Supercompetent Speaking: Productive Packing

By Laura Stack, MBA, CSP

Significant accomplishments and important events tend to be built on foundations of lesser things, and that’s as true of professional speaking and training as it is of any other human endeavor. For example, when was the last time you gave any serious thought to packing? If you’re a busy speaker, you already may be good at this, but there is always room for improvement. Every little thing you can do to save time and money earnsyou money, so it’s worth going over the subject of efficient packing again, whether you’re a veteran or neophyte speaker.

Consider applying these tips to simplify your packing chores:

1. Always have a pre-packed bag ready. You need to be ready to go in a moment’s notice. As soon as I get home from one trip, I unpack and repack immediately, so I’m always ready for last-minute trips. I keep everything I need packed, including pajamas, medicines, duplicate power chargers and makeup. The only thing I don’t repack is my suit, so it doesn’t get wrinkled. I replenish anything I used up in my toiletry kit. Nothing I use in my travel bag is needed for daily use at home.
2. Pre-plan. I keep my presentation outfits together in my closet, along with the appropriate accessories, such as shoes, hosiery, jewelry, and undergarments. It needs to be brainless, like a uniform, so you can just grab and go. I have five main suits I wear for speeches, depending on the venue and client.
3. Recycle the dry cleaner’s plastic bags. Slide your outfits into the plastic bags your cleaner returns them to you in, to keep them from wrinkling in your suitcase or suit bag. If you’re going out again as soon as you receive them from the cleaner, you can just leave the garments in the bags and pack them that way.
4. Make your liquids bag easily accessible. I purchased a sturdy plastic bag so my one-quart Ziploc bag wouldn’t fall apart. Purchase refillable bottles rather than miniature versions of all your toiletries. Keep them right at the top of your roller board in or an outer pocket, so you don’t have to open the entire thing for all to see.
5. Carry on. See the sidebar below for the complete list of items for a speaker’s bag. If you can at all help it, do not check your bag, in case the airline loses your luggage (even if you have to pay extra to carry on). I carry on even in the small regional jets to avoid standing out on the jet bridge waiting for my gate-checked bag. Rather than use a roller board to hold my briefcase, I use a rolling Samsonite briefcase and a Wingman Duffel Bag from Timbuk2 on top, which fits in the overhead bin of a CRJ200. If you MUST check, wear an outfit that you could wear in a pinch, in case your luggage is MIA.

Whether you’re traveling by train, plane, or automobile, have your basics near to hand while you travel: all the cordage you need, your carry-on luggage, your work laptop, and an extra copy of your presentation on a thumb drive—just in case. You may not be able to plan for every contingency, but taking care to follow these packing tips should cover almost every possibility, and make life easier all the way around.

The Professional Speaker’s Gig bag should contain:

1. Two alarm clocks (in case one malfunctions)
2. Melatonin for sleeping when traveling west to east or internationally
3. Remote PowerPoint controller/pointer
4. Extra battery for your remote
5. Laptop or iPad
6. Extra laptop power supply that stays in your bag (or a universal charger such as a Targa)
7. Extra laptop battery for long-haul trips
8. Extra phone charger that stays in your bag
9. Air card for Internet access or smart phone as hot spot
10. Microphone headset such as a CountryMan
11. Small portable mouse
12. Flash drive for backing up your presentation
13. Portable travel alarm clock or app that doubles as timer during speech
14. iPod/iPhone/iPad/Droid/Kindle loaded with your music, books, blogs, MP3s, etc. and royalty-free entrance music
15. USB connector cord for above
16. GPS or GPS app on phone if driving
17. Bose noise-canceling headset
18. Cough drops, moisturizing mouth spray, chewable Rolaids, cold medicine, ibuprofen, lip balm, and Imodium AD
19. Printed copy of your introduction printed in large type
20. Printed master copy of handouts (in case they forget)
21. Post-program summary sheet to note stories told, outfit worn, gifts to send, etc.
22. If going overseas, a color copy of your passport and driver’s license
23. Small bills for tipping money
24. Preprinted labels to stick on boxes to ship unsold product back to our office or next engagement
25. Printed report with all event details and contact info (in case your devices go down)
26. Shout towelette or Tide stick for spots
27. Train whistle (to get audience’s attention after activities)
28. Rubber door stopper for crooked projector
29. Business cards
30. Flip camera or phone for recording testimonials
31. Stamped thank you notes to write on plane
32. Earplugs
33. Extra pair of stockings
34. 3-outlet adapter plug to share sockets with airport friends
35. Tuna packets, fruit, and protein bars
36. Copy of your book to “read” from on stage
37. Alligator clip to hold drapes together (Crown Plaza gives these away)
38. Laminated product signs for books
39. Notebook/journal
40. Reading material

Laura Stack, MBA, CSP, is an expert in productivity. For more than 20 years, Stack has worked with business leaders to execute more efficiently, boost performance, and accelerate results in the workplace. Her company, The Productivity Pro, Inc., provides productivity workshops around the globe to help attendees achieve Maximum Results in Minimum Time. Stack is the bestselling author of six books, with more than 20 foreign editions, published by Random House, Wiley, and Berrett-Koehler, including her newest work, “Execution IS the Strategy”(March 2014). An expert in the field of performance and workplace issues, Stack has been featured on the CBS Early Show,CNN, the Wall Street Journal,and The New York Times. Connect via her website, Facebook, or Twitter.