FAQs

OK, first—relax.

First determine your event audience, budget, date, and location. Only then will it be time to start researching speakers, either directly or through a speaker bureau, but either way, they will guide you through the process.

As a professional keynote speaker, our mission is to ensure your conference leaves the RIGHT lasting impression, and you the hero, by providing world-class resources and exceptional service (with some fun thrown in along the way).

Have you yet downloaded my Guide to planning a Successful Event?  It’s free, there’s no hidden agenda, simply a desire to ensure you’ve got everything covered.

You might also wish to book a call?

Again, NO hidden agenda, on more occasions than not, I’ll recommend at least 3-4 other speakers to every enquiry, based on my extensive knowledge of the speaker industry and the many speakers within it.

During the call I’ll help you to identify your exact needs. Only then can I help you find not only the right speaker on any given subject…but the best speaker for the event for your audience.

Selecting a speaker is a daunting process and choosing the right person from the thousands who claim to be amazing can seem impossible. Clearly knowledge and understanding of who’s who is key.

According to Wikipedia, a keynote in public speaking is a talk that establishes the main underlying theme.

In corporate or commercial settings, greater importance is attached to the delivery of a keynote speech or keynote address because the keynote establishes the framework for the training that follows.

Duration

Most keynote addresses are 45 minutes to 90 minutes long (although there is no rule limiting it to a certain duration). In a relatively short period of time, the keynote speaker has to establish rapport, educate, entertain the audience, and leave them wanting more.

A keynote is also meant to inspire the attendees to want to be at the event and stay there from start to finish. It should also give them a “Call to Action” to want to learn, interact, and bring home tools from the event that can improve sales, overcome negativity, or help them do their everyday duties better.

Depth

The keynote speaker must know their subject inside and out, and be able to offer insights or possible actions that are easy to understand and hard to forget. This is often accomplished with humour, personal stories, or unusual accomplishments.

Most attendees are looking for a “black belt” in a subject from the keynote speaker, someone that’s been there and done it, rather than simply read up and recited it!  They should be able to incorporate your event theme, terminology and have a working knowledge of the work they perform and the challenges and obstacles they face.

Jay Allen – Opening Keynote

As your opening keynote, I take the time to research the audience.  That I am relevant, fun, and energising. That energy is then carried on by the other participants throughout the rest of the conference.

From the moment I enter stage, I get the audience engaged, they are ready to hear my message and any message to follow. I emotionally charge the audience on the premise: “They will not remember what you did or said, they remember how you make them feel.”

You can count on me to set the stage for the rest of your event, and start your event with laughter, much to think about, and make this event, one of the most memorable this audience have ever attended.

Jay Allen – Closing Speaker

As a closing keynote speaker, I work to incorporate the event theme.  Reference significant points  during the event and much more into this captivating close.

One of the main goals in a closing keynote, is to provide the audience with a revitalised “Call To Action” they take back with them and implement straight away.  Invite me to keynote if you want your event to end on a high, with everyone energised and driven to achieve YOUR objectives.

Whilst there are MANY who are recognised as Motivational speakers, others are often referred to as inspirational speakers. So what is an ‘inspirational speaker’?

An inspirational speaker talks about themselves and lets you draw your own conclusions.  It maybe they have faced something either horrific or done something heroic. Either the way their story and how they deliver it are inspirational and delivered to give a clear example of what CAN be achieved.

In contrast, a motivational speaker actively sets out to help their audience to improve in some way. Motivational Speakers typically help organisations, leaders and individuals become more efficient and excited about what they’re already doing.

The BIG difference here, is that inspirational is all based on the SPEAKERS experience in their own life, whereas a motivational speaker may well use stories but not necessarily their own to motivate an audience.

Jay provides breakout sessions, Workshops and Masterclasses.

Breakout sessions:

Usually, these are not events where everyone attends. Instead, they are one of many sessions scheduled at the same time and participants are free to attend by choice. These break out sessions typically offer participants more of an in-depth educational experience by focusing on one aspect in more detail than a general session, which may also include handout materials, and are usually intended to provide very focused training.

Workshops:

Workshops are more interactive experiences where Jay facilitates learning, rather than presents. These can vary in duration; some are an hour or two hours; however Jay has conducted events where the workshops were ½ day and even full day offerings that are then duplicated so others at the conference can also attend. Most workshops include interactive activities that allow participants to work with each other at a level that is not possible during a large general session.

