Company staff celebrating Bafana Bafana!

Wow!! What a way for Bafana Bafana to go out last week … By delivering a fantastic “WOW!” performance, our soccer team managed to win the hearts and minds of a country.  This is even more impressive when you think how many people even bothered to watch their previous games.  Ask any South African now and I’m pretty sure that they’ll say they’ll now continue to support Bafana!

That’s what delivering a “WOW!” can do …

3 Great Things We Can Learn From South Africa’s Last Game In The 2010 World Cup

• United We Stand – by gathering an entire country and getting them to focus on one goal, you can make the improbable possible. Sure, we didn’t make it through, but can you imagine what could have happened if South Africans had started doing this several years ago?
• You Have To Find Your Flow – when the coach put the right players in the right place, we got more opportunities to score!  How often do you put the wrong players in the right place, or the right players in the wrong place?
• You Miss 100% Of the Shots You Don’t Take – finally we saw the strikers taking opportunities on goal, finding every opportunity to shoot towards goal.  We had 21 shots on goal, compared to France’s 10.  Twice the shots, twice the goals – co-incidence?

But while the World Cup as a sporting event is starting to draw to a close, the World Cup ‘gees’ (spirit) now needs to be converted into productive energy – so that you and your staff can use this energy to create a renewed commitment to making your business better!

Let’s face it:

•    South Africa is hosting a super-successful tournament – but most local businesses bared the brunt of decreased productivity;

•    Businesses must now try to harness the energy and excitement that everyone experienced and focus it into growing the business, increasing profits and decreasing customer dissatisfaction;

•    Your staff need to use this inspiration to achieve success without losing even more productive time and without spending hundreds and thousands of Rands on training;

What would your company do differently if your staff were inspired by a short (but highly effective) presentation that got everyone together to commit to delivering the “WOW!” service that your customers deserve?

In the spirit of maintaining this amazing energy from the World Cup, I’m offering you a versatile and customizable presentation that is JAM PACKED with advice and tips that is certain to be remembered by you and your colleagues for a long, long time.  You’ll learn practical lessons and sage advice that everyone will be able to implement almost immediately.

Here’s what my previous customers have to say about my presentations:

“A huge ‘Thank You’ to Marcel & the team.  I’ve received so many emails to say “Thanks” for such an amazing event & all made possible by you!” – Inger Truter, BAT

“Marcel’s is worth every penny! His programme had our staff in awe, in fits of laughter and inspired them to work as one team … Thank you so much!” – Annemarie Heydenrych

“Hang on a second Marcel, aren’t you still doing magic for events?”

Of course! I still love performing and will always be available for product launches, roadshows, year-end functions and formal dinners. That’s not important; what’s important here is that I can use my expertise as a dynamic and fun presenter to deliver a compelling message to any audience.

It’s what I call the 3Cs: “Create the connection, Convey the compelling message, and Collect the results”. Remember this is what ‘Infotainment’ is all about – delivering a compelling and persuasive message using the art of entertainment.

“Ok Marcel, it sounds good – but we simply don’t have the time!”

Right, that’s why I’ve kept this talk to a short 45-minutes!  Remember: just because training programmes are several days long doesn’t make them more important. Sometimes it’s the simplest of messages that make all the difference … don’t you agree?

The fact is, if you can’t get your staff together for a short but valuable session then you either do not have enough clients, or you have more than enough clients to keep you busy.

“We’re interested! What next?”

Fantastic!

You can read up more information about my speaking services here, orread more comments here.  And if you’d like a 2-page ‘flyer’, I suggest you click here.

We are working to a strict “First Come, First Served” policy.  That means that the longer you wait to confirm a date with me, the less likely you are to actually get your first choice.

All you need to do is contact me with a date or two that suit you best.  It’s that simple.  We’ll take it from there to provide you with information about how you confirm and secure your booking.

Isn’t that ridiculously easy?

Marcel combines the power of Magic and Message, using tried and tested techniques and tools, to help create valuable relationships that will directly influence your bottom-line.

For the past 5 years, Marcel has presented customized performances for team-building events, keynote speaking, marketing presentations, entrepreneurial training & sales events.

Marcel’s strength lies is being able to understand your company’s event goals and to deliver them so that the audience locks in and remembers the key points.

Marcel also offers a unique feature – a ‘Customized Script Development’ service that can be of immense benefit to your event!

Marcel travelled to the USA to be personally trained and mentored by the world’s leading infotainer, Joel Bauer, in presenting customized performances that deliver your message in a engaging, interactive & compelling manner.

