November 2010

President‘s

Message 1

Executive

Director‘s

Message: 2010

Election Results:

Republicans

Sweep Kansas

2

KSPE Announces

New and

Improved

Website!

4

Fall 2010 PE

Exam Lunch

Summary

5

Thanks For Your

Generosity! 6

NSPE Fellow

Nominations Due

February 1, 2011

6

NSPE

Washington

Watch

7

Kids, Parents

and Engineers to

Experience My

Discover-E

9

Build Your

Business and

Credibility

through Public

11

Welcome New

Members! 15

KSPE Calendar 15

President’s Message By Brian Armstrong, P.E.

As fall approaches, we are in full

swing of the first half of the KSPE

year. There are some very exciting

things going on at the National,

State and Chapter levels.

NSPE Issues:

Our KSPE Board will soon be

considering a NSPE –State Society

Agreement sent from NSPE for

ratification. Its motivation is to

establish a formal agreement

between NSPE and KSPE. It will

also ensure compliance with legal,

tax and accounting standards. Our

EC review is underway and the

KSPE board will discuss at the

December KSPE Board meeting in

Manhattan.

We are moving forward, working

with NSPE, to better both our

State and National societies. We

are focusing on how to increase

membership and improve on the

value and services you receive from

KSPE and NSPE.

Legislative Events:

―Advocating legislation‖ is built

into the KSPE Mission Statement.

There is no better way to foster

your relationship with local legisla-

tors than to attend one of the

KSPE Chapter Legisla-

tive events. The Kan-

sas City event was a

great success with a presentation

from Dean Stuart Bell, University

of Kansas, on expanding the num-

ber of engineering graduates. Up-

coming events are currently sched-

uled for Topeka and Manhattan. I

encourage everyone to attend one

of these very important gatherings.

Chapter Visits:

Ron Gaches and I have been tour-

ing the State, visiting individual

Chapter meetings. It has been

great to see how other Chapters

interact and to meet so many new

PE‘s excited about KSPE. Thanks

to the Wichita, Topeka, Smoky

Valley, Tri Valley and Kansas City

Chapters for hosting. We have the

Southwest swing of the tour sched-

uled soon with visits to Hutchinson

and Garden City.

Membership:

Currently there are approximately

4,200 PEs with a Kansas mailing

address and our KSPE member-

ship is approximately 540.

(Continued on page 2)

Inside this issue:

Kansas Professional

Engineer News

Page 2 Kansas Professional

Engineer News

13% of PEs in Kansas are members of

KSPE. Our Membership Committee’s

core goal is to grow that percentage by

asking and encouraging our peers to

get involved, for both individual PE

benefits and for the good of the State

of Kansas.

Increasing membership is essential if we

want to continue offering the member ser-

vices we all value from KSPE. Doug Dana-

her has jumped out of leading our State

Society to leading our Membership Commit-

tee. Friday, November 19 at 9:00 AM, the

Membership Committee will meet via tele-

conference to focus on the following areas:

Membership Development Activities

(PE Licensure Recognition Cere-

mony, PE Exam Lunches, etc.

Membership Retention (formal

process to personally contact all

delinquent and dropped members to

learn causes)

Assist and Provide Resources to

Local Chapters for Membership

Development

Work with NSPE for effective

utilization of Membership

Development resources

Getting involved in KSPE is a very reward-

ing way to spend some of your free time. I

know that is sometimes hard to come by.

There are many ways you can help serve

KSPE. We have numerous committees on

both the local and state level. We will again

have a strong effort in membership reten-

tion and recruitment. Please contact your

local chapter, Ron‘s office or myself and get

involved. Have a great Holiday Season!

(Continued from page 1)

Carried to victory by the nationwide dissat-

isfaction with Democrat leadership, Kansas

Republicans achieved a clean sweep of all

statewide and Congressional offices. The

momentum carried over to the Kansas

House of Representatives where Republi-

cans picked up 16 Democrat seats without

surrendering a single Republican incum-

bent. In short, this was a thumping and

Kansas Democrats are reeling.

