Are you organizing an event for your company and would like to have the perfect speaker? Finding the speaker that best suits your goals and expectations is not an easy task. However, with these six keys that we reveal to you below, you will discover how to select the professional that is satisfactory both for your company and for your directors, managers and employees. We start.
Also read: How to make good presentations?
Table of Contents
1. Type of event, format and duration
Establish what type of celebration you would like to organize (conference, interview panel, round table…) and for how long you would like the chosen speaker to speak. The most common is that the lecturers offer a conference of approximately 45 minutes, with an extra 15 minutes dedicated to questions and answers.
2. Hearing
Study the profile of the audience that will attend your event. Factors such as the age, nationality and culture of the audience could influence the understanding and impact of the speaker’s message. Likewise, you will have to take into account issues such as the sector to which the attendees are dedicated and their degree of specialization in a certain subject. This will give you guidance on key issues, such as the tone the speaker should use and how technically they can deliver their talk. In any case, the chosen professional must always have charisma, presence on stage and an attractive narration style.
3. Objective of the speaker and topic to be discussed
Decide what objective you would like the speaker to accomplish. Do you want it to motivate your audience, inspire them or offer more practical knowledge (blockchain, sustainability, digitization, etc.)? To make sure that the speaker suits your goals and needs, the easiest and most effective option is to contact a speaker agency to explain what type of speaker you are looking for and get a personalized proposal from there. At Thinking Heads, we have been advising national and international companies and organizations for more than a decade on which speakers are best suited to their needs and budget.
Also read: 9 keys to optimizing your communication skills
4. The budget
The fourth step is to determine what budget you are going to allocate for hiring the speaker. A determining factor in the choice is the following question: would you prefer to pay little for someone little known or would you prefer to pay more for someone famous who could attract more attendees?
Speakers’ fees can vary depending on their professional career, their knowledge of the subject they are going to deal with, and their notoriety in the industry and also in the media.
That said, just because a speaker has very high fees or is internationally recognized doesn’t necessarily mean that they will have the desired effect on your audience. and that it will meet the expectations you had for the event. It is therefore very important that you study the profile of the speakers carefully, for example, investigating their offline and online presence, and watching videos of other conferences they have given in the past.
5. Where and when
The fifth place is to determine approximately the date, time and place in which the event will be held. This will be very important when checking the availability of the speakers. For example, if you want to have a master of ceremonies who is a recognized journalist and who presents the news from Monday to Friday at noon, it will be difficult for him to present your event on a weekday at 12 noon. Or if you want to have a known actor, he may not be available for the next three months because he has a TV shoot.
6. Contact the speaker, know their fees and know their availability
The sixth step is to contact the speakers you are interested in and check their fees and availability for your event. This step is often very complicated, especially if you don’t have direct contact with the person you want to speak to at your event. That is why most organizers turn to a speaker agency like Thinking Heads, which has the facility to contact the speakers directly and quickly check their availability for your celebration.
In conclusion, selecting a dynamic, entertaining and impressive speaker who generates engagement with the attendees requires a professional process that combines factors as important as the purpose, budget, profile or expectations.
These six steps that we have proposed will help you choose the perfect speaker. However, if you are looking for speakers who go one step further, the best option is to have an agency like Thinking Heads, where we will offer you individual and professional advice to make your event a success.