Latest / Back in 10 / Episode 15: Meeting Mayhem - What Makes a Speaker Unforgettable (and Swag Worth Packing)?

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Episode 15: Meeting Mayhem - What Makes a Speaker Unforgettable (and Swag Worth Packing)? · Back in 10

0:00
Chris Stone: All right, ladies and gentlemen, the divine divas in three.
0:04
Two, one
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Jen Steadman: back in 10 is a podcast for dental leaders who do it all
0:10
and need 10 minutes to themselves.
0:12
Savanah Carlson: It's about real conversations, not curated ones, the
0:15
kind that happen off the clock behind closed doors, and between the chaos of
0:19
running a practice and running life.
0:21
Jen Steadman: Hosted by Savannah Carlson and Jen Sedman, two women who've led,
0:26
learned, and laughed through it all.
0:28
Savanah Carlson (2): This show brings honest stories, leadership truths, and
0:31
the occasional sassy take on what it really means to lead in dentistry today,
0:36
Jen Steadman: because sometimes the best leadership happens when
0:39
you step away for 10 minutes.
0:41
Savanah Carlson (2): This is back in 10.
0:48
Hello everyone.
0:49
Welcome to back in 10.
0:51
I am Savanah.
0:53
And I'm Jen, and this episode is a continuation of our meeting Mayhem
1:00
Week, where we talk about dental meetings, dental conferences things
1:05
we like about them, what makes it impactful for us as dental leaders.
1:10
And today we want to revisit a previous episode about speakers.
1:18
How we choose what speakers we see, what is it that they discuss
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or how do they present That really resonates with us as dental managers.
1:28
And to recap, we had mentioned a few of our top speakers.
1:33
Now let's, let's go back over that, Jen.
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So who was in that, that top five?
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Initially, we had no particular order, no hate to anyone who's not on the list.
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These just popped into our brains as our top five right now.
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Who are hot in the industry.
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Jen Steadman: Yes.
1:49
Katherine?
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I tell Belt Katherine and I tell Be communication.
1:53
Yes.
1:54
Judy K Mossoff.
1:55
Judy k Mossoff.
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Oh, I'm so sad she's retiring.
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I know, man.
2:02
Theresa Duncan.
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Td all the way baby.
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Carrie Weber.
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Carrie
2:07
Savanah Carlson (2): Weber.
2:08
Legacy.
2:09
She's a legacy.
2:10
She comes from legacy and she is a legacy.
2:12
Yes.
2:13
Uhhuh, Dave Anderson, Steve Anderson fire.
2:18
There is a fire in that band when he speaks.
2:20
That is so engaging and you come out of that refreshed and just raring to go.
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Love, love that.
2:29
Jen Steadman: Yeah.
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And I think, look, Savannah with those, industry speakers that we're talking
2:34
about here, let's talk about some of the things that we feel like make them.
2:39
Fantastic.
2:40
Like some of the things that we look for to that we know we're gonna get
2:45
something out of the course, right?
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Like we've been to, so both of us have been to so many courses with
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all of those and many others, but with all of those specifically.
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So I think one of the thing, the biggest things for me is that speaker's
3:00
really engaging with their audience.
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Like you feel like you're having a conversation with them.
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It's not.
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Them speaking from a podium, I'll say like, you are there with them and
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they are, you're equal, and they're there to support you and guide you
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even if you've never met them or had a conversation with them before.
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They make you feel like they got you.
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Yeah.
3:23
And they know what you've been through and they can.
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Offer some advice and some guidance.
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Yeah.
3:28
I think that's one of the biggest things.
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Savanah Carlson (2): I love that they're not speaking at
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you, they're speaking with you.
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It is that conversation.
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I agree with you, Jen, on that.
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For those, those five that we mentioned, I've always felt as though it is
3:41
a conversation and I love, I love that you brought up that they make
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you feel like they've been there.
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That support is really huge when you're sitting in this three hour course and
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it, it does help with the engagement.
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Absolutely.
3:53
Absolutely.
3:53
Yeah.
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Jen Steadman: And I think one of the other things too is when I walk away, I
4:00
know what they wanted me to get out of it and what I can do to implement anything.
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Like I, I have steps in my head.
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I know actionably what I can do, and I don't feel lost.
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Like I've been in classes before where I leave and I go, what?
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What the hell did they talk about?
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I don't understand.
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And I was fully there, fully engaged, and I just man, it
4:27
completely went over my head.
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Or I have, I don't know, like in a haze almost.
4:32
Mm-hmm.
4:33
Um, that's the last thing that you want.