Masterclasses

Masterclasses are an extension of a Workshop but often geared at a Strategic rather than operational level.  They are rarely less than ½ day sessions and may be longer than 1 day. Again, they are interactive, and include handouts, but usually based towards C-Suite, Shareholders, and Senior management.

It may be for one reason or another, that you have chosen to invite a Military Speaker to present at your event?  But what is a Military Speaker?

Regardless of service (Army, Navy, Air Forces, or from which country the service personnel previously/currently serve) a military speaker is either currently or has previously served their country within the Armed Forces.  The HUGE benefit this brings to any event, CANNOT be underestimated. Exceptionally disciplined, experienced and un-phased by difficult situations. A Military speaker will ultimately bring a sense of authority and discipline to an audience to a level perhaps they have never witnessed before.

I am exceptionally proud to have served my Queen and Country for 12+ years, and acknowledge MANY of the successes I have witnessed both within my own businesses, and that achieved whilst working within others, have been as a direct result of my service.  It’s what prompted me to write my first book: Battlefield2Boardroom – 10 Proven Military Lessons to Combat Mediocrity.

And has been pivotal to my post military career success. Having worked at Boardroom level for 2 of the UK’s largest high street chains, and having either bought, acquired or set up 4 of my own businesses and won both National and International Awards.

Some internal speakers can be superb and work particularly well.

However, it doesn’t matter how brilliant your MD or other senior management may be, a quality external speaker will simply add another dimension to your event.  When asked what has the most impact at a conference – video, catering, accommodation, speakers, recent research has shown that over 70% of conference audiences described guest speakers and performers as ‘the most memorable aspect of an event’.

And the reason for this is simple “You don’t know, what you don’t know”

It doesn’t matter how engaging, informative, comical or popular an internal speaker is, the fact remains they only know what THEY know, and this deems they will only ever bring to a life an internal perspective.

In contrast, an external speaker, knows nothing of the internal dynamics, politics or facets of the company.  What they do bring is years of experience gleaned from hundreds (often thousands) of ‘snapshots’ of other companies. This, combined with their own knowledge of business, is more than sufficient to ‘take the temperature’ of any audience and determine which stories, examples, anecdotes to share in order to leave the most long-lasting impression.

Most companies book their keynote speakers months in advance of their event, but celebrities and high-demand speakers often need to be booked even further in advance. The preliminary planning steps often start a year or more before the event date.

Therefore, I’d strongly recommend start this EARLY in the planning process. I often find it alarming when event planners casually call to ask if you can speak at an event next week, which they have spent the last 3-4 months planning every other detail, other than the speaker!

Personally, I work on the following premise

The earlier you secure me as a speaker, the longer I have to research and prepare THE most bespoke and appropriate keynote for your audience and desired outcomes.  Leave it until the last minute, and I’ve got little time to prepare anything other than an ‘off the shelf’ presentation (which whilst will still hit the spot) will not be as impactful as something I’ve been given the opportunity to truly work on to bespoke to you, your audience and your desired outcomes!

Furthermore, I firmly believe in value for money, and in that regard, the earlier you book, the more cost effective it is to secure me as a speaker!  If, to accommodate your ‘lastminute.com’ request I need to make a number of changes to my arrangements, I’ll do it, because I’m keen to support you and the outcomes of the event.  But this often deems time away from research and other commitments, all of which need to be taken into consideration in terms of reimbursement.

Finally, (and again remaining absolutely transparent) we are all learning, developing, improving ourselves all the time.  Therefore, every time I’m booked, I begin the further research, further learning, more knowledge and experience.  This all adds to the value I bring to every subsequent event, and so I have a policy of reviewing the level of investment requested for my services quarterly.

That said, I HONOUR every agreement made, regardless of how far ahead the event is; therefore secure me now for an event in 24 month’s time, and still benefit from today’s level of investment some 2 years later!

For the same reasons you’d utilise a travel consultant, stockbroker or estate agent. A speaker bureau offers a highly professional and specialist service in sourcing, securing and managing every aspect of your engagement with the speakers to which they represent.

