™Marketing Magazine Issue 17 | Page 22

SPEAKER INSIGHTS
FIVE KEY QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN HIRING A SPEAKER FOR YOUR NEXT MEETING
# 1 . IS THE SPEAKER STILL RELEVANT ?
In today ’ s quickly changing and highly competitive marketplace , everyone is doing more with less . What may have worked just a few years ago in the “ old economy ” is probably not as effective today for a variety of reasons , which many of us know and can easily see .
For example , in the professional speaking world , many of the top and well-known motivational speakers from just a few years ago have seen their bookings and fees tumble over the last five years as meeting planners are looking for a new , multidimensional speaker that hasn ’ t rested on their laurels or past successes .
Another key area to consider when answering the question above is whether or not the speaker you are considering has current and updated references from other groups . I say this because a well-polished video of a speaker is much different than real world comments and video feedback from other meeting planners who ’ ve experienced a speaker ’ s live presentation with their group .
# 2 . WILL THE SPEAKER PROVIDE ADDITIONAL TAKE-HOME VALUE AFTER THE EVENT ?
Is the speaker willing to add value above and beyond just a great speech ? I ask this question because it ’ s known that most people will forget 90 % or more of any talk , even if they enjoyed it , within 24-48 hours . To strike when the iron is hot is one thing , but to have long-lasting impact is an entirely different story .
I ’ ve assembled below a very helpful checklist of take-home resources to ensure that you and your organization have the best possible chance of having the speaker ’ s message not only motivate , but more importantly , stick with attendees long after the event has concluded .
Take-home resources include :
• E-book or physical book
• Special report or white paper
• Print-out of their PowerPoint presentation
• Audio download or video of the event
• How to reach out to and engage with the speaker on their social media
• Ongoing articles you can use in your online and offline post-event communications
• Lists of and links to resources the speaker recommends or discussed
• Post-event conference call to answer and / or discuss questions from attendees
Remember , it never hurts to ask for more when booking a speaker and here ’ s why : Any speaker worth their billing should want to engage and stay in touch with not only you , but also those seeking to grow further .
# 3 . IS THE SPEAKER ’ S MESSAGE IN ALIGNMENT WITH YOUR EVENT GOALS AND THEME ?
It ’ s amazing how many meeting planners blindly assume that a speaker will do homework on the industry or company before they take the stage . You ’ d be shocked how little this happens unless a plan is put in place before an agreed-upon deposit check is ever put in the mail .
Here are three quick pre-event action steps that savvy meeting planners insist on covering :
1 . A pre-event phone call to discuss the top areas of opportunity and challenges within the industry , and how the speaker might best address those with their message .
2 . Share past speaker success stories as well as the ones that didn ’ t go over well and why .
3 . Inform the speaker regarding the makeup of the audience so they know if spouses or children might also be in attendance .
# 4 . IS THE SPEAKER A GOOD PRESENTER THAT KEEPS THE AUDIENCE ENGAGED ?
Let ’ s face it : We live a social media , celebrity-based world where people ’ s attention spans are about nine seconds long on a good day . Shocking , but true . I know veteran meeting planners will understand what I ’ m about to say , and for a few of you reading this , I might burst your bubble .
The audience of today wants to be entertained , has a very short attention span , and wants to leave an event feeling good and that it was worth their time .
This is a very tall order , but it can be accomplished even if certain elements of the agenda , which may be dry or detail-oriented , have to be mixed in as part of the meeting requirements .
I get numerous speaking engagements and referrals within certain industries because the previous speakers are not only boring , but they also hurt the overall feel of the meeting as attendees tune the speaker out completely , sneak out of the room , or leave the event early . It ’ s no joke , and I ’ m sure many of you reading this have seen it firsthand .
In addition , if a speaker bombs it also impacts two key areas for future events :
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