I met President Ronald Reagan for the first time at the church he attended after he left office. What I found out about his giving of time and money to many who came to him for help is inspiring. Read about it here – http://funnymotivationalspeaker.wordpress.com/

I wrote this piece on dealing with anger for one of my other blogs. In this article, “John” experiences a few things that make him angry. You may recognize “John” in yourself or someone you know. If you are quick to anger or have a hard time controlling your anger, you may want to check it out. To read more, just click on the link.

Anger Management – Why Are You So Angry and How to Stop It

Imagine … John believes that he is an easy going and very pleasant fellow. Then one day, someone cuts him off in traffic and John now yells and screams at the other driver. At the stop light, John pulls up along side of the driver who cut him off and continues yelling at that driver. The other driver ignores John and, when the light turns green, simply drives away, while John sits there in his car… still yelling. 

As John drives on and “cools off,” he thinks about what happened and feels a sense of remorse and shame for his actions, yet he also feels justified – because the other driver should not have been so rude and cut him off. The incident will come back to haunt John’s consciousness throughout the day, delivering a variety of feelings at various times. John will wonder why he has a hard time controlling his anger. He subconsciously knows his behavior was in error and, eventually, will consciously admit it and vow to “act better” the next time. After all, he is a nice and pleasant person.

To read more, go here: Anger Management

I recently had the pleasure of speaking for two groups and the clients filmed three testimonials. That is always appreciated. As a corporate entertainer and funny keynote speaker, I addressed this association in Kansas. Watch what they had to say:

At this event, in addition to being a funny meeting speaker, I put on my trainer hat and shared information on how this group could enhance their sales in the field, as well as at an upcoming trade show. Watch what this client had to say:

Have you ever noticed what happens at a funeral? Someone dies and everyone sends beautiful flowers and expressive cards. They show up at the funeral and say nice things about the departed. (To whom are they speaking?) 

Food for thought: If the departed could hear you, what do you think would be said about you? Maybe, “Wow … it would have been nice if you would have said that to me when I was alive.” or perhaps, “Look at all of these flowers! I didn’t know that all of you really cared.”

Think about the people with whom you interact with now. How often do you say thank you? How often do you stop what you are doing and say to someone “I love you”? How often do you practice “random acts of kindness” toward family and friends (and strangers)?

In the corporate world, when someone retires, they throw a party and people come up and say, “It was great working with you. You always did such a fantastic job.” Question: Did those same people ever say that to that person, while he or she was working at their job? Probably not.

What difference does it make that you think someone did a good job, when they are walking out the office door never to return again? What difference does it make when someone is dead that you thought he or she was a valued friend, if you never told them so when they were alive?

What about people you don’t know? What about hotel maids, front desk help, service reps? I have seen people order waiters around like they were indentured servants. When the waiter delivered what was asked, the recipient just ignored them.

Here’s another example: I was just at the airport and an airline employee went out of her way to help a passenger find the right gate. I mean the employee stopped what she was doing, walked this woman out to the monitors, showed her where her flight was located on the monitor, and then walked her in the right direction. The passenger didn’t even say thank you. She just kept walking. The airline employee stood there, shrugged her shoulders, and went back to doing what she was doing, prior to the passenger’s questions. Would it have killed that passenger to say “thank you”?

What we’re talking about is kindness. It’s about doing the “right thing.” As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The time is always right to do the right thing.” Why wait until your fellow employee is walking out the door for the last time to tell that person you enjoyed working with him? Why wait to tell an employee that she is doing a great job? Why wait to say thank you to someone who assists you … helps you … extends a kindly gesture? Why wait until a loved one dies, before you tell that person that you care about them?

The “right time” to do the “right thing” is right now. And don’t expect that your actions will always be reciprocated or rewarded, because – as in my airport example – most often they will not. However, you can’t wait for others to be kind; you have to show them how.

Mark Twain wrote, “Kindness is a language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” Doing the “right thing” is to speak the language of kindness to others, while they are in a position to receive it. Make a point today – and everyday – to give kindness to people while they are in our midst. Give them “flowers” … while they are alive.

