ReeHart – Blogging from the Heart

Posts Tagged ‘speakers’

A Keynote speaker will be in great demand for events ranging from medical conferences to university graduations. Most people search on the internet for the best ones, then check out recommendations from previous employers. A good speaker needs to know exactly what is the topic of the function and does the promoter want entertainment, motivation, inspiration or a combination of all of the above. There is a lot of preparation that needs to be done in advance and here are some hints that should be helpful.

Keynote speakers need to first know about the audience. If the speaker knows some details of the audience, he can relate to them easily. He must talk on their level, so he must prepare carefully according to their skills and knowledge of the related topic being discussed.

Each speaker has some distinct aspects and style that make him unique. But there are still some fundamental rules that any good speaker follows. One must remember that all the knowledge and preparation will be of no use if one can not present it well. Some basic presentation fundamentals are listed below.

Studies have shown that students attention span is about 15 minutes, after that their concentration levels drop considerably. So take the hint, make it short an sweet. A speaker does not have to preach a sermon or try to give a lot of advice.

Use some visual aids like slides, pictures or power point to reinforce your points. These props should be colorful and have large print so everyone can read them easily.

Like a salesman, your opening pitch is the most important. If one does not get the participants attention from step one, then all is lost. The speaker is just wasting his breath. So open with some fascinating question that gets everyone thinking and move on from there.

A good speaker carefully observes his audience. He looks around the whole crowd to make eye contact with everyone. This is also important because the speaker can immediately know if he is being understood, and what the audience is thinking at all times.

Trying to interact with your audience is important. It makes them feel like they are a part of the activity. One can even ask some questions that creates discussion to keep it more interesting. Many speakers allow questions after the speech too.

A good speaker will always speak slowly, and sometimes use pauses to make a point. A few gestures are good if they are used at appropriate times. One must be poised, confident and relaxed. The audience will be more receptive in this kind of presentation.

The best speeches usually end with a thought provoking question that one thinks about for days after the speech. So give in some thought and even test it out on some of your colleagues. Many speakers prepare their speech by first making the opening and closing statements and then fill in the rest.

Most keynote speakers have studied and listened to many other speeches in the past. They hope to create that motivational and moving atmosphere that will leave the audience talking about it as they walk out of the hall. And maybe even that some of their ideas may influence the future.

Using productive work time to pull staff from their every day activities is difficult, particularly when times have been as tough as they are.However, successful senior managers know that it can be quite beneficial to fostering a powerful business commitment among their employees when they take the time to do it.  They are providing a brief intermission from the hectic day to day for their employees by providing speech presentations on a wide array of topics related and unrelated to their job.

Many speakers are available to provide presentations that will inspire and encourage your employees to think creatively and foster innovative business ideas.  It is not critical to find a speaker that will talk directly about your line of work.It is not all important to find a speaker that focuses in your company’s discipline.Your staff will be challenged to think in new and creative ways which can often result in a positive increase to the bottom line. 

Here is a checklist of things to discuss with a potential speaker:

1.         General Facts. 

Communicate the exact date, time, and location up front when talking with potential speakers.  In addition, make sure to communicate from the start how long you would like the presentation to be.While it may seem overkill to mention this, there have been plenty of instances where a manager has promoted an event only to discover a mix up with the speaker on the date or time needed for the presentation. 

  It will also help if you can give the speaker an estimate of attendees and details about the group they will be talking to.With this information, they are able to mold their speech to suit the audience, which gives a much more enjoyable event. 

2.Publicity Buzz.

Ask the speaker for a summary of their presentation in advance so that you can start building excitement among your employees.Flyers, enticing emails describing the event and other promotion all works well.  Make it fun to attend by offering snacks. Make sure to emphasize the presentation as a perk rather than a requirement. 

3.         Compensation. 

If you have a budget available to pay a speaker you will be working with a larger selection.Speakers typically charge a set rate for in area and out of area speeches.If travel is required, a speaker may also require travel expense, and longer presentations may involve an extra fee. 

Don’t worry if cost is a factor.  Speaking rates vary greatly and are typically negotiable if you are able to provide other forms of compensation.For many, the objective is less about the speaking income and more about gaining possible customers. 

Two typical forms of payment on a low budget are promoting the speaker’s products to the audience, or, even better, buying a copy of their book or product for each attendee. 

There are other ways to compensate a speaker on a low budget.  Open the event up to others in your industry or building to make a larger group.  Provide the speaker a list of all attendees with contact information and allow them to follow up individually.Many speakers are grateful to receive a great testimonial and entre to similar groups that you know through your personal referral. 

It takes some effort and time to set up a speaker session your employees will enjoy and get value from, but it is a great way to build positive energy and increase commitment among your staff.It is all important to always stress the benefit of the experience on the employee, and that you as their manager are committed to their growth as a person.The effect on the company’s profitability will be your reward.     

Marty Dickinson moved beyond his techno-fear of the Internet more than 14 years ago and has since launched more than 100 of his own websites while helping more than 300 clients to use the Internet to grow their businesses. Internet Marketing Speaker, business owner, and co-author of “Web Marketing All-in-One for Dummies” (Wiley 2009), he enjoys inspiring other techno-phobic business owners, authors and speakers to move beyond their fear of the Internet to embrace its full potential.