Hiring a speaker is an investment. Bureau’s know the marketplace and could help make your job easier by offering a number of speakers with whom they represent with whom they believe meet your event requirements.

If you know WHO you want, and they are not ‘tied’ or ‘exclusive’ to a Bureau, you may wish to liaise with the speaker directly.

Most speakers are welcoming of the opportunity to work directly with the client, to get to understand ‘first hand’ their requirements and desired outcomes for the event and tailor a presentation specifically for them.

This can also reduce cost for you as a hirer and ensures no communication is mis-read or interpreted by removing a link from the chain.

Yes, and no! Whilst bureau’s do not charge YOU a fee, they receive a commission from the speaker for their role in facilitating the introduction.  Therefore, speakers have either pre-inflated their fee’s to incorporate this, or are taking a reduced payment to cover the cost of membership of the bureau.

It may therefore, prove more cost effective to negotiate the best rate for their services.

Again, to remain transparent, the level of investment I request directly from the client, is exactly the same level of investment I require if paid via the bureau, who therefore ADD their commission to my fee before passing these details to the client.

Once the speaker accepts the invitation it would be normal for the speaker (or the Bureau) to issue a contract and confirm details regarding the event. A deposit is usually required, with the balance due either just before the appearance or directly afterwards. A separate invoice for any expenses incurred would be issued directly after the event.

You (and/or) the speaker may well wish for either a conference call or a pre-event meet, to confirm all detail of the event, the logistics and the desired outcomes. It is expected that the event booker will either be or delegate a point of contact (POC) for the speaker to liaise with should they have need to do so, and that this person be available to meet them as they arrive at the venue.

In some cases you can, in others not. Most top-name speakers and entertainers only work through bureaus, and for others, there are often a host of details you’ll have to deal with, including itineraries, travel, scheduling and more. In some cases, it can be a full-time job just to handle the arrangements needed to produce a large-scale event.

As you’ll see, I’ve put together a comprehensive guide to hosting an exceptional event to support event managers, and gladly work with them to support the event however I can.

Whilst registered with a bureau, I am not exclusive; and so welcome the opportunity to work either directly or indirectly with you to ensure the successful delivery of an exceptional event.

Not necessarily.

Whilst popular speakers are booked 1,2 sometimes 3 years in advance, they are rarely so busy speaking EVERY DAY that they would be unavailable to support a ‘lastminute.com” request.

Personally, I frequently take speaker bookings 12-18months ahead, however, rarely accept more than 2 speaking engagements a week.  (allowing for travel and preparation time for each engagement). This therefore, does allow the opportunity to ‘help out’ and support lastminute.com requests as and when I am able.

The best thing is always to call and ask, the best that can happen is you get the speaker you are seeking and the entire event goes ahead without a hitch. The worst that could happen, is they are unable to help on this occasion, but offer you a string of other colleagues within the profession to try, many of whom you may not even be aware of!

Jay Allen is potentially your next motivational speaker?

Jay Allen is a former Rapid Deployment Soldier within the British Army.

Who, after medical discharge; has gone on to initially work at boardroom level with some of the largest companies on the UK high street, and within Change Management within the Public Sector. Prior to branching out on his own as an Entrepreneur.  Since then, he has either bought, acquired or set up 4 of his own businesses (exiting twice) and helped form 3 others.

In 2011, Jay ‘fell’ into public speaker. And yet by 2013 won his first Global Entrepreneur ‘Big Impact to Business’ Award as a keynote speaker. This took Jay from being a National to an International Speaker, delivering his message of how clarity and determination can enable you to achieve FAR more than you otherwise thought yourself possible!

In 2014, Jay was invited to present AT the Global Entrepreneur Awards (Kauffman Institute for Entrepreneurship) Only to be awarded another ‘Big Impact to Business’ Award.

In 2015 his first book: Battlefield2Boardroom won a National Authors Achievement Award. And in 2017 Jay was added to the UK ‘Clear Business Thinking’ POWER 100. Recognised by Smith & Williamson for his ethical business scale program, as one of the top 100 business influencers in the UK.

I initially studied sociology, with a particular interest in Communication and Human Behaviour.

I subsequently turned my attention to serving my country (as a means of learning my own limits and what I could achieve).  And so transferred to studying emergency medical science.  And Subsequently served as an Advanced Trauma Medic alongside a number of specialist Rapid Deployment Regiments on operational commitments all over the world between 1991 and 2003.