Sam Brownback‘s campaign for Governor

led the night with a 2-1 victory over Democ-

rat State Senator Tom Holland. Lots of fac-

tors contributed to the drubbing,

not the least of which was the

nationwide mood of voters.

Holland never generated the enthusiasm

that a top-of-the-ticket candidate needs to

create for his party, and his 30 point loss

set the stage for a night of disappointments

for the Democrats. This was an entirely

different election than 2008 when young

voters showed up in high numbers and the

elderly stayed home. Kansas voters, a

(Continued on page 3)

Executive Director’s Message 2010 Election Results: Republicans Sweep Kansas By Ron Gaches, J.D.

Page 3 Kansas Professional

Engineer News

majority of whom supported McCain over

Obama in 2008, were angry and frustrated;

angry at the Democrat President and

Congress and frustrated with their own

stagnant economic condition. Still, the

incumbent Attorney General, Secretary of

State and Treasurer were all Democrats. It

was an advantage Democrats were unable

to leverage. Brownback‘s campaign

attracted the core conservative Republican

voter and his coattails were significant.

Just as impressive, popular Congressman

Jerry Moran won an easy race for the open

U.S. Senate seat resulting from

Brownback‘s decision to seek the Governor‘s

office. Moran‘s challenger never generated

any heat, and he and Brownback were able

to play host to numerous campaign events

that featured the Republican undercard

candidates.

Although the Kansas U.S. House of Repre-

sentatives delegation will all be members of

the majority GOP caucus, they will proba-

bly be the most junior in seniority of all 50

states. One-term incumbent Lynn Jenkins

is the veteran of the group and three fresh-

men will join her in D.C. These folks aren‘t

rookies in the traditional sense. First

District Congressman Tim Huelskamp is a

veteran state senator and among the most

articulate of the state‘s ideological conserva-

tives. Third District Congressman Kevin

Yoder is a four-term state representative,

attorney and Chairman of the House

Appropriations Committee. Fourth District

Congressman Mike Pompeo is a successful

businessman, and former military leader

and State GOP National Committeeman.

They will be an articulate and unified team.

GOP Makes Gains in Kansas House

Perhaps the biggest surprise was the dra-

matic loss of Democrat state representative

seats. Virtually everyone was predicting a

GOP pickup of House seats, but no one was

anticipating a pickup of 16 seats. Democ-

rats lost 16 of their 49 seats to finish the

night with 33. This included the defeat of

14 incumbents and the loss of two seats

vacated by Democrats who retired from ser-

vice. Perhaps more impressive, not a single

incumbent Republican state representative

was defeated. Election night success like

this virtually insures the re-election of Mike

O‘Neal to another two-year term as

Speaker.

The Republican dominance has grown the

majority caucus advantage to 92-33, from

76-49 in the 2010 session, the strongest Re-

publican caucus since 1955. The strong per-

formance by conservatives greatly dimin-

ishes any likelihood of a moderate Republi-

can-Democrat coalition passing budgets and

tax bills as they did the past two years. In-

coming Governor Brownback will have a

House closely aligned with his conservative

fiscal views.

Senators are in the middle of four-year

terms (two senate seats were up for election

due to voluntary retirements: Senator

Colyer is the new Lieutenant Governor and

Jim Barnett retired following his unsuccess-

ful run for Congress), and little is expected

to change. However, Senator Majority

Leader Derek Schmidt is the new Attorney

General and that triggers a key mid-term

leadership election. The conventional

wisdom has Ways and Means Committee

Chairman Jay Emler moving up to the

Majority Leader‘s seat, but the Senate may

change further once Brownback names his

cabinet, so his election is not certain.

(Continued from page 2)

(Continued on page 4)

Page 4 Kansas Professional

Engineer News

2011 Session Full of Challenges

Looking down the road a couple of months

past the 2011 swearing in ceremony, noth-

ing will come easy for the new Governor.

Brownback inherits a Kansas economy that

is growing by the most modest of measures.

The Consensus Revenue Estimating Group

met on Election Day and forecasted a $480

million shortfall for FY 2012 between

anticipated revenues and current budget

commitments. Brownback has already said

he will freeze all state budgets and veto any

new taxes, so legislators will be forced to

reprioritize state spending.