Recognized as one of the leading funny keynote motivational speakers, this article is an adaptation from Bob Garner’s popular free motivational podcasts. Listen at Bob’s funny keynote motivational speaker site and click on “Podcasts” at the bottom of the page.

©2012 Bob Garner. All Rights Reserved. You may use this article, but you must use the byline and author resource.

Wanted to share my latest video testimonial as a funny motivational speaker. I had the honor of speaking at a recent national sales training event for medical client Devicor Medical Products.

What an awesome group of dedicated and passionate people. I want to thank the SR. VP of Global Marketing for saying this about my presentation…

Astonishing, relevant and perfect for not only sales reps, but also customers – WOW – thank you for those words.  As always, if you’re looking for a funny motivational keynote speaker or a kick-off/wrap-up speaker for your meeting, you can give me a call.

Byy the way, here is a link to a few more testimonials http://www.bobgarner.com/testimonials.html about not only my entertaining motivational speaker programs, but also as a trade show magician – or should I say trade show mentalist !

According to a study reported in the “Journal of Business Communications,” group laughter appears to be a resource that can be used to improve performance and, through this, the achievement of the goals of an organization. Obviously, improving performance and achieving goals is important to a human resource professional who plans meeting, as well as to an event or meeting planner.  It’s also important to those who conduct web conferences or virtual meetings. Therefore, when planning your next event for executives, sales people, employees or customers, here are just four benefits to keep in mind with regard to incorporating laughter and fun at your meeting.

Cohesion:

Laughter is like yawning – it’s contagious. And most meeting planners or human resource professionals would rather hear a roomful of laughter than see a roomful of people yawning. How many times at a web conference do you see attendees turn away from the “action” and start texting on their phone? Laughter brings people together. It allows them to drop their “guard” at a meeting and become “one” with the group. Furthermore, during coffee breaks or networking functions, attendees have a tendency to share what they thought was funny or humorous with each other. This greatly helps those who are not “outgoing” to strike up conversations with others, which fosters communication and teamwork.

Increased Comprehension:

Dr. William Fry, professor emeritus at Stanford University School of Medicine, stated “Laughter aids memory and increases alertness and concentration.” Studies reveal that you can’t think and laugh at the same time. Therefore, laugher acts as a “mental wash,” allowing the brain to take a break. This break then provides the mind with an opportunity to absorb more information. Plus, when you laugh, you remove carbon dioxide from your system at an increased rate and replace it with an increased amount of oxygen, which stimulates not only the brain, but also the whole body. Therefore, you are more alert and can concentrate more efficiently.

Aid in Stress Reduction:

A study at Stanford University showed that laughter stimulates the “feel good” chemical in your blood, which lessens the feelings of stress and makes you “feel happy.” These same chemicals also increase your immune system.

During a web conference, I usually am there to add some humor and fun to the meeting. However, at the vast majority of events at which I am hired to speak, in addition to providing laughter and fun, I also deliver content. One area on which I am most frequently asked to provide information is diminishing stress. The two areas that deliver the most stress are people being asked to do more with less and having to deal with change in the workplace. (These changes may stem from acquisitions, new products or procedures, government restrictions, heightened sales projections, increased competition, etc.) In both cases, the result is unhappiness and stress. Since most meetings focus on the announcement of future expectations from the group, as well as changes that will occur in the workplace — a little bit of humor can make dealing with that information a little easier. As Mary Poppins once said, “A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down!”

Most human resource professionals would agree that stress is a major concern. Numerous reports not only state that stress related illnesses cost employers approximately $300 billion a year, but also affirm that unless these issues are addressed, the costs will continue to go up. Stress attacks your immune system, which causes a variety of illnesses.

In fact, a 20-year study conducted by the University of London stated that unmanaged reactions to stress were a more dangerous risk factor for cancer and heart disease than either cigarette smoking or high cholesterol foods. Therefore, to cut costs, it behooves corporations to be pro-active in reducing stress. Taking this into account during meetings and events is a step in the right direction.

Overall Satisfaction and Productivity:

When your group is having fun, not only is the overall satisfaction of your meeting or web conference increased, but so is participation, which means productivity. After all, if a meeting is just one speaker and power point after another, how much satisfaction or participation from your group would you expect?