Marcel can be engaged to speak on the following prepared topics:

• “The Magic Within You“
  A highly engaging keynote designed to inspire your audience, Marcel demonstrates that everyone has the ability to be remarkable & that creating “magic” in your business or job is a matter of making the right choices.
• “You Make The Magic“
  Originally designed for Volkswagen & Audi South Africa, this keynote presentation focuses on the importance of great customer service & how it impacts your business’s bottom line profits.
• “Branding & Illusion“
  Originally designed for the UCT Graduate School of Business, during this keynote Marcel gives insight into how your prospects & customers attach an emotional meaning & context to your business’s branding, & how every staff member is responsible for reinforcing the brand.
• “Creating Customers For Life“
  This 90-minute seminar is filled with the best strategies & techniques taken from Marcel’s book, “The Serious Business Owner’s Guide To Creating Customers For Life”. Your audience will walk away with a greater understanding of sales techniques, why great customer service is vital, & how to turn prospects into life-long customers.
• “Marketing Magic“
  During this workshop, Marcel demonstrates how to “think like a magician” when creating & initiating your marketing campaigns. He teaches & helps the group to implement a simple step-by-step formula that explains how to create a compelling message,  deliver it to a targeted audience & how to maintain the campaign’s inertia to generate continuous referral business.  Although designed for small business owners & entrepreneurs, this formula can be used by any business in any industry.
• … or your own CUSTOM message!
  Provide us with the topic & research material & Marcel will discuss how he is able to turn ‘boring’ content into a exciting & valuable presentation.

Your audience can also learn from Marcel’s insights with his presentation based on his first business book, ‘The Serious Business Owner’s Guide To Creating Customers For Life‘.  Not only do we offer this book as an excellent gift to every delegate, but we can also print your company logo with a special message to each reader. This is an excellent way to provide even more phenomenal “take home” value to your audience!

Click here to view the embedded video.

I really do enjoy these presentations because the class & I have a lot of fun being amazed by magic, but also connecting the experience to simple but important marketing tactics.  But I must admit … I was a little intimidated by the list of respected experts who were also speaking during this course.

“Presenters that I would like to give prop’s to are Dave Duarte (programme founder and much more), Mike Perk (MD at World Wide Creative), Rob Stokes (founder of Quirk eMarketing — check out their text book licensed under the creative commons agreement), Marcel Oudejans (Magician and Marketer, I kid you not!) and Allan Kent (Group Head: Saatchi & Saatchi @Play). I found what they had to say especially interesting (Dave and Allan took the time to chat to me over lunch regarding my development in the field, which was not necessary, and which i really have respect for), so if you want to find out more, follow their links.”

Source: markpretorius.com

Unfortunately, due to scheduled meetings, I was only able to be there for my own presentation so I was unable to watch all the speakers.  But Mark Pretorius, who works at Old Mutual, wrote a blog post with some of his highlights:

“My most important out-takes from the course for me were:

• Strategy embraces trends, and tactics use applications
• Be relevant, authentic, succinct and immediate
• Think like the client (this is the most “duh” item, but it really does take someone to remind you to do this when you get into the daily grind of things)
• Sell the advantages, not the features
• Talk to people in the common ground between what i believe to be true and what they believe to be true, or they won’t understand me or care
• Create a media neutral campaign and use that across mediums, don’t create something for TV and adapt it to other media.”

Source: markpretorius.com

Although I didn’t know it, Mark was filming one of my demonstrations with his cellphone camera, which he was kind enough to share on Youtube.  Apologies for the quality of the sound, but it was a great attempt nonetheless. Thanks Mark!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Of course, it does rely on the presentation you request for your event  or seminar(my strolling entertainment performance is perfectly suited for intimate parties where I am close enough for normal conversation to take place).  But in order for me to be heard properly by everyone in the room, you need to make the additional investment of hiring the appropriate sound equipment;  there are few things worse than guests or delegates complaining that they cannot hear me.

Sound engineering is a technical field, and unless you are an event management company who regularly works with sound production companies, it can be a little confusing.  Don’t be too concerned: sound hire companies are eager to serve you and provide you with the best sound equipment based on their experience, so it’s almost always worthwhile to contact them for advice.

However, here are a few event ideas and tips about hiring the right sound equipment, based on my experience:

• 1. Wireless Microphones:

You need to provide a wireless microphone — if I was forced to speak from a static position I would lose the ability to present naturally and this causes great frustration.  Your audience will feel disappointed that they did not get the maximum energy from me & we can avoid that by making sure that you request the correct equipment.

My first choice is a ‘countryman’ microphone.  These microphones are fantastic and I am always thrilled when I get the opportunity to use this in my presentation.  The microphone is extremely light, comfortable and almost hidden from the audience.  The sound quality is superb and you virtually never have feedback issues (another BIG ‘NO NO’). This kind of microphone is on my ”wishlist”: they do cost more to hire, but you’ll agree after the presentation that you made the correct choice!

