Getting it right when booking a speaker.

When done right, booking a speaker can provide the catalyst for a transformational change in performance. The challenge is without the right advice it’s easy to get it wrong.

Most conferences will have no more than six hours content so if you are booking a speaker to deliver an hour the messages and the tone need to be right as it’s a large chunk of the total time to waste and the ripple effects can be destructive.

You know the cost of getting delegates to and from the venue, as well as the cost of people being out of the business for the day, so you need to know the speaker’s session will land – the expectations will be high form the audience and your key stakeholders!!

We deliver at over 500 events every year, from intimate meetings to global AGMs – key for our clients is trust, challenge and support. Our priority is getting the right speaker to the right event, to create maximum impact.

Here are 4 things to look for to ensure the right choice is made.

Who’s in the audience?

Booking a speaker who talks at the level of the audience is crucial –There is nothing worse than an audience that feels patronised by the message or put off by a speaker with concepts that don’t relate. Match the speaker to the audience and if it’s a real mix ensure that the speaker is experienced enough to deliver a message that touches all.

What do you want the audience to feel?

This is an important one for lots of reasons. Do you want a motivational speaker to make the audience walk out feeling ten feet tall, an industry expert to educate on new trends, a recognisable sports -star to instil pride , a business leader to challenge the audience  or an entertainer to have them laughing in the aisles....

What is the absolute must?  You will rarely get everything so what are the priorities?

What is your budget?

This will always be an important consideration and it may take some managing of expectations in the business. Your event needs to be right, you’ve already invested in the time, the venue and the production, make sure you invest in the content too.

Speakers come in all budgets so as mentioned earlier get your priorities right first. For instance, it’s tougher to get a recognisable name, at a low budget who will adapt their story completely for a small fee but you would get a brilliant speaker without the name who can nail the key messages..... It’s your choice based on what outcomes you need – we are here to guide you.

Give us a ballpark figure to work from and we can make suggestions from here.

What else is going on that day?

The speaker should complement and feed into the rest of the activities happening that day. You want the event to feel joined up and again a speaker can bring your content to life..

Is it a morning session to set the tone providing a stimulus to think different or a motivational speaker to kick start the afternoon? A sombre state of the nation or a focus on recognition and reward? 

You’ve made the investment so why not follow the speaker with some facilitated sessions that bring the messages to life and give it longevity with key actions? It’s also important to remember that many of our speakers can deliver much more than the standard 45 minutes so don’t be constrained – it’s the outcomes that matter!!

Again we can advise on the best slot for the appropriate speaker and where we can help you gain traction on the messages or remind them of the feel good factor!

For further information on our portfolio of Thinkers, Doers, Motivators and Innovators visit us at www.raisethebar.co.uk or call the office on  +44 203 137 7353