Keynote Speaker Needed? Contact Joel Garfinkle

A motivational keynote speaker is often the main focal point for your event or conference. Thus, to bring in the right keynote speaker, you need to do your homework before hiring one.

Here are four steps to take before you hire a motivational speaker. Take these steps to get the most out of your investment.

1. Start with the end in mind.

   If you’re in charge of a team tasked with hiring the speaker, get the group together to come up with ideas about what you need. Decide what theme you want your event to revolve around before you start looking for speakers. That way, you’ll have a better idea of what sort of keynote speaker you need.
   Then, hold a brainstorming session on challenges your employees are currently facing—and ask members of the target audience themselves for their input. When you ask them directly, you might uncover pressing issues that leaders had no idea about!Once you’ve pinpointed the issues you need to address, you can find a speaker with expertise in that area of focus. For example, if the team agrees that you need to develop better leaders, find a leadership training seminar speaker.

2. Know your budget.

   You need to understand what keynote speakers cost, the value they provide, and what you can afford. You don’t want to skimp on the fees that motivational speakers charge, but you most likely have to be within the event budget. Years down the line, your employees will still remember an effective keynote speaker who motivated them. Paying an extra few thousand dollars to cover a leading keynote speaker’s payment terms instead of shelling out money for a lackluster performance can start paying off immediately. You’ll end up getting a great ROI for your motivational speaker from the incredible morale and productivity boost that occurs.

3. Research the speaker’s track record.

   Watch videos of the speaker in action, looking at the level of engagement she inspires in the audience. Ask yourself how engaged you feel when watching the speech. Does it make you feel fired up to take on a new challenge—and does it also help you to create a clear plan of action? You need a speaker who does both.Also look at whether the speaker has published books and articles that establish his credibility. Reading books by the motivational speaker will give you a great sense of his level of expertise.

4. Ask the right questions.

   In your hunt for the perfect speaker, recognize that most professional keynote speakers need to be briefed by you or need certain information from you. This includes what you aim to get out of the event, the challenges your employees face, what your company goals are, what you expect from the motivational seminar, and more. Make sure you ask the right questions and carefully answer the questions you’re asked. Ask the speaker questions such as the following:

   • Have you spoken with audiences in this field, and at this career level?
   • Can you give me some examples of actionable tools and strategies you’ve left your audience with?
   • What follow-up support do you provide, and what fees are involved?

   This dialogue will help you decide which keynote speaker will be the best one for the job. As in a job interview, look for detailed answers that reference specific situations instead of vague, generic ones.

To summarize, first jot down the key challenges your employees face and come up with a central theme to focus your event on. Second, filter your list of potential speakers to those that fit your budget, and third, conduct interviews with potential speakers to find one who meets all of your keynote speaker needs.

Then, read these tips for giving the perfect keynote speaker introduction to get things off to a great start!

In my keynote speeches on topics such as “Executive Presence” and “The Power of Perception,” I always tailor the speech to the audience’s needs. If you’d like to discuss what I can do for your team, let’s talk.