Professional speakers get tons of feedback.

We may get formally evaluated more than almost any profession.  Conference chairpersons, meeting planners and Human Resource executives love to collect exit evaluations after every program.  This data is then analyzed and computed before it is shared with all concerned.

I recently spoke to 100 student leaders at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Michigan.  The event was the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA).  Organizers took a tip from me and included this question in the evaluation form:  What one word best describes this event?

The words included “amazing, educational, empowering, entertaining, exceptional, inspirational, life-changing, motivational, outstanding and  . . .

Phenominal.”

The event planners took “phenominal” to mean “phenomenal,” a complimentary evaluation, to be sure.

At a follow up meeting, where the speaker was evaluated, yet again, the event’s organizers had a good laugh as they jokingly referred to my paycheck as ”fee nominal.”