In 2003, I was Medically discharged from the British Army, diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I am extremely fortunate to have had the support and treatment to address this, and proud to share I now very successfully manage this well.

Since then, have worked at boardroom level with some of the largest brands on the high street. Worked in Change Management within the Pubic Sector (managing a team circa 1,400) prior to setting out as an Entrepreneur.

Within this exciting role, I have either bought, acquired or set up 4 of my own businesses. Scaled and exited TWICE, and now work as an international speaker (sharing my research into FAIL to SCALE), Business SCALE Mentor, and published Business Author.

A little snippet of some of my achievements:

I originally qualified as a social worker before joining the British Army.

I served my country as a Rapid Deployment Advanced Trauma Medic, serving in military combat all over the world whilst supporting specialist front line deployment regiments.

Since leaving the service (Medical discharge) I have worked at boardroom / advisor level with 2 of the UK’s largest high street chains.  I have also worked at both Regional and National level with a Public Sector and Third Sector organisation

Moving from Employee to Employer, I have either bought, acquired or set up 4 of my own successful businesses, as well as co-founder 2 others.

I became a professionally published author in 2015, and again in 2017

I currently sit as Executive Strategy Lead for a CIC, Non Exec Board for a management Consortium, Chair of Trustee’s for a UK registered charity and Ambassador for another.

Becoming a professional speaker in 2011, and an international speaker (winning my first global speaking award) in 2013.

and finally, I am most humbled to have been added to the UK ‘Clear Business Thinking’ Power 100 in 2017.

Whilst my client list is extensive, there are some with whom I have signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement, and so not possible to list.

However, here is a flavour of some clients with whom I have previously worked:

• National Health Service
• Ministry of Defence
• National Housing Federation
• Care Quality Commission
• Chartered Institute of Management Accountants
• Chartered Management Institute
• Chartered Institute of Marketing
• Institute of Directors
• British Chamber of Commerce
• Federation of Small Businesses
• Greater Manchester Police
• Smith & Williamson
• Triform Group
• Know IT

I acknowledge there are tens of thousands of Motivational speakers, almost as many Inspirational speakers and a large number of Military speakers, so what does set me apart?

Well, me!

I’ve yet to meet ANYBODY else that has the educational background I have, the career path I have, and achieved the awards and acknowledgements I have!

But more so, I’ve also spent almost 4 years extensively studying BIG BUSINESS FAILURE! And from having done so, found 3 FLAWS within MANY businesses which has subsequently cased their failure.  From this I engineered a method of checking to ensure these are identified, addressed and overcome. Which has to date, seen my clients grow by an AVERAGE of 26%. With many reporting 30,40 even 50% growth!

This has led me to TWICE winning a Global Entrepreneur ‘Big Impact to Business’ Award, AND listed in the UK on the ‘Clear Business Thinking’ POWER 100.

I am NOT one of those “Put your hand up” (every 5mins) kinda speakers!  I do have a presentation, that will have been bespoke to YOUR audience and YOUR desired outcomes.

However, I am ALL about ensuring the audience leaves educated, inspired and HIGHLY motivated to applying their new found learning to the greater benefit of them and the business.

I’m highly interactive. I DO NOT use a lectern and can often be found walking around the audience, rather than sticking to a STAGE performance!

I’m keen to make this as engaging and interactive as the audience are willing. So I Guess it all depends on your audience!…..

GREAT question. I guess the genuine, honest answer is: Yes and No!

NO: I AM NOT, Nor will I EVER become a traveling Salesman. Someone that ‘buys’ a slot to speak, only to tell an audience how great I am and how they should all flock at my feet and buy everything I have to sell! (Sorry) I have a particular dislike for those who deem themselves ‘Professional speakers’ and yet who conduct themselves in this manner, and NOT something I ever intend to result to!

YES: I motivate, inspire, encourage, sometimes even challenge audiences to think and act differently.  YES, I have also written and had professionally published books for which are available to purchase (with 30% net being donated to a UK registered charity) at events.  And YES, I also am the Director of the UK’s leading Ethical Business Coaching Company – My TrueNORTH for which we do provide a variety of Business Coaching programs to Business owners looking to SCALE their business.