That would have been easier before the $1.2

billion in state budget reductions made

during the past 18 months. With Kansas

school districts recently re-filing their state

lawsuit over adequacy of state funding

(they won their first suit in 2006), the

growing unfunded liabilities of the State

Employee Retirement System ($7.7 billion

and growing), and the ever increasing

classroom enrollments and social services

caseloads, the new Governor and

Legislature will be under intense pressure

on budget issues.

KSPE PAC Results

The KSPE Political Action Committee was

re-activated this election cycle after being

dormant for more than a decade with mixed

results. During the primary election the

PAC focused on supporting moderate

Republican incumbents in the Kansas

House who had supported passage of the

new Comprehensive Transportation Plan

and the sales tax to fund it, and our high-

way safety initiatives. We also supported

two challengers running against

incumbents who had voted against the

Transportation Bill. On election night we

prevailed on 13 of 15 races; saving 12 of 13

incumbents and winning one of two chal-

lenges. During the general election the fo-

cus moved to protecting incumbent De-

mocrat state representatives who had sup-

ported the Transportation Plan and its

funding against conservative challengers

who supported repeal of the sales tax. We

were less successful with these races,

winning 25 of 35. Under the leadership of

KSPE Government Relations Committee

Chair Dick Hayter, PE, the PAC now will

start preparation for the 2012 elections.

(Continued from page 3)

The Kansas Society of Professional Engi-

neers is pleased to announce the unveiling

of our new and improved website at

www.kansasengineer.org.

The KSPE website offers a variety of new

features as well as some of the old. The new

site requires members to login with their

own username and password in

order to make many sections of

the site visible to members only.

Your username is your membership number

and your password is your last name (case

sensitive, example: Smith).

Thank you, and we appreciate your support!

KSPE Announces New and Improved Website!

And thank you to all of the volunteers (From left: Andy

Wright, Cory Schoffelman, Ricky Teed, Brian Armstrong, Scott Uhl, Paul Deitering, Sta-

cey Lamer, George Sloop, Mike Crow).

Fall 2010 PE Exam Lunch

On October 29th nearly 160 examinees were served a brown bag lunch…which hopefully

provided the sustenance needed to successfully become Licensed Professionals!

Thank you to all who participated in the raffle!

The winners of the $40, $20, and $10 respectively were…

John Moberg, Black & Veatch

Joseph Thomas, Thorton Tomasetti

Nate Fry, HNTB

Congratulations Winners!

Special Thanks to Brandy Johnson, Amy Schlink, and Sweet Dreams catering!

John Moberg Joseph Thomas Nate Fry

Page 6 Kansas Professional

Engineer News

2011 NSPE Fellow member nominations

are due in the NSPE Headquarters office by

February 1, 2011. All state societies are en-

couraged to participate in the NSPE Fellow

member program by submitting applica-

tions for qualified NSPE members.

Please be sure to carefully review the crite-

ria and qualifications that are used for Fel-

low member selection as there have been

some changes made to instructions for com-

pleting the nomination form. These changes

now include a description of what consti-

tutes ―involvement in NSPE‖ and ―national

service.‖

Also, to be considered for Fellow member-

ship please remember that all nominees

must be current NSPE members or Life

members.

Instructions and guidance for completing

the Fellow nomination form and the nomi-

nation form itself can be found at http://

www.nspe.org/AboutNSPE/

fellowmembershipgrade.html

Thank you in advance for your participa-

tion. We look forward to receiving your

nominations.

Nancy Oswald

NSPE

703-684-2856

noswald@nspe.org

NSPE Fellow Member Nominations Due February 1, 2011

KSPE would like to thank all of the KSPE Life Members who answered our

request for financial contributions earlier this year! We appreciate the com-

mitment that was demonstrated to our Society. Thank you to the following for

their support!

GLENN ANSCHUTZ

WILLIS BELL

LARRY EMIG

PAUL GIANANKON

STUART HUTCHISON

MIKE LACKEY

RODNEY MAAG

JOHN MEYER

HAL MUNGER

CARL NUZMAN

THOMAS PICKFORD

DICK SCHERER

WILLIAM SHAFER

BERNARD WILLIAMS

Thanks For Your Generosity!