Psychologist Maren Rawlings from Swinburne University in Australia conducted an amazing study on humor in the workplace and found a direct link between the climate of good humor in the workplace and employee satisfaction. Rawlings noted, “If employers take measures to encourage a positive humor climate in the workplace, they are more likely to retain their staff.”

Why will the staff be retained? Because they are having fun! Happy employees are productive employees. This finding can easily be translated to meetings, as a happy audience means increased overall satisfaction, which means heightened attention, participation, and, therefore, productivity.

As you can see, there are a few good reasons why providing laughter at your meeting is beneficial. An easy way to obtain these benefits is by engaging a funny motivational speaker for your event. If you would like to see how I have been helping companies worldwide offer this to their groups, visit my funny motivational speaker site.

©2012 Bob Garner. All Rights Reserved. You may use this article, but you must use the byline and author resource.

I work with many meeting planners and not long ago, I was scheduled to be the morning entertaining motivational keynote speaker for a large corporation. In a phone call to the meeting planner, I found out that she – unknown to the actual client – had scheduled me to speak while the audience was eating breakfast.

I’m known as a funny motivational speaker who actually has something to say and my presentations are highly interactive. The meeting planner knew that my client wanted me to kick-off the day with an informative, motivational and fun presentation and having me speak while the audience was eating would not only not achieve that goal, but also was a prime example of poor planning.

Meeting planners and event planners know that speakers are a prime component of meetings and making sure the audience receives the full benefit of the person speaking, as well as ensuring that the speaker has what he/she needs to effectively deliver the presentation, is essential to the success of the speaker, as well as to the overall event. When this does not occur, the result is a poor experience for the speaker and the audience, as well as “egg on the face” of the event planner.

The following 5 steps will aid you in making sure the presenter and the audience, as well as your client receive the full benefit of utilizing a speaker at your meeting.

1 – No Speakers While the Audience is Eating:
People don’t like to be disturbed while they eat. How do you concentrate or even listen to what a speaker has to say while you’re passing the salt? Oftentimes, due to the room set-up, during meals some audience members have their back to the stage, which means the speaker has the pleasure of speaking to the backs of the heads of the audience. (It’s rude to the speaker and the audience.) Presenters like audiences to pay attention to what they have to say and that won’t happen, if the audience is engaged in eating.

2 – Position the Audience Close to the Speaker:
Placing a dance floor or tons of audio/visual equipment in front of the speaker so that the audience is 20-30 feet away from the stage provides an automatic disconnect from the speaker. A good presenter wants to see the faces of the audience to gauge their program and make any adjustments. Keep the audience close to the speaker.

3 – Clarify Walk-On and Walk-Off Music:
Recently at a large meeting, they introduced the chairman of the board by playing an unrecognizable song by the late James Brown. Instead of applauding the chairman when he arrived on stage, the room went quiet… no applause. The COB just stood there. It was a very uncomfortable moment and that’s never good, when you’re dealing with the COB. Pay attention to the details. Make sure that you go over the music that will be used to bring people on and off the stage.

4 – Don’t Clutter the Stage:
I recently did a presentation where the stage was so full of plants and flowers. I thought I was speaking in the nursery section of a Home Depot. When the director of sales came up to speak, he said to the audience, “Wow – look at all these flowers! Who died?” Of course, everyone turned toward the meeting planner and laughed. Let me ask you, is that a “good thing?” Keep it looking simple and smart. Having a nicely decorated stage is appropriate, but don’t go overboard.

5 -Read and Follow the Rider:
Most professional speakers have a rider, which is a document that explains what he/she will need in order to do his/her job effectively. Speakers create riders for a reason – they know what they need. We have all heard the stories about rock bands asking for something as superfluous as brown M&Ms in their riders. Such a request is usually placed deep in the rider to see if – when band shows up – the asked for items have been provided. That way – the band knows someone has actually read the rider and the stage will be set for the band to do what they were hired to do. If those items are not there – someone is not doing their job. The vast majority of speakers have simple riders and will not request brown M&Ms, but they will request water, proper lighting, a/v, etc. Read the rider. If there is a concern, call the speaker and ask for clarification.

With regard to the meeting planner for my morning event – fortunately, I was able to have her “see the light” and she had me go on after breakfast. It was the correct decision.

