I came across this photo from 15 L-O-N-G years ago when I presented a session in corporate entertainment to a business group. We used the “Let’s Make A Deal” theme and the crowd loved it! Although I had just a *little* more hair then, my solid applications using humor in the workplace have more than made up for what’s missing (now) on top! That’s a sign of age…and wisdom, right?

Besides, would you rather have someone with more hair? After all, hair is so overrated!

Game shows are a terrific way to reach corporate and business audiences. Got some info you just GOTTA get across? Need to remind your team of the basics but know if you “lecture” them you’ll lose them faster than you can say, “This meeting sucks!” Then ask us about creating a game show just for you.

We’ll customize a program that is interactive, very funny, and tailored to you, your information and your organization. They’ll love it… which helps with retention.

My suggestion is for your next corporate event, to select someone (like me— okay, so I’m biased. If that upsets you get your own blog!) who has lots and lots of experience, proven principles and applications, no hair (again, that would be me) and has the ability to leave your organization with can-do changes. Sound good? Good.

What game shows would you say fit your workgroup? We’ve worked spoofs (that’s a wonderful word my lawyer taught me) of popular games shows from Let’s Make a Deal to Who Want’s to Be a Millionaire to Family Feud. Your organization. Your info. Your success.

Leave your comments, names withheld, of those game shows that you think fit your work group.

Ready to create some lasting change and think a game show is your ticket? Go to the contact page now.

Brad Montgomery

Corporate Game Show Host, Comedian, Serious About Having Fun At Work

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I recently blogged about how one of my clients (The Air Force) was able to make up some missing budget by partnering with their convention hotel. Read that article here.

The Renaissance Hotel in St. Louis was as happy with the arrangement as the Air Force was.   I was thrilled.

Check out this video here:

Thanks Renaissance. I’m flattered. We had fun, didn’t we?

Does YOUR organization need a motivational keynote speaker? Go to the contact page.

Brad Montgomery
Motivational Keynote Speaker, Loves help With Speakers Fees!

Related:

See the video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDipR4RjtSo
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On a recent trip to St. Louis were I spoke to the Air Force, my client came up with a brilliant idea. It was so good I’d love to claim credit, but he reads my blog and he’d rat me out.

[See video from the hotel job here.]

My speakers fees were greater than the budget for this particular military event. What to do? My client got creative, thought outside of the Budget Box and teamed up with his host hotel. He had hundreds of Airmen staying at the Renaissance Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. Between the meeting rooms, the hotel rooms, and all of the related expenses (room service, restaurant and coffee shop purchases, etc) he was a BIG client for the hotel.

He suggested to his hotel client that they partner with him, and have me speak to the hotel staff on the same day that I spoke to his military group.  I was speaking to the Air Force after lunch. My meeting planner knew that I’d fly into Missouri the night before… and would be free in the morning.

So he suggested that I speak to the hotel staff in the morning, and then work for him after lunch.

Bottom line: it worked perfectly. The hotel had an All-Manager meeting. They brought in all of the top folks from all of their departments from the Starbucks kiosk in the lobby to housekeeping to front desk to maintenance to the kitchens.

I worked ahead of time with some of their people so that, (as I do with all my clients,) I could come in prepared to speak to THIS particular audience.

[It was a special event; the hotel industry has been hammered, and this hotel, like so many others, recently went though some deep layoffs. The staff was in shock, scared, and nervous. The CEO gave them a sort of "State of the Business" speech which was both totally cool, and a bit scary. The news wasn't great. And then I was tasked with putting that bad news back into perspective and help them figure a way to work their morale (and fun quotient) back up to healthy and productive levels.]

The hotel was thrilled because they got access to a speaker they might not otherwise be able to afford. And they felt that helping such a huge client was good for them as well. And the Air Force was thrilled because they were able to get the speaker —that’s me! — they wanted and meet still meet their budget.

And I was thrilled because I got to work with two awesome groups, enjoy St. Louis, and work with with a fun and creative meeting planner who had an awesome idea.

What’s my point? Are you short of money? Looking to hire a Top Shelf speaker but are suffering with a reduced budget? Consider partnering with your hotel. If the Air Force was smart enough to figure it out, the rest of us ought to be smart enough to “borrow” their concept.

