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Barry Wishner, |
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Speakers Can't Afford to Give
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by Barry Wishner |
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| A professional speaker has specific responsibilities to the meeting
planner -- to know the group and the meeting's objective for starters. How would you like to have zero percent embarrassment and risk in hiring your next speaker? As a full time paid professional speaker and former vice president of National Speakers Association/Northern California, I have had the responsibility of selecting speakers for our meetings. As a speaker hiring other speakers the shoe was truly on the other foot. Today I have a greater appreciation for the work of meeting planners and the responsibility on their shoulders. Until now, published articles emphasized what the meeting planners were responsible for when hiring a speaker but never the responsibility of the speaker to the meeting planner! The speaker's responsibility does not end after they have been selected ... it is merely the starting point! The meeting planner should expect a confirmation letter and contract from the speaker to avoid any misunderstandings. When agreement with your speaker is strictly verbal, too much is left to chance. The written contract should clarify fees, expenses, hotel and air accommodations as well as the payment schedule. Also included should be the title of the speech along with date, time and location of the presentation. The meeting planner should also expect the speaker to inform you of his or her date of arrival and departure. A current photo, biography and program description, and terms for permission to tape the program should be sent at this time. A pre-program questionnaire should be conducted by your speaker to learn about your Organization and help ensure that the talk is specifically suited to the themes and objectives of your group. Your speaker should seek information in the following areas: 1. Your conference theme; 2. key issues to avoid; 3. expected number of attendees; 4. the percentage of males and females in attendance; 5. main objective of the meeting. Along with the pre-program questionnaire the speaker should request annual reports, job descriptions, product service brochures, industry/ association publications and newsletters to customize their presentation for your specific needs. It is critical that the meeting planner and speaker discuss audiovisual requirements. After this discussion and well before the date of the speech, all requirements such as type of microphone, screen size and room layout must be submitted to the meeting planner in writing so that they can be passed along to the person handling logistics. The speaker's introduction is critical to a good speech and your speaker should provide a prewritten introduction which should be read exactly as written. Allowing the introducer to ad-lib leaves the speaker open to almost anything. The introduction is meant to set the tone for the speech. Perhaps one of the greatest worries a meeting planner has is whether the speaker will be on time, or will show up at all. A courtesy call from the speaker to the meeting planner upon arrival will enable everyone a better night's sleep. The speaker should allow sufficient time to check out the room he will be speaking in for layout, audiovisual requirements, temperature, lighting, etc. Prior to the program the speaker should be available to shake hands, introduce himself or herself and establish a rapport with the audience. As meeting planner you have every right to expect your speaker to be a pro. This is not the time for practice nor is it a time to be reading notes. Your speaker should avoid the lengthy self introductions where they extol the virtues of the group and how glad they are to be there. You should expect your speaker to stay within the allotted time frame. If you have hired a speaker for a serious message -- that's what you should be getting, not fluff and whipped cream content. The last things the meeting planner wants the day of the speech are surprises. The speaker should deliver the speech the way it was promised and both the planner and speaker will be winners! When the program is completed the speaker should be available to answer questions. This is not the time to solicit referrals nor give the audience or meeting planner the feeling that you are mounting your horse to get out before the posse is formed. A speaker can make or break the success of your meeting. Teamwork between the meeting planner and the speaker can guarantee a 10 for your next meeting. |
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© 2008 Barry Wishner, All Rights Reserved