Every event has a specific theme and message for its guests. When you are planning a conference or event arranging for a keynote speaker is very common to help set the tone and inform people about what they can expect. You have to decide if you are looking for a funny motivational speaker, a more serious speaker or a pro in your industry to ensure your message is delivered more effectively. Here are a few tips to help you make the right decision.
Balance Between Entertainment and Message
You want to make sure that your speaker is entertaining but still gets the message across. The message must be meaningful, but not get lost on people. For many it is about finding a funny motivational speaker, whereas for other it is about hitting home with the audience with true life stories that will move them or inspire them. Industry leaders are often the choice for conferences whereas a motivational speaker is preferred for sales events and lifestyle seminars.
Choosing the Right Type of Speaker
The types of speakers that are the most common on the keynote speaker circuit include:
- Funny Motivational Speakers: The funny motivational speaker uses humor to engage the audience, bring people onside and persuade them to hear the relevant points they are making.
- Motivational Speakers: The Motivational Speaker is most common at sales meetings as well as seminars and events designed to improve lifestyles. They use personal stories to provide inspiration and offer uplifting messages to motivate people to change and improve.
- Celebrities: Celebrities use their name to offer legitimacy to an event while making people want to buy tickets to see them speak.
- Industry/Thought Leaders: Expertise in your industry is ideal if you wish to have a speaker talk to a specific topic. These speakers are not the most entertaining, but for learning and influencing, these speakers tend to be the best choice.
Your Ideal Candidate
In order to find the ideal speaker you have to decide what your main objective is at your event. You can then look at the various speakers and weigh the qualities they bring to the table. Look at someone who is engaging whether it is their sense of humor, ability to persuade and inspire or their own life experiences. See how these qualities work for your purposes. Watch videos to get a feel for their style and listen to their speeches to see if they seem able to customize their message to suit your needs.