(Hey Bruce… I know you’re reading this. Thanks for the killer idea, and for making it happen.)

Are you looking for a motivational speaker? Go to the contact page now! (And we can talk about partnering with your hotel if you like.)

Yours,
Brad Montgomery
Missouri Motivational Speaker, Military Speaker, Hotel Speaker (All in One!)

Related:
See the St. Louis Speaker video on YouTube
Speakers Rates & Fees Explained
Does Brad Charge By the Hour? (More on Fees)

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I recently worked for the DAU — Defense Acquisition University — in Huntsville, Alabama. This is a hardworking group of military and civilians who need to understand the very complex acquisition process. It’s a tough and tedious job. And it’s important. (Just ask the men and women who need parts and supplies overseas.)

Happily, it went well. Really well. It was a terrific group.

The best part of the motivational speech for me was watching these men and women change during our time together. Predictably, they started out pretty wary. “What?! A funny motivational speaker at a military conference?” But after the first few minutes they began to relax and get into it — and to laugh.

It was clear to me — even as an outsider — that this group NEEDED to laugh.

Does your group (military or civilian) need a speaker who can help them with perspective, morale and attitude? Wouldn’t it be cool if this motivational speaker was funny? I think so too. Let’s talk. Go to the contact page.

Learn more about this military speaker
Brad Montgomery
Military Speaker, Funny Motivational Speaker, Fan of the DAU

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More related links:

My most popular magician speaker topic, Ordinary Magic
Comedy Magic: My Funny Magic Show Freshly Brewed
Sample chapter from my book, Humor Me
Mile High Magicians Society
A blog post about a Colorado Magician
My work as a magician speaker for IBM
Video testimonials on YouTube about my work as a magician speaker
Video of Freshly Brewed, A sample of my magician speaker work.
Video of some of my work on YouTube as a magician.

Recently I worked for the Denver Broncos.   They brought in everybody in the football organization except for the coaches and players… a surprisingly huge group.

One of the most delightful sentences I heard from them when we talked about my fee was, “Would you be interested in bartering for a portion of your fee?”   Heck yeah, I love that question!

In the end, I did a really fun program for some great, fun-loving hard working people who are under a surprising amount of stress.  (When the team doesn’t win, the entire staff feels it, from the janitors to the receptionists to the grounds keepers.)

And happily, it went really well.   (Check out this video testimonial.)

But the fun didn’t end there. They hooked us up with 5 tickets for a couple of games, and dressed my wife and kids and I in a ton of Bronco’s swag. Jerseys, sweatshirts, hats… the whole thing. It was a blast.

What’s my point? If you’re booking motivational speakers and have something to trade, ask! Perhaps you’re a hotel property, or you make fancy furniture, or…. you’re a professional sports franchise. You might not be able to barter away the entire fee. But, like the Broncos, they got an easy discount and I was thrilled to trade.

Fees for speakers are all over the place. And my fees in particular flex wildly because what I offer my clients flexes wildly depending on what outcomes they are after and how serious they are about lasting change.

But one thing is certain: barter is cool. It’s fun. And if often makes sense for both of us.  Not sure if it is for you?  Just ask. 

Are you looking for motivational keynote speakers? Care to barter? Or not? I’d love to be your guy. Go to the contact page.

Cheers,
Brad Montgomery
Colorado Speaker, Bronco Fan, Lover of Bartering

Related:

Learn more about this Colorado Speaker
Learn More about Professional Speakers Fees & Rates

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Motivational Speakers as an Investment

The meeting industry is being scrutinized more than ever before.  And that means YOUR meeting is being scrutinized more than a Presidential nominee…. How can we possibly consider any investment in motivational speakers worth while?

What?!  Your organization has suffered through lay-offs and you’re considering bringing in a funny motivational speaker?  He’ll make us laugh and somehow that’s good for business?  You’re kidding, right?

Nope.  Not kidding.  In this bad economy THIS is the time to invest in your employees.  They need help; they need motivation. And if you can do it with laughter, all the better.