Page 7 Kansas Professional

Engineer News

Professional Engineers Compete for

Congressional Seats; Two Win

Four professional engineers ran for Con-

gress in 2010, and two will soon be walking

the halls of Capitol Hill: NSPE member

David McKinley, P.E. (R-WV-1) was elected

to his first term and Joe Barton, P.E. (R-TX

-6), who has served in the House since 1985.

NSPE-PAC supported Barton and McKinley

as well as Ann Brickley, P.E. (R-CT-1) and

NSPE member Tommy Crangle, P.E. (R-TN

-3), who lost their races.

McKinley holds a B.S. in civil engineering

from Purdue University. He spent 12 years

in the construction industry before estab-

lishing his own architectural and engineer-

ing firm, McKinley and Associates.

McKinley has been an NSPE member since

1972. He will become one of 92 freshman

representatives attempting to appease out-

raged voters, who showed their displeasure

by ousting at least 60 House Democrats and

returning the majority in that chamber to

the Republicans.

Barton earned a B.S. in industrial engineer-

ing from Texas A&M University and an

M.S. in industrial administration from Pur-

due University. Barton, a 26-year veteran of

the House, is likely to become the next chair

of the power Energy and Commerce Com-

mittee.

Crangle holds a B.S. in civil engineering

from Tennessee Technological University.

From 2004–07, he served as an electrical

infrastructure expert in Iraq. Crangle also

co-owns a small real estate development

and investment company. He has been an

NSPE member since 1983. Crangle lost a

crowded Tennessee Third District Republi-

can primary in August. The seat, vacated by

Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN-3), was an easy win

for Republican victor Chuck Fleischmann.

Wamp lost his bid for governor.

Brickley earned her B.S. and M.S. in engi-

neering from the University of Connecticut.

She is a former GE executive who now owns

the consulting firm Sage & Swift. A Repub-

lican challenger in Connecticut‘s First Dis-

trict, Brickley was defeated by six-term in-

cumbent John Larson in a Democratic

stronghold.

Lame-Duck Congress May Breathe Life

into Expired R&D Tax Credit

Congress will attempt to pass a ―tax extend-

ers‖ bill, an annual authorization that pro-

vides tax cuts for businesses and includes

the research and development tax credit,

during a post-election lame-duck session.

The R&D credit expired on December 31,

2009. The credit, which applies only to R&D

performed in the U.S., is used by nearly

18,000 companies of all sizes. Most of the

credit dollars are used to pay salaries of

workers engaged in R&D, spurring eco-

(Continued on page 8)

NSPE Washington Watch

Page 8 Kansas Professional

Engineer News

nomic growth not only through innovation

but also through jobs. In 2009, the U.S.

ranked number 24 among 38 industrialized

countries offering R&D tax incentives. The

R&D credit is critical to keeping the U.S.

competitive in the global technology mar-

ket.

NSPE is a member of the R&D Credit Coa-

lition, a group of more than 100 trade and

professional associations and companies of

all sizes that collectively represent millions

of American workers engaged in U.S.-based

research throughout major sectors of the

U.S. economy, including aerospace, agricul-

ture, biotechnology, chemicals, electronics,

energy, information technology, manufac-

turing, medical technology, pharmaceuti-

cals, software, and telecommunications. The

objectives of the R&D Credit Coalition are a

strong, permanent R&D credit of commen-

surate rate for all companies; a 20% simpli-

fied credit; and an extension of the tradi-

tional credit.

NSPE Urges Senate to Pass America

COMPETES Act Reauthorization

NSPE sent a joint letter as part of the Sci-

ence, Technology, Engineering, and Mathe-

matics Education Coalition to Senate Ma-

jority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Mi-

nority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) urg-

ing them to pass the America COMPETES

Act reauthorization bill.

The America COMPETES Act, enacted in

2007, was drafted in response to Rising

Above the Gathering Storm, the National

Academies' report on America's lagging

competitiveness in science and technology.

The COMPETES Act funds investments in

science and engineering research and

STEM education from kindergarten to the

postdoctoral level. The House passed the

bill in May. If the Senate passes the reau-

thorization, the House and Senate could

produce a final bill for the President's sig-

nature before the 111th Congress ends.

