what he thinks might work.
3. Feature your Stars. Have escorts (if possible) walk your winners to their spot on stage. Place them in order from #10 – #1 and have everyone slightly angled towards #1. This leads everyone’s eyes towards the top achiever. If they are holding a gift or award, make sure they all hold it the same way. We’re setting up the photo for use in a printed publication or on-line newsletter. This way the names can be quickly associated in order with the winners in the photo. Finally, take 20-30 seconds for these top award earners to stand in the spotlight, receive their applause and have their photo taken.

The time you spend on the details of your on-stage recognition makes a huge difference to the award winners and to those in the audience. The more special you make it, the more motivated others are to work hard to be on stage next year. Make sure the photos are available to the winners so the recognition lives on with family and friends via social media or traditional methods.

Mark Taulbee is a professional event photographer and commercial product photographer with over 25 years experience in the direct selling industry. Learn more about Mark and how he can help your company with photography at http://www.luceandassociates.com/Mark-Taulbee.html. To view some of his work visit http://www.proshotsevent.comand http://www.taulbeephoto.com.

Happy Thanksgiving and bless this meal we are about to enjoy!  As I was preparing the meal and trying my best to combine a blend of familiar and new dishes, I had to stop and think how much time and consideration we must give to meal planning.  Menu selection is one of the more tedious aspects of event planning as the meal must appeal to a variety of senses, look pleasing to the eye, and offer more than your average fare.  There is uniqueness to this task given that guests are more food-obsessed than ever and are more tuned in to the latest food trends.  The growing rise in popularity of Cooking Shows and Celebrity Chefs, the “what’s next” in food is keeping all of us in the business on our toes and pushing us to create new and different food experiences ~ everything old is new again! 

 Old and New ideas on the food horizon ~

•  One bite buffets ~ Samplings of small flavors in easy to handle bite size portions.  Attendees like the option of picking and choosing from a variety of food offerings.     
• Painterly Plating ~ Appetizers and Salads that are fine works of art ~ small tasteful and interesting foods created with artist flair. 
• Comfort Foods with a Twist ~ A blending of global flavors into American Comfort Foods such as “Grandma’s meatloaf with an Asian twist or Dad’s barbecue with a French Flair or Mom’s Sunday pot roast with Latin flavors. 
• Cooking Classes as Social Gatherings ~ hands on, interactive involvement with the food experience are incredibly memorable and inspired by the realization that congregating around the kitchen is where everyone wants to be. 
• Cupcakes and more Cupcakes ~ Hotter than ever and never go out of style.  Bite size in a variety of tasty flavors ~ your imagination  
• Healthy Choices ~ Organic is definitely in and functional foods such as black rice, rich sea vegetables and soybeans will play an even bigger role in future cuisines. 

Food should and must be a wonderful celebration of flavors, appreciation and connection with the people that matter the most ~ your audience!

This is the time of year when many direct sales companies plan an event for leaders only.  Most often taking place in early/mid January, leadership conferences are a great way to move your sales force out of holiday mode and back into business mode.  But despite their limited attendance, planning a leadership conference requires just about as much thought and work as your national convention.  So here are a few thoughts you might want to keep in mind if a leadership conference is in your company’s plans.

It all comes down to one word: promote!  Treat your leadership conference with the same degree of enthusiasm, anticipation and “you gotta be there” as you’ll give to your national convention. For the most part, promotion=communication.  And the more frequent and specific that communication is the better.  For instance:

Invitations—Whether it’s printed or via email, extend an official invitation to your leaders.  Even if it’s only a “save the date” invitation, it’s important to let everyone know where & when  your leadership conference is happening, and why they’ll want to be there.  And if you’re going to a warm weather location, promote that too! Who won’t be ready for change in the cold weather by January?

Event Recognition—Now is the time most direct sales companies enjoy their best sales.  Leverage that fact by structuring your recognition so that it will include all levels, not just the heavy hitters.   

This also brings up the age-old question: Should we just recognize those in attendance, or include those who don’t come as well?  My personal feeling- event recognition is meant to draw people to your event, so recognition should be reserved for those attend. Nothing else falls flatter than announcing a name for recognition, only to follow it with “(name) couldn’t be with us today.” Non-attendance can turn recognition into a downer.  Instead, consider building promotions that help leaders earn their way to your leader conference through their holiday sales or recruits. 