Why?   Because the right* motivational speaker will increase your bottom line.

How?  Glad you asked.   Let’s face it, your people already know what to do and how to do it. But they aren’t working fast enough or well enough. They aren’t producing to their potential. They aren’t working at their top capacity.***

The difference between what they are doing and what they are capable of doing is motivation.   Your team is not fully motivated to work as hard, as fast, as creatively, and with out as much oversight as they could if they were highly motivated.

Good motivational speakers are black belts at getting your people back to a higher speed and level of production.

What’s the value of a speaker to you?  Do The Math.

Okay skeptics, this section is for you.  Let’s be conservative and imagine that the right speaker could increase the quality and quantity of your work product by just 2% for one week.    Add up the total value of your current work product.  Now calculate the value of a 2% increase for 7 days.  What is the monetary value of that net change? 

But let’s admit it, a 2% increase is pretty lame.  Do you think a great dose of motivation could push your group up 5%?  10%?  Sure.  And could that motivation last longer than a week?  Do you think we could make the message “stick” for 10 days?  A fortnight?  A month?  Six months? A year?  Heck yeah.   How do these numbers change your math?   Look down:   your calculator is shouting:  You can’t afford NOT to invest in a motivational speaker.****

Motivation and Lasting Change.

Let’s take it one step further to insure that your speaker investment pays:  what plans do you have to follow up on the message your speaker delivers?  My clients ask me to deliver a proven system of follow-up with their organizations to assure that the message lasts.  I use everything from return visits to tele-seminars to customized videos to audio magazine subscriptions to reaffirm and reinforce the message to make sure that what we do has some “sticking” power.

And, if you go back to your math, you’ll notice the monetary value of creating lasting change.  The more “lasting” the change is, the greater value of your investment in your speaker.

Motivational speakers have a (sometimes deserved) bad reputation.  We come in and fire up the group, make them feel like a million dollars, and then leave.  Then before the month is out that feeling is gone.  The net change is zero.  Right?  Wrong.  I have a great answer to this objection.  (Ok, I have three.)

1.  Motivation is like a shower.  Just because you’ve had a shower doesn’t mean you’ll never need another.  Showers are worth it.  And so are motivational speakers.

2.  For organizations serious about creating lasting change, I have a system for follow up to make sure the motivation lasts.  (Sorry, you’ll still need to continue showering.)  

3.  Because we can compute the value of even tiny and short-lived increases in personal motivation – and because even those small changes can result in HUGE financial gains, even poor motivation is a decent investment.  And excellent motivational speakers are an outstanding investment.

Yes, I know your budget is cut.  Yes, I understand that you need to justify your investments more than ever.  Yes, I understand that making your people laugh isn’t important when everybody is focused on your bottom line. But people are your greatest asset.  Your factories work.  Your machines are running.  Better office supplies won’t make a dent.  The best place to find increased profits and economic stability is in your people – and they need motivation. And because lately they’ve been feeling the stress too, they need to laugh.

Motivation + Laughter + A Plan For Lasting Change = Greater Productivity.

I’d love to be the one to help you make a difference.  Let’s talk about how to invest in your people today.  Go to the contact page.

–

*  Yup, when I say “The right motivational speaker” I mean me.
** No, I haven’t been spying on you.   I’ve just read the studies.
***  No, your webcam isn’t on. Don’t worry.   I can’t see you or your calculator (or your jammies.) 

Do me a favor? If you liked this article, Digg it for me right here:

Digg it!

–

Brad Montgomery is a very funny motivational speaker who believes that people who enjoy a great quality of (work) life produce a better quality of work-product.   And he shares this message in a laugh-out-loud funny way to organizations across the country and across the world.

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I realized that I would NEVER accept a fee from a client who was less than delighted with what I had to offer them.  So if that is my informal policy, why not make it formal?

I just wrote up the formal policy here: Guaranteed Motivational Speaker

(By the way, one of my favorite things about working for myself is that I get to make up my own policies.  One of the many perks to being your own boss is that you get to make up the rules.  (Another rule I have is: “Brad gets coffee whenever he wants.”  See, it’s fun!)