NSPE is a member of the STEM Education

Coalition, which supports STEM programs

for teachers and students at the Depart-

ment of Education, the National Science

Foundation, and other agencies that offer

STEM-related programs. The coalition is

composed of more than 40 diverse groups

representing all sectors of the technological

workforce.

NSPE Advocates STEM Education

Appropriations

NSPE sent a joint letter to House and Sen-

ate leaders as part of the STEM Education

Coalition asking them to provide the high-

est funding levels for Department of Educa-

tion and National Science Foundation

STEM education programs in the appro-

priations bills, including:

$675 million for the Department of Edu-

cation‘s Race to the Top initiative, as recom-

mended by the Senate Labor, Health and

Human Services, and Education Appropria-

tions Subcommittee;

$250 million for the Department of Edu-

cation‘s Investing in Innovation program, as

recommended by the Senate Labor, Health

and Human Services, and Education Appro-

priations Subcommittee;

$180.4 million for the Department of

Education‘s Mathematics and Science Part-

nership program, as recommended by both

the House and Senate Labor, Health and

Human Services, and Education Appropria-

tions Subcommittees;

(Continued from page 7)

(Continued on page 9)

Page 9 Kansas Professional

Engineer News

Kids, Parents and Engineers to Experience My Discover-E

New Interactive Online Resource En-

ergizes K-12 Movement for Volunteer

Outreach and National Support of

STEM Education

Unique Site Offers Exploration of

Engineering Sites, Volunteers and

Resources in Local Areas

Washington, DC- October 20, 2010–

What do hands-on activities, famous land-

marks, engineer mentors, and family events

have in common? They‘re all part of My Dis-

cover-E (www.mydiscover-e.org), a new en-

gineering hub from National Engineers

Week Foundation that supports Educate to

(Continued on page 10)

$7.424 billion for the National Science

Foundation, as recommended by the House

Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropria-

tions Subcommittee; and

$958 million for NSF‘s Education and Hu-

man Resources Directorate, as recom-

mended by the House Commerce, Justice,

and Science Appropriations Subcommittee.

NSPE Is Advancing Your Interests in

Washington

Catch up on what NSPE is doing for you in

Washington with ―Latest News.‖ NSPE is

working with officials from the Hill and the

agencies to protect and promote the engi-

neering profession. Updated every Friday,

―Latest News‖ is a summary of NSPE‘s leg-

islative and regulatory advocacy activities.

NSPE Legislative Action Center Links

You to Congress

NSPE‘s Legislative Action Center is your

link to Congress. The site features Action

Alerts on federal legislation affecting the

engineering profession and lets you tell

your members of Congress what you think.

When you click on an Action Alert, you will

be able to read about the issue at hand and

have the opportunity to write an online let-

ter to your senators or representative.

NSPE will provide you with talking points

on the issue. All you have to do is describe

the personal effect the legislation would

have on your business or your ability to

practice engineering—that‘s what your leg-

islators really want to hear about.

When you type in your zip code on the Leg-

islative Action Center homepage, you will

be taken to a page that is customized with

biographical and contact information for

your federal, state, and (in some places) lo-

cal representatives. Check out how your

federal legislators voted on key NSPE is-

sues and whether they have cosponsored

bills NSPE supports by clicking on the leg-

islator‘s name and then clicking on the

―Votes‖ and ―Bills‖ tabs within the legisla-

tor‘s profile.

You also can sign up to receive e-mails

when NSPE publishes an Action Alert, find

information on registering to vote in your

state and upcoming election dates, and

much more.

For more information, visit

NSPE Government Relations on the Web,

or contact Senior Manager of Government

Relations Sarah Ogden at 703-684-2844 or

government_relations@nspe.org.

(Continued from page 8)

Page 10 Kansas Professional

Engineer News

Innovate, The White House national STEM

(Science, Technology, Engineering, and

Mathematics) initiative. My Discover-E

connects users to engineering experiences

and enables them to see, touch, do and ex-

plore right in their own backyard.

