The success of events heavily relies on the quality of the speaker’s content and presentation they deliver. In short, events greatly rely on the speakers you hire. They are the face of the event and they’re called ‘keynote’ speakers for a reason. They have the ‘keys’ to setting the right ‘note’ for your event. Motivational speakers do more than just talk there up in the stage; audience members take information, insights, awareness, and inspiration from them. That, plus good ones are very interesting and highly entertaining manner as well.

The selection of the right speaker will nearly always lead to a successful event. But that’s the issue, isn’t it? You’ve first got to find a suitable and high-quality speaker. Choosing the right speaker (or speakers) is perhaps the most critical part of planning a conference event because speakers can make or break an event. If the speaker fails to deliver, your reputation as a planner or organizer goes down with him. Sadly, it could very well harm you more than the speaker.

On the other hand, when the speaker does exceptionally well, you will get all the compliments and adulations that you deserve for throwing such an amazing conference.

Ideally, you should have an event with the perfect blend of entertainment, information, and flair. Events should of course be functional, but entertaining enough to keep the attendees attention and foster a great environment. Now all you have to do is to set out on a journey to find the speaker that best suits your event. Here are some guidelines on how to do it.

1. Determine what the audience really needs versus what they want.

You are organizing an event for the audience and their development. They are the primary concern. While a happy audience can often be a reflection of a successful event, sometimes it takes a meeting planner with the guts to choose what the audience needs to hear over what the audience wants to hear. Ideally, you will combine the best of both world.

2. Focus on your program objectives

When attendance isn’t mandatory, the speakers are typically what make people want to attend your event. Even when attendance is mandatory, it’s the speakers who often end up the ‘talk’ of an event. In order to keep your audience happy and to deliver them what they came for, give them a speaker who matches the theme and purpose of your event. In order to do that, you obviously have to know what the purpose of your event is! You cannot find a speaker who will match your goals if you do not know what your goals are in the first place.

3. Check your potential speakers’ credentials and reputation

Speakers are a dime dozen; picking a quality speaker is where the work begins. It can be hard to choose from the sea of speakers and you surely don’t want to miss someone that might be great for your event. To effectively do this, you must look deeper and examine the experience your speakers will draw from while on the platform. You should know their special credentials and their expertise.

4. Get a preview

Movies have teasers and trailers. Why? So people can have a quick snapshot about what is really in store for them. Implement this analogy when choosing speakers and request a video or audio recording of a previous presentation. It will provide you with a clearer idea of what the speaker is all about.

5. Request your special needs

You need to make sure that speaker will cover the material you prefer. While a speaker will generally give a similar speech at each location they present, any professional will be able to tie in special events and initiatives into their program. You are well within your ground to ask if they can mention “this” or cover little about “that” if you ask in advance of the presentation. Asking the speaker to cover something on the day of the presentation isn’t kosher, except in cases of emergencies and massive news events.

Following these 5 tips will help you find the best possible motivational speaker for your next event!

Inspirational speakers are a different breed. They are great with words and they can certainly stir emotions and provoke thought. Speakers typically have a bit of a celebrity status and many are stars in the industries of their expertise.

The demand for inspirational speakers is growing each year in the majority of industries… and for good reason. A quality speaker can add a massive value to an organization in increased productivity, employee satisfaction, and overall happiness. Inspirational speakers are good for boosting morale, motivating people to achieve their best work possible. They’re also great catalysts for change. When you want your people to do great with their lives either personally or professionally, hire inspirational motivational speakers. It is worth the money.

However, finding a decent speaker is not only a challenge but can also be frustrating. The first issue is the price. Inspirational speakers do have eye-popping fees but not all though. New speakers are less expensive but can also be a bit of a risk as they’re unproven and their names aren’t much of an appeal to attendees. To find a great speaker for your event, you need more than just luck… you need to follow these suggestions so that you won’t throw away valuable money at a speaker who will only disappoint everyone.

These steps should be done so you won’t waste precious dollars booking the wrong speaker:

Inspirational Speaker Selection Tip #1. Sort Marketing Efforts From Speaking Quality

Professional speakers who have been in the industry for a while are there because they’ve made a living at it. This implies, however, that many speakers are out there who know how to market themselves even though they have poor presentation skills.

