Getting a speaker for your next company event can be a pain-free process for all concerned if you’re willing to do a little research in the beginning. If you want to be applauded for making an excellent speaker choice for your next event, implement these three easy tips.
1. Establish why you need a speaker. A few questions you should ask yourself and the team you’re working with: Why are we having this meeting? Is it to motivate employees? Is it to inform them? Is it to reward them? The answers will help you determine whether you want to get a celebrity speaker like Zig Ziglar or a not-so-well-known professional speaker with outstanding references. Remember, a celebrity speaker will add prestige to your event; but you’d better have the budget to pay for it! I recall a marketing kick-off meeting I attended some years ago which featured a celebrity speaker. His 30-minute talk motivated us! We left exhilarated, and fired up, ready to market our wares to the world. Back then this celebrity was charging $10,000 an event. Depending on your objectives, you can find a very motivating, yet lesser-known speaker for one-fourth of that price.
2. Figure out what problems your organization needs to deal with, then decide what bringing a speaker in can do to help address those needs. Do you have morale problems? Or perhaps you’re looking for ways to increase your company’s profits. Are you launching a new program and you need “buy-in” from the team? Once you address the needs, you can move forward with clarity of purpose. Some other things I recommend consider: Can the speaker serve a dual purpose? For instance, perhaps the speaker can provide the keynote and do a break-out session.
3. Determine how a speaker can help your organization achieve its goals. It is during this step that you need to decide if bringing someone in from the outside is the best way to achieve those goals or maybe you have employees better equipped to help you reach your objective. Another consideration here is budget. Can you afford an outside speaker? If not, get someone from the inside! Just remember, you may be able to boost attendance and morale if you bring in an outsider. Speakers can be classified in three categories: humorists, motivational speakers, and trainers. This matters when you consider how you want your intended message delivered to your employees. Ideally, the speaker you chose can deliver your message utilizing humor, motivation, and education–all wrapped up in one neat speaker package! Should you decide to bring in an outside speaker, visit their website to view any “real” speaking videos. Many experts suggest getting a demo tape; just remember, to get an idea of the speaker’s abilities, you want to listen to more than a 10-minutes edited version of their talk. Don’t be afraid to ask the speaker, particularly if they are not well-known, to give you a complimentary 20-minute talk. You can also find out more about the speaker through a speakers bureau like speakermatch.com.
These are just few of the up-front questions you should ask before deciding to hire your next speaker! Remember, a little research in the beginning can bring you a lot of satisfaction and accolades in the end from your boss, and your fellow employees for finding the perfect speaker for your next event.
By : Dr. Angela Massey