How to Hire the Right Speaker For an Event

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that hiring any speaker for your event will do. This is the person who will have a big impact on the overall success of your event.

You need to hire someone who brings the right dynamic and experience, someone who will captivate your specific audience. This is how you’re going to do just that!

Who would the right speaker be?

We’ll take a look at how to hire the right speaker in a second, but let’s first consider some non-negotiables that the right speaker should have. These are some characteristics of a speaker you should look for:

Strong Communication Skills: They should be able to explain ideas clearly and confidently
Engaging Storytelling Ability: Stories make messages stick. The best speakers know how to weave stories into their speeches, making them impactful and supporting the overall message
Authenticity and Credibility: A genuine and trustworthy speaker earns the audience’s respect
Adaptability to Audience Needs: Each crowd is unique. A great speaker adjusts their style to fit
Professionalism and Reliability: Professionalism is key, from arriving on time to handling tech issues

How to hire the right speaker for an event

So, when it comes down to hiring the right speaker for your event, there are a few considerations that you could make to help you find the right candidate. These are some tips that you can use to help you choose the right speaker for your event:

1. Understand the goals of your event

The best way to hire the right speaker for your event is to nail down the objectives first. You need to clearly understand what you want the event to accomplish. In essence, you must start planning with the end picture in mind. Think about the message you want to convey to your guests and what kind of speaker would best drive that message home.

With any event, the goal is to leave a long-lasting impression on your guests. Whether you’re celebrating the launch of a new product, trying to educate people about a movement or cause, or hosting a fundraising event, you want people to have a positive experience that will stay in their memory. So, to achieve this, you would need to outline the event’s key objectives and then use those as a guide or a checklist for the right speaker.

2. Look for a variety of speakers

There are a lot of speakers out there, each with unique characteristics and skills. The best way to find the right speaker is to diversify. Don’t only ask one speaker, but look for multiple speakers that match your theme and objectives, and see if they are available for your event date. This way, you can lock in various speakers if you need, or if you need one speaker, you at least have options for a backup in case some of the speakers you invite aren’t available for those dates.

3. Do they match the theme of your event

This is an essential step for finding the right speakers. Do they match the theme of your event? Consider whether the speakers match your themes event based on their experience, knowledge, and personality. For example, if you’re hosting a trade-type event, you want your speakers to be fun and engaging, luring the crowd in with their enthusiasm. So, again, consider the type of event you’re hosting and what kind of speakers would best suit it.

4. Try to book early

Locking in a speaker is one of the first things you want to do for your event, especially if the speaker will be the main attraction for that evening. Many events run in Australia every year, and if you want to land a good speaker, you need to snatch them up early and secure them for your event. So, don’t leave hiring a speaker to the last minute.

5. Have all the key details ready

When you reach out to potential speakers, you need to have all the relevant information on hand already. This includes your expected audience, the objectives of the event, the role you expect the speaker to play, how long the event will be, and any additional notes for the speaker so they can decide whether or not to attend.

6. Be realistic about your budget

Budgeting for a speaker is a vital part of getting the right speaker. Speaker fees generally vary based on their expertise, with higher-quality speakers usually charging a larger fee than others. So, when it comes to trying to find a speaker, you need to consider what your budget can offer, and if your event needs a higher-quality speaker to attend, then maybe consider working the budget around to cope with their fees if there’s some wiggle room in the budget.

Remember that you can also negotiate fees with some speakers, so you don’t just have to accept their standard fee. But also respect their time and expertise and avoid trying to lowball them.

Hire the right speaker here

While these tips can help you secure the right speaker for your event by yourself, sometimes it’s just easier to go through someone who already knows who’ll be right for the job. If you need some assistance matching with the right person for the job, here’s a helpful page from Token, where you can find and hire a guest speaker. Token has worked with some of the best speakers in Australia, and they can get you in touch with the right talent to truly make your event a success.

Final thoughts

When hiring a guest speaker for your event, the goal is always to try to find someone who will inspire, motivate, and essentially make your event a success with how they talk and what they talk about. Use the steps above to lock in the right speaker for your event, and you’ll find the right speaker in no time.