Sarah Fejfar 0:00
Oh, I've just like totally confused about why I'm even on this tangent. But now I remember, I was telling you, this is an episode called How to Look protein on stage and we're not going to talk about clothing. That's not advice you want to get for me. And let's get into it. Because this advice is going to be really good for you to give your guests presenters, and it's going to be really good for advice if you're going to go present on somebody else's stage, and it's going to be really good advice.
Sarah Fejfar 0:30
If you're gonna go present on your own stage, which of course you are, otherwise you would not be hanging out with me at this moment. How are entrepreneurs like us daring bravely to build a stage? Ditch the sweat pants, and step up to the mic? How do we create our own transformative offense? So we can get our message out into the world in a bigger way? It's not only profitable, but it's actually something we can be proud of.
Sarah Fejfar 0:59
That's the question. And the answers are inside this podcast. My name is Sarah Fejfar. Welcome to greenroom Central.
Sarah Fejfar 1:06
Today we're gonna talk about how to look pro team on stage. And it is a very exciting day because this is episode 50. Of the green room central podcast. It feels like a huge accomplishment and that I need to celebrate it integrate this win. Just like we all need to celebrate and integrate more wins, right? I'm just excited. 50 feels like a big number. So big compared to where I started just a year ago. Anyhow, today we're talking about how to look pro team on stage. And this isn't going to be a conversation about what to wear. Oh my goodness, I would not be the person to come to you for that. It would all be like let's go to Lululemon and pick out something that's comfy. Right?
Sarah Fejfar 2:01
When I was in college, we I spent a semester rowing on the crew team. And separate super cool sport like team sport. Like pretty excited about that. It also was very good for my back like, comfy for me to be able to do that type of exercise. And since we're on a tangent right now, I am like lusting after the new peloton. rowing machine, and we'll get that someday. Soon. I am so excited. But I digress. We're tow were talking I was talking about being on the crew team is because we would have we had this joke. I don't know if it was a joke. But at the end of practice, especially when it was a day when it was really cold, which is probably all of them.
Sarah Fejfar 2:54
I mean, we're up at like we're on the river at like five in the morning in St. Paul, Minnesota in the fall. So it's cold, and it's wet. And the sun isn't even up yet. It's this is just like terrible conditions. And so we would just be wanting to feel cozy but needing to go back to the dorms and get ready for school because we're in college. And we would say like, today, it was an especially bad one, we would like weather wise, we would say oh my gosh, today's that comfort priority day. Now, I kind of believe that that is my mantra every day. Just just so I'm being honest here.
Sarah Fejfar 3:43
But my place where I went to college, the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, people did like dress a little bit nicer for class. I probably wasn't one of them. But I definitely latched on to this idea of today's that comfort priority day. And, oh, I've just like totally confused about why I'm even on this tangent. But now I remember I was telling you. This is an episode called How to Look protein on stage and we're not going to talk about clothing. That's not advice you want to get from me. And let's get into it.
Sarah Fejfar 4:19
Because this advice is going to be really good for you to give your guests presenters and it's going to be really good for advice if you're going to go present on somebody else's stage and it's going to be really good advice if you're gonna go present on your own stage, which of course you are, otherwise you would not be hanging out with me at this moment. So, listen up number one. Number one's my favorite like this is going to endear you to so many people who hold your success in their hands. I want you to show up to the event with a flash drive in Your hand. And before you say, Sarah, That's so old school, listen up, the flash drive. The reason why you want to have a flash drive is just so that you are prepared. Okay.
Sarah Fejfar 5:19
And if if you can put this into a Dropbox in advance, all the things I'm going to tell you to have on this five flash drive, even better, your, your event team would love for you to have it there two weeks in advance. But we all live in the real world and know that that doesn't happen all the time. But if you can have all these assets into Dropbox, excellent. And I also want you to have them on a flash drive, and I want you to have that flash drive with you. And here's what I want on it, I want you to have your presentation on the flash drive. I bet you saw that one coming.
Sarah Fejfar 5:53
But you know what I also want you to have on that flash drive, you probably didn't see coming your brand font files. So you're gonna use fancy on brand fonts in your presentation. And then you're gonna go hand off the presentation. And so I'm just gonna put it on their computer and run it from the back of the room and play it on the screens for your event. And that computer likely is not going to have your brand fonts loaded. But the person sitting there running it for you will know that this is a thing. And if you have them sitting there so they can just install them super quick, then your presentation looks beautiful. I was an event at an event recently.