The new Mydiscover-e.org web destination

launches in conjunction with the 20th anni-

versary of its parent program, Discover-

E. Since its founding, Discover-E‘s mission

has been to link young people and their

families to engineer volunteers, events and

other activities nationwide. By providing

hands-on activities and unique learning op-

portunities, students are more likely to de-

velop and sustain an interest in engineering

as a potential career.

With its various interactive and easy-to-use

features, the My Discover-E site connects

users to engineering related resources in

their area through maps, event calendars,

event searches and an engineer network. It

also encourages exploration of professional

engineering achievements and activities in-

side and outside the classroom, demonstrat-

ing engineering as a creative career choice

that impacts and shapes our past, present

and future.

While exploring My Discover-E, you‘ll find

some of the following unique features along

the way:

Locate an Engineering Event- Find

an engineering event relative to your cur-

rent location. Users will be able to custom-

ize search capabilities based on location,

discipline, age group and time of year that

best fits their needs. Events will range

from engineering clubs and camps, to com-

petitions, field trips and even classroom

support.

Find an Engineer- A special feature

that enables parents and adult leaders to

request an engineer to work with kids or

events. It allows engineer mentors to regis-

ter on the site to participate in outreach

programs, and to find access to training and

program resources.

Direct Engagement- My Discover-E

will provide direct opportunities for interac-

tive engagement by allowing visitors to rate

and comment on programs and to request

engineers for outreach programs. In this

way, families from across the country can

―join the conversation‖ in a unique commu-

nity forum addressing their individual con-

cerns and needs.

Post an Event - Users interested in

posting an event can go to www.mydiscover-

e.org, and click on ―login/registration‖ and

create a username. Click on the ―Event‖

section and then ―Add Event.‖ Submit the

requested information about the event and,

once approved by the administrator, it will

be posted.

―The My Discover-E web portal represents

our efforts on a national level to support

STEM education and experiential learning.

As coalition members, engineers, teachers,

parents and students help to uncover this

new resource, it will directly impact our

youth and the development of a future gen-

eration of engineers,‖ said Leslie Collins,

Executive Director, National Engineers

Week Foundation. ―My Discover-E is truly

a one-stop shop for exploring hands-on and

engineering related activities that inspire

change for the future.‖

―Engineering has so many practical applica-

tions, yet it is not taught in middle and high

schools,‖ said Jane Lombardi, Director of

Communications, American Society of Civil

Engineers (ASCE). ―My Discover-E plays a

(Continued from page 9)

(Continued on page 11)

Page 11 Kansas Professional

Engineer News

vital role in connecting the dots for kids.

Through the prism of engineering, they be-

gin to understand that science, math and

technology are not just abstract concepts

but, instead, have real world functional-

ity. This is a real ‗light bulb‘ moment – it is

incredibly empowering and exciting.‖

About My Discover-E

‗Engineering: Shaping the Future‘ is the

first public portal to aggregate and promote

local opportunities across the U.S. The site

has been developed and is supported by

many organizations that dedicate an enor-

mous amount of volunteer time and talent

to work with children in their communi-

ties. These organizations are part of a coa-

lition dedicated to providing opportunities

for our children and to improving their in-

terest and abilities in science, engineering,

math, and technology. The coalition is or-

ganized by the National Engineers Week

Foundation. For more information, visit

www.mydiscover-e.org.

About National Engineers

Week Foundation

The National Engineers Week Foundation,

a formal coalition of more than 100 profes-

sional societies, major corporations and gov-

ernment agencies, is dedicated to ensuring

a diverse and well-educated future engi-

neering workforce by increasing under-

standing of and interest in engineering and

technology careers among young students

and by promoting pre-college literacy in

math and science. Engineers Week also

raises public understanding and apprecia-

tion of engineers' contributions to soci-

ety. Founded in 1951, it is among the oldest

of America's professional outreach ef-

forts. Co-chairs for 2011 are Raytheon and

the American Society of Heating, Refriger-

ating and Air-Conditioning Engineers

(ASHRAE). For more information, visit

www.eweek.org.

