Hiring Speakers

The purpose of a presenter is to contribute to the growth process of the organization by contributing to the knowledge and thought process of the individuals present and those they impact.  Selecting the right presenter with the right information requires knowledge, experience, and a plan.

First, there’s your part of the plan:

If you are the creator of the meeting, a solid plan is built when you begin by answering these questions:

• What are key issues regarding your organization?

• What kind of meeting do you wish to have? (annual, sales, executive, manager conference, training, dealer conference, association convention, user group, incentive, trade show, president's club, etc.)

• What is the purpose of the meeting? (education, mark change, motivation, product introduction, recognition, incentive, winners circle, recharging, etc.)

• What do you want as a single most important result from the  meeting?

• What are your ideas to achieve that result? 

If the meeting concept has already been defined, the contribution process begins by knowing:

• What is your budget for the meeting?

• What are the date(s) of meeting: arrival? departure?

• Where is the meeting to be held? (location)

• What kind of facility is it? (convention, hotel, resort)

• What is the theme of the meeting?

• Who is the meeting for?

• How many will be attending?

• Are spouses invited?

• What is the result desired from the meeting?

• What slots for speakers and entertainment need to be filled: (i.e. Keynote or General Session presenters, Opening and Closing Sessions, Breakout and Workshop Sessions,  Spouse Sessions, After Dinner, Entertainment, Special Events, Celebrities)? 

• What is the result you wish to achieve for each slot?

• How long is each slot?

• How many presenters will you need to fill these slots?

• What is your budget for speakers? What is your budget for each slot?

• What kind of presenters have you used in the past?

• What was achieved by their presentation?

• What kind of presenters can fill these slots (professional speaker, executive, managers, industry expert, technical trainer, panel, facilitator)?

• How many presenters have already been booked?

• How did you find them? Who are you working with?

• Who are they?

• What do you like most about the professional speaker(s) you are considering?

• Who else are you considering?

There are many presenters who speak on a variety of topics. You want to find a speaker that has knowledge, the ability to hold the audience's attention, and most importantly, the capability of contributing to the result you wish from the session and for the meeting.

A few questions to ask professional speakers:

• How long have you been speaking professionally?

• Do you consider yourself as an expert in our industry or a speaker who has expert advice for our industry?

• How will you learn about our audience's needs?

• How can your knowledge help us achieve our objectives?

• Will the audience receive information they can use immediately?

• What are the next steps?

• Do you have references? Testimonials? Samples of your presentations?

Planning for success with a professional speaker by partnering with them to achieve the results you desire:

• Who does the presenter need to be in contact with to be successful?

• How will they stay in communication with the presenter?

• What meetings are required with the presenter?

• How will they prepare their presentation for your audience?

• Will you have a host for the presenter?

• What are the technical requirements? (microphones, displays, stage, sound)

• What materials will be part of the program? (handouts, workbooks, books, other products)

• How will these materials be produced? Arrive? When?

• How will they be introduced to the audience?

• How will the content of the program be decided?

• Is there a reason to record the program? Video or Audio? What needs to be arranged for this to occur?

• What can you do to ensure a successful presentation? 

• How will you include the presenter in activities once they are at the meeting?

• How will you double check everything prior to the event?

Click here to access the Meeting Resources page