The best way to get around this ‘marketing effect’ is to watch their actual speech either in person or to watch a recording. Not only that, but you can also ask for recommendations; the speaking world is a small one and there are a limited number of speakers. With a bit of digging, you can easily find some feedback on the person you’re considering.

Inspirational Speaker Selection Tip #2. Discover Their Experience

You’ve got to consider not only their professional experience, but the speaker’s experience in front of crowds. Weighing both of these factors will will give you a concrete feeling for the best possible speaker who will appeal to the ‘thinkers’ in your audience as well as the ‘emotion-driven’ attendees.

A very important suggestion is to ask for the settings and environment that the speaker is most comfortable in while speaking. While this may feel like a lot of pandering to the speaker’s needs, they see more audiences than 99% of the population. They know what works and what doesn’t work. They can help you prepare the best possible event but helping you determine the best settings for your event.

Inspirational Speaker Selection Tip #3. Feedback, Samples, and Recommendations

Speakers will have spoken elsewhere. If you know someone who has been in an event where the speaker has presented, ask for feedback. If the feedback is positive and you can trust the advisor, that speaker is a strong candidate.

You can also ask for recommendations from other people. However, it is still best to ask for sample videos of presentations from applying speakers. It can really help you decide if the speaker is right for you.

Youth motivational speakers should be entertaining, informative, and, of course, inspiring. A speaker is the often the most essential element of teen conferences. No matter how good your facilities or how great your sound system and food offered, the event could fail if your speaker is not able to deliver. This is why choosing a youth speaker is BIG chore and a BIG responsibility. Fear not, however, as this article contains all the best tricks, tips, and techniques to reliably choose a great presenter.

Rather than going for the dangerous ‘trial and error’ method that so many meeting planners utilize when selecting teen speakers, here is an effective and proven method:

Youth Speaker Selection Tip #1: Ask for recommendations from trusted sources

The wonderful thing about student councils and CTSOs is that it’s a small world. That means that somebody has probably already hired the speaker you’re considering bringing in. If you have nobody in mind, you can get solid recommendations from people in similar positions as you from other states and organizations. So ask! Email, call, text… whatever you have to do to get in touch, do it! You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to network and grow your resource base by making a few quick connections by asking this question.

Youth Speaker Selection Tip #2: Know your event’s purpose

You wouldn’t bring in Pavarati to an auditorium full of metal heads, would you? Even though he’s a great musician, he’s not the right fit for the audience. The same principle applies for choosing a speaker; you’ve got to find the right match for your audience and what you want them to take from the event.

When you’re confident about who your audience is and what you want them to learn, you can use this as a ‘filter’ for the speakers who you’re considering. If they don’t match your purpose, they’re not right for your event!

Youth Speaker Selection Tip #3: Determine your budget and stick with it

The purpose of a speaker is not to stress you out about your finances. Yes, speakers can be expensive, and generally, the more you pay for a speaker, the better they are. However, you should set your budget before you start the research process. Consider the money already invested, and use this number to help you weed out the speakers who are too expensive for you.

Like cars, however, most speakers don’t ‘sell’ for their sticker price. Meaning, if they’re listed at $5,000 dollars, for example, they will likely be willing to negotiate for a lower price, so don’t count out your speakers until you’ve been in touch.

Youth Speaker Selection Tip #4: See their presentation

Seeing a speaker’s actual presentation is clearly the best way to see what they’re going to be like at your event. You can do this either by seeing them speak at another event or by watching a video of them.

To find their speaking schedule, look on their websites or contact them directly to see if they have any speeches near you anytime soon. Usually, this isn’t an option, however, so you’ll have to settle for a video. In this case, do everything you can to watch an UN-edited video of their speech. Anybody can take the best 10 second clips filmed across 20 events and make a hi-lights reel. In fact, poor speakers will usually hide behind these types of videos! This is why you should watch the whole speech.

Youth Speaker Selection Tip #5: Don’t let them annoy you!

Trust your gut. If there’s anything about a speaker’s promotional materials, marketing approach, presentation, or videos that bugs you… don’t hire them! It’s really that simple. Life is short and there’s no reason to put up with a speaker, or anybody for that matter, who makes your skin crawl. Find speakers who are fun, friendly, and easy to work with.

Using these techniques, you can easily find an amazing youth motivational speaker to present at your next event.