HOW TO MASTER THE CHOICE OF YOUR MASTER OF CEREMONIES

Everyone can think of an event (and usually many more than one) where the MC was, to put it politely, disappointing.

This is one of the biggest reasons people give for no longer seeking an MC. “We’ve used one in the past and they didn’t work”.

This common story serves as a reminder that ANYONE can call themselves an MC. But this doesn’t mean they are worthy of ‘Mastering’ anything, let alone your ceremony.

You've got an entire audience to look after and the MC can make or break your entire event. Make the wrong decision and, well:

To increase your chances of finding someone who has the required skills and approach, here’s a few quick DO’s and DON’T’s that could make the difference between you being someone who swears by MCs, rather than someone who swears at them.

In a nutshell:

DO's:

1. DO ASK HOW THEY’LL HELP YOUR DELEGATES LEARN
2. DO DETERMINE WHY THEY GET BOOKED
3. DO SPEAK TO YOUR OTHER CONFERENCE SPEAKERS
4. DO SPEAK TO YOUR CONFERENCE ORGANISER
5. DO SPEAK TO SPEAKERS’ BUREAUX
6. DO ASK COLLEAGUES IN OTHER PARTS OF THE FIRM
7. DO ENGAGE AN MC WHO IS WILLING TO RESEARCH THE SPEAKERS, THE DELEGATES, THE ORGANISATION AND THE INDUSTRY.

DON'T's:

1. DON’T USE AN MC WHO ASKS THAT YOU PROVIDE THEM WITH A SCRIPT
2. DON’T GET AN MC WHO SIMPLY READS THE SPEAKER BIOS FROM THE CONFERENCE HANDBOOK.
3. DON’T GET AN MC WHO HAS A LONG LIST OF RIDERS OR CONDITIONS
4. DON’T JUDGE AN MC ON HOW THEY ‘PERFORM’ AT YOUR COMMITTEE MEETING
5. DON’T CHOOSE SOMEONE RECOMMENDED BY A PERSON WHO IS INVOLVED IN THEIR BUSINESS NETWORKING GROUP.
6. DON’T DESIGN A PROGRAM THAT GIVES THE MC NO TIME TO SHINE

[Incidentally, if you’re interested in learning about what sort of events an MC would be most worth considering, please read my companion article to this one - An MC Costs Dollars But Makes Sense.]

Here's a little of my reasoning for each of my above points:

DO’S

1. DO ASK HOW THEY’LL HELP YOUR DELEGATES LEARN

For me, the single most-important reason you should have an MC is because, if they are good, they will really improve how much people listen, learn, engage and recall at an event.

So, an important question you should ask a prospective MC is: “How will our delegates learn more at this conference if you are the MC?".

Look for an MC who can explain how their efforts can help delegates with the important building blocks of learning, which are:

1. BEING ENGAGED
2. BEING EMOTIONALLY ATTACHED TO WHAT IS GOING ON
3. ENJOYING THEMSELVES, and
4. UNDERSTANDING THE CONTENT

2. DO DETERMINE WHY THEY GET BOOKED 

There are three main reasons why an MC would get work:

1. They have a high profile (ie a celebrity).

2. They’ll do the job for a lower cost than others.

3. They’re neither high profile, nor cheap … They get work because they are known for being great at MCing.

I think it is important to work out why the MC you are considering has been able to make a living as an MC.

If it is because they are a celebrity, remember this: they don't necessarily get their work because they're a great MC. They get it because they are a well-known face, and some people feel they need that to attract delegates.

Remember, also, that people don’t learn more simply because a famous person is in the room. Celebrities make great Keynote Speakers far more often than they make great MCs (primarily because, as a Keynote Speaker, you‘re supposed to talk about YOUR story but as an MC you’re supposed to focus on the stories of others). 

Finding someone who is cheaper than the market norm brings its own risks. You’d have to ask, “Why are they cheap?” Is it that they are inexperienced? Don't get repeat bookings? Don’t have a great set of testimonials? Or simply aren’t particularly great? If you go cheap, you're likely to once again find yourself at an event looking at the MC thinking, "It's definitely not worth the cost".