Sarah Fejfar 6:42
And the one of the presenters handed me their presentation. And I brought it up and took a look. And it looked really kind of simplistic. Not fancy. When if you're just looking at the font, and I said is this? Is this correct? Like is this in your brand font, because it doesn't look to me to be like your brand font? Because I was aware of this person's brand. And they said, Oh no, I just I figured you wouldn't have them. So I just use something like generic. And I want to empower you to look fancy and well put together and use your brand fonts. And so on that flash drive with your presentation, I also want you to have your brand font files.
Sarah Fejfar 7:33
And third thing on that flash drive, I want you to have your walk on song. And bonus points. If you name that song, to say to read rename it the file to say start at and then give like the minute or seconds mark, because we all know that you have a favorite song that you want to walk onto. And that there's a your favorite part, like it's called the stinger that you want to walk onto, have you ever been on Instagram, and you're making a reel and you go to choose the music.
Sarah Fejfar 8:10
And there's a slider at the bottom that has a colored pink colored box that goes around it when you're like hovering over the start of like the the really good part of the song high energy piece like that's called the stinger. And so if you have a particular spot like that, then put that that song file on your flash drive and, and call out at what minute or second that you want the song brought on to like it's a it's possible. We just need to empower people with what we want in order for them to help us make it happen. And then the last thing is any videos that you want played during your presentation. So that could be your maybe you have a sizzle reel that you walk onto.
Sarah Fejfar 9:05
And so you want to have that video in there. Maybe you're going to call for a video to be played during your presentation. Have that in there. Don't don't put them inside your presentation that never looks good and is always risky. So keep those file separate call for your tech team to play them for you. And they will. So back to that Flash Drive and Dropbox. I want you to have your presentation, your brand font files, your walk on song, and any videos that you're going to call for. You got this. It's gonna look it's gonna make you look so good. Because everything that the tech team needs to support you or even if it's your team. Everything is going to be right there. So
Sarah Fejfar 10:01
Be prepared in advance and have that ready and know that many of the things on that list are things that you're going to use over and over and over and over again. So you're gonna get the setup once, and then you're gonna look real good. Every presentation that after that you're just putting a new deck in, maybe a new video. Okay? Alright, second, says so simple, but it happens still. So I'm gonna just, I'm gonna say it. Don't wear a name badge on stage, there should be a stage manager calling it out. But if not, take that lanyard off.
Sarah Fejfar 10:39
It doesn't sound good bumping into a microphone, it doesn't look good on video afterwards. It's very distracting to guests in the audience. I really don't care how big or small the audience is. If there are name badges for that event, and you're wearing one, take it off. Before you go up to speak. Please like promise like Raise your right hand right now. Sarah? Repeat after me, Sarah, I promise not to wear a name badge on stage. Excellent. Okay. Now, number three, know what stage side of the stage that you're walking on to and walking off of. But get clear on that even if it's small room.
Sarah Fejfar 11:27
Even if there isn't a physical stage, I want you to envision the process before you go up there of where am I coming up? And where am I leaving. Because when you're when you're in the heat of the moment, and you're very excited about what's happening, and what you're going to talk about. It's easy to forget. And so take a beat before you go up and envision the process of you walking up. And you leaving. And if there's a stage manager, ask them what state What side do you want people coming on to? And What side do you want people coming off of it?
Sarah Fejfar 12:03
It just it doesn't look bro team when you don't know what's going on. And to that point, I would just underline if there's rehearsal time available show up. I was watching a video of Oprah on Instagram. And I think it was last year, she was doing a concert. Like a shout out before a concert. It's an it's an outdoor concert by a big name. Oh, it was Adele. And she was going through the rehearsal. And afterwards, she was walking down the gravel road her wherever she was, like her car to leave. And she was talking to the camera and saying, I never miss a rehearsal. I know how to talk into a microphone. I know how to look into a teleprompter.
Sarah Fejfar 13:03
But I and then she recited some story of where she showed up to something and someone big just made a flub on on camera. And they hadn't shown up to the rehearsal. And so they made this mistake that made them look silly, and, and, you know, not as smart as they really are. And it was just because they didn't show up to rehearsal. And she said, ever since I saw that I committed to myself, I show up to rehearsals. I mean, I've done this a million times. But I'm still going to show up so that when it's time to show up, and the cameras on the lights are on the guests are in their chairs, that I look like I know what I'm doing.
Sarah Fejfar 13:52
And it just really resonated for me that she said that it's still important to her and I'm pretty sure it was that was 2021. She's been at this for a really long time. She's very experienced. And that's what her position is on versus is to show up for them. So I just thought that was awesome. And that's what one of the things you'll iron out when you go to rehearsal. A fourth thing to talk about is know who's introducing you. And if they need information on how to introduce you. Just make sure that they're empowered with that information that they need.
