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21
Jun

Avoid the Duds: 10 Strategies for Selecting “The Perfect Speaker”

Posted by Susan Friedmann (0) Comment

Susan Friedmann
Today, more than ever, the success of meetings relies heavily on the strength of program content and presentation. Nothing can spoil a meeting more than hiring the wrong speaker. That’s because speakers do more than just convey the overall meeting message. You look to them to provide insights, awareness, and cutting-edge information in an energetic, motivational, entertaining, and professional manner. What more could you ask for? Well, the right speaker can emphasize an important message, offer inspiration, help people cope with new assignments, and lead the way towards change.

Selecting the right speaker for your event is one of the most important, yet daunting elements for creating a successful meeting. Your speaker can often make or break the event. If he bombs, your reputation not only takes a severe nose-dive, but you also have the pleasure of dealing with the barrage of complaints from a disappointed audience. Yet, if he does well, you can walk away with many of the accolades, compliments, and of course, the rave reviews. By now, you probably realize that this massive responsibility is not to be taken lightly.
Raise Your Expectations

The skill to selecting a great speaker is determining what combination of education, motivation, and entertainment best fits your function. Then set out to find a perfect match. But keep your expectations high, since nothing can spoil a meeting faster than booking the wrong speaker. The following 10 guidelines should help you keep your focus and also keep you away from the “duds.”

1. Know the program objectives. Before you can start looking for the right speaker, you must know the program objectives. Begin with the end in mind. What are you looking to achieve? Is this an annual meeting, a training program, an incentive get-together, an awards celebration, or another type of event? This will probably be a committee or management decision, rather than one you will have to make. But you may have to make an intangible concept tangible.
2. Understand the audience’s needs. Along with the program objectives, consider the needs of your audience. Does your group need industry-specific or technical information? Will a mix of motivation and entertainment serve your group’s purpose? Today’s audiences are generally younger, more educated, more diverse, and more sophisticated than in the past. They want content. They want to learn, but they also want it to be fun, so consider the audience needs and exactly what they expect. Consider surveying your audience. Ask them what they want or what skills would most help them in their jobs. For example, sales people may ask for advanced selling skills, but managers may request teambuilding programs.
3. Check for reputation. With countless speakers out there vying for your business, how can you possibly determine which one best meets your needs? Many speakers produce highly professional or glitzy marketing materials to help sell their services. You must look deeper than simply scanning a few brochures and ask pointed questions to find the right fit, such as What experience does this speaker have? How familiar is this speaker with this industry? and, Who else has used this person?
4. “Test drive” your prospects. If you don’t have the opportunity to preview a speaker in person, then the next best thing is to request a video or audio recording of a previous presentation. A session that was recorded before a live audience gives you a better sense of a person’s real ability.
Watch or listen carefully to how the speaker builds rapport and interacts with the audience. Ask yourself if this person would be right for your group. Is the combination of education, motivation, and entertainment appropriate for your needs? Does the speaker have a message that is appropriate, timely, and relevant to the theme or purpose of your event? Does it conform to your company’s philosophy and policy? Do you feel the speaker is genuine and has the expertise to deliver a solid presentation?
5. Don’t be star-struck. If you are considering celebrity speakers, make sure they can speak! TV personalities do a great job on the air, but sometimes have little public speaking expertise, and you should be aware that the skills needed for being on TV and for speaking live are very different. However, many well-known personalities make excellent speakers and can add enormous value and clout to your event. Politicians and sports, media, or entertainment celebrities often share life experiences, offer advice, or have an inspirational message to impart.
6. Be wary of grandiose claims. Speakers who claim to be all things to all people are probably desperate for work. Avoid them. True professional speakers, on the other hand, usually have certain areas or topics of expertise. They would much rather refer potential business to a true expert than jeopardize their reputation by trying to do a program outside of their knowledge zone. Also, beware of the charismatic and fluffy speaker as your audience wants good, solid take-away value.
7. Provide and ask for good information. Reputable speakers want to find out as much as possible about the meeting objectives, the audience, industry challenges, and so on in order to tailor their presentation to the group. Share information on your organization and audience to help the speaker design a program to fit your specific needs. provide them with newsletters, catalogs, or any other publications that highlight industry trends, key people, industry jargon or buzz words, and insider news and views.

