Recently I spoke with Brian Palmer, President of National Speakers’ Bureau about a critical part of success (or failure) at events: Choosing the right speaker for YOUR event.  He shared some do’s, don’ts and important strategies we can all use.

Whether you’re responsible for a $15,000+ speaker budget or finding a speaker to volunteer; the end result is the same for a meeting planner, organization, corporation or sponsor: the speaker can make or break your event.

Here are the two most common pitfalls when choosing a speaker:  Many people pick a speaker primarily 1) based on their resume or job title:  “A nice resume with a list of accomplishments or a great title must mean he’ll be a hit at my event…” or 2) a referral from a friend: “If Joe says this speaker is great, she must be…”

There are a few steps that need to be considered BEFORE picking a speaker, before asking a friend and before writing the marketing copy for your event.

THE EVENT & CREATING YOUR “TARGET”:

You have to know your event and the criteria for a successful event BEFORE even thinking about a speaker.  Who is your target audience?  What specific, niche subject matter do they need to hear at your event to make it a success?  There’s a big difference between an audience of executives that need industry information and an audience of sales people that need motivation.

Create specific event objectives – if you’re planning an event for someone else create objectives with that client.  These will create a “target” for you.  If you don’t know what you’re aiming for you can’t hit the target.

At this point it’s NOT “I need a speaker.”  It’s finishing the sentence “I need a speaker that (your target audience) will love to hear because the speaker will (accomplish specific goals/give that audience specific results)” Let’s look at how to match those goals and results up with a great speaker…

THE SPEAKER & HITTING YOUR “TARGET”:

Once you have your criteria mapped out you can start the search for a speaker.  Remember this isn’t a black & white judgment call of a “good or bad speaker” but rather: Is this the right speaker for YOUR event?

A high-powered, amazing motivational speaker will thrive in that sales meeting but probably won’t hit the target of an industry briefing for high level executives going through a merger.  A speech from the most powerful CEO in the country about climbing the corporate ladder will probably miss the mark with entrepreneurs.  It’s not bad; it’s just not a good fit.

Once you have your target consider these “litmus tests”.  A great speaker:

  • Knows the difference between a “book report” and presenting information relevant to your event attendees.  A great speaker inspires, informs and entertains with audience-specific stories and strategies.
  • Knows ½ the audience wants intellectual information and ½ the audience wants emotional (funny, thoughtful, heartfelt) stories.  A great speaker delivers both.
  • Works hard as his or her craft.  Ask potential speakers what kind of training (speaking, improv, media training, etc) they have taken – and how recently that training was.

As an event planner your last event is how many people will judge your performance (or at least what they’ll remember most) – don’t leave your speaker to chance or just “a feeling” that they’ll be good.  Invest some time, use the strategies outlined here and create a successful event for everyone involved.  Then go out and book more events.