Training—“Teach me how to make more money” is what gets people to events, and your leadership conference is no exception.  That means now is the time to decide what your training topics are, who’s going to be presenting those topics, and what the specific key points/actions/skills your workshops are going to focus on.  Make sure there is something for everybody, from the newest leader to the oldest old-timer.   Promote that training, including any special guest speakers, in every phone call, email, tweet or other communiqué that goes out to your leaders.

Perhaps most important, promote the exclusivity and prestige of being a leader and being eligible to attend leadership conference in the first place.  Remind your leaders they’re important to your company; their input counts big time.  Encourage senior leaders to carry this message to their downline leaders.  Your January leadership conference is a unique opportunity to foster a heightened sense of pride, professionalism and camaraderie.  Make it count for all you can!

Writer/Events Producer Dick Wilson has been adding creative touches to direct sales meetings for over 20 years.  Learn more how Dick can help you at http://luceandassociates.com/Dick-Wilson.html.

So many companies begin the event planning process by pulling out their last schedule and using it as a template for their next schedule- new products on the first night, awards on the second night, incentive trip on the last day and so on.  That approach certainly works.  And it’s certainly boring and predictable.

Of course there are often good reasons to do some presentations “the way we’ve always done them.”  But that doesn’t hold true for all presentations all the time, year in and year out.  Which is why now is a great to time to think about mixing things up at your 2011 event.

You still begin by looking at your 2010 schedule.  Identify the key events.  Assuming they were in the right place to begin with, ask yourself if they really need to be in same place next year, or if they need to even need to be at all.  For example, could the recognitions that made up your awards night be spread throughout the entire event?   Did having a guest speaker make that much of an impact on your sales force and how they approach their business?  How many keynote speeches were there, and how much value did they really add?  In other words, what would really be missed by your attendees if it weren’t there? 

Once you’ve determined what really needs to be part of the program, take a look where you placed it on the schedule.  Does it have to have the same time and place in your schedule again this year, or can it occur elsewhere?   For example, maybe this year your new product introductions needed to be followed by training, but that’s not going to be the case next year.  So maybe your new product introductions could wait until the last day instead of being earlier.

Or instead of waiting until the last day to kick your 2011 incentive trip, do it on the first night, then follow it up with intensive “How You’re Going to Qualify” training the next day.  Maybe you could even turn your incentive trip announcement into your opening presentation and accomplish two things at once.

There are many ways you can approach your schedule.  But the one approach you definitely want to avoid is making your 2011 schedule an exact copy of what you’ve done before.  That’s no treat for anyone.

Writer/Producer Dick Wilson has been adding creative touches to direct sales meetings for over 20 years.  Learn more how Dick can help you at http://luceandassociates.com/Dick-Wilson.html.

Pumpkin carving & photo: Dick Wilson

If you or your company is hiring a photographer to take pictures at your events, make sure you’re getting your money’s worth. Documentation, recognition and training photos are fine but there is so much more that the right pictures can do for you.

Here are some things to consider to maximize the impact of your event photography:

1. Hire a high-energy photographer that understands the direct selling culture. A photographer that knows what to expect and runs to capture it gets pictures that touch the emotions. The more you recognize your sales force with exciting pictures, the more they want to stay with your company and work even harder to be successful.
2. Ask your photographer to make the pictures available to your sales force. Some consultants put memory books together and show their teammates back home why they need to be at the next convention. Those pictures can also be used as a recruiting tool to show all the fun, comradery, and recognition that your company provides.  And what could be better than getting tons of free advertising via Facebook when consultants show the world all the great things that happened at convention.
3. The photographer you hire needs to understand the importance of relationships in direct selling and encourage teams to get together for group pictures – large and small.

Event photography has the potential to excite, inspire and motivate. Make sure your photographer is helping you achieve those goals with your people.

Mark Taulbee is a professional event photographer and commercial product photographer with over 25 years experience in the direct selling industry. Learn more about Mark and how he can help your company with photography at http://www.luceandassociates.com/Mark-Taulbee.html. To view some of his work visit http://www.proshotsevent.com and http://www.taulbeephoto.com.