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You want people to leave feeling refreshed and yeah, I've been in some
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of those classes with, with those speakers that I've cried, y'all know?
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Queen crier over here.
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I just, I cry.
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But.
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It hits you in a certain way that like you can feel it and you feel the emotions
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behind it because again, they make you feel like they've been there with you and
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that they can just support you through it.
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It just, it hits, it hits different,
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Savanah Carlson (2): and there is a real importance to where
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you're seeing this speaker and more importantly, the difference
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between an educational course or.
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A keynote motivational course.
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I've been to educational classes where I feel like I'm sitting in fluff
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and on a cloud, and I say to myself.
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This is not what I invested in.
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Mm-hmm.
5:25
I would've gone to the spa rather than sit here for three
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hours and hear extra motivation.
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I'm not saying that that's not important, that's not what I'm saying.
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But if I go to an educational course, I expect coming out of it to have actionable
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items that I can take back and implement.
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And I feel like those top five that we mentioned, I've
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always left their courses with.
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Yeah.
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Three different items of change I knew I could implement easily.
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Yeah.
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And they gave me the tool to be able
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Jen Steadman: to do that even when it was a keynote, whether it's a 20
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minute, you know, keynote 45, or it's a five hour course, two day course for
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some of them that I've done before.
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I've always had actionable things come out of those.
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Savanah Carlson (2): But
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Chris Stone: they are people that also invest in themselves, right?
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Like we've been talking about this whole week, right.
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Is investing in yourself and learning and growing and those are
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things that they have done too.
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And we talked about change in the last episode and how
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sometimes change is hard, man.
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You think that they're different from when they started too.
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Like everything has changed based on feedback and what you
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learn and how people, take in the information that you give them.
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There's so much that comes along with that.
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They just know their craft of speaking and how to do it and how to make
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people understand what their point that they're trying to make is.
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Savanah Carlson (2): It also is valuable to me at least
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when real world scenarios are.
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Crafted into their presentation.
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Mm-hmm.
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I understand what you're telling me.
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I understand why it will help X, Y, z be successful, or why it's going
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to implement this type of change.
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Give me an example.
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Show me that what you're saying works when a speaker's able to, to present to
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me why it works, how it's worked, and that it has worked successfully invested.
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Totally invested.
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Look at td, look at Theresa Duncan's courses about insurance.
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Insurance is not, the most engaging discussion.
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It isn't.
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But as a dental insurance nerd, I, I will see Theresa Duncan over and over
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again because she makes an engaging and she brings it back to scenarios.
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Yeah.
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And she stays on top of it.
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She stays on top of it.
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She's current.
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Yeah.
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Yes.
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Yeah.
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I wanna see some washed up speaker from 85 years ago who would really doesn't know
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what's happening in the dental industry.
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Jen Steadman: I don't, no.
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Someone that's asking the questions and is listening.
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That's huge.
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That's huge.
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I know one of the things that I learned oh my gosh.
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More what?
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More than 10 years ago.
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Way more than 10 years ago, 15 years ago maybe, from Judy Kay was all about
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what people bring with them, right?
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They're boats and she makes it fun.
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She makes it so you remember, so I remember Boat and it's an acronym,
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beliefs, opinions, assumption, assumptions and truths like, and I borrow that
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genius very often because it's a great analogy and just having things that.
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People can understand easily and can remember.
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I probably wrote that down 15 years ago and I haven't looked at
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it since because it's right here.
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It's ingrained in my head now because it makes total sense to, so just
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yeah, look for different speakers, look at what their topics are and see
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if any of them are gonna help with your practice and with your team.
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I think as we talk about conferences and stuff too, Savannah, we're talking about
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like things that we bring back with us.
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So yes, lots of education, lots of learning, but can we talk about the swag?
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Savanah Carlson (2): Oh, swag.
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I could go on forever about swag.
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Jen, what has been your favorite p piece of swag?
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Like if you had to pick one, you have to pick one right now.
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I'm asking you one.
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I have mine in my head.
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I broke it recently, but I had it.
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Jen Steadman: I know what it is.
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I know.
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Okay.
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It was a recent one and I think it's something that we are hoping
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that we can do in the future for our lovely listeners too.
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You know, something to just like get you in the Zen and to bring
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you back to like, I don't know.
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Scent is everything.
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It just makes you remember things.
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So I'm gonna say the travel oil diffuser humidifier.
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Yeah, that's been a fve.
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I remember when we got that Savannah, we cracked that sucker open and in the
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hotel room and just, yeah, amazing.
