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Avoid the Duds:
10 Strategies for Selecting "The
Perfect Speaker"
by Susan Friedmann, CSP
The Tradeshow Coach
Today, more than ever, the success of meetings relies heavily on the
strength of program content and presentation. Nothing can spoil a meeting
more than hiring the wrong speaker. That’s because speakers do
more than just convey the overall meeting message. You look to them to
provide insights, awareness, and cutting-edge information in an energetic,
motivational, entertaining, and professional manner. What more could
you ask for? Well, the right speaker can emphasize an important message,
offer inspiration, help people cope with new assignments, and lead the
way towards change.
Selecting the right speaker for your event is one of the most important,
yet daunting elements for creating a successful meeting. Your speaker
can often make or break the event. If he bombs, your reputation not only
takes a severe nose-dive, but you also have the pleasure of dealing with
the barrage of complaints from a disappointed audience. Yet, if he does
well, you can walk away with many of the accolades, compliments, and
of course, the rave reviews. By now, you probably realize that this massive
responsibility is not to be taken lightly.
Raise Your Expectations
The skill to selecting a great speaker is determining what combination
of education, motivation, and entertainment best fits your function.
Then set out to find a perfect match. But keep your expectations high,
since nothing can spoil a meeting faster than booking the wrong speaker.
The following 10 guidelines should help you keep your focus and also
keep you away from the “duds.”
1. Know the program objectives
Before you can start looking for the
right speaker, you must know the program objectives. Begin with the
end in mind. What are you looking to achieve? Is this an annual meeting,
a training program, an incentive get-together, an awards celebration,
or another type of event? This will probably be a committee or management
decision, rather than one you will have to make. But you may have to
make an intangible concept tangible.
2. Understand the audience’s needs
Along with the program objectives,
consider the needs of your audience. Does your group need industry-specific
or technical information? Will a mix of motivation and entertainment
serve your group’s purpose? Today’s audiences are generally
younger, more educated, more diverse, and more sophisticated than in
the past. They want content. They want to learn, but they also want it
to be fun, so consider the audience needs and exactly what they expect.
Consider surveying your audience. Ask them what they want or what skills
would most help them in their jobs. For example, sales people may ask
for advanced selling skills, but managers may request teambuilding programs.
3. Check for reputation
With countless speakers out there vying for
your business, how can you possibly determine which one best meets
your needs? Many speakers produce highly professional or glitzy marketing
materials to help sell their services. You must look deeper than simply
scanning a few brochures and ask pointed questions to find the right
fit, such as what experience does this speaker have, wow familiar is
this speaker with this industry, or who else has used this person?
4. “Test drive” your prospects
If you don’t have
the opportunity to preview a speaker in person, then the next best thing
is to request a video or audio recording of a previous presentation.
A session that was recorded before a live audience gives you a better
sense of a person’s real ability.
Watch or listen carefully to how the speaker builds rapport and interacts
with the audience. Ask yourself if this person would be right for your
group. Is the combination of education, motivation, and entertainment
appropriate for your needs? Does the speaker have a message that is appropriate,
timely, and relevant to the theme or purpose of your event? Does it conform
to your company’s philosophy and policy? Do you feel the speaker
is genuine and has the expertise to deliver a solid presentation?
5. Don’t be star-struck
If you are considering celebrity speakers,
make sure they can speak! TV personalities do a great job on the air,
but sometimes have little public speaking expertise, and you should
be aware that the skills needed for being on TV and for speaking live
are
very different. However, many well-known personalities make excellent
speakers and can add enormous value and clout to your event. Politicians
and sports, media, or entertainment celebrities often share life experiences,
offer advice, or have an inspirational message to impart.
6. Be wary of grandiose claims
Speakers who claim to be all things
to all people are probably desperate for work. Avoid them. True professional
speakers, on the other hand, usually have certain areas or topics of
expertise. They would much rather refer potential business to a true
expert than jeopardize their reputation by trying to do a program outside
of their knowledge zone. Also, beware of the charismatic and fluffy
speaker, as your audience wants good, solid take-away value.
7. Provide and ask for good information
Reputable speakers want to
find out as much as possible about the meeting objectives, the audience,
industry challenges, and so on in order to tailor their presentation
to the group. Share information on your organization and audience to
help the speaker design a program to fit your specific needs. Provide
them with newsletters, catalogs, or any other publications that highlight
industry trends, key people, industry jargon or buzz words, and insider
news and views.
Also include as much information as possible about the size and demographics
of the audience such as age, gender, and positions.
8. Ask for an outline
Ask prospective speakers for an outline of the
presentation to make sure they will be covering the material as you discussed.
This will clearly lay out what’s expected as verbal communication
is subject to being misunderstood or misinterpreted. Seeing exactly what
speakers plan to cover in the sessions should help to ensure that the
material is tailored to your specific needs.
9. Maximize opportunities
Look for ways to maximize opportunities with
your speakers. Discuss different ways they can add extra value and be
a significant resource to help improve your meeting’s success.
Brainstorm ways that you feel they can assist you in planning, preparing,
promoting, and presenting. Some suggestions include serving as an emcee,
conducting special sessions or roundtable discussions about current issues
for select groups such as company executives or the board of directors,
and participating in a spouse program.
10. Trust your instincts
Through your communication with the speaker,
you will quickly form an opinion or have a feeling about this person.
First reactions count here. “I like this person” or “I
don’t like this person,” or “I feel comfortable or
uncomfortable working with this person,” are strong indicators.
These responses usually come from your gut — a very trustworthy
organ. Have confidence in your instincts and trust that so-called sixth
sense. If you experience any kind of negative feeling, think about looking
for someone else or get another opinion from a colleague. You want to
make sure that you can work with this person and that both of you are
on the same wavelength.
The true objective of hiring a professional speaker hinges on establishing
a partnership where a mutually beneficial relationship grows and flourishes.
When this happens, you know you’ve chosen well.
The Perfect Match
Overwhelmed with the plethora of speakers to choose from? You may want
to turn to a speaker’s bureau for advice and guidance. A good bureau
should act as a consultant and partner to help your event succeed. Even
though many hundreds of bureaus are out there, the numbers pale in comparison
to the thousands of speakers. A bureau’s sole purpose is simply
to make your job easier and provide you with solutions. They want to
find the best possible match for your event within your price range.
So, where do go looking for one of these bureaus? Here are a few places
to start your search: the phone book, chambers of commerce, convention
and visitors' bureaus, the Internet, industry colleagues, and friends.
A Final Note
Look for CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) or CPAE (Council of
Peers Award for Excellence) designations. Both these are conferred by
the
National Speakers Association and are considered the speaking profession's
international measure of professional platform skill (http://www.nsaspeaker.org).
Armed with these guidelines and resources, your search for the perfect
speaker will be more fruitful. And with a little effort and some time,
you will connect with a speaker who will fulfill your goals— one
that will be both inform and enlighten. Your audience will thank you.
About the Author
Written by Susan A. Friedmann,CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid,
NY, author: “Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies.” http://www.thetradeshowcoach.com
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