As you coordinate your next conference or seminar, I’d encourage you to consider hiring a leadership expert. Someone with experience in this field may be the perfect choice to deliver an inspiring, value-adding keynote address to your team. And, you may also wish to talk to your transformational leadership expert about one-on-one coaching and other services!
It’s important to note, however, that not all leadership speakers are created equal. It’s necessary to vet your transformational leadership expert and make sure you have someone who’s a good fit for your organization and your event.
So how can you tell when you’ve found the right speaker? That’s what I’d like to explore today.
A good keynote speaker will sell the theme of your event.
That may seem like a pretty obvious point, yet you might be amazed how many keynote speakers are simply interested in selling their books, promoting themselves, or discussing their favorite hobby-horse topics.
You need a keynote speaker who will understand the theme of your event and ensure that their address reinforces that point. As such, when interviewing potential speakers, take note of the ones who ask you about the theme of your event and propose ways to underscore it.
Your speaker should also ask about the audience.
There’s an old saying about elevator pitches: You can’t give an effective one until you know who’s going to be in the elevator. I’d say the same holds true with keynotes. You can’t deliver an effective address unless you know who you’re addressing.
Dynamic speakers will always adapt their messaging to the demographic they’re speaking to. So again, when you’re interviewing speakers, be on the lookout for someone who will ask you about who’s attending the event.
You’re not holding a professional conference or event just to entertain people. And yet, entertainment certainly has value. After all, you want the audience to be engaged. You want them to pay attention. And you want them to remember what they learn. An entertaining presentation can help with all of that.
As such, I’d really recommend looking for a transformational leadership expert who knows how to tell a good story and is willing to employ a sharp sense of humor. If you meet with a speaker who bores you one-on-one, there’s no reason to think they won’t also be boring from the stage.
A good keynote speaker will make judicious use of visuals.
I often use visuals in my own keynote presentations, and I certainly think they have their value. With that said, I also think some speakers are overly reliant on data, graphs, and visuals. The last thing you want is a presentation where there’s too much data offered, and where the visuals crowd out the speaker’s central message.
You can always ask your speaker what kind of visuals they tend to use. Don’t hesitate to ask them for some examples from past presentations, which can often be illuminating.
An effective speaker will understand the importance of pacing. 
How long should a good keynote address be? I’ve heard people propose answers ranging from 20 to 45 minutes. In truth, I don’t think the length is as important as the pacing.
On the one hand, you want a speaker who can move along at a decent clip, keeping the audience engaged rather than getting bogged down in the details. At the same time, you also want a speaker who won’t overwhelm the audience with too much information, presented too frantically.
And of course, you may also want to ensure a speaker who leaves some time at the end for a Q&A session.
An effective speaker offers a strong call to action.
Ultimately, a keynote address should culminate with a few actionable takeaways… some main points that the speaker wants the audience to carry with them, and perhaps even some next steps that audience members should take.
Hopefully, you can find a speaker who understands this, and is able to summarize their entire keynote according to the primary actions they’re trying to elicit.
Professional speakers should be willing to share testimonials (and examples).
Here’s another consideration for hiring a transformational leadership expert: You can always ask for reviews or endorsements from previous clients. A reputable speaker will always be happy to share them. In fact, if you ask for testimonials or references and the speaker seems evasive, that’s probably a red flag!
Also, don’t hesitate to ask for videos or recordings from previous keynote addresses. This can be a great way to get a sense of the speaker’s style.
These are my basic tips for ensuring that you hire a good, reputable,
professional speaker to give the keynote address at your conference or event. If you want to talk more about any of this, reach out today.
Also, I’ll simply note that I’m a practiced keynote speaker with ample international experience, and I’d love to give the address at your next event. If you want to ask me any questions, see examples of past speeches, or get some references, I’m always happy to oblige. Just reach out to me via email or phone.
Contact me at
www.rickgoodman.com or call 888-267-6098. And don’t forget! You can now get flash briefings on your Alexa at home or on the Alexa app! All you have to do is enable The Solutions Oriented Leader and
click on this link!
Hire a Transformational Leadership Expert