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Savannah traveled with her essential
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Savanah Carlson (2): oils and subsequently we got Jen, her essential oils too.
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So now Jen has her travel essential oils.
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Yeah, mine is right back here
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Jen Steadman: on the table.
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I have stress running right now.
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This is from the hotel that we stayed at Savannah in Oklahoma.
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That smells beautiful.
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Savanah Carlson (2): I am with you.
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I loved the oil diffuser because.
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I could use it anywhere.
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I could put it in my office turn.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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100%. But I think a constant, awesome swag gift is a solid pen.
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Give me a solid pen.
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I'll, I will talk to you for 25 minutes at your booth,
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especially Jen's types of pens.
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If you would like to know what Jen gives out, you have
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to reach out to her directly.
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Become a client or do a demo with her, and then she'll tell
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you what kind of pens she gets.
11:07
Yeah.
11:07
But a solid
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Jen Steadman: pen, I want like a, yeah, like a heavy weight pen.
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Not super heavy, you know, like there's a sweet spot.
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I don't want a thin classic one.
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I want one that writes really smooth.
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Yeah.
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I'm telling you, there's certain ones that are just.
11:24
Yeah.
11:24
You know, but a pen I would say notebooks.
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Mm. Sometimes those are a little, eh, you know, I think everyone's really
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specific in what they want in a notebook.
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I'll say.
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One of the other things, honestly, that I love is a good water bottle.
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I know a lot of people don't like water bottles, but, oh, yeah.
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Oh, that was from my class.
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Savanah Carlson (2): Yeah.
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Sorry.
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The backside says who actually supplied this swag.
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But now it has a back intent sticker on it, so we're double swaging it.
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Jen Steadman: I just had a really good idea for a swag item, but I feel
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like I wanna do I lock it up in my head and talk about it later with you?
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Yeah, we're gonna use us.
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I want something that I can use.
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Savanah Carlson (2): I got this piece of swag.
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Oh yeah.
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It's a key chain flashlight that has all different frigging modes on it.
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Yeah, it has a red light in it.
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This is something that
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Jen Steadman: I use.
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I got a pen that has a Phillips and Flathead mini screwdriver in it.
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Oh, I love that.
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And you just unscrew it, flip it over, and then it's a screwdriver.
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I love that.
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Amazing, amazing lip
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Savanah Carlson (2): balms.
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Those are always, always fun lip balms.
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Mm-hmm.
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Jen Steadman: I think if you're going to a sunny place, I would get a UV lip balm.
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That was something I always gave to patients too.
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It's great, especially in the summertime, swag that's
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Savanah Carlson (2): not only multipurpose, but is
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not wildly over the top.
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I love, to, to rock a little rhinestone here and there, but honestly companies,
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when you invest that much money in a full rhinestone bag, that can only
13:07
be used really for that conference.
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I feel like that's a waste of your money.
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And then what happens when it goes home?
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Like it just gets handed down to a pre-teen or it gets trashed.
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Jen Steadman: My kids have a lot of the swag that we have been gifted.
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Mom, gimme a swag bag.
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I wanna see what's there.
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They do.
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They like wait for it.
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They're like, what did you get?
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What did you get?
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So you need to.
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There's certain conferences that they give a lot more swag at, I will say.
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But always leave a little bit of room in your carry on for extra swag.
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I'll say for companies deciding on swag, do not have it be any
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liquids over three ounces or glass.
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'cause a lot of people Yep.
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Or glass or something really heavy.
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I was at a conference board, they're like, oh, you won this big basket.
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And I'm like, that's great.
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I can't do anything with that.
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I can't, I'll have the insides of the basket.
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But you keep the basket.
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Yeah.
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Or like, but even the stuff in the basket, I'm like, how am I gonna get this home?
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Mm-hmm.
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Chris Stone: You know?
14:10
So if you are doing like a giveaway or something like that, always have
14:15
the option that you will ship it to that attendee so then they don't
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have to worry about it, because that's just, oh, that's a great idea.
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Mm-hmm.
14:23
Yeah.
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Just because it's, sometimes it's too much.
14:27
Sometimes it's too much.
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Savanah Carlson (2): I really liked the ring lights.
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There was one company, one one year that gave out ring lights for your cell phone.
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Jen Steadman: Mm-hmm.
14:36
Savanah Carlson (2): That's when Wolfies became a craze.
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I don't know, I'm old now people,
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Chris Stone: but no, I love, love a good ring light.
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Someone gave out like the extent the selfie stick extenders
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before too usable items.
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You want it to be something too, that when someone, when they're walking
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around, when someone's walking around with your item, if someone else sees
14:56
it, they go, where did you get that?