Remember, the client hired the speaker to either be entertaining, motivating, informative or a combination of the above. You do a disservice to the speaker, the audience, as well as your client if you don’t help the presenter do his/her job as easily and effectively as possible. While the above 5 tips may seem basic to most meeting planners, they are details that are quite often overlooked. A meeting planner gets paid to pay attention to the details and by doing so you make sure that the “eggs” stay on the plates of your audience … and don’t end up on your face.

Funny motivational speaker Bob Garner works with corporations worldwide to improve employee and sales productivity and performance. In addition to being an entertaining keynote speaker, Bob is an author and syndicated writer.

©2011 Bob Garner. All Rights Reserved. You may use this article, but you must use the byline and author resource.

Public domain late 1800's

It was 85 years ago on Halloween at 1:26 pm in Detroit, MI, when Harry Houdini took his last breath. Houdini is the person who is probably more responsible for keeping the art of magic alive than any other magician who has ever lived. In fact, if you ask most people to think of a famous magician, Houdini is probably one of the first names uttered.

Houdini’s secret was that he not only understood marketing and advertising, but also, even more importantly, he had a great product – he was an escape artist. He possessed the ability to escape. People desire to escape. People want to “break loose” from reality and their problems, as well as the chains that bind them to their everyday existence.

Houdini used that desire to create impossible situations and then he would escape from them. Houdini would accept challenges from other people and then escape from those challenges, as well. His escapes were based on a vast knowledge of what was going to be binding him – handcuffs, leg irons, a straightjacket, etc. – and then developing an exit strategy that would free him. He had unbelievable patience and a determination to succeed.

You can use that same strategy, when faced with a challenge that seems inescapable. Discover all you can about what the challenge is and then, calmly, create an exit strategy that will allow you to overcome it. The key word here is “calmly.” Even though Houdini knew how he would make his escape in advance, sometimes his idea didn’t work, so he had to devise and try another plan. Houdini, even with his most difficult escapes, knew that he must never panic. He was resolved that “in time,” he would always find a way out of the problem.

Therefore, don’t try and “force” an outcome. Develop a plan and move according to circumstance. If you need to change your strategy, do so. However, with any plan you devise, be steadfast in your thinking that you will, ultimately, find an answer to your problem and that you will succeed.

Undoubtedly, Houdini will be remembered as a great magician. But he will also be remembered as someone who showed people that despite any challenge, there is always a way to escape through an understanding of the situation, the development of a flexible plan and then, the calm execution of that plan … with determination.

At the age of 8, Bob read a book on Houdini and was hooked. Today, as one of the leading funny motivational speakers on the corporate circuit, Bob reinforces strategic points of his presentation with magic and mind reading. You can watch his funny motivational speaker video demo for a quick look at Bob’s work. 

©2011 Bob Garner. All Rights Reserved. You may use this article, but you must use the byline and author resource.

At many sales or employee events, there are incentive awards given to the top producers or achievers. As a funny motivational speaker, I speak at many of these events and prior to going on, oftentimes I will sit in the audience. Over the years, the comments that I have overheard from the “non-winners” have been interesting. Many have felt that the goals of the incentive program were unrealistic or that the people getting the awards “always win, so why bother…” etc. While such programs may increase profits, they – sometimes – do very little to increase teamwork or morale. In other words, any incentive program, whether it’s a sales incentive program or an employee incentive program, can either be productive … or counter-productive.

An example of a counter-productive program is where the goal is impractical or where only a specific number of participants will win and, therefore, the rest of the group will lose. Many in the group quickly give up or don’t get involved, because they don’t see how the goal can be reached or how they can win. Conversely, a productive incentive program establishes a realistic objective and rewards everyone in the department for reaching that goal. As opposed to the counter-productive program, this approach reinforces teamwork and increases overall morale.

The following 4 steps can aid you in creating a productive incentive program that enhances teamwork and morale, while simultaneously achieving an important goal. I call these steps the 4 D’s:

1) Define the Goal:
What do you want to accomplish? Who will be involved? What can you do to make the goal uncomplicated, include as many people as possible, and eliminate any obstacles to success?