However, if you find an MC you’ve not heard of but has a great set of clients and testimonials over a lengthy period of time, who is recommended (or even just recognised) by a colleague or one of your speakers and isn’t dirt cheap … then there’s a VERY good chance they will deliver.

An MC who has no celebrity profile, who doesn't attract business through low prices, can only have survived in this industry by being really good at MCing, at event after event after event.

If your budget is tight, see if they'll move a little bit on price, A good MC loves what they do and will do what they can to be where they're wanted, but probably won't discount during peak times (September through November, here in Australia), a busy week or if your event is so far away they might have to turn away a full-fee paying client.

3. DO SPEAK TO YOUR OTHER CONFERENCE SPEAKERS

The one group of people who you can count on to be absolutely honest in their assessment of MCs are the people who get introduced by them a lot.

Even if you don’t have one on your program, there’s no harm in emailing one you’ve used in the past to pick their brain for names.

Speakers judge an MC’s performance purely on how well they MC. Do they introduce them in a way that makes it easy for them to present? Do they wrap things up at the end that do the presentation justice?

Speakers gain no financial reward one way or another, so they will tell you the truth.

I've only ever seen one speaker actually compile a list of their top MC's in Australia (along with some supporting arguments for why an MC is important). His name is David Staughton ... a terrific gentleman ... and an even more terrific speaker. His list can be found by clicking here.

The point is, a speaker like David (who I haven’t crossed paths with for years, but thank him deeply for remembering me enough to include on his list) sees far more MCs than the average person, and experiences who works and who doesn’t.

And, while you’re contacting them, see if they have something new that they can offer at your next event. Speakers, just like good MCs, are always evolving.

4. DO SPEAK TO YOUR CONFERENCE ORGANISER

(Unless you ARE the conference organiser, in which case speaking to yourself solves nothing!)

But professional conference organisers (PCOs) have seen way more conferences than you probably have and know who will work well at your event.

5. DO SPEAK TO SPEAKERS’ BUREAUX

These are the right people to know, if you want to know the right people.

Their days are spent immersed in sifting through speakers of all styles, experience and price points. They’ll know of some good MCs.

6. DO ASK COLLEAGUES IN OTHER PARTS OF THE FIRM

They may have attended a conference recently and have a helpful suggestion.

It’s worth sending an email out seeking any recommendations or thoughts.

And it might help you find a great speaker as well.

7. DO ENGAGE AN MC WHO IS WILLING TO RESEARCH THE SPEAKERS, THE DELEGATES, THE ORGANISATION AND THE INDUSTRY.

One complaint I hear about MCs quite regularly is: “They talked a lot about themselves and didn’t really seem to understand us, or what we do”.

Your MC should be asking for information about your organisation and your industry, as well as finding out about some of the key people and terms in them.

The more information they are interested in knowing, the more likely it is they will be someone who can introduce delegates to new, fresh and interesting information about the people and topics being dealt with on the day.

That helps maintain interest levels, as well as reinforcing the feeling that the MC is really a part of the corporate family.

Some MC's are all polished and shiny on stage but through their words (mispronouncing a name here, using an incorrect term there) never manage to become a part of the event, and that is a big component of what MCing involves.

DON’T’S

1. DON’T USE AN MC WHO ASKS THAT YOU PROVIDE THEM WITH A SCRIPT

Are you crazy?!!

You don’t walk into a fancy restaurant, tell the waiter what dishes you’d like, then have the waiter say, “Excellent choice! Why don’t you go and cook them, then I’ll bring them to you”.

So you don’t hire an MC and have them say, “Great. Write my script for me then I’ll read it out to you at the event”.

An MC who asks for a script is NOT a Master of Ceremonies. What they are is a Master of Reading. If they ask for a script, ask for them to pay you to write it. Half their fee is a good guide, as preparing a script is definitely at least half the work involved in MCing.

Now, I admit. There are many instances in which an MC is used who asks for scripts to be provided and the events are viewed as successes.

But my response to that is this: The MC who is willing to make the effort to write their own script is far more likely going to be the one who is willing to put the effort in to understand your event, research your organisation and industry and get to know your delegates and the culture and issues that are important to them.

