Chapter 7

From Bozeman to Budapest: Speaking Can Be Your Ticket to the World

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Creating international buzz through your website
• Tips on bridging the culture gap as a speaker
• International business etiquette

If you were to ask me to name one of the greatest benefits and perks I receive from being a professional speaker and trainer, it is that this profession has given me the opportunity to travel the world for free.

Many times I’ve traveled solo, and many times my husband, David, has accompanied me. I once spoke in Marbella, Spain, and my client provided my husband and me with a tri-level condo that overlooked the Mediterranean. Talk about a great environment in which to work! And recently my daughter Autumn met me outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico. After my keynote address, we had a relaxing mother/daughter weekend at a fabulous spa. My speaking and training events have taken me to four- and five-star resorts and locations worldwide. The people I’ve met and continue to correspond with have been the highlight of every trip. I have friends all over the world because of this career.

It’s a given that as a professional speaker and trainer you will be traveling around the United States, but if you are open to international travel, the opportunity is there. In our post–9/11 world, I know there are speakers and trainers who are hesitant to travel internationally, but I have found it to be the great expander of my career and my life.

Later in the book I discuss how book publishing and using speaker bureaus will help you travel the world. But in this chapter, I focus on speaking internationally. Having books published and being represented by speaker bureaus is a big help if you want to travel. I have found, however, that the Internet and my website have created a sort of international meeting spot for anyone interested in bringing my programs to their country.

I do a lot of international speaking and training; I would say that 90 percent of those engagements come from my website and my books, which have been translated into more than 24 languages. When a potential client in Europe, let’s say, buys my book, they will contact me about presenting one of my seminars based on it. For me, this is where many of my spin-offs are born.

If you want to speak internationally, you need to create a page devoted to international speaking on your website, provided you have some international work experience. My website, www
.AnneBruce.com (click on the International Speaking link) highlights my experiences in addressing international audiences at worldwide conferences and seminars (see Figure 7.1). For example, I am proud of having been a speaker for the Conference Board of Europe, its HR Council, the Polish Marketing Council, and the Polish Human Resources Council of Warsaw. I’ve also done extensive work in the Middle East, an area of the world many female speakers have not yet tried, and so this experience sets me apart. I continue to do a great deal of work in the UK and so I highlight that experience and my work with MDI (Management Development and Information Conference) and the Institute of Management in London.

Source: www.AnneBruce.com. Printed with permission.

My international speaking page on my website also mentions my engagements in France, Geneva, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain. The purpose is to have representatives of multinational firms who are visiting my website see that I have worked in both Western and Eastern European countries extensively, as well as the Middle East, and that I am comfortable doing business with a wide and varied group of cultures. I also include a list of U.S.-based world-class and internationally based companies I’ve addressed, including Sony, Johnson & Johnson, Ericsson, Arthur Andersen, and Nestle.

Pack Your Passport

It may seem ridiculous to mention this, but I will anyway. Do you have a passport? Fewer than 4 percent of U.S. citizens hold passports; a much smaller fraction ever use them. If you don’t have a passport, get one; if it’s expired, renew it. As a professional speaker and trainer, you can’t afford to miss out on any international speaking opportunities. Suppose you got a call to speak in Paris and you didn’t have a passport or it had expired? You would miss a great life experience that would expand your international speaking portfolio.

Also some international locations will require that you have a visa, so check with whoever is booking your travel on whether or not you need a visa.

Are You Experienced?

Don’t take on international speaking assignments for the money. Do it for the experience. I’m not saying that you should not be paid, but it’s important to realize that international organizations often do not pay the going rate that you might command in the United States.

Some speakers and trainers mark up their domestic rates to cover travel time and the inconvenience of being out of the country. But unless you’re a celebrity, that method will usually price you out of the international market.

If you normally get $5,000 for a workshop, you may have to take $3,500 in a foreign country. Always quote the client your fees in U.S. dollars, not the currency of the country in which you are going to be working. Try to make up the difference in your fees by negotiating extra days at the event’s hotel, sightseeing tours, or upgrades to business class seating on your flights.