Also include as much information as possible about the size and demographics of the audience such as age, gender, and positions.
8. Ask for an outline. Ask prospective speakers for an outline of the presentation to make sure they will be covering the material as you discussed. This will clearly lay out what’s expected as verbal communication is subject to being misunderstood or misinterpreted. Seeing exactly what speakers plan to cover in the sessions should help to ensure that the material is tailored to your specific needs.
9. Maximize opportunities. Look for ways to maximize opportunities with your speakers. Discuss different ways they can add extra value and be a significant resource to help improve your meeting’s success. Brainstorm ways that you feel they can assist you in planning, preparing, promoting, and presenting. Some suggestions include serving as an emcee, conducting special sessions or roundtable discussions about current issues for select groups such as company executives or the board of directors, and participating in a spouse program.
10. Trust your instincts. Through your communication with the speaker, you will quickly form an opinion or have a feeling about this person. First reactions count here. “I like this person” or “I don’t like this person,” or “I feel comfortable or uncomfortable working with this person,” are strong indicators. These responses usually comes from your gut — a very trustworthy organ. Have confidence in your instincts and trust that so-called sixth sense. If you experience any kind of negative feeling, think about looking for someone else or get another opinion from a colleague. You want to make sure that you can work with this person and that both of you are on the same wavelength.

The true objective of hiring a professional speaker hinges on establishing a partnership where a mutually beneficial relationship grows and flourishes. When this happens, you know you’ve chosen well.
The Perfect Match

Overwhelmed with the plethora of speakers to choose from? You may want to turn to a speaker’s bureau for advice and guidance. A good bureau should act as a consultant and partner to help your event succeed. Even though many hundreds of bureaus are out there, the numbers pale in comparison to the thousands of speakers. A bureau’s sole purpose is simply to make your job easier and provide you with solutions. They want to find the best possible match for your event within your price range. So, where do go looking for one of these bureaus? Here are a few places to start your search: the phone book, chambers of commerce, convention and visitors bureaus, the Internet, industry colleagues, and friends.
A Final Note:

Look for CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) or CPAE (Council of Peers Award for Excellence) designations. Both these are conferred by the National Speakers Association and are considered the speaking profession’s international measure of professional platform skill (http://www.nsaspeaker.org).
Armed with these guidelines and resources, your search for the perfect speaker will be more fruitful. And with a little effort and some time, you will connect with a speaker who will fulfill your goals— one that will be both inform and enlighten. Your audience will thank you.
Written by Susan A. Friedmann,CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, author: “Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies,” working with companies to improve their meeting and event success through coaching, consulting and training.  Go to http://www.thetradeshowcoach.com to sign up for a free copy of ExhibitSmart Tips of the Week.
Category : Presenting | Speakers | Blog
15
Aug

Sales Presentations

Posted by Mandy Chagger (0) Comment

Mandy Chagger

When it comes to sales presentations, a company will want to make an excellent impression. Corporate hospitality is of the utmost importance when it comes to sales presentations. In fact, excellent corporate hospitality is vital for all kinds of hosted events, whether the events are sales presentations or the company is hosting annual general meetings, awards ceremonies, conferences, conventions, exhibitions, meetings, PR events, product launches, seminars, team building events, and training courses for employees.

The image a corporation has and the impression the corporation makes are directly reflected in how an event is presented. An event and its rate of successfulness are determined by the selection of venue, the entertainment provided (if any), the menu selection, and the schedule of events. When it comes to corporate hospitality and sales presentations, there is much to consider: a corporation depends on sales presentations to run smoothly in order to secure future sales, as well as to secure the attendance at future sales presentations. To secure the latter mentioned issues, the corporation must arrange and execute a well-planned event.

A corporation wants to convey that they are a caring organisation and that they are a insightful organisation: such an image is defined by corporate hospitality and it will cause those in attendance at a sales presentation to have more confidence in whatever product or service is being presented. In order to present a caring and insightful, professional image, the corporation will have to be prepared to address every possibility during the process of planning the sales presentation – if a single detail is overlooked it can cause the sales presentation to fail in terms of success. Rather than worry whether or not every aspect of the sales presentation is covered, a corporation often wisely chooses to take on a qualified professional to plan, arrange, and execute sales presentations.

