It takes plenty of planning to stage a successful, memorable corporate event. As anyone who has taken part in that process knows, one of the core elements of an excellent result is having a competent, relevant keynote speaker. What can an excellent keynote presenter offer?
Consider the following tips as you prepare to search for the most suitable keynote speaker for your company’s event.
1. Know Your Audience
If you know the needs and preferences of your potential audience, it’s much easier to find the right speaker. There’s no substitute for doing research about who the audience will be. Everything should be based on their expectations, needs, and preferences. Even an otherwise top-notch keynote speaker will fall flat if the audience’s needs are not in line with the speaker’s expertise, specialties, and strong points.
2. Set Goals
Along with understanding the audience, it’s essential to set a few specific goals for the event before choosing a speaker. That means deciding whether the aim of the event is to inform, entertain, train, enlighten, or otherwise educate the attendees. Of course, it’s possible to do more than one thing, but be sure to commit to at least one goal for the event in order to find a pertinent keynote speaker.
3. Evaluate the Backgrounds of Multiple Speakers
Conduct research to find out what various speakers can provide in terms of expertise and background. View the speakers as potential employees, which means doing the right kinds of background checks and verification calls to make sure their resumes and claims are authentic. At a minimum, verify academic degrees, years of claimed experience, previous customer testimonials, and lists of big-name corporate clients.
4. Select Someone Who Fits Your Organization’s Culture and Long-Term Goals
Finding the right match is the easiest part of the process, but it’s a necessary one. Match speakers’ views and past presentations with your organization’s culture, long-term goals, and market position.
5. Know What You Can Afford
There’s no point in going over budget to acquire the services of a worthwhile keynote presenter. Resist the urge to go over budget to snag a keynote speaker. The market is wide enough that staying within financial means is entirely possible. Be sure to factor in the total costs including travel fees for the speaker.
6. Interview a Short List of Candidates
Finding the right keynote speaker for any kind of corporate event is a challenging task. However, it’s one that can make or break the event. When you begin by understanding the audience and setting specific goals, you’re already on the way to an excellent outcome. Ask each candidate how they intend to offer a unique presentation for the event and engage in casual conversation to get a feel for their manner of talking and the kind of first impression they make.
What The Top Keynote Speakers Are Doing To Stand Out(Opens in a new browser tab)
Remember to size up speakers and make sure the one you select suits the company’s goals. Finally, stay within budget and make time to meet candidates either in person or virtually to get a feel for their personalities and speaking abilities.
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