11-18-2013
By Sean Luce
Here are some things I learned while speaking at the Massachusetts Broadcasters Association last Thursday in Natick, a suburb of Boston.
We had a great group in attendance. We had the new generation of up-and-coming sales reps and we had the veterans. And it was a great mix of TV and radio reps! It?s been 10 years since I?ve spoken at the MBA and it was great to be back in Massachusetts and get such a warm reception. Some Sean Luce trivia: Boston was one of the original 18-city stops in the 2000 Sean Luce Tour with Dennis Heinz that was sponsored by Radio Ink magazine. I remember Boston and its cobblestone streets down at the Marriott by the Aquarium.
I learned my James Bond co-star Margaret Wood, has a heck of a curveball. In case you didn?t know, Margaret is a model and stage actress and plays an important role in my new ?Liquid Fire? seminar series for 2014. She is a big fan of sports and especially baseball and the St. Louis Cardinals are her favorite team followed closely by the Boston Red Sox. This year?s World Series was a tough one for her. (I guess I?m one of those "lucky" people who snore. Margaret threw the lotion bottle at me with full force when my snoring got out of hand. Maya Angelou was quoted as saying you have to throw a few of them back. That lotion bottle was thrown back into the "stands" so to speak. Sorry Margaret.)
I was reminded that your ?backstage? people are the most important people that help put you on stage and determine a great performance. Margaret and I were in full production mode, breaking in a new scene for the 2014 sales seminar series from "Live And Let Die," the James Bond thriller. "Live And Let Die" was the first James Bond movie I had ever seen. Margaret was playing the feisty High Priestess tarot card reader Solitaire. (Just so you know, the occult does not reflect my beliefs.) It?s a good scene that breaks in the ?7 Steps of an Opening Call? and gives the audience something different in a sales seminar -- Margaret doesn?t forget a line.
We had Maura Traniello, owner and CEO of Scarlet Artist Management in Boston do our make-up for the show. The people who help put you on stage looking your best are vital in pulling off a great performance. Jordan Walton, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Broadcasters Association, and his team had the room, audio, video, and handouts set up perfectly so you don?t have to worry about a thing once you get to the stage. That makes a huge difference when you have quite a few things going on in your seminar and it?s not just a speech. Thank you Maura and thank you Jordan!
Margaret and I were provided an extra day off from performing and took in the sites of Boston on Friday. I learned that Fenway Park is hallowed ground. I?m a history buff and seeing Paul Revere?s house was amazing to me. I learned that the TD Garden where the Boston Celtics (my favorite team NBA team growing up) and Boston Bruins play is huge and electric, no matter if your team is rebuilding. With her engaging personality, Margaret makes friends easily, and Jessica and Matt Fedorka, account executive for the New England Revolution, took us to the hotel Friday night after the Celtics game. Another reason I love Boston: the people treat you so well.
I learned that with the new generation of reps like Alex Wheaton and Greg Coddington, and veterans like John DiPietro and Judy Crocker, and management like Craig Swimm, we are in good hands for the future of broadcasting sales.
I?m excited about bringing Liquid Fire to Calgary, Alberta, Canada at the 80th annual Western Association of Broadcasters conference next year, as I have never spoken in Calgary before. Maybe I can talk Margaret into leading off my seminars next year by doing the aerobics at the start of the seminar instead of me and the audience volunteers. Just a thought.
And next year, you will see some negotiating gambit techniques from ?The Spy Who Loved Me? in the new Liquid Fire sales seminar. Sure it's sure to be a thrill!
I wasn't lookin' but somehow you found me
I tried to hide from your love light
But like heaven above me
The spy who loved me
Is keepin' all my secrets safe tonight
-- "Nobody Does It Better" sung by Carly Simon
Sean Luce is the Head National Instructor for the Luce Performance Group International and can be reached at Sean@luceperformancegroup.com or www.luceperformancegroup.com.
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