Many corporations decide to leave their sales presentation planning to a qualified, capable event organiser and planner: one that understands the importance of corporate hospitality. Every hosted event must be managed to the very last detail and rather than being burdened with the chore of planning an event, corporations allow an knowledgable organiser to prepare annual general meetings, awards ceremonies, conferences, conventions, exhibitions, meetings, PR events, product launches, sales presentations, seminars, team building events, and training courses because the event organiser will always keep the corporate image in mind.

Event planners and organisers understand that the selection of the appropriate venue for sales presentations must be absolutely flawless. Not only does the location of the venue have to be convenient for all that attend the event, but also, the general services offered by the venue must be superlative. The venue of choice leaves an enduring and lasting impression on those that attend the sales presentation and are a direct reflection of the corporation’s hospitality. Those that attend sales presentations will remember the atmosphere of the chosen venue, the services offered at the location, and will immediately associate their memories with the sales presentations and the products/services under assessment.

Since the selection of venue is so critical to a successful event, corporations often depend on an event organiser: event organisers are familiar with various venues, services and fees and can help a corporation secure the best location for any event. An organiser and event planner will assist in choosing a venue where the reception staff is friendly and amiable, where there is plenty of parking for those hosting the event and those that attend, and will ensure that the venue chosen offers the most comfortable atmosphere for a sales presentation.

A single overlooked detail can destroy the success of sales presentations – an event organiser can prevent disaster from happening by managing every detail of sales presentations from beginning to end. Event organisers will take into consideration the types of menus offered at a venue, the accessibility of the venue, the security of the venue, and will also ensure that no problems arise during the sales presentation. Event organisers also investigate the technical aspects of a venue to make sure that there are no issues with equipment set up and use during a sales presentation – a review of technical data sheets allows for the event organiser to examine how many electrical outlets are available and whether or not moving equipment in and out of the location will be difficult.

Event organisers make sales presentations successful by providing invited guests with detailed maps that give the individuals clear, concise directions to the venue. Event organisers also take into consideration different forms of transportation and provide guests with information pertaining to public transportation. In addition, professional event organisers will carefully review the menu offered at a venue: the planner will make certain that the portions of a meal are reasonable and special menus are available for those with particular dietary needs. No detail is left untended to by a professional event organiser.

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Category : Presenting | Blog
2
Jan

Business Presentations with a Punch

Posted by Chris Robinson (0) Comment

By Chris Robertson

Even the hardest-hitting corporate executives sometimes need to punch up their presentation skills. Nick Paulus, an executive and business coach who offers online articles on effective business presentations, recently recounted his observations during an event sponsored by a highly esteemed investment bank. According to Paulus, “Although it was a big event, it was still lacking some of the basics.”

At the event, Paulus found four mistakes that are all too common in today’s business presentations:

1. The presenter - who was the company CEO - stood behind a conference lectern. While this traditional approach provides the speaker with a certain image and level of comfort, a conference lectern places a barrier between the speaker and his audience. It’s much more effective - particularly when using PowerPoint presentations - to have a headset microphone or a wireless lapel microphone, and engage your audience by utilizing the entire area of the stage.

2. Adorning the wall behind the CEO was a giant banner trumpeting the name and logo of the investment bank. If the event were being covered by the media, you’d want the company’s name and logo broadcast and photographed. In the absence of media coverage, though, such banners are so common that they lose all effectiveness. The guests know where they are, and the space behind the speaker can be used for a more creative purpose.

3. The screen was huge, but the projector was poor. If you are using a large screen for your business presentation, the projector must be up to the job. Using a 2000-lumen projector in daylight conditions and at a distance that commands 3000 or 4000 lumens takes the punch out of a business presentation and reflects poorly on the presenter.

4. The slide quality would be considered acceptable for a junior communication team, but was unacceptable for the international audience in attendance. Two-dimensional, poorly contrasted graphs, small text that is difficult to read, and limited graphical creativity can spell doom for even the most compelling information. If you want to deliver substantive materially professionally, use graphics and animate your PowerPoint presentations.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Visit this business presentations website and Majon’s Business and Entrepreneurs directory.

Article Source: Ezine Articles

Category : Presenting | Blog