Why is that important? Because an event is a celebration of the delegates, their work and their organisation … NOT of the MC’s life.

Writing their own script is a fundamental role of a professional MC and a really good indicator of how much effort they are prepared to put in to making your event fantastic.

2. DON’T GET AN MC WHO SIMPLY READS THE SPEAKER BIOS FROM THE CONFERENCE HANDBOOK.

Or from the Conference Website. Or from the Corporate Bio the speaker submitted.

That is NOT what a good MC ... one who is truly invested in making your event shine ... does.

You pay for an MC to bring something to the event that isn’t already there. Delegates are fully capable of reading the speaker bios on the conference website.

So, avoid those people who call themselves an ‘MC’ but are little more than an “I’LL TALK ABOUT MYSELF A BIT” then I’ll READ THE SPEAKERS BIO FROM THE CONFERENCE WEBSITE” kind of person.

Unique speaker introductions are the minimum they should provide. Delegates quickly recognise when the MC is reading from the Conference Handbook and, as you'd expect, they don't react well to such condescending behaviour.

Your MC should talk up to your audience, not down.

3. DON’T GET AN MC WHO HAS A LONG LIST OF RIDERS OR CONDITIONS

 … or who insists on business class travel from Sydney-Melbourne or who won’t attend the parts of the conference they aren’t MCing unless they are paid.

An MC who places too much importance on themselves before the event is not likely to be one that puts the conference, the delegates or the other speakers before themselves during the event.

You want an MC who is delighted that you chose them and who is thrilled to be part of your event. ALL parts of it.

That warmth will shine through on stage and reach the delegates.

4. DON’T JUDGE AN MC ON HOW THEY ‘PERFORM’ AT YOUR COMMITTEE MEETING

… or on your phone hook up. Being engaging in those settings involves very different skills to those required to MC in a conference room with hundreds of delegates.

Some of the greatest comedians, actors and musicians who have ever wowed audiences with their performances, were quiet and unassuming people off stage.

Much better to get a low-key person who shines on stage than the other way around.

5. DON’T CHOOSE SOMEONE RECOMMENDED BY A PERSON WHO IS INVOLVED IN THEIR BUSINESS NETWORKING GROUP.

Ahhh ... Business Networking Groups. The pyramid schemes of the networking industry.

Yes, I know I will upset some people by this point, but hear me out. What I'm about to say is not wrong.

I totally understand the desire to be part of a Business Networking Group (I looked into it at one stage). To have twenty to thirty (or however many) other people, cheerily recommending your services is absolutely fantastic ... for the seller.

But, from the purchaser's point of view, what's in it for you? A recommendation from someone who is going to be financially rewarded for saying nice things about the thing they're recommending, but framing it as a personal endorsement.

Is that even ethical? Chances are they’ve never seen that person MC a comparable event to the one you're planning. They've just met them at several of their chapter meetings.

Good corporate MC's don't get work that way. Their recommendations come from within the industry, by people who have actually used them.

You can be pretty sure that an MC who has to rely on business networking groups to get recommendations are lacking industry recommendations for a reason.

6. DON’T DESIGN A PROGRAM THAT GIVES THE MC NO TIME TO SHINE

For an MC to work really well, they need to develop a relationship with the delegates.

This takes time. For example, the first seven to ten minutes in the agenda should be set aside for the MC to introduce themselves, start to build the relationship and cover any housekeeping messages.

If your agenda is so tight they can’t spend a couple of minutes introducing (and then a couple more minutes thanking) each speaker, you won’t get good value from your MC, no matter who you choose.

So put some space into the agenda ... a few minutes here and there. It is essential to both the well-being of your delegates AND the effectiveness of whichever MC you choose.

CONCLUSION

So, hopefully that will help you in your quest to find the right MC for your event ... or at least to avoid some of the wrong ones!

As always, I am very interested in comments and additional observations that I can add to these lists.

Thanks for reading!

DARREN ISENBERG IS ONE OF AUSTRALIA'S BEST-LOVED MC'S AND SPEAKERS.

CHECK OUT HIS WEBSITE AT www.dipresents.com.au