2) Develop a System of Measurement:
How will you measure involvement and improvement? Allow those in the program to contribute their ideas with regard to the rules and the system of measurement, as well as the reward. Participation in the decision process greatly enhances a “team approach” and aids in increasing overall involvement.

3) Determine the Reward:
What reward can the company provide that acknowledges everyone’s contribution to achieving the goal? Consider a company-wide event where all can attend and have fun. Should you wish to reward individuals for specific achievement, think about something nice, but not “over the top,” such as plaques or certificates.

4) Dedicate Time from Leaders to Help:
Get management involved. Have them provide encouragement to all and keep everyone motivated. Leaders are supposed to provide support and guidance, not stand back with their arms crossed waiting to see how the group will perform.

The end goal of any incentive program should be that everyone has fun but, even more importantly, that the participants know the company is grateful for their hard work and dedication to achieving the goal.

Showing a 10-12% increase in employee productivity is just one result that you can expect when you conduct an employee incentive program correctly. My funny motivational speaker testimonial will prove to you it can be done, as will other testimonials regarding sales incentive programs found on my funny motivational speakers site.

Asking for the sale is one question that sales managers and sales trainers spend a good deal of time covering, because it’s one of the most important questions a sales rep should ask, yet the least often asked. Understanding that not all reps feel comfortable using the question, “Do you want to go ahead with this?” as a sales closing technique, the following method provides an effective way to ask for the sale by having your client not only agree that he/she can see how your product/service will help them to solve their problem, but also openly affirm that now is the time to act and close the deal.

I first discovered this sales closing tip in “Ziglar on Selling,” by Zig Ziglar. In this great book, Ziglar refers to it as the “Three-Question Close.” To adapt it to my style of selling, I made some alterations and call it the “C.U.T.” approach. It comes from the term “Cut to the Chase” which was first used when making silent movies. The climax of many silent movies was the “chase scene” and during the editing of a film, when it was time to bring the movie to a close (so that the characters could live “happily ever after”), the director would say to the editor, “Cut to the chase!”

When it’s time for you to cut to the chase and ask for the sale, begin by asking your client:

C – “Can you see how my product will help you to …” (State client’s specific need or problem.) If the client says “No,” then you need to uncover what you missed. However, assuming that your product/service does solve their problem and you have presented your case correctly, the answer should be “Yes.” You then ask:

U – “Understanding that, obviously, you are interested in …” (Solving that problem.) Naturally, your client will say “Yes.” You then ask:

T – “Then, truthfully, if you were going to start (solving that problem), when do you think would be the best time to begin?”

At this point, if the client says, “Well, I guess right now” then you can say, “Great. Let’s get the paperwork started.” However, if the client says, “I don’t know” then you need to use what Ziglar called the “Probability Close.” Ask your client, “Okay. I was wondering, on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being that you want to go ahead right now – where do we stand?” 

If the client says 7 or higher, then you say, “Specifically, what can I tell you about how we can help you (solve the problem) to move you to a 10?” Then listen very carefully. Your client is close to making the deal and you need to find the concern and provide a solution. If the client says 6 or less, there is major unresolved issue and you’re far from closing the deal. You’ll need to discover that issue and provide an answer.

In either of the above scenarios, after you have reviewed and answered their objections, you ask, “I think I have answered all your concerns. So, on that scale from 1 to 10 – are we at a 10?”

If the client still says, “I don’t know” or “Not yet,” then you can either further penetrate their concerns or make the decision that, perhaps, you might be “spinning your wheels,” and you need to move on to your next client.

If you have answered all of your client’s concerns, asking for the sale is the easiest part of the sales process. Using the “C.U.T.” sales closing technique is a direct way to emphasize that you truly understand your client’s issue and allows your client to concur that your product or service can help solve that issue and that now is the time for him/her to act. Hopefully, by using the “C.U.T.” approach, your sales call will end just like the old silent movies after the “chase scene”… with everyone living happily ever after.

Recognized as a funny motivational speaker who actually has something to say, Bob Garner has worked with corporations worldwide to improve employee and sales productivity and performance. In addition to being an entertaining motivational speaker, Bob is an author and syndicated writer.

©2011 Bob Garner. All Rights Reserved. You may use this article, but you must use my byline and author resource.