How to Find the Right Keynote Speaker for Your Event
The duty of a keynote speaker is to create a mood that will bring people together at an event. Therefore, for you to find a good keynote speaker, you have to find someone who will give you the right mood and a strong stage presence.
Generally, there are four types of keynote speakers; motivational speakers, celebrities, sales experts and internal industry mavens. Motivational speakers, just like the name suggests, are speakers who talk to motivate and touch the emotions of the listeners. Celebrities are famous people who will speak mainly on the issues and experiences associated with the industry. Internal mavens are professional analysts and advisers who talk about current issues and future trends in their professional settings. Sales experts on the other hand are speakers who share their sales expertise with the audience.
So, out of the four, how do you decide which one is right for you? Here are important questions that you must ask your potential keynote speaker. By asking these questions, you will easily know if you need to hire this keynote speaker or you simply need to let him go.
- How would you prepare to host our event?
Assuming that you need a sales expert to give the world a good presentation about your products and services, you need someone who will do what your competitors are doing. You need someone who is willing to take that extra step without losing the professional aspect of the whole presentation. Therefore, before hiring your potential presenter, let him convince you that he has what it takes to take your business to the next level.
- Can we get your references?
For one to be crowned as one of the best keynote speakers around, they must have hosted a few events. But because some people would do anything including lying for them to land a job, you must ensure that you get your speaker’s references. If need be, contact the references and find out from them how they feel about your speaker.
- Who is your typical audience?
Owing to the fact that there are four types of keynote speakers, every keynote speaker is unique and different. So you need to hire one depending on their area of expertise; you cannot hire a motivational keynote speaker to be your sales person even if you are awe-struck by their presence.
- For how long have you been doing this?
Like they say, the experience is the best teacher. When looking for someone who will give you the best results. Find someone with years of experience as a keynote speaker. And because public speaking takes skill and confidence in oneself, finding someone with experience is an assurance that they will not suffer from stage fright.
As a final point, one of the most important factors you MUST persistently remind yourself of during your selection process is how well the speaker is informed about what you do. A good speaker will ensure that their presentation sticks to your theme and that they have enough material (information) around it.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