Here’s a quick excerpt:

If you are not satisfied with what I offer, I’ll give you your money back.

To be honest, knowing that I could re-coup a lousy speaker’s fee would be the least of my worries. (Let’s face it, if you’re planning even a small meeting you have some huge investments OTHER than the speaker to make.) If I were you, I’d be more worried about whether my speaker can deliver. I’m just saying that I’ll do both.

Looking for a motivational speaker and want a guarantee? I’d love to be your guy. Contact me here.

Yours,
Brad Montgomery
Guaranteed Motivational Speaker, Money-Back Fan, And Chief Policy Maker
[digg=http://www.bradlaughs.com/2009/01/28/is-your-motivational-speaker-guaranteed/]
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A while back I spoke at a huge Las Vegas conference for McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants.

I had a ball…. and let me tell you why.They took the time to coach me about their corporate culture… which helps me a great deal. And then, even better, I had a chance to visit with their executive chefs and General Managers before my keynote speech.

Better yet, I ate in one of their restaurants 3 days before my keynote speech.  I met the executive chef and the general manager.  They let me tour the kitchen and take photos.   (And they treated me and my pals great…yum!)

[ Actually, there is a cool story there too.  I was there with a few pals who happen to be professional speakers themselves...so some of the funniest ideas came from my humorist pals.  Colorado speaker and humor pal Steve Spangler took the photos.  It was a fun night.) ] 

But best of all, I got to hear THE founders ( Mr. McCormicK and Mr. Schmick — yeah, I know, who knew they even existed!) address the audience for about an hour before I went on.

It was like a gift. A perfect storm of great info from the right people.  Now, I have to admit it; sometimes the info I get from my clients doesn’t lead anywhere. Sometimes it isn’t funny. And occasionally it is hard for me to really tailor what I do for their group. But in this case it was the total opposite. It was as though everything I said made it’s way into the presentation.Even the little details.

For example, when I was in the restaurant I ordered salmon that was cooked on a plank of Cedar wood. It was delicious. (The fish, not the plank.)  But when I retold the story, and showed (via PowerPoint) a photo of me trying to eat that silly plank, we got the audience rolling. Then I followed with jokes about the creativity about adding secret ingredients to their dishes…. like wood. Again… more humor.

I showed photos of me stealing their stuff…and of me doing their dishes (from my visit to the restaurant that week.)   Trust me… it was funny.  Best of all…it was humor all for and about them.  

What’s my point? I have two.

First: if you are looking for motivational speakers, have some long and hard conversations about tailoring and customizing. Your group — especially in this day of instant everything ‚ will be turned off if the speaker doesn’t “Get” them. Make sure your speaker does.  Professional speakers who tailor or customize the message for your audience will make that crucial “connection” in a meaningful and solid way.

Second: From my perspective as a humorist and speaker, 

the tailoring is one of the absolute joys of my job. If I HAD to give the same cookie-cutter presentation every time I might shoot myself. The real fun is in making sure it is “just for them.”  Thanks McCormick & Schmick’s! I loved it.  Learn more about my keynote speaking here.
 

Do  you have an event where you need to motivate and fire up your troops?  

Think a funny motivational speaker who can translate humor into business wisdom makes sense?  Me too.   Contact me here for info about bringing me to your event.

Brad Montgomery
Motivational Keynote Speaker, Humorist, Fan of Las Vegas, and Lover of Fish! 

PS. Here is a bootleg video of me as speaking for them in Las Vegas, Nevada. Check out the customized jokes…they might not make sense to you, but to THEM they were fun. (And I had a blast.)

Technorati Tags: McCormick & Schmick’s, Motivational Speakers, Las Vegas, California, Customized Speeches, Humor

Folks, I’ve been speaking and performing for a long time. A very long time. Guess what: I actually:

1. Am not burnt out.

2. Still have family members that talk to me.

3. Still have that vest (I think – - or is that what I saw the kids lining the doghouse with?).

4. Still have my dignity. A little. Ok, not much.

5. I’m still learning. 

See, my first full-time performing gig involved the Colorado Renaissance Festival. I was fresh-faced, on-stage, making people laugh and getting PAID! I made a whopping $30 bucks a day, plus tips, which mostly totaled to about $35/day. (OK, I didn’t say I was good, just that I got paid). Although I didn’t get rich, it was an awesome learning experience.   Although working at the Renaissance Festival was often hard on my self confidence, (I considered quitting about 5 times a day) but with hindsight it was a killer experience every speaker or entertainer should have.  (Though for your sake I hope you don’t have to wear the vest.)