According to some travel experts, the newest trend to hit the market is “All About You!!”  While this may seem a daunting task it’s the simple pleasures that bring travelers back and gain brand loyalty.

Three key areas seem to be the focus of most business travelers today;

Personalization

Business Travelers want a “hassle free” stay.  This means different things to different people ~ it’s not a one size fits all.  Travelers want a more customized and personal experience and to deliver this often does not cost the hotel a lot of money.

For example, in the past when a business traveler arrived “after the kitchen” closed, he might be offered a pre-packaged sandwich or dry snacks.  But now, hotels want to “take care” of their guests and will go the extra mile to order the meal and personally deliver it.  Some are adding amenities such as late laundry services, movie rentals, coffee and juice with your wake-up call.  Whatever they can do to make an “emotional connection” with the guest is the key factor in repeat business.

Privacy

When a Business Traveler does return; hotels want to do everything they can to create privacy for them. Hotels are designing their lobbies to be more comfortable environments offering high tech application opportunities for meetings with clients or colleagues where they won’t be overheard and create small work spaces that blend into the overall feel of the lobby.  Many are expanding their lobby areas and creating “trendy” bars offering wine tastings, small bite meals and privacy.

Technology

Once a guest checks in the “home away from home” theme continues.  Recent research shows that guest empowerment technologies tend to increase repeat business.  Some hotels are now offering an iPod at check-in that has a special concierge applications so they can request extra towels, wine, a meal, wake-up calls and a host of other things to make their stay feel more like home.

A flat screen TV and a coffeemaker just aren’t going to cut it anymore!

Image credit: Seafarer

Karen Peterson

When Karen Peterson works her magic, you’re not likely to notice. That’s because it’s her job to think about the things most people take for granted, and then make them happen… flawlessly and within budget.  For over 25 years, Karen Peterson has been finding the meeting space, making the arrangements, negotiating the contracts, and even running the show for conventions, events and incentives with attendance from 50 to 7,500.  Bottom line — if your company’s plans include travel, events or incentives, Karen Peterson is the one who can make it all happen … the thoughtful way … the cost-efficient way … the right way.  Learn more about how Karen can help your company plan your next event here: http://luceandassociates.com/Karen-Peterson.html

Soon you’ll begin planning and promoting your 2011 national convention. Maybe you’re thinking about sending out printed invitations, professionally designed evites or maybe posting videos online. All of these are great ideas, but they can be time-consuming and costly to produce. However, one of the most effective tools in your arsenal is also one of the easiest (and cheapest) to implement—plain testimonials from your attendees. And if you didn’t collect these at your 2010 event itself, now is the time to get them!

Simply send an email to everyone who attended your 2010 event and tell them you’re looking for quotes you can use to promote your 2011 event. Ask for short comments on specific aspects of the events—the training, major announcements, guest speakers, the recognition or any special fun events you had. Invite attendees to share their photos with you as well! While many may not be useable, others may be and you’ll be glad you have them.

Comments on training are especially valuable. It’s been my experience that training, more than any other part of a convention, is what brings people in and keeps them coming back. So be sure to ask specifically for comments on training.

Your own field events happening over the coming weeks are another great source of testimonials. Many companies will be having fall meetings or Leadership events in the early part of the new year. These are great opportunities to harvest testimonials, both written and on video. These days, decent video cameras can be purchased for surprisingly little money. So use your fall/winter events to collect more testimonials. You’ll be glad you did!

Then once you have your testimonials, post them on your website, put them in communications about your convention, make them part of your printed invitations or evites. There are many places and ways to use testimonials, but first, you have to have them. So start collecting your testimonials now, and then use them to promote your 2011 national convention in the best, easiest way possible.

Dick Wilson has over 20 years experience writing and producing events for direct sales companies. Learn more how Dick can help you at http://luceandassociates.com/Dick-Wilson.html.

A theme is an important component of a meeting, but probably not for the reasons you think. So before you spend hours in brainstorming meetings in anticipation of your 2011 event themes, consider why themes exist and what they’re really meant to do. To do that, you need to understand 2 basic truths about themes.

