Beat the Cringe-Factor by Getting Your Speaker Choice RIGHT!
By Michael Arnot, Encore Speakers Founder and Principle
We’ve all been there. Sat in an audience, squirming in your seat while some pour soul dies on stage in front of your very eyes. (Amplify the cringe-factor by 1000x now if YOU actually booked them!)
I was once subjected to a speaker (who shall remain nameless) instructing me and the rest of the corporate audience to massage the person’s shoulders next to me while M People’s “Search for a Hero Inside Yourself” belted through the PA system… You could actually hear people’s eyes rolling.
It’s not always their fault. They aren’t always poor speakers, mostly they are just on the wrong gig. (Ok, there’s no excuse for the M People stunt, but you get my point…)
Here are some things to look out for to make sure you get the right choice for your event.
Get your house in order first. Ask yourself first do you want the audience challenged, motivated, consoled, educated, inspired, energised?
Keep the audience front of mind. The experience of the attendees will be the gage of how successful the event ultimately was!
Use an agency. Good agencies are impartial, help you find the best fit, eliminate the guesswork and risk, and save you time and money.
Look out for questions. You should get more questions back from the agency or speaker than you ask them - this shows they are interested in what you are looking to achieve.
Look for expertise. Anyone that claims they can speak on any topic should be avoided – you want real expertise that people can learn from and take home.
Credentials. Testimonials from relevant sectors or similar organisations to yours are a good indicator of whether they’ll be a good fit for you.
See them speak. If this isn’t possible, always ask for some relevant video clips. Any decent speaker will have a range of video to show you.
Negotiate your fee and terms. Payment comes in many forms, and speakers will often be flexible to suit your budget, so ask!
Pre-event prep. Any good speaker will insist on a briefing call so they can tailor their talk to your audience or theme, help with event promotions, etc.
Want to guarantee the best fit for your next event?
At Encore we KNOW our speakers, their personality and their content so we can not only make a match on paper with your theme, but a personal recommendation of who we know will work well for you.