Jay is a high energy, highly motivational speaker with whom is dedicated to ensuring EVERY audience receives a highly educational, up to date, informative and at times challenging presentation in line with the aims and goals pre-agreed with the event team.

He specialises in Business SCALE. And as a result, his presentations are based around his extensive research into Business Failure (and the lessons he has learnt from this).

This includes being competent and confident in speaking about:

• Business Vision, Values, Culture and Goal Setting
• Marketing Management
• Sales & Negotiation
• Money & Margins (including pricing)
• Customer EXPERIENCE (NOT Service)
• A Winning TEAM (including Recruitment and Retention)

Jay is also a qualified and experienced Mental Health & Suicide Prevention First Aider.

Having been discharged from his first career within the British Army after diagnosis with Post Traumatic Stress disorder. Jay has gone on to become a lifelong ambassador for the promotion of Mental Health and also delivers a JAW DROPPING inspirational keynote entitled MENTAL WEALTH.

Some speakers do allow recording at no additional charge. Some do not wish to be recorded at all, and others agree to for an extra fee.

It is important to make your requests known in advance, prior to booking the speaker. Photography, filming or marketing should be discussed and agreed with the Speaker, so that all requests are included and agreed within the contract.

To remain transparent, my policy is that video/photography is accepted for internal non-commercial use, on the proviso I also get a copy of all footage prior to any editing. I very much support the use of video/photography for the promotion of the event, and happily provide a bespoke promotional video for clients shortly after booking has been confirmed.

However, having worked extremely hard to create content specifically for each audience, I take great pride in my work, as like yourselves have a business brand to protect.  Therefore, I have an ongoing commercial relationship with a specialist Intellectual Property Law firm, with whom provides a legal framework around the content I deliver. I therefore, do not agreed to any unauthorised recording of my presentation or the commercial use of such footage however gained without prior consent.

From 1 people to 10,001 in a single audience, as long as they can see and hear that’s fine.

I have spoken at local, regional, national and international events globally. Presented for groups of over 10,000 people and spoken for small retreats working with small groups and one-on-one coaching.

I am equally comfortable at being both opening or closing keynote, a general session or break out session speaker, and spoken at corporate away days, training events, client reward conferences, awards ceremonies and after dinner engagements across the UK and extensively oversea’s.

Many speakers will agree to attend a special event at no additional charge. Some will not. It is important to make your requests known in advance and include this in the contract.

As a rule, my investment structure is for 24Hrs or part thereof.  It has been known for me to host a VIP breakfast prior to the event, a FAQ luncheon during the event, provide a ‘snap shot’ presentation, a 90mins keynote, a breakout workshop and a webinar interview in a day! You’re investing in me to support your event, how you best make use of that is entirely down to mutual agreement.

I’m forever grateful for the work I am able to do with EVERY client.  I work hard to ensure I help make the event teams work as easy as possible.

I am exceptionally blessed and fortunate to have a number of Event Managers with whom I have regularly worked.  And whilst very humbling, exceptionally proud to be able to share THEIR words regarding their many engagements with me, past and present:

“I first met Jay a few years ago when looking for an Inspirational Speaker for our annual work event. Jay came over for a face to face meeting to discuss what we wanted to get from the experience and took the time to learn about who we were, not just rolling out a standard one trick pony speech.

Jay’s speech was incredible. He talked about his personal journey ‘Battlefield to Boardroom’ and carefully weaved in our company values and related them to what he was talking about, with such integrity.

I asked Jay back to be a speaker at my HR networking event, where he delivered ‘Impossible to I’m possible’. It simply blew us away. Jay’s story will shock you, it will make you laugh, in some parts you want to cry and you will leave after being taken through a full suite of emotions, feeling that anything and everything is possible. Jay is not only very talented; he is a very genuine guy who has a strong ethically approach to his business and is a true gentleman! I hold him very high regard. I have stayed in touch with Jay and booked him again this year”
Group HR Director – Lisa Haggar

“Last year, I invited him as a keynote speaker at a Multicultural Business Conference in Manchester.  His delivery was just phenomenal, with many of the audience remarking he was the best speaker of the 3-day event”
Wojchiech Kolozeijczak, Events Manager

“I was fortunate enough to spend a couple of hours with Jay and was immediately struck by his professionalism, honesty and passion for what he does.