The festival attracted people from all over Colorado, of course, but also from places all over the country. Being on stage and in front of audiences at a young age allowed me to really, really hone my craft in those early years, and it has paid off. A lot of times, when we’re young we don’t realize that what we do then can affect us 10 to 20 years down the line.  I was performing and doing what I LOVE(D) to do and making money at it. (Barely…. can you say, “Brad lived with his parents!“)  And doesn’t it look like I’m having a great time?

It was a tough job — 6 shows a day in 95 degree heat for the TOUGHEST audience Colorado had to offer. I was horrible, but luckily, despite all the evidence to the contrary, I didn’t understand how truly horrible I was.  I can tell you this:  there are techniques I use in my current comedy and humor that I KNOW were influenced by those early years working outside.

The best part of this job was that it provided instant feedback:  the amount of tip money in our hat was evidence enough of our success — or in my case, failure.   I knew the instant I looked in my hat after my comedy and magic show and saw 59¢ and a piece of gum that I wasn’t getting the big tips that good performers earned.  I new I sucked.  I knew that I had to improve fast.  (Because that gum just wasn’t that filling.)  Again, I knew I was weaker than the other performers, but luckily I just thought I needed to get a bit better.  I don’t think my ego could have taken the real truth that I was absolutely horrible.  But I did know I was bad.   And that (limited) self knowledge and a desire to get better created a pretty steep learning curve.

I see WAY too many speakers, comedians and magicians who would never last in an environment like that because they have no idea about how weak their product is;  they don’t know how much they suck.  One show at the Renaissance Festival where 1/2 of your audience leaves and the other 1/2 gives you a 25¢ would give them the slap in the face they deserve.

Let’s admit it:  most audiences today are formal enough that it feels awkward getting up as a group and leaving shouting, “You stink.”   They stay in the audience whether or not the speaker is mediocre.   Even in a comedy club, the audience will put up with some pretty poor comedy.  That’s why that Renaissance Festival  job was so great for me;  it was great precisely because it was so hard and because it created that instant and negative feedback.

After performing and speaking for twenty years some of what I do feels pretty easy and natural.   I’d love to tell you that my current ease with audiences is a natural extension of my “gifts.”   Ha! It isn’t.  It’s the product of a gazillion shows, a shocking number of were horrible failures, hundreds of embarrassing on stage disasters, and well… twenty years of getting it right.  

My point:  If you want to be a motivational speaker, remember to give yourself time to develop, and find a place where you can develop your material safely.   And if you are looking to hire a motivational speaker, make sure your speaker has years and years and years of experience under his … er … vest.

What was your first job? Has it helped you in the profession you’re in today? Do you have an ugly vest in your closet too?  Share your stories!

Are you looking for a comedian speaker for your event?  Pick somebody with years of experience.  Pick me.  Contact my office here.

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I just got a great note from my client, FBLA Wyoming. It was great being your motivational speaker. folks. Thanks for the kind words!

(Read about my experience with these high school students and the keynote here.)
What’s my point? If you’re looking to hire motivational speakers or humorists for ANY type of group… from corporate to high school to association to education…. check to make sure your speaker has a LONG list of happy clients with whom you can speak. You have a lot more at stake that the investment of the speakers’ fee; your meeting can get a huge hit from a lousy speaker, and get a huge boost from a great one. You don’t have to “guess” which speakers are good…. check up on them. Make sure the references are recent. (Have they done well in front of their last five audiences?) Make sure there are references from years ago. (In other words, is there a LONG track record?) And mostly, make sure that your speaker has a history of doing well for a group like yours.