CONTACT:

Sayles & Winnikoff Communications:

Alan Winnikoff

(212) 725-5200 ex. 111

alan@sayleswinnikoff.com

Jamie Goldman

(212) 725-5200 ex. 122

jamie@sayleswinnikoff.com

(Continued from page 10)

Would you like to sell to 40 prospects at the

same time? Well, step up to the microphone.

Service organizations like Kiwanis Clubs,

Rotary, Lion's or Optimist Clubs are always

looking for a speaker to address their group

for free. It's a win-win situation. They get a

speaker at no charge. You have a terrific

promotional tool and more importantly are

perceived as an expert in your field. Does

that sound like a good head start over your

competition?

TIPS FOR YOUR TALK

We've all heard that the fear of death is of-

ten surpassed by the fear of public speak-

ing. Think about the positive results of de-

livering a presentation and that might mo-

tivate you to work through your fears. In

case that isn't enough, take time to work

through these exercises to help you channel

all that nervousness into energy.

(Continued on page 12)

Build Your Business and Credibility through Public Speaking By Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE

Page 12 Kansas Professional

Engineer News

Physical Preparation: Warm up and

relax your body and face.

a. If you're wearing high heels take them

off. Now, stand on one leg and shake the

other. When you put your foot back on the

ground it's going to feel lighter than the

other one. Now, switch legs and shake. You

want your energy to go through the floor

and out of your head. This sounds quite cos-

mic; it isn't. It's a practical technique used

by actors.

b. Shake your hands...fast. Hold them above

your head, bending at the wrist and elbow

and then bring your hands back down. This

will make your hand movements more natu-

ral.

c. Warm up your face muscles by chewing in

a highly exaggerated way. Do shoulder and

neck rolls. Imagine that you're eye level

with a clock. As you look at 12, pull as much

of your face up to 12 as you can; now move

it to 3, then down to 6 and finally over to 9.

All of these exercises serve to warm you up

and relax you. Those exaggerated move-

ments make it easier for your movements to

flow more naturally.

Preparation is a key element to making a

solid presentation. Here are a few tips that

will help you make an effective presenta-

tion.

THE OPENING

Psychologists have proven that the first and

last 30 seconds of any speech have the most

impact, so give the open and close of your

talk a little extra thought, time and effort.

Do not open with "Ladies and Gentlemen, it

is a pleasure to be here tonight." It's wast-

ing too much of those precious 30 seconds.

Opening a speech with a joke or funny story

is the conventional wisdom. Before you do,

ask yourself these questions:

•Is it appropriate to the occasion, for the

audience?

•Is it in good taste?

•Does it relate to me (my product or ser-

vice) or the event or the group? Does it sup-

port your topic or its key points?

A humorous story, an inspirational vi-

gnette, which relate to your topic or audi-

ence, are sure ways to get an audience's at-

tention. However, it may take more presen-

tation skill than you possess in the begin-

ning. It's safer and more effective to give

the audience what you know.

A good way to open your speech is by giving

the audience the information they most

want to hear. By now, you know the ques-

tions you hear most at a cocktail reception

or professional society meeting. Well, put

the answers to those questions in your

speech.

A scientist with Genentech was preparing a

speech for a woman‘s group. Since most of

the audience didn't know what scientists

are like or what they do, he told them what

it was like to be a scientist. ―Being a scien-

tist is like doing a jigsaw puzzle in a snow-

storm at night...you don't have all the

pieces...and you don't have the picture to

work from.‖ You can say more with less.

THE CLOSING

The close should be one of the highlights of

your speech. Summarize the key elements

to your presentation; i.e. overview of the lo-

cal real estate market, your investment

process, the value of a home‘s preventative

maintenance, etc. If you're going to take

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Page 13 Kansas Professional

Engineer News

questions, say, "Before my closing remarks,

are there any questions?" Finish with some-

thing inspirational that ties into your

theme.

The Genentech scientist told of the frustra-

tions of being a scientist and he closed by

saying, "People often ask, 'why should any-

one want to be a scientist?'" His closing

story told of a particularly information-

intensive medical conference he attended.

The final speaker of the day opened with, "I

am a 32-year-old wife and mother of two. I

have AIDS. Please work fast," she said to

the scientists. He got a standing ovation for

the speech.