My next choice is a headset microphone, although I’m a bit hesitant to say so because I’ve recently experienced issues with a microphone like this.  They’re much bigger than countryman mics, are a bit loose so they’re less comfortable, and they’re quite visible to the audience.  The advantage is that the mic is directional so that I can turn my head and the microphone will (hopefully) remain near my mouth.  You’ll notice that it looks a bit like an orthodontic headgear, and I famously put it on incorrectly the first time I used one for my demo video.

Narrowly third is a lapel or lavalier microphone, and this kind is the one I most frequently given to use.  A lapel microphone is fairly discrete, light and works to my satisfaction. Because it’s not near my mouth however, I may still need to project my voice and it loses volume when I turn my head away from the mic.  The advantage is that you are more likely to hear the amplified comments of the volunteers on stage with me.  If your corporate event budget is limited, then this is the absolute minimum I would recommend.

The final type of microphone that I encounter is the wireless hand-held microphone.  This is an excellent tool for those trained in professional microphone technique — but it unfortunately does limit my own presentations.  I need to be able to use both hands and because I’d like to be heard, this can mean that I have to stand unnaturally, which detracts from the presentation. On the rare occasions that I am not using any props during my presentation, this is the microphone I prefer.  I can move the microphone around depending on the effect I wish to create with my voice (eg. excitement, stage whispers, comedic effects) and I can use its directional abilities to my advantage (like giving a volunteer an instruction that I only want her to hear). I would also need to be a movable microphone stand because I need to be able to place it anywhere on stage and adjust the height for different volunteers.  My performance is possible with a hand-held microphone, but it really isn’t a good choice and I’m always disappointed when I need to use one.

• 2. Suggested microphone brands

It’s unlikely that we’ll personally select the brand of microphone that is provided by the sound hire company, but if you get the opportunity I would suggest you ask for ”Shure“.  My brother, a professional sound engineer, insists that they are the best.  I’m shure he’s right.

• 3. Microphone transmitter batteries

Please insist that fresh batteries will be placed in the microphone transmitter that I will be using.  I have been known to carry a spare 9v battery in my pocket just in case the battery does fail and I need to replace it on stage (besides, it keeps me on my toes).  It would be awful to get all the best sound equipment, only to be foiled by a flat battery!

• 4. Additional microphone

If high fidelity sound is important for your corporate event, then providing an additional wireless hand-held microphone with its own stand is highly recommended.  By using the extra microphone for my onstage volunteers, there will be no quiet gaps and I will not be required to repeat everything that was said (this means I have more time to do the presentation).

• 5. On-site sound technician

I have basic knowledge of sound equipment for professional speaking, but I am not a professional sound engineer.   I can turn a microphone on, change the volume and the batteries, but when I’m busy with my presentation I cannot make any adjustments.  Any failures will require that I make a major change to my presentation — it has happened that I needed to present to 300 people by projecting my voice because the microphone broke before I arrived.  You don’t want to worry about these kind of potential problems, so I suggest you work with a reputable sound company and retain the services of an on-site sound technician. This way, if anything goes wrong, there is going to be someone responsible to fix the problem.

Please note that DJs are not always sound engineers either — using the equipment to amplify music is very different to using it for voice amplification.  I’ve worked with DJs before and they are generally satisfactory when it comes to providing the right equipment for my presentation’s requirements, but I have experienced a few mishaps too.

• 6. Speakers

I’m afraid I don’t know much about speakers, but I hope somebody will provide some suggestions in the comments below.  I assume that spending more money on better speakers is probably a safer option.

• 7. Sound Check

Where possible, I would always like to do a sound check before the audience fills the room (at least 20 minutes before).  This way I can create a relationship with my sound technician for the day (he is ultimately responsible for the quality of my voice), and I can test all the equipment.  This is very important because I would rather discover problems during the sound check than in the middle of my presentation.  I also use the chance to find the right volume and equalization (it should sound like me, only louder) and find any feedback or low reception spots.  I would prefer the room to be empty, but I know that this is almost never the case, so please excuse my senseless babblings while I doing my sound tests!

• BONUS TIP:

Please provide sparkling water at room temperature — fresh water is essential to hydration and maintaining energy levels.  During my presentation, a drink of water helps keen my voice at optimum levels and gives me the opportunity to pause and gather my thoughts for the next section.  Cold or iced water is not recommended since this causes vocal chords to tighten and can cause damage over a long presentation (besides, it can give me ‘brain freeze’).  I enjoy sparkling water, there’s no special reason for that.