Companions Pay Their Own Way

Whatever you do, do not expect the client to pay for your companion’s airfare, meals, attendance at an event, or any other extraneous expenses. The hotel room you will be staying in is about all you can expect to be covered when you take someone with you. I have always set up a separate expense account for my husband when he travels with me so that none of his charges appear on the clients’ portfolio. Everything is kept separate and my clients always appreciate that.

And even though the pay may not be as high as what you would get paid in the United States to speak, you may indeed get multiple bookings, and so the sheer volume of your work and the experience of visiting a foreign country makes it all worthwhile. I was once offered a six-week European assignment by a client; my husband, David, and I turned it into a wonderful working holiday and he simply paid his own expenses.

When it comes to money and international speaking, the dilemma is often to go or not to go. But don’t base your decision strictly on fees when a romantic dinner atop the Eiffel Tower can turn an everyday workshop into a lifelong, memorable experience.

Turning Euros into Dollars

Some speakers are leery of doing international events because they fear they may not get paid, or that the group is legitimate. First, before accepting the offer, which you will ask for in writing, ask the client for names of other speakers in the United States you can call for a reference. Call those speakers and ask about timely payment. I have done this with every international client I have worked for and no one has balked.

Next, require that the client direct book your airline tickets and hotel accommodations, and request a 25 percent deposit to hold the date. Require that you be paid in full, including per diems, via wire transfer of monies to your account in the United States, on the day of your arrival. Some speakers request this one week before they arrive. Ask that the client provide you with a receipt of deposited funds into your account. Don’t insult the client by asking for “proof.”

I’ve been working internationally for many years as a paid speaker and trainer and I’ve never been “stiffed,” as some call it, or mistreated by an international client. In fact, the only times I experienced issues with client payment have been when I was booked to speak in the United States—and usually for prestigious, large firms. But again, this is an exception, rather than the rule.

Parlez-Vous Francais, Y’all

You’re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy. If you intend to speak at an international event, approach your assignment with consideration and politeness, respecting all cultural differences.

Whenever I overhear an international client saying something negative about a U.S. speaker, it is usually that the speaker was insensitive to their culture, or that the speaker came across as arrogant and disrespectful. There is absolutely no reason for this to happen. Often it’s our American characteristics of being a bit too outgoing, overly friendly, and informal that can send a much different message on foreign turf.

Remember these three things and you’ll be ready to speak globally:

1. You are an ambassador first and foremost. One of the wonderful opportunities about working in the international workplace is that we get to be ambassadors for the United States. Opinions of Americans may be formed by western movies and television sitcoms, but mostly those opinions are formed by you and how you respect and treat others when speaking in a foreign country. Don’t forget the golden rule—treat others as you would be treated—whether you’re in Denver or Dubai.
2. When in Rome . . . well, you know the rest. Impatience overseas will get you nowhere fast. For example, when dining in Spain, you are expected to take your time and enjoy the meal. Tapping your foot for the check because you have scarfed down your dinner and are ready to leave is not in keeping with the culture in that country, where dining is a slow and deliberate affair. Relax.
3. Pack a positive attitude along with that passport. When you’re working abroad, you’ll need a positive attitude and sense of humor. Things are different in other countries. Instead of acting the bemused observer of other people’s idiosyncrasies, raise your glass and cheer, “Vive la difference!”

We live in a global society. Whether the presentation you are making is in Philadelphia or Singapore, you will most likely have delegates from many cultures and nationalities in your audience. A diversified understanding of various cultures, because you’ve experienced them firsthand, will endear you greatly to your audience and international clients and speaker bureaus.

Here are some tips I teach in one of my seminars on doing business overseas.