Here’s what FBLA Wyoming wrote:

Thanks so much for your positive comments on the conference. It is fun to see what great kids we have in our organization and I very much appreciate your working with us on your fee.

I received the box of brownies in the mail on Monday and just tried one today. They are wonderful and I really appreciate them. They don’t really fit into my annual post-conference diet, but they are sure a treat with a cup of coffee after the rest of my family leaves in the morning! The box is really cool, too. My younger boys are fighting over who gets that when the brownies are gone.

Thanks again for a great keynote and workshop. Of course, I didn’t get to sit in on the workshop, but the keynote address was extremely entertaining. For me personally, it was just the comic relief I needed at that point. We will definitely keep you in mind for future conferences. I’ve been told by my “boss” at the State Department of Education that, compared to the other students’ organizations in our state, FBLA hires the best conference speakers, hands down. Thanks for helping me uphold our reputation!

K. H. FBLA Wyoming

Check for a ton of legitimate testimonials about the keynote speech or breakout session. Hey! And why you’re at it, check out this cool video from a recent trip I took to Wyoming to speak to the FBLA. Being a motivational speaker is fun…but this group of high school students was awesome!

Check out my impressions about this group in my recent FBLA post.

Thanks Guys! It was a blast being your speaker!

Looking for a speaker for your group? Link

How would I choose a motivational speaker or humorist speaker? Oh, so many things I’d check!

I’d want to know that, if he uses humor, is he really funny?

I’d like to know if humor is involved, is it business-safe? Is it appropriate? Will it get me fired?

I’d like to know that there is there a meaningful tie-in to my business? Sure, funny is good. But can this speaker help my organization do whatever it is we do better?

But most of all, I’d want to make sure that whichever speaker I ended up going with was a sure thing. A done deal. A guarantee. How could I know that? I’d check with as many past clients as I could.

I’d LOVE to be your speaker. Allow me to start by showing you this collection of video testimonials:

I’d love to be your choice? If you’d like to learn about how we can work together — which I’d LOVE — learn more here.

My pal Tim Gard just submitted this to a newsletter! Great job Tim.

(The following is an excerpt from an aricle in the NSA Humor Peg newsletter.

So how do you sell the value of humor to a client? Why would someone pay for a humorist vs. a content speaker?

“I (Tim Gard) wrote an article a couple of years ago about the difference between an entertainer and a speaker. The first thing you have to have in mind is which of those you are going to be. Either one is okay, you just need to pick one and go with it. When people contact me, it is not necessarily to have me be a humorist. I’m contacted when they need someone to kill at 7am, or close out a conference on a high note. Most businesses that hire me want take-home value, very clean humor, and they want their folks to be energized. The bottom line is you have to find what the audience’s pain is and how to solve it with humor. ”

Nicely said Tim!

I was speaking to a potential client on the phone today and I was impressed with some of the questions she asked me. I was amazed at the quality of her questions. It was clear that this woman had a clear plan in mind when she started to choose and select her motivational speaker.

Most of her questions were centered around my experience; basically she wanted to make sure I had lots of it. Tons of experience. And I was impressed with her questions. And it struck me that she — perhaps without knowing it — should teach a short class in how to Make Sure Your Speaker Has a Proven Track Record. She wanted to make sure I:

•Am a motivation speaker with a long list of happy clients.
•Consider booking only speakers who have earned thier CSP (Certified Speaking Professional… this is a pretty big deal.)
•That I am a speaker who can provide RECENT references. And that ALL of my recent clients are happy clients.
•That I am a speaker who’s clients are not only numerous, but go back a LONG way. (She wanted to make sure that I had experience over time.)

What a great idea. It reminded me of how my wife and I engaged a construction firm to re-do our kitchen. We did check references, but we did not ask for the firm’s Six Most Recent clients. We should have done just that. That contractor was a nightmare.

He had references, but heck… anybody who has been in any business a few years can find happy clients. What I should have checked was this: are ALL of his clients happy? At least the ones in the last year?

So when this perspective client wanted more than clients… she wanted recent clients … I was impressed. And totally thrilled to give them to her.

Bottom line: book a speaker with a LONG and PROVEN track record. (Of course.. I’d love it if you book me. : )