Author Archive

Every public speaker has highs and lows. Great presentations you’ll remember for years to come and bad ones that you’ll never forget. Moments of brilliance and success, and times when you want to crawl under a rock. Yet, they are all valuable experiences. Each and every one of them.

I had one such “learning experience” this week. I was given the opportunity to share networking tips and facilitate a group exercise with 800 women during the afternoon networking reception at the BWF – the Business Women’s Forum in Hartford, CT on September 29, 2009. I had given a workshop called “Motivated Networking Follow-Up” to a group of 100+ professional and business women in the morning. It was an absolute home run by all measures. I was feeling pretty good. (read more about the highlights from this event)

Then it happened.

The audience at the afternoon reception did not respond to me or my message. The wine and appetizers were captivating the women’s total attention. Their need to unwind and just relax proved to be more compelling than my introduction and presentation content. They had had their fill of listening and learning new things for the day. They just wanted to spend some quality time with people that they knew. Few were interested in participating in the “Facilitated Introductions” networking exercise that I had designed.

What was my biggest mistake? I wasn’t flexible enough to respond to the situation. Read the full article…

If you’re a woman in business, you need to attend the Business Women’s Forum next Tuesday, 9/29/09 in Hartford, CT.

Why the reference to “big dogs?” No, it’s not a pet show, nor a disparaging remark about  unattractive people. Rather, it is an inspiration from my networking friend, Janice who mentioned to me that she needs to kick up her networking efforts and start “hanging out with the big dogs.” Those were her words…and I loved them. I immediately told her that she MUST attend next week’s Business Women’s Forum because it attracts over a thousand high caliber business and professional women – the kind of women that could help accelerate her business and achieve her ambitions.

If you want or need to “hang out with the big dogs” or know women that need to step up their networking game, then please help me get the word out about next Tuesday’s BWF conference. It is the place to be to create powerful new opportunities for your career, your business and maybe even your life! Spread the word…and SHOW UP! There’s still time to Register for the conference!

Join me at my morning workshop at the BWF entitled: Motivated Follow-Up: The Secret Sauce to Your Networking Success

Presenter: Kathy McAfee, America’s Marketing Motivator

Networking is more than just meeting new people; it’s about creating lasting value through your relationships. To fully leverage the potential of your professional network, you must become proficient and diligent in your follow-up. Kathy McAfee will show you how you can increase your visibility and value to the people in your network through simple follow-up strategies, leveraging both off-line and on-line resources. Here are five things you’ll learn by attending this seminar:

1. How to create a systematic approach to your networking follow-up so that you can consistently act on your intentions;
2. How to add value to the people in your network with your follow-up;
3. How to be authentic, personal and helpful with your networking follow-up;
4. What on-line services are available to help you with more consistent follow-up;
5. Other great tips to help you accelerate your future through networking.

Read more about this seminar and its sister talk “Perfect Your Pitch” on my new web site: www.MotivatedSpeaker.com

For more  help with your networking efforts, help yourself to the free weekly business tips and resources at Kathy’s web site NeworkingAhead.com

See you at the BWF!

Kathy McAfee – a “big dog”

My good friend, Chris Amorosino, copywriter extraordinaire who helped me articulate my value proposition (see his influence in the compelling copy on my home page) sent me this refreshing reminder of some powerful marketing basics for success. He is quoting another thought leader, Roy H. Williams.

I am wondering how these 5 steps might apply to how we manage our businesses, careers and even relationships? Change the context and gain new perspective…

5 Steps to Marketing Success Read the rest of this entry »

I happily subscribe to Seth Godin’s blog and found this short article to be interesting idea for small group presentations – you know the type where the formal PowerPoint stand-up style presentation is overkill?

The modern talking pad

by Seth Godin BLOG “marketing, tribes and respect”

“I think this is a big idea, but your mileage may vary. I’ve been having great success with a hybrid of the yellow legal pad and a printed presentation from Keynote (or Powerpoint). I use it during small meetings where more interactivity is useful, and where the group is too small for a laptop to be the best way to present slides (I think running a presentation says, “I talk, you listen…”). READ more about this idea …