I thought I knew a thing or two about delivering a speech and engaging an audience, but I was wrong.

Jay taught me tools, techniques and procedures that I am sure will be invaluable to me both in business and in my personal life. I would highly recommend Jay to anyone looking to develop themselves as a public speaker and/or executive/leader”
Lt. Col. Edward Colver MBE

For all speaking and workshop engagements, I apply a three-tier fee model. The fees depend on whether the event is commercial (fee paying audience) or non-commercial (non revenue generating event).  OR to be delivered Digitally?

All prices are in British Pounds Sterling, and DO NOT include either travel or accommodation.

I am open and transparent regarding the level of investment requirements for engagements locally, regionally, nationally, internationally and can be found by visiting my RATE CARD.

Please be advised: I am a life long Ambassador for the UK registered Charity: COMBAT STRESS (providing much needed help, support and intervention for Armed Forces personnel past and present, and their families, battling the mental and emotional scars of conflict.)   To this end, I make a PERSONAL donation to this cause from EVERY engagement investment.  Thank you, for helping me to help them.

For UK engagements quoted in British Pounds Sterling (UK engagements) expenses are included with the investment quoted.

For Non UK engagements quoted in ANY other currency, expenses are NOT included with the speaker investment but clearly shown separately within every quote. These will include Air/Ground transportation and are charged at cost only.

View my RATE CARD for my current requested investment to attend and present at your next event.

Thank you, but No.

Only I know exactly what I need, and you don’t have access to all my frequent flyer numbers, etc.

My travels are often too complicated (with multiple destinations) to allow or expect organisers to book flight tickets for me. Trust me, I have an exceptionally good and dedicated Event Coordinator with whom I am eternally grateful for her diligence and professional scheduling.  A simple return ticket is a rare event for me!

For UK engagements

No thank you.

I am more than happy to arrange my own transportation to and from the venue.  I’ll of course keep you updated with my travel plans, but my travel plans are often complicated (with multiple destinations) and so better left to my in-house Event Coordinator.

For NON-UK engagements

Yes please.

I will of course advise you and keep you informed as to my flight itinerary.  It would really help if I could be met at the airport and returned to it to coincide with my travel itinerary having completed my engagements with you and the event.

If the event is being hosted WITHIN a hotel, then that would be GREAT, thank you.

If the event is NOT being hosted WITHIN a hotel, no thank you.

I would appreciate being informed where others (speakers/delegates) are likely to be staying, and any suggestions for either 4- or 5-star hotels in the vicinity of your event?

I guess that really depends on what you would like me to be a part of?

Remember, your investment is for 24Hrs of my time and support.

Therefore, it might be you would like me to take part in other activities other than presenting.

If I am to be on site for longer than 4 hours, then I would appreciate time to dine.  I need to advise you, I am a mild/moderate Coeliac (I have difficulty processing gluten). And so would prefer wherever possible a gluten free diet.

This should should include Dairy free milk!

My Event Coordinator can share more with you/the catering team if required.

Sorry, I prefer not to do that.

The presentation is useless without me, and so I like to think we come as a pair. Think of this more like a musician and their instrument.

You can be sure that I bring the presentation with me, both on my own computer and on a USB stick.

Furthermore, I always tweak presentations the day or night before an event. Any presentation that I send earlier will not be up-to-date anymore when I go on stage.

Finally, I know my presentations work fine on my computer. Other computers usually don’t have the correct fonts, the correct software, etc. As the maker of my presentations, I am the only one who can see if all slides look exactly as they should.

I’m not saying No, more Why?

I think the quality of presentations can only be properly evaluated by professional public speakers.

Movie viewers cannot rate a film by just looking at the script. Likewise, customers cannot rate a presentation by just looking at the slides. If you want a sense of what I can do for you, it is better to browse the videos on my website.

I can assure you, I present in English. I do not use profanities, or any images which may cause offence. And just like a movie goers enjoy the trailer, but don’t ask to see the script, I’m more than happy to share with you both my showreels and examples of me presenting to audiences, but don’t forward my presentation ahead of my arrival!

Sorry, but I prefer not to.

