SEAL Inc.
847.394.9857
Innovative meetings occur where there is a good match between speakers, topic, your requirements/needs, desired outcome and the setting with a twist of the right chemistry.
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The best speakers create in audiences the desire to change, the confidence to act, and the knowledge or tools to succeed. Speakers can impact people’s:
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路聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Attitudes (how they feel)
路聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Knowledge (what they know)
路聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Actions (what they can or will do)
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Before even previewing or considering a single speaker, be clear on your objectives for hiring a speaker. “Because we always have a keynote speaker.” is not a good reason to hire a speaker again this year.
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Clarify why you want to hire a speaker. Select speakers who will deliver the outcomes you want/need. Some common objectives include the desire to:
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路聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Entertain (change how they feel)
路聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Motivate (change how they feel)
路聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Promote a cause or organization (change how they feel and what they know)
路聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Educate (change what they know; perhaps what they do)
路聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Shift behavior (change what they do)
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Many other sources (including speaker bureaus) offer checklists that cover logistics, legal issues and also content. This checklist is intended to help you hire a speaker who is the best match with your meeting. This checklist of 20 questions will help you create an innovative meeting.
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Checklist for Innovative Meetings
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1.聽聽聽聽聽聽 What size of a group do you work with?
2.聽聽聽聽聽聽 What level of people do you work with?
3.聽聽聽聽聽聽 Are we an attractive audience for you? Why? Most top speakers don’t accept every engagement even if they are available. They select audiences with whom they have the greatest chance of success.
4.聽聽聽聽聽聽 How would you characterize your 鈥渟tyle鈥 of speaking?
5.聽聽聽聽聽聽 What is your focus? Are you more of a 鈥渟pecial event鈥 speaker? Do you focus on keynotes? Do you offer ongoing, long-term training as well? Most speakers operate a three-pronged business: Keynoting, workshops and consulting.
6.聽聽聽聽聽聽 Do you specialize by topic or industry?
7.聽聽聽聽聽聽 How long is your 鈥渢ypical鈥 program?
8.聽聽聽聽聽聽 How do we make sure your program works?
9.聽聽聽聽聽聽 What will you do to make your message relevant to our group?
10.聽聽聽 How will you create an empathetic connection with the audience?
11.聽聽聽 How will you create involvement and interactivity? Professional speaker Patricia Gardner says “People don’t want to listen to a lecturer.” That requires speakers to use techniques and tactics that involve the audience.
12.聽聽聽 What will you do to finish on time?
13.聽聽聽 How can you help us promote this meeting?
14.聽聽聽 What else do we get when hiring you? Some options include:
路聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Deliver one or two “breakout sessions” or a spouse program
路聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Introduce other speakers
路聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Emcee the event that they are part of
路聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Host a book signing
路聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Meet and greet at a reception
路聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Coach other internal speakers either in advance or on-site
路聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Moderate a panel
路聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Sign autographs
路聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Appear in the sponsor’s booth to increase the value of their sponsorship
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15.聽聽聽 What are the pros and cons of having you speak to our organization more than once?
16.聽聽聽 Will you customize your program for our organization? Content, titles, introductions, props and visuals are areas that can be customized? For example, your organization’s name, logo, and meeting theme can be incorporated in the handout.
17.聽聽聽 What type of pre-program research do you conduct?
18.聽聽聽 Do you provide handout masters and/or finished handouts? Who pays for the handouts?
19.聽聽聽 How do you accommodate hearing and sight impaired audience members (i.e., Handouts in Braille, audio tapes, etc.)?
20.聽聽聽 Will you be accessible to all attendees before and after the event?
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Ultimately when narrowing down your selection, ask yourself these questions to help guide your decision:
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1.聽聽聽聽聽聽 Have I considered a widely-diversified group of potential speakers? Does the pool of speakers address the type of diversity in my audience?
2.聽聽聽聽聽聽 Do I have a match between Content (topic), Style (delivery), and the Call to Action (outcomes)?
3.聽聽聽聽聽聽 Is the speaker entertaining as well as informative?
4.聽聽聽聽聽聽 How does our location/site influence our selection of a speaker and that speaker鈥檚 success? How will a rugged, individualist speaker play in a tony, urban 4-star property? Can I use our site to help build a theme or thread running throughout the meeting?
Does the speaker have verifiable references that increase my comfort?
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These questions will help you get a great match between your speakers, topic, requirements/needs, desired outcome and the setting while maximizing that all important twist of chemistry.