Motivational Keynote Speakers Set The Tone For The Event

Motivational Keynote Speakers. Hire Thom Singer as your next motivational keynote speaker. www.ThomSinger.com

Make Your Event Amazing With A Motivational Keynote Speaker

Motivational keynote speakers are an important part of a successful company or association meeting. Finding the right type of speaker is the key if you want to make sure the whole event is memorable. Amazing events do not happen by accident. They occur when great meeting planners curate content presented by those who know how to engage an audience. 

There are many types of speakers covering an unlimited number of topics. When a meeting organizer is looking to fill their agenda with the right presenters, they must weigh out a lot of option.  It has been reported that there are over 30,000 people worldwide who are considered “speakers”.  With all these choices, it is clear not all motivational keynote speakers are the same. A speaker is not a commodity item.

What You Might Be Seeking

To begin: you have to think about what role the speaker will fill at your event. Will this be the keynote speaker, a break-out speaker, or the master of ceremonies / emcee? Not everyone can present in every situation. Finding the right people to take the stage is key to your success.

Motivational Keynote Speakers for your event may include one or more of the following:

Does Motivation Matter?

All professional speakers need to be “Motivational Speakers”. Too often some committee members who are planning an event get confused and think “motivation” means “fluffy” content.  But this is not true.

The best motivational keynote speakers have overcome adversity and share inspirational stories. Their presentations are not book reports, but instead the mix actionable content with real and raw information from their personal lives.

A world class motivational keynote speaker is always going to be an inspirational speaker. Those who may claim they are not seeking motivation or inspiration are hurting their event and the audience experience. The opposite of motivation is de-motivation, and that is never the goal of any meeting.

The top motivational speakers who work regularly delivering keynote speeches will not always be celebrity speakers.  There are many who make their living through their skills at motivational speaking that can “WOW” the conference participants. The cost of a politician, Hollywood personality, Olympic athlete, astronaut, or a New York Times bestseller author can be higher than the allotted budget for most conferences.

But not being able to afford a famous motivational speaker, and just using free resources is a big gap.  The investment in a great speaker is the best way to show audiences they are the priority for the planning committee. Groups that utilize free industry speakers in their motivational keynote speaker spot are not always providing the best experience. (There are always exceptions). 

How To Find A Motivational Keynote Speaker

Audiences deserve an awesome experience at conferences, trade shows, conventions, seminars, and other live events.  People spend money for registrations, travel, lodging, and invest time away from work and family to be present at events.  Superb speakers in every keynote, breakout, and panel discussion are mandatory for high return on investment.

Finding several motivational keynote speakers to choose from is key.  Get the right ones on your agenda to open and close your conference. These selections will be among the most important decisions you and your committee will make in regards to the success of the event.

Speakers Set The Tone For Live Events.  

While there is much talk about the importance of content (and yes, content is important), an inspiring speaker who is experienced and has the presentation skills to educate will make an impression that will last in the minds and hearts of the attendees.  When that same speaker can motivate people to take action, you have a winner. It takes effort to find a good short list of people to put on stage as your motivational keynote speaker.

Being Smart Is NOT Enough – Motivational Keynote Speakers Must Have Style

Just because someone is smart, or has done something cool — it does not mean they belong on stage.  Often when speakers are selected for having some level of “fame”, but without dedication to how they convey their story to the audience, they may fall flat.  Speaking is a learned skill and an art that needs to be practiced. The more times someone presents, the better they become at delivering presentations.

Being smart is a good thing, but not the only thing. Motivational keynote speakers must have developed their unique speaking style. People want to learn, but they also want to be drawn in and entertained. Entertainment does not mean magic or juggling. This is about the speaker having learned how to make their topic interesting. By the way –  all topics can be interesting. Even at highly technical events there are motivational keynote speakers who make people laugh and lean in to listen.

Selection By Committee Brings Compromise

Compromise is simply a mathematical equation to split the difference.  Those who are choosing speakers should not assume they are buying a commodity item.  No two speakers are the same, and the ones that are put on the agenda should clearly meet the goals of the conference.  Create a list of what you want from every speaker, and do not trade away the important factors to have peace on the planning committee.  Certain things are worth the emotional investment to fight, and speaker selection is top of that list. Pie vs. cake for dessert often gets more attention than who is asked to set the tone for the whole event. Hiring the right motivational keynote speakers can be the difference between a good meeting and a great meeting.