Truth #1: Your audience doesn’t care about your theme. Really, they don’t. A theme is like so many other things at an event—it’s only likely to be noticed or remembered if it’s absent, weird or not working. If you need confirmation just ask anyone who attended one of your recent events what its theme was. Chances are they won’t remember, probably because they never knew what it was in the first place. And that’s fine, because the theme really isn’t for the attendees at all!

Truth #2: Your theme is for you. Regardless of your role in an event, a good theme is your best friend. It will help you decorate your room, design your logo, write your scripts and create your Powerpoints. So choose your themes thoughtfully and carefully. Here are a few pointers to keep in mind:

1. Less is more. The theme is the official name for your conference, so keep it short. For years it seemed as though “verb the noun” themes (Seize the Day, Leading the Way, etc.) would never go away. Fortunately these days one and two-word themes are more common and more workable.
2. What kind of starting point does your theme present? Your theme should be versatile enough to let you go places with it, lots of places. For example, a theme like “Imagine” opens up all sorts of possibilities… creativity in business, the future, famous artists and their works, the list could go on and on.
3. Think of your theme as the bookends for your event. Picture yourself delivering your opening and your closing remarks. Imagine what you’ll say about your theme—why you chose it, how it relates to the audience, your event, your key announcements. Then consider what your parting words will be to your audience and how you’ll wrap your theme around that. Your theme should provide the logical bookends for your event. If the words come to you naturally and quickly, you have a good theme.

Quick! What was the theme of the last event you attended?!

Dick Wilson has over 20 years experience writing and producing events for direct sales companies. Learn more how Dick can help you at http://luceandassociates.com/Dick-Wilson.html.

Logo Design: Dick Wilson

Mark Taulbee

Direct selling companies spend enormous amounts of money every year on national conventions and incentive trips. It’s important to get the most value possible out of those dollars spent. Here are three reasons why hiring a professional event photographer will help with that.

1. Maximize Your Recognition – Rewarding and recognizing your consultants for a job well done is nice but getting their picture taken by a professional photographer while they’re on stage makes them feel that much more important. You can then use those photos in your company magazine, newsletter and Facebook posts to give even more recognition.

2. Quality Counts, So Does Quantity– It’s easy to spot a bad photo—out of focus, heads chopped off, badly lit. Hiring the right photographer assures your company is seen in the best possible light.  Plus, a professional event photographer will provide hundreds, sometimes thousands of great images to use in promoting your product, your people and your opportunity. You’ll have plenty of great images to choose from, not just a few lucky shots.

 3. Timing is Everything –A good photographer can see a shot developing and be there when it happens. The right photo captured at just the right moment has the power to inspire, excite and motivate. But once the moment has passed, well, that’s it.  Regardless of whether it’s clairvoyance, experience or a combination of the two, you’re far less likely to miss that great shot if there’s a pro behind the camera!

Need more convincing?  Compare the cost of a professional event photographer to your overall event budget!  Look at what you’re spending on a few lunches, a box of printed pieces or signage—all things that will be quickly consumed or forgotten.  But photos?  They’ll be treasured forever!

Karen Peterson

The meetings & tourism industry is under siege. Recent stories abound regarding American corporations receiving bailout monies and then spending frivolously on meetings and events. This has led some companies to cancel planned meetings and events, resulting in an even greater impact on our economy and jobs. Perhaps worse, those companies are losing the benefits only face-to-face meetings can provide.

As industry professionals we must be ready to offer alternatives to cancellations. I invite you to check out a very enlightening article by Mary Boone in the February issue of Successful Meetings, entitled “Don‟t Cancel that Meeting—Rethink It!” Mary Boone is a highly respected industry authority and author. Her insights may help you, or someone you know, save an otherwise lost opportunity.

To read the article, go to http://www.SuccessfulMeetings.com, or click here: http://www.mimegasite.com/mimegasite/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003940258

How is your company handling live meetings and events?  Would love to read your comments in the section below!

If your company’s plans include travel, events or incentives, Karen Peterson is the one who can make it all happen … the thoughtful way … the cost-efficient way … the right way.  Learn more at http://luceandassociates.com/Karen-Peterson.html