Sarah Fejfar 14:35
Whether that's a short bio, maybe that is again a sizzle reel video, or just just know who's introducing you making sure that they have the information that they need and how they're introducing you so you kind of can gauge when is the right time to come on. And number five is I want you to know if Someone will come on stage to think you shake your hand, high five elbow bump, whatever it is, after your presentation, it's important to know, do I stay put, wait for the applause, someone's going to come on, and we're gonna shake hands and banter for a bit, and then I'm gonna walk off, or when I'm done, I exit stage left.
Sarah Fejfar 15:28
And that's it. So, it's really important because it's, it's important to end strong. And it's hard to do that when you don't know what the plan is. So figure out the plan in advance, and then it doesn't look awkward on stage. I just, I'm just allergic to things looking awkward on stage. And so if we can iron some of these little details out in advance, then we don't have those awkward moments, and everything feels really organic and natural, and, and good to the guests. And number six is knowing what stuff you need, and where it is. So what I mean is, do you need a clicker to advance slides?
Sarah Fejfar 16:30
Do you need water to drink? And what would you like to drink it out of? Where will that be? Do you need tissues? Do you need a prop? So what are the things like tangible touch and feel stuff that you're going to need at hand? And will there be a highboy table nearby that you can set them on? And when will you do that to make sure that it's there and available for you while you're on stage. Because I don't like for you to have to be derailed in the middle of your your training to or an exciting part of your presentation to have to go like ask for something that you could have planned for in advance. Now. That's not to say that if you need something in the middle to not like ask for it because 100% do that. I love it.
Sarah Fejfar 17:33
When presenters, it looks so good. It looks so pro team, when a presenter is on stage, and they need something something's not right. And they just call it out. They go back to Episode 49. And we talked about writing down the names of all the people that are supporting you. You can call out your your producer in the back of the room by name and say so and so I need I need to go back a slide but the clickers networking, can you help with that? or so and so I am feeling so darn thirsty and already drink all my water? Can you bring up some more? Thank you.
Sarah Fejfar 18:16
It just It looks trust me. I've sat and watched so many people present on stage and the ones that look the best the ones that are pro team, they are so confident to speak to the team who's helping support them, and ask for what they need in the middle of a presentation. And so I want you to do that too. Let's make that number seven on the list. Ask for what you name that looks protein. It really does to just not let something going wrong or something that you forgot like, or just that you're thinking of in the moment that would just add to the experience to not let it fluster you and just ask for what you need it.
Sarah Fejfar 19:05
I think people feel a little bit different and awkward when they're in front. They're you know, they're wearing a microphone or holding them in front of a stage and they just act a little different and feel like things have to be more formal. And it's just not true. I think ask for what you need that looks protein and be confident about it and not angry. And just Yeah, excited to get the help that you need. Well, I hope these seven things have proved to be exceptionally helpful for you. And I know that doing these will make you look pro team on stage and when you implement these with your guest speakers, it will look pro team. So
Sarah Fejfar 19:58
save this one definite li like, I hope you were taking notes if not go back and listen, write the stuff down or go to greenroom. central.com. And like print out the transcript and highlight and underline. This is, this is like table stakes for running an event and feeling confident while you're in front of a group. That's gonna help so much. I'm glad we could hang out together today. Take care. Thank you for listening to Episode 50. If pepper spray of a greenroom central podcast, if you loved Episode 50, then please take a screenshot on your phone and post it to Instagram and be sure to tag at Sarah Fejfar.
Sarah Fejfar 20:49
And let me know why you liked it and what you'd like to hear or who you'd like to hear from the future. How helping know what to create for you. If right now you're thinking, Sarah, yes, an event is happening. But here's the thing. I have a sizable team who can make this happen, but we need someone to teach us how, then go to Grand central.com To book a private workshop, you'll get a customized two day virtual workshop for your team. During the workshop. Everyone will learn a repeatable framework that can be used to start or scale events and your business will then create a roadmap as a team so that everyone leaves the workshop with a shared vision for how to move forward with confidence.
Sarah Fejfar 21:36
This podcast is built on Kajabi I loved how easy it was to get things set up. But more so I'm thrilled that my entire business is run within one platform, from my emails to my pages to My Courses and my podcast too. It's all under one roof. If you love simplicity and scalability as much as I do, then go to greenroom. central.com To get a free 14 day trial from Kajabi.
Sarah Fejfar 22:03
I appreciate your commitment to leveling up in learning the mindset and strategy of live events. Keep going, keep learning. If you want more, head over to green room central.com For show notes and all the links from today's show.