• Prepare yourself for the culture you are going to be working in. Taking time to study the cultural habits of a foreign country will help set you up for greater speaking success once you get there. I recommend travel guides like the Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com) and DK Publishing’s Eyewitness Travel Guides (www.DK.com). There’s simply no excuse not to be somewhat knowledgeable about other cultures before you arrive.
• Study international business etiquette. Take time to learn the appropriate etiquette and different social mores of another nation, especially if you are going to be dining with clients in another country. For example, in some places in the Middle East, women do not dine with men. In the UK, everyone is very conscious of manners, so turn off that cell phone. Tipping and other rituals can vary greatly from country to country as well. All of this information is available in handy, easy-to-carry pocket guides, or can be quickly downloaded.
• Be ready to work with interpreters and translating equipment. Practice before your presentation if you are using translating equipment, just as you would any other equipment you’d be using in a presentation anywhere. Also take time to talk with translators who might be in the room and ask them how you can best accommodate them, the pace at which they’d like you to speak, and how much pause you should give between examples. Americans talk much faster than most, so slow down your pace and speak clearly.
• Avoid slang. Try not to use slang or informal phrases. For example, “Can you get that to me ASAP?” or “That fellow is really barking up the wrong tree.” The group you are speaking to in Japan might not understand your colloquialisms.
• Don’t be arrogant when replying to questions from your audience. At a conference I was speaking at in Germany, there was a presenter who went on before me. An audience member offered his own company’s way of handling a project, and the speaker replied, “Well, that’s not the way we do it in the United States.” This statement gave the entire audience the impression that this man was showing off. And he was. Another audience member quickly quipped, “Well Mr. Brown, in case you didn’t notice, we’re in Munich, not in Cleveland.” International speaking engagements require that a speaker be aware that what may be suitable or appropriate in one location, does not automatically make it appropriate for another. So ditch the “our way is the best way” superior attitude.
• Always be aware of your body language. Again, be aware of what’s appropriate for where you are. For instance, sitting with your legs crossed in some countries is considered impolite, but it’s acceptable in the United States. Know that direct eye contact, which establishes quick credibility in our country, is an invasion of privacy in many Asian nations. Instead, gaze across your audience and you won’t embarrass anyone. And smile. That’s a form of universal communication understood around the globe.
• Follow protocol and observe customs and rituals. Take time to research the business protocol of the country you are visiting and working in. In some cultures, jokes, casual attire, and other informal behaviors are not acceptable. For example, when speaking in the Middle East, conference producers ask that speakers build into their programs several required prayer breaks throughout the day.
• Gender plays an important role in other countries. Gender plays a key role in almost all foreign travel. In some countries where gender is rooted in the tenets of religion, mistakes can prove unforgivable. For instance, when I traveled in the Arab world, my clients could not shake hands with me because touching a woman other than your wife is forbidden there.
• What to do when it’s cocktail hour. In Russia you’re expected to drink to establish relationships. In France, wine is the alcohol of choice. In Australia, alcohol is discouraged at business functions.
• The rules on gift giving vary. The main rule on gift giving is that the gift be of quality. If your gift has your logo on it, be sure it is discreet. Do not give logo gifts in Greece, Portugal, or Spain. In China you should never open a gift in front of the person who gave it to you. But in Africa, gifts are opened immediately and with gusto!
• Don’t let jet lag affect your performance. Get plenty of rest before your trip. Being sleep deprived makes jet lag worse. For long trips with many time zone changes, I always arrive a few days early so that I can adjust. I have discovered that jet lag is more a state of mind than anything else. With a few common sense practices, you can be ready to take the stage refreshed anywhere in the world.

Wherever and however you live in your own city or state in America is not how the majority of the planet lives and works. Travel is a great wake-up call for a professional speaker. It makes us more sensitive to others—their life struggles and hardships, their political views, and cultural values. Trust me, there’s more to the world than what is shown on the 6 o’clock news. How will you connect to our global workplace and the multinational organizations and their people that you hope to address and affect? Travel will connect you to your speaking audiences in ways you never imagined.

When I travel to do a speech, whether it’s to Texas or Poland, I always experience a sense of exhilaration and excitement, and that fuels my presentation and greatly benefits my audience. When speakers explore the world through both domestic and international travel, they quickly step into other people’s maps of the world and out of their own. When we do this we gain greater perspective on the world, greater compassion, and greater appreciation for one another’s differences. Don’t you think all of those things could make you a better, more powerful speaker and trainer? Can you just imagine the stories you will be able tell in your presentations?

I have eaten fried camel in the Middle East at a colleague’s home. I’ve had coffee and conversation with men and women who escaped persecution and communism in Eastern Europe. I’ve taught classes to one-time poverty-stricken Nigerians, and I’ve spent time with heads of state and political figures, like former Secretary of State Dr. Henry Kissinger. All of these life experiences came to fruition because of one thing—I speak for a living.