Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Handouts - Are You a Giver Or Receiver, Or Both? by Morgan Mandel

I'm getting organized to present a social networking program at the Niles, Illinois Library on March 28 from 1:30 - 4:30. One of the things I did Monday night was prepare a handout. Hopefully, my handout is engaging enough to make people want to stay and listen. I want to spark their interest, throw in some information they may not know, yet not tell it all on paper. They have to come to the program for that.

I like giving handouts and I love receiving them. What about you? If you go to a program, do you like to get a handout? Or, maybe you're so neat you hate to bring any more paper into the house. It's too late for me on that score. Paper's already infiltrated my home and won't leave any time soon.

What about you? Are you a giver or receiver, or both?

Morgan Mandel

10 comments:

Debra St. John said...

I love handouts!

If I'm presenting a seminar at a conference, I always have a handout to give to the participants. It gives them something visual and concrete to take back with them.

For that same reason, I like getting handouts from a seminar or presentation. It helps to recall important details from the sectional, and I have something concrete to put in my files - or even use right away, without having to recreate it myself.

Anonymous said...

When I was a kid we called handouts "dittos." Remember how the theacher would hand out losuy looking copies to the person at the beginning of the row and the kid at the end would end up with the worst copy. Usually faded and hard to read.

I tried handouts once. Keep them brief and the font big and easy to read. I've seen other authors try to save costs by cramming everything onto one sheet of paper. They usually end up tossed out.

Stephen Tremp

Stephen Tremp

Marilyn Meredith a.k.a. F. M. Meredith said...

I always give handouts. They have on them what I'm going to say. I always add more of course while I'm speaking.

Stephen, your dittos were made on machines that didn't make good copies. We are much more fortunate today to have computers and printers. I've used everything from jelly pads, mimeographs, and ditto machines over the years.

Terry Odell said...

I'm also a hander outer of handouts when I give programs. I know I can never remember everything a speaker says, and I've lost my college speedy-note-taking skills, so I like getting handouts. As long as they're not verbatim copies of the speaker reading the presentation. I've been in seminars like that, and what's the point?

Having something that's more than hype for your book seems a better way to be remembered.

As a matter of fact, I even post the handouts on my website to reach a larger audience.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Handouts are good!

I have handouts for all of my seminars and for my school visits. If I'm just doing a talk - 30-60 minutes - there's usually no handouts.

But the ones for my seminars, Dear Lord, they are LOADED!!! Program outline with room for notes, list of books and website references, definition of terms...

Helen Ginger said...

I give them out when I'm speaking and I like getting them when I'm in the audience. Otherwise, I get home with my hand-written notes and read them and go, huh?

Helen
Straight From Hel

Jane Kennedy Sutton said...

I love handouts but I really don't know what to do with them once I get home. I have quite a collection that I seldom look at, but I can't bring myself to throw them out.

lindaballoutalkingtoyou said...

I am a needer. I need a virtual assistant to help me with the many tasks required to market a book. Light web mastering,social networking,sending our press releases, posting blogs...you get my drift.
You seem knowledgable-can you send me in the right direction?
Thanks Linda

Deb Larson said...

I alwasys spread out an assortment of material from business cards and bookmarks to info sheets. I've realized the business cards move the fastest - they have the picture of my books on them, info about my books and me and they don't take up much room.
DL Larson

carl brookins said...

I provide handouts and bookmarks. simple, clean-looking.And always more than just about me and my books.

Which reminds me, time to revisit and revise.
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