Monday, September 26, 2011

Could NSSS Make a Difference for Me?

With a little help from our friends, we put this short video together. I hope it gives you more of a visual of how we can enrich your speaking ministry.

For Our Guests and On Being a Guest

If you’re visiting from Women’s Ministry Net today, welcome! We are passionate about partnering with other women in speaking ministry and want to help you in any way we can. Our FREE weekly tips for speakers are designed just for you, and we’d be honored to have you subscribe. We’ve had posts on everything from marketing to spiritual warfare.

Please peruse our Menu Services and contact us through filling out the Request Information form or by emailing me at .

For our current subscribers and clients, you get bonus information this week! Pop on over to Women’s Ministry Net to see my best tip for overcoming nerves and an article for novice speakers. You’ll love those folks over at Women’s Ministry Net and will probably want to subscribe to their free weekly tips too.

Exciting Speaker Resources

Today I’m excited to share with you a big list of resources for speakers. I hope you’ll check them all out!

Next Step Speaker Services is now on Facebook and Twitter. We’ll love to have you join us! Facebook– Twitter–
So many of you have sent me questions about marketing your message, and I know it’s a huge dilemma for many. We’ve put together this link to Tracie Mile’s series on Marketing Your Message. If you missed it the first time or need a refresher, you’ll be amazed by the amount of helpful information she shares.
Women’s Ministry Net, a resource developed by Jennifer and Phil Rothschild, is another incredible site.There is more information on women’s ministry located in one place than I’ve ever seen. You need to subscribe for some of the information, but I receive their FREE weekly tips. I’m excited to announce that tomorrow I’ll be the guest presenting the tips. There will be an article for beginner speakers and a video with my best advice for overcoming nerves. Subscribe today so that you can get the tip tomorrow.
This year the She Speaks 201 Conference Calls are being offered to everyone. Here’s the schedule:

Week One: The Writing and Speaking Partnership (Tuesday, October 25, 2011) Taught by Lysa TerKeurst

Week Two: How to Start, Lead, and Maintain an Effective Online Bible Study (Tuesday, November1, 2011) Taught by Melissa Taylor

Week Three: Communicating with Event Planners(Tuesday, November 8, 2011) Taught by Renee Swope

Week Four: Finding Topics that Fit (Tuesday, November 15, 2011) Taught by Rachel Olsen

Week Five: Balancing Speaking and Family Life(Tuesday, November 22, 2011) Taught by Karen Ehman.

There are also writing calls available. The cost is $125 for one series and $200 for both. To register, call the Proverbs 31 Ministries office at 1-877-731-4663. For more details, go to this link.

Finally, if you have gained some needed information from our last 2 posts on communicating with event planners, there’s more where that came from. Next Step Speaker Services offers a Speaker Organization Service that includes Word documents of a contract, an invoice and a speaker planner. In two phone calls, we discuss the use of these documents as well as a timeline for communication. Please read for more details on our Menu of Services. If you are interested or have questions, please fill out our Request Information form, and I’ll contact you within 48 hours.

Amy

Communicating with Event Planners Plus

When I first began speaking nearly two decades ago, I wanted to be sure my message was well prepared, practiced and polished. The weight of the responsibility of bringing a biblical and encouraging message to the audience God had gathered together was something I didn’t take lightly.

While I still encourage spending focusing time preparing, practicing and polishing your message, I have also discovered that so much of the ministry that happens at our events does not take place during the 45-60 minutes that we are on the platform. Rather, it is quiet, unassuming and often out of the limelight.

Here are some tips I have learned along the way for preparing for this seemingly sidebar ministry which is actually where God may choose to use us most!

Be sure to ask the event coordinator about the audience make up and any issues and challenges they may be facing. You’ll want to know if it is being held in a city where there have been many employment layoffs or perhaps a town tragedy involving an accident or other occurrence.
Inquire about how you can be specifically praying for the event leader and her team. Make note of it including names and particulars of her request. Be sure to pray and then to follow up with her as the event approaches and on the night of the engagement as well.
Take along a few little token gifts to give to those who help you at your event by providing transportation, bringing you water and snacks or helping with your other needs. Some fragrant bottles of lotion or body wash tied with a pretty ribbon or a whimsical pack of note cards will do the trick!
Make sure to get the names of any women who are on the committee or with whom you connect at your event in a special way. Be sure to write them a hand-written note after the event. Mail it to the church and put it to their attention.
Take along a few new Bibles in an accurate but easy-to-understand translation. You may give these to any women who decide to become followers of Christ after hearing you speak. You can do the same thing with a practical devotional book.

Overall, be on the lookout for the women at your event who least expect to be noticed. Speak to them. Show interest in their lives. Offer to pray. Realize that, although you should take seriously your time behind the podium, often your greatest impact may be off on the sidelines serving.