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How To Book The Right Speakers For Your Event

Know Your Audience

Depending on what a group hopes to accomplish during its event, a speaker should be able to educate, entertain and/or inspire, Blackman said.

Presentation style is important, too. Not every style is good for every group, Senek said. Some groups need someone who has a serious message; others may want a comedic message to loosen up the crowd.

There are content-driven speakers, business-related speakers and experts in certain fields. There are speakers who have some type of inspirational story: They’ve overcome great adversity, they’ve achieved something not thought possible, or they woke up one morning and had something miraculous happen to them, Senek said. And, of course, there are celebrity speakers.

Planners need to keep their audience in mind and not “let their ego overcome their better judgment,” Garrett said.

“They want to hire celebrities, and not all celebrities can speak or will fit for their meeting,” Garrett said. She added, “My favorite speaker is the speaker who will fit the bill for my client. If you have the right person, you will have audiences ready to sign up to come back next year.”

 

Know Your Speaker

“I encourage my clients to always talk to speakers over the phone, if you can’t meet them in person, and if you can’t hear their passion, then hang up,” Garrett said.

Planners should do their due diligence, Blackman said; they should spend time interviewing and researching speakers to make sure the chemistry is right, the speaker is qualified and the message is compatible. Planners should also ask for referrals, check references and rely on fellow industry professionals for recommendations, he said.

Another option is to ask speakers to recommend other speakers, said Blackman, who was inducted into the National Speaker Association’s Speaker Hall of Fame in 2008. When Blackman knows he wouldn’t be a good fit, he recommends others in his network “who can deliver a message that’s compatible,” he said.

 

Know How to Negotiate

Any negotiation with a speaker must be a win-win for everyone.

“A negotiation has to best serve both parties,” Blackman said. “You can just say, ‘We want you to do it for half your fee.’ When people make an investment, they have a greater appreciation for the contribution that speaker brings to the overall meeting.”

Bartering is a big piece of negotiations, both Blackman and Garrett said. Maybe an organization offers to feature a speaker in its monthly magazine for a year or run a full-page ad promoting a speaker’s book or CD. Blackman once had a client who offered to pay him in full in advance, and Blackman, in turn, provided a 5 percent courtesy discount.

Garrett also suggested offering trades, such as a list of attendee names and email addresses, a staffed booth selling the speaker’s book and CDs, a reception where the speaker can network with executives, a video recording of the speaker’s presentation, a resort getaway or spa package — the list is endless.

“I will barter as much as I can — I want a win-win on both sides — but my speakers always have first right of refusal,” Garrett said. “The clients have to remember they have to give up something of value and help me make up the difference.”