How to Get the Right Speaker for Your Conference
Organizing a conference can be a complex task. You need to
book a suitable venue, organize session times and coffee breaks,
decide on a menu, check the audio-visual equipment ... the task
sometimes seems endless. It's not surprising that many conference
organisers leave it almost too late to add the most important
ingredient - the right speaker.Speakers these days come in all
shapes, sizes and areas of expertise. Name a topic, and you can
find someone to speak on it.
Some speakers are good. Some are brilliant. But some, unfortunately,
are not so good.
There's a good deal of money invested in the average conference
to make sure it runs smoothly. Naturally, no organizer wants
to fall into the trap of booking a "not-so-good" speaker
who might undo all the good work.
We'll pause here for a bit of arithmetic. Let's say you have
thirty delegates at a session. You may not realize it, but the
cost of putting thirty people in a room just to hear a few words
is surprisingly high. Try this: thirty executives at one hundred
dollars per hour? Yes, three thousand dollars. Imagine then,
the cost of putting three hundred in a room for an hour!
If you're spending this kind of money, or even anywhere near
it, you need to make sure that you don't blow the whole thing
by putting on a speaker who has the delegates nodding into their
notebooks after the first three minutes.
To ensure the success of the conference you have worked so hard
to put together, your speakers must have impact. Let's get one
thing clear right now: the cost of a good speaker is nothing
compared to the cost of failing to get the right message across
to your delegates. Good speakers motivate people: they help the
magic of an idea become reality.
Maybe, up until now, you've spent up big on other aspects of
the conference, and economized on the speaker by having some
bigwig in the company address the captive audience.
Think hard before you stick to this course. If old Fred has
been saying a few words for the past ten years, for a nominal
sum (or nothing), to a team who listens out of respect, laziness
or loyalty - you might as well burn the money and be done with
it. Give speeches miss entirely; install a pool table. Why ask
your audience to listen to a speech with no impact?
Impact. Its importance cannot be overrated. Long after the conference
is over, people won't remember whether the coffee was hot or
cold. But they will remember the message of a speaker with impact.
When choosing a speaker, you need to take into consideration:
- The conference theme/session topic.
- The length of speaking time allocated.
- The time of the presentation.
- The style of the presentation.
- Information about the speaker.
The TopicOne speaker cannot be all things to all people. As
the client, you must select the best speaker for your conference
theme. If, for instance, the session is about how to increase
sales, you've got to restrict your list of possible speakers
to those who have the right experience. It is essential that
you have a clear objective in mind for the session. Is it your
intention that the speaker should be motivational or entertaining?
Or is it more important that he or she be able to transmit technical
information in a clear an interesting way?
Once you've decided the session time and have committed to the
topic, start the process of selecting speakers according to how
well they can address your needs. Make sure you give the speaker
a strong brief well in advance - perhaps one-to-one over a cup
of coffee.
Length of Speaking Time
When you are organizing a conference, keep in mind that people
get bored easily. It's essential that you maintain the pace of
the session to stop that boredom from setting in. Rarely will
you find a speaker talking for longer than sixty minutes. (Rarely
will you find an audience who can bear to sit and listen for
much longer than that!). If there are no audio-visuals, cut the
time to forty-five minutes.
A speaker who runs over time can throw your whole seminar into
chaos. To make sure this doesn't happen, lay it on the line right
from the start. It is a good idea to hold an introductory session
before a conference, and lay down firm ground rules to the session
leaders. The rule should be: Start on time, finish on time. Arrange
to give your speakers a three-minute warning signal, then a "stop
speaking" signal.
The time of speaking
Is the speech to be given in the morning or the afternoon? Keep
in mind that your audience can concentrate better in the morning,
and sit through longer speeches.
How is the message going to be delivered? Is it going to be
a straightforward speech from the podium or might delegates get
more out of an audience participation session?
There are several aspects you need to consider when deciding
which speakers should be on at which times:
- Speeches containing more technical or challenging material
should be on in the morning session.
- Speeches should be shorter as the day progresses. Panels of
speakers work well in afternoon sessions, when the attention
of the audience is better kept with frequent changes (of activities
as well as speakers).
Style and Presentation
You can't always control who will be giving the speeches, particularly
in regard to more technical material. It's hard to avoid the
odd drone. But, whenever possible, book talented, interesting
people so the delegates will leave with an overall impression
that the conference was worth coming to.
Your choice of speaker will range from talking heads to those
who like total audience participation. You might hear of one
speaker who talks a lot and uses only a few slides, and another
who relies on talking visuals with only occasional input from
herself.
Of course, if you have a big budget, there's limit to what you
can do. The budget determines the production (remember Gone With
the Wind?) but even with only a little money, there's a lot you
can do. The less money you have, the more careful you have to
be.
Information About the Speaker
When you're booking speakers, make sure you check the following
things:
- Their area of expertise.
- Their presentation style.
- Their track record.
- Their attitudes and values.
Area of Expertise
We have already spoken about the necessity for choosing the
right speaker to suit the conference theme and the topic of the
session. Take care to choose a speaker whose area of expertise
dovetails with the information you want to get across to the
conference delegates.
Presentation Style
What effect do you want for a particular session? A light and
breezy approach? Inspirational? Witty? Someone who can make difficult
and technical concepts clear and interesting?Look at the session
time, look at the projected speech length, look at the conference
theme. Then, make your choice. Remember it's essential to choose
someone who will have the right impact. The best speakers have
strong, relevant content wrapped in a great presentation style.
Track Record
Just because a speaker's the new kid on the block doesn't mean
that he or she won't deliver the goods. To get the best out of
a speaker, you should always try to get references from three
people who have used him or her in similar circumstances. Ask
prospective speakers to give you the names and addresses of other
people who have booked them.
If you're taking a punt on a new speaker, and you haven't been
able to get any feedback from other conference organizers, try
that person out in a short speech session.
Don't be tempted to spend money on a speaker with a "so-so" reputation.
And book early enough to get the most suitable person, not "the-only-one-left-who'll-have-to-do".
Attitudes and Values
Try to ensure that your speakers' attitudes and values mirror
those of most of the delegates - and especially the values of
the company. If you're espousing ethical business procedures
and restraint, it's not a good idea to choose a speaker who's
renowned for being a shark. The speakers chosen should be known
for attitudes which reflect the conference theme.
Doug Malouf delivers results in the areas of Sales, Customer
Service, Management Development and Communication Skills. He
is a unique keynote speaker and is universally acknowledged
as one of the most involving and imaginative trainers in the
world. www.dougspeak.com