I think if you showed this list to any professional event speaker or performer, they would probably agree with most of these suggestions.  Remember this advice is from my personal experience only, so your mileage may vary. Follow the advice of your selected event management company and use the best equipment that you can afford.  Since a successful and memorable event can be such a great way to market your company and create long-lasting relationships, why risk your investment by using anything but the best?

I decided to take a look at the post to see if I could find any new resources so that I could compile a  new list that would have helpful hints, tips, resources or free software that would be appropriate to South African event planners & event management companies.  I have found a number of great NEW resources that I will compile into a list to post here soon, but as I started working my way through the list, I visited Event Manager Blog.

Well, did I find a WEALTH of information there!  I was looking for ”South African’-friendly posts so that I could link to them and I realized something … in my work, I present and perform all the time at events and functions, and I almost never see half the technology they’re describing on that site.

Now, I don’t mean just the technology that is used at the actual event  — like the Twitterfountain used at #Netprophet, or liveblogging.  Although using intelligent lighting, specialized sound equipment or using a visual facilitator are great ways to use technology to augment your event, for most of the events that I am requested to attend these would be too expensive. That’s OK: the market for this is developing in South Africa. But when you look Event Manager Blog, you’ll see that there’s a plethora of online services that event planners can use to plan the agenda, budget, manage registrations & perhaps most importantly: how to market an event (virtually) free using Social Media.

Here’s what I found:

• Many of the web-based applications that handle event registration require either a Paypal Seller account or a credit card payment gateway.  Unfortunately, due to the South Africa foreign exchange control laws, South Africans may still not register for a Paypal Seller account (as I understand it).  That means that you cannot accept credit cards for payment.  The work-around is that you register the event as ’Free’ but charge tickets at the door; that’s a little disappointing, knowing that it could be so much easier.Why is there no South African company offering online event registration management like Amiando, Eventbrite or Ticketleap?  I believe there is a South African online ticketing solutions but I wasn’t confident enough to register for it.  There’s a definite gap in the market here.
  [UPDATE: This is now possible through First National Bank. However, you can only charge in US$ and not in ZAR]
• There seems to be far more co-ordination in sharing the material presented during the event and sadly, that lack of planning was evident at this year’s Internetix conference.  Don’t get me wrong, I fully appreciate that I was able to learn from expert speakers, enjoy meals and drinks, AND receive a bag full of goodies (thank you Internet Solutions!!).  But in the ’gift pack’ I received a CD with all the speakers’ presentations on it … why? It looked fancy and it was useful, but for that small amount of data why wasn’t it posted to Slideshare?  A whole extra piece of plastic had to be printed for something that has been designed to be thrown away.  That was not cool of Internet Solutions, but here is a suggestion: next year, don’t doubt that those attending take away great value from the event.  We wouldn’t be disappointed if there was less “stuff” in our free bags and you know what? Sending us to a website encourages traffic and interaction, so everyone wins.It just makes sense: find a community website for your event (like Ning), use an email auto-responder (like ActOn Software), use a Wordpress blog, or create an event page on Slideshare, and share the resources and material electronically.  It’s faster, it saves on printing expenses, and it’s better for the environment.I think there’s a real opportunity here is for a South African communications company to handle the whole Social Media account purely for the pre- and post-event interaction.
• Suddenly there’s this new “buzz” in my industry about “marketing with Social Media”, and being an early-adopter I see that local event planners are only now beginning to ask questions.  By far the majority of event invitations I receive are either by (a) email invitation and/or spam, or (b) Facebook Event invitations.  As you would expect, the 27Dinners are entirely marketed by using Social Media, but that’s the only consistent event that I know that runs smoothly using this technology.  Let’s go back to Event Manager Blog’s slideshow and see what they suggest are “15 Different Ways To Market Your Event OFFLINE“:

  Hmmm. If you’ve spent any time organising or attending events in South Africa, you might have seen at most 5 of these suggestions used for any event.  How many South Africans use meetup.com, would accept proximity marketing, have advanced knowledge of LinkedIn, or know what a vcard is?

In order to get the competitive edge, event organisers these days are more and more interested in using cost-effective and time-efficient techniques to market their clients’ events.  Yet, there doesn’t seem to be anyone giving them the shortcuts and existing resources!

I’ve become more active in presenting live marketing seminars, so I’m considering hosting a 1-day event, “Social Media For Event Planners 101“, to be held in Cape Town.  If 10 people are even vaguely interested, I’ll post you each more information.  But I’m hoping that I can get an opportunity to show at least 10 people during 1 full day how to use existing and free resources to plan, market and organise an event.

If you know that understanding how to use Social Media in event management would be a huge competitive advantage, post a comment below and I’ll reply with more information!