I use my own computer because it is optimised for behaving well during my presentations. It has the right PowerPoint version, the proper fonts, settings, etc…

Whenever I have had problems in the past, it was always where I have been persuaded to use somebody else’s computer, so I stopped using them.  Think about it this way, doctors, painters, musicians and photographers all prefer using their own tools. It’s exactly the same with professional presenters.

Just too advise: I use an Apple Workbook Pro.  I DO carry the conversion lead to plug into a VGA projector, IF the AV team do not have access to connect via Smart Link or HDMI.

I’m sorry, but I don’t use PowerPoint templates.

Not only is putting logos, banners, and footers on PowerPoint slides is considered a bad practice among public speaking professionals. They simply don’t go well with my slide layout.

Of course, I will more than happily show an introduction/title page if you want me to? And have tailored the entire presentation to the outcomes we have discussed and agreed.

If it is requested, I am happy to make my slides available (as a PDF).  However, as this presentation will have been tailored to THIS audience, and is predominantly image based, rather than text, the real VALUE comes from my delivery rather than the slides on their own.

Therefore, as a rule, I do not make presentations available as a slide-deck.

I prefer a hands-free microphone (a headset or a clip-on mike), a place where I can see my own presentation when I’m speaking (either my own computer on the stage, or a duplicate screen in front of me), a glass of water, and an interested audience.

I have an AV intro, and so will not require anyone to introduce me to your audience.

Unless we have discussed and agreed otherwise, then it is my intent to make myself available to you for a FULL 24Hrs.

Therefore, it might be you would like me to join people for breakfast pre-event, host a lunch time discussion/Q&A, attend a dinner pre/post event.

In the past, this has also included a podcast interview, or 1:1 photoshoot!

Unless I have advised you prior to my arrival, then it is my intent to make myself available to you for a FULL 24Hrs.

Therefore, it might be you would like me to join people for breakfast pre-event, host a lunch time discussion/Q&A, attend a dinner pre/post event. In the past, this has also included a podcast interview, or 1:1 photoshoot!

I just need to advise: I am a mild/moderate Coeliac (I have difficulty processing gluten. And so would prefer wherever possible a gluten free diet. This ALSO should include Dairy free milk! (Soy or nut milk) – I’m deeply sorry, I managed more than 12 years as a Combat Soldier, and then got beat by Wheat and a cow!)

My Event Coordinator will gladly share more with you/the catering team if required)

I would be delighted if you want to film the event, and strongly encourage this, if we both agree to the following conditions.

1. You can make (and publish internally) videos of most of my presentations.
2. However, this should NOT to be shared either outside the company (publicly) or commercially (for a fee).

This is to maintain a sense of exclusivity for other paying customers. I also respectfully request that ANY filming is shared with me, in its RAW uncut, unedited version.

Yes, LOTS.

It starts with my FREE Guide to planning a Successful Event.

I also have downloads on ALL the keynote presentations I provide AND an eBook on the 8 things Professional Speakers want you to take into consideration.

I also have 2 professionally published books:

Battlefield2Boardroom – 10 Proven Military Strategies to Combat Mediocrity

The Road2Utopia (And how to take a shortcut)

My THIRD book: #ADDAZERO is DUE to be published in the Autumn (Fall) of 2020

Books can be pre-ordered, at a significantly discounted rate, and delivered PERSONALLY SIGNED COPIES at the event, making exceptional gifts to either all your delegates or VIP guests.

If requested, we can look to make my presentation available for attendees of your event (as a pdf).

However, I do not release these as a presentation or allow publishing of my slides on a public website. I have worked extremely hard to design and deliver bespoke content to your audience and take great pride in this.  I do therefore ensure my content is protected with the appropriate Intellectual Property rights, and grant access to the clients with whom I choose to work.

Should you have an event website/webpage or designated social media links/hashtags etc I am more than happy to share this across my own social media channels.

I sometimes also inform the people who are subscribed to my newsletter if this is a publicly available to attend event, or if I think it is of specific interest/benefit to them.

However, please do not expect a significant marketing effort. As stated throughout, I am a professional speaker, and not a salesman.  I am very much looking forward to presenting to your audience, I do not intend to bring with me a ‘fan club’.

I attend a significant number of events each year and respect the relationship and privacy of my followers/clients/readers.  And would NOT wish to be become considered an automated marketing machine.