Promod Sharma

My term as "speaker finder" ran from Dec 2010 to Jun 2011 and has now ended. To apply to speak now, please visit aiconsult.ca. That site is also the place for updated information about the group. Many of the external links below no longer work due to their website upgrade.

Are you interested in speaking or presenting a workshop at the Association of Independent Consultants (AIC)? Here's how.

About AIC

You'll find information about AIC at aiconsult.ca. Here are highlights for speakers.

• Meetings are generally the last Monday evening of each month (no December meeting)
• Meetings take place near Pearson Airport at the Crowne Plaza Toronto Airport Hotel (33 Carlson Court, Toronto, ON M9W 6H5). Here's a map.

Audience

The typical meeting draws 20 to 35 attendees. They are primarily consultants, professionals and small business owners.

Meeting Agenda

For the brainstorming, members identify a specific business issue with which they would like help. The member describes the issue to the group and goes to a table. Attendees select a table and brainstorm. The member summarizes the results for the group. The topics are all approved in advance, to ensure that we get some variety and that they are not all “how do I get more clients”. You are welcome to participate.

Suitable Topics

Presentations are meant to genuinely help members (consultants, entrepreneurs and small business owners). Traditional topics are

• improving skills
• marketing better (including positioning and branding)
• networking better
• boosting productivity
• following up effectively
• selling more

The purpose of these presentations is to provide topic specific, business relevant information and how-to knowledge in a 45 minute session. They are designed to deliver:

• Practical "how To" information on topics of value
• Highly qualified professional speakers

You can use a classic presentation or test out a new one. You'll get feedback to help you improve.

Payment

As a nonprofit, we pay with applause, which is 100% tax-free. There are other benefits. You get publicity. Your talk is promoted via an announcement sent to our mailing list and LinkedIn group.
Your skills and experience will be highlighted, providing you with exposure to a large group of professionals.

How To Apply To Speak

Invitation

Please provide the following for the meeting invitation.

1. The title of your presentation
2. Your name as you would like it to appear in the announcements
3. Your title
4. Your company name
5. A short description of your talk (100-150 words)
6. A short description about you (100-150 words)
7. A head shot suitable for electronic publication (a weblink to a photo is fine)

Your content can include links to your website, blog, LinkedIn profile, articles, etc. You'll see the general format from our next event

A speaker's "one-pager" and a clip of you presenting live are helpful.

Selection Process

As you can imagine, there are more speakers than spots. There's a careful screening process. If you look good online, the next step is to meet over coffee to review what you'd like to present (e.g., visuals, content). This will help in determining the value of your session. If that's fine, I'd like to see you in action and would be happy to give you a critique. Finally, we'd pick a date.

Equipment Available

We can provide a projector, screen, wireless microphone and flip chart. Please specify what you'll need. Do bring your own computer and any other special equipment you may require.

Upcoming Speakers

When	Speaker	Topic
May 30, 2011	Susan Gregory	Mind Mapping For Consultants
Jun 27, 2011	Julia Hidy	Branding and ePress Kits to Find and Retain Clients
Jul 25, 2011	?	?
Aug 29, 2011	?	?
Sep 26, 2011	Judi Hughes	The Fragmented Focus Treadmill
Oct 24, 2011	?	?
Nov 28, 2011	?	?

Special Event: Social Media Workshop

This 4-hour hands-on workshop takes place on the afternoon of Monday, June 27. There's a regular meeting that same evening. You'll have time to go for dinner between both segments.

Here are the details.

Past Speakers

Here's a list of recent speakers.

When	Speaker	Topic
Apr 25, 2011	Adeodata Czink	Business Etiquette In A Multicultural Society
Mar 2011	Lisa Kember	Five Steps To Effective Email Marketing
Feb 2011	Donna Messer	The Power of Leverage - Building and Utilizing Your Network
Jan 2011	Promod Sharma (member)	Marketing for 2011
Nov 2010	David La Thangue	An evening of laughter, music and intrigue
Oct 2010	Helen Walter	Communication is the key
Sep 2010	Tsufit	Step into the spotlight: a guide to getting noticed
Aug 2010	Terry Patryluk	Pathways to profits: Proven principles to grow your practice
Jul 2010	Rory Sheehan	Building your business
Jun 2010	Jim Czegledi	Laugh more in life: Learn how to develop your sense of humour
May 2010	Curt Skene	Master the marketplace: Expert insights for finding and keeping profitable business
April 2010	Darla Campbell (member)	Sales strategies that really work
Mar 2010	Michel Neray	Ditch your pitch: how to create a powerful positioning statement that actually gets people interested!
Feb 2010	Jennifer Beale	Making headlines: how to get into the media for free
Jan 2010	Stephen Semple	What Hollywood can teach you about selling your expert services

Here are more past speakers