OUTLINE FOR YOUR SPEECH

There are two basic outlines that work well

for the beginning speaker.

Then-Now-How outline. "This is where I

was. This is where I am. This is how I got

here." This outline will help you tell the au-

dience who you are and why you are quali-

fied to speak on the topic you've chosen.

Recently, a friend asked that I help her

with a talk she had asked to present. I

asked three vital questions you must also

ask yourself: Who is the group to whom you

are speaking? How long will your talk be?

Why have they asked you to speak?

My friend had been asked to do a 25-minute

speech for the local Board of Realtors be-

cause of her great success in real estate. I

suggested she follow the Then-Now-How

outline and open like this: "Twelve years

ago, when I went into the real estate busi-

ness, I had never sold anything but Girl

Scout cookies and hadn't done well with

that. Last year, I sold $50 million of real es-

tate in a slow market selling homes that av-

eraged $150,000 each. In the next 30 min-

utes you will learn exactly how I did

that...and how you can too!"

The question and answer format: Peo-

ple in your audience are like the people you

meet in your business or at a cocktail party

-- they probably all ask you many of the

same questions about your work. Think of

the questions prospects, clients and friends

ask you about your business.

Now you can open with, "The five questions

I am most frequently asked about invest-

ments (or whatever your field is) are…."

Pose the first question to the audience and

answer it for them in a conversational man-

ner...just like you would to a prospective

customer. You may have never given a

speech before, but you certainly have an-

swered the questions.

WRITING YOUR SPEECH

I don't believe in sitting down and writing a

speech. Instead, gather and collect ideas

that can build your speech. If you're going

to be addressing a group in the next few

weeks, keep a note pad with you and jot

down ideas, situations that relate to your

talk. When you actually write your talk,

you'll have lots of material to fit into your

outline.

PRESENTING THE SPEECH

Do not read your speech. Write key points

in bold felt tip pen on a pad you keep on the

lectern or table. (Or in a large, bold typeface

in your Word document.) Unless you rely a

lot on your notes don‘t stand behind the lec-

tern throughout your entire talk. It puts a

barrier between you and the audience and

they feel it. However, if you feel more secure

standing behind the lectern, do not lean on

it.

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Page 14 Kansas Professional

Engineer News

The introduction: Write your own intro-

duction. Use your resume as a guide, but

customize it to fit the topic on which you're

speaking. Do not include your job as a life-

guard in your intro unless it directly relates

to your subject. Consider these ideas: how

long have you been involved in the commu-

nity? What makes you an expert? Do you

have a connection to the organization?

Handouts: Develop a page detailing your

key points. Or if you've had an article pub-

lished, make copies for the audience mem-

bers. Make sure that the handout includes

your name, address, telephone number,

email and Web address.

Business Cards: If your goal is to develop

business contacts, always collect business

cards from the audience members. You can

offer to send additional information, articles

or tip sheets to them. Or you can offer a

door prize (this can be a product you sell or

certificate for service -- a free evaluation of

financial status, etc.) and ask that everyone

drop their business cards in a box from

which you or the program chair will draw

the winner (or winners) at the end of your

talk.

The business cards give you prospects with

whom you can follow up later. If you offer to

provide attendees with written material,

you might include an order blank for you

product or service.

JUST DO IT!

Speaking before a group of strangers can be

intimidating, but keep focused on the posi-

tive impact the presentation will have on

your business reputation and your bottom

line.

Don't expect to be a magnificent speaker

the first time out. Your goal is to present

the most valuable information possible to

the members of the audience. Think of it as

the beginning of many long-term relation-

ships.

About the Author

Patricia Fripp is an executive speech

coach, sales presentation trainer, and key-

note speaker on sales, customer service,

promoting business, and communication

skills. She works with companies large and

small who want a competitive edge. She

builds leaders, transforms sales teams and

delights audiences. She is the author of Get

What You Want!, Make It, So You Don't

Have to Fake It!, and is a Past-President of

the National Speakers Association. To learn

more about having Patricia do her magic for

you, contact her at www.Fripp.com, (415)

753-6556, or PFripp@ix.netcom.com.

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Page 15 Kansas Professional

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