Ask Other Motivational Keynote Speakers for Referrals

One of the best way to find great speakers is to ask other speakers for recommendations.  While some are not clued into who else is out there, most professional speakers have colleagues in the business who you otherwise may not be able to identify.  Experienced speakers will not give suggestions without having vetted the other speakers ability to “wow” an audience, thus your inquiry will bring you amazing talent.  

Call A Speakers Bureau

Speakers bureaus exist to help you find the right speakers for your event.  These companies make their money from a percentage of the fee you pay the speaker, and thus there is not additional charge to your budget. A good bureau will uncover what your needs are and find you several options. They will also handle all the negotiations. Bureaus are excellent at vetting those who are committed to art and business of speaking, and they will not put an inexperienced speaker on your agenda.  To find a good speakers bureau ask your favorite professional speaker for introductions (they will happily connect you with a couple of bureaus!).  When it comes to finding motivational keynote speakers a bureau can be a great asset. 

Know How Often The Speaker Presents

A speaker who only speaks on occasion is not going to have the same skill level as someone who speaks 50 times a year.  While there is no magic number as to how many talks make a speaker great, there are warning signs to those who are not at the level you desire.  Some people are naturally great speakers, but for most their abilities are linked to experience. Those who are good will be invited to speak often.  Someone with over 300 professional level speeches will usually deliver a better experience for your audience than an expert who has given ten talks. Ask the speaker about the number of presentations they have given at events similar to yours (over a lifetime and in the past two years).  

Seek Stories

Content and information are important, but do not fall for the old line that “Content is King”.  Content alone is not king. It is widely reported that the human brain learns from stories. Go back 2000 years and man did not sit around the fire and pass out graphs, charts and excel spreadsheets.  Instead, the village elders told stories to educate the next generation. If you think that storytelling is not important for the speakers you put on stage, then you may be organizing a boring event. If the idea of “stories” make you think “fluffy”, you are missing the point.  I do not mean fairy-tales, but stories as examples that will anchor the content in the mind of the audience. Do not fall for the “content speaker” label, as that could be code for a long and drawn-out data dump.

Find Interactive and Engaging Speakers

No longer is a lecture enough to meet the needs of an audience. A sage on the stage who tosses out brilliance is yesterday’s news. But interactivity is not a formula of having three exercises where the participants talk to the person next to them or touch their neighbor’s elbow.  Interactivity and engagement are created through how the speaker communicates and sparks the whole experience for the audience. A speaker with a conversational style can weave engagement into a lecture while making people think and feel. Do not force speakers who are not experienced with engagement activities to do formulaic exercises.  Inquire how they engagement and what they consider “interactivity”, and if they are not sure, move on.

Communicate with the Speakers

Once you have selected speakers, spend time getting to know them personally and engage them to utilize their unique talents for a positive impact on the overall event.  A phone call at the time they are booked, and one a week or two in advance of the event is common, but when planners engage the speakers as part of the team, they will have better results.  Make sure the speaker knows all the goals of the meeting so they can assist. If you want them to attend happy hours or meals, discuss this up front. Often the expectation of additional participation is dropped on the speaker once they arrive at the conference.  Many speakers will happily engage with your attendees if you set that expectation in the beginning.

Schedule Follow Up Sessions After Keynotes

Motivational keynotes by their nature are not the same as workshops.  If you have a great keynote speaker, and want the audience to have a more intimate opportunity to learn from them, schedule them for additional breakout sessions in addition to their main stage talk.  Experienced speakers know that a great keynote is different from what makes an impactful workshop. Give them the chance to do both at your event. Some speakers will charge more for breakouts, others will add additional sessions as a bonus for the doing the keynote.  Talk to the speaker and / or speakers bureau about what you are seeking and negotiate a mutually beneficial solution.

Filling the agenda with speakers is more than populating names into the blanks.  The speaker’s content, style, personality, engagement, and dedication to your event have a direct impact on your success.  The more you communicate your goals before you hire speakers, the better chance you will have for amazing presentations by talented experts who are committed to helping you create an amazing conference attendee experience.

Never settle. Discover amazing motivational keynote speakers and create a memorable conference. Your audience deserves the best.

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Thom Singer is a motivational keynote speaker and master of ceremonies / emcee.  As a plenary speaker he will transform your conference.  As you create the speaker list for potential presenters, add Thom to the top of that list. He is committed to being a memorable keynote speaker that will help your audience take actions to help them reset. 

He is great at your opening keynote speaker or your closing keynote speaker.