14:59
Because yes, they're gonna come over to your booth to get that swag, but they're
15:03
gonna come over and talk to you, make them talk to you before they get a big
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Savanah Carlson (2): thing.
15:11
Yeah.
15:11
One thing.
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I explored when I was a vendor at a large event was how am I
15:20
gonna get people to my booth?
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What is going to entice people?
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So I had a, a really nice G Swag gift at the booth, and I had a
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exciting but kind of mediocre gift that people could wear and.
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Would create conversation.
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So I had these scrunchies that lit up and glowed.
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So by the end of the day, there were people walking around with these
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light up, glowing, scrunchies in their hair, on their arm, in their bag.
15:52
And it got to the point where like, oh, you're the boot
15:54
that has the glow scrunchies.
15:56
Oh, can I have one?
15:58
Oh yeah, sure.
15:58
Do you mind, like, can I just scan your badge for a second and then we can,
16:01
we can chat about what we do and I'll happily give you a, a glow scrunchie.
16:04
And even better if you schedule or you secure this membership, you're
16:08
gonna get this awesome cup too.
16:10
So let's just chat.
16:12
Have something that's gonna bring people to your booth that's noticeable.
16:16
Mm-hmm.
16:16
So like, even if you have an awesome pen, if you're not that well known
16:20
yet in the dental industry and you want more leads, make it visual.
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Make people ask other attendees like, where'd you get that?
16:31
Yeah.
16:32
Where'd you get that big umbrella hat that says on vacation?
16:35
Oh, you got it.
16:36
From that big finance company.
16:38
Okay.
16:39
I'm, yeah, I still have mine.
16:43
I do too, please.
16:44
I still have like my friendship bracelets and stuff like Uhhuh, one of the, that
16:48
company I won't say who it is, I will just tell you their primary color is green.
16:55
They, their swag is on point always.
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Whoever is marketing for swag at events there, it's on point.
17:03
I think that we've covered most of our Yeah.
17:07
Exciting swag and what makes it accessible.
17:10
Jen Steadman: Agreed.
17:11
Yeah.
17:12
I would say I don't need a bag.
17:14
I don't need, I don't need a bag.
17:17
I have bags of bags.
17:20
My husband calls me the bag lady because it, at one time there
17:23
were so many like dental bags in this house that it's just, nope.
17:28
Savanah Carlson (2): If
17:29
Jen Steadman: you're gonna give
17:29
Savanah Carlson (2): a bag, don't, yeah.
17:31
Don't give those grocery reusable bags.
17:35
Give like a cosmetic bag.
17:37
There was one HR company who gave out.
17:40
Maybe it was like, I think they labeled it like the hangover bag or something.
17:44
Oh, yes, yes, yes.
17:45
Yeah, yeah.
17:46
Uhhuh and it was, it was a full little travel bag that you could
17:49
throw in your car, in your purse while you're hiking on the boat.
17:54
Mm-hmm.
17:54
You could,
17:55
Jen Steadman: that type of bag is, is useful.
17:57
It had all the essentials.
17:58
It had like bandaids and everything.
18:00
Uhhuh.
18:01
Mm-hmm.
18:01
Yeah.
18:01
I think look, and if you're gonna do like a bag though, you
18:05
know the ones that like fold up.
18:07
Like a little tiny one that folds up that you can like stick in your purse or
18:10
stick in your car if you ever need it.
18:12
That makes more sense than like a big bag that I'm gonna put over my shoulder
18:16
and it's like bright yellow that I'm only gonna use at the conference.
18:21
Like I think the point of this is.
18:24
Give people something that they're actually gonna use after and
18:27
not have it be a one-time thing.
18:29
You want them to like wear it out, use it out.
18:32
And for people to see that, not just at the conference, but in general, so,
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Savanah Carlson (2): mm-hmm.
18:37
Jen Steadman: Yeah.
18:38
100%. Mm-hmm.
18:38
Yeah.
18:39
Yeah.
18:40
There you go.
18:41
Look at that, man.
18:41
We text on a lot.
18:44
I know, man.
18:45
Yeah.
18:47
Clocking out.
18:48
Savannah
18:48
Savanah Carlson (2): clocking out to clock back in.
18:50
You know what I'm saying?
18:51
I know.
18:52
Bye y'all.
18:53
See you later.
18:55
Thanks for spending a few minutes with us on back in 10.
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18:58
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Chris Stone: a little chaos.
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We're not here to have it all figured out.
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Savanah Carlson (2): and remind you that leadership doesn't
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We'll be back in 10.