Hiring an Arkansas Professional Speaker

Many considerations go into hiring an Arkansas professional speaker, and event planners are burdened with the responsibility of finding the “perfect” match for their company’s event.

Here are some tips to help find the best Arkansas professional speaker for your next event:

Does the Arkansas professional speaker you’re considering belong to any professional associations?

In the United States, members of the National Speakers Association (http://www.nsaspeaker.org/) must meet specific criteria in order to qualify for professional member status. If your potential speaker is not a pro-level member of the NSA, be sure to carefully check his or her credentials as far as experience, performance, etc.

Will the Arkansas professional speaker be relevant to your audience?

There is more than one type of Arkansas professional speaker. Some are pure entertainers, some speak just for one industry, some are more inspirational and tell a lot of great stories but offer little take-away value, and others deliver “content” presentations, which means while they are both entertaining and inspiring, they present actionable items that audience members can use immediately.

Does the Arkansas professional speaker you plan to hire have any special requirements?

Direct communication with the speaker before an event is vital to the success of your workshop, banquet or conference. Arrange logistical matters, such as travel and lodging, far in advance so that neither you nor your speaker will incur unnecessary last-minute stress. Let the speaker know how many attendees you anticipate, the size and layout of the room, whether there will be a stage or podium or a floor-level lectern.

Other things to ask your Arkansas professional speaker about are whether or not he or she will need Internet access, a projector or other audio/visual equipment. Make sure your speaker understands the time-frame he or she is allotted and whether or not you wish for the speaker to conduct a question and answer session.

Check the client list and testimonial feedback for the Arkansas professional speaker you wish to hire

Most speakers have a thorough website. Read through the reviews and comments from previous audiences. If none are listed, request some from the speaker. Look for a client list. Again, this information can typically be easily found on the speaker’s website. Does the list of past clients include organizations or companies comparable in size with yours? Does the speaker have a lot of experience or has he or she only given a few talks?

Information to request from your Arkansas professional speaker

To help publicize your event, ask your speaker to supply you with a few high-resolution head shots, a short bio, and possibly a sample press release. Many speakers have an introduction prepared for use by the event’s emcee. If your speaker has an online media kit, download its contents well in advance so you can use them when preparing your marketing materials. Some media kits will be more elaborate than others, but print-quality images and a bio are the minimum you’ll need.

How much does an Arkansas professional speaker cost?

Pricing is often not published on a speaker’s website but should be discussed in advance with your speaker. How much is the deposit? What payment methods do they accept?

What are your expectations for the outcome of your event?

A professional speaker can’t be expected to change your entire company in one session, however they can inspire change and plant seeds of growth. Discuss your hopes and expectations for the event with your selected speaker. Define what you consider to be a successful event.

A lot of time, money and effort goes into events. Being prepared by communicating all your concerns in advance of the occasion with your Arkansas professional speaker.

Save