6 Essential Tips To Find The Most Effective Speaker For Your Business

The work life and culture in today's generation is extremely competitive in nature. This intense nature of competition puts high expectations on the employees and creates high standards of work in organisations. When this kind of intense grinding becomes a routine affair, it can have adverse effects on the physical, mental, and emotional state of the employees. Apart from these obvious negative effects, the most important factor that gets derailed in the whole rat race of the corporate world is the morale of the employees.

Motivation is humanity's driving force. A lot of emphasis is given to using motivational and inspiring strategies versus punishment techniques to get kids to perform and excel in every area of their life. Somehow this concept does a vanishing act in the corporate sphere. The corporate world tends to forget that motivation is not just limited to school and college kids. It needs to be cultivated in the workplace as well to get excellent output from their employees. Your employee needs it as much as a five-year-old or a fifteen-year-old does.

It is said that employees spend about two-thirds of their waking hour in the workplaces. Personal problems coupled with the workplace stress is enough to send their morale spiralling down. A concept called “presenteeism” has been coined to describe employees who are physically present at work, but not productive. Research has shown this to be a $33 billion loss to the Australian industry. Approximately, 25% of the workforce is engaged, 25% actively disengaged, and the rest 50% are doing just enough to keep them out of trouble. According to another recent survey, 41% of the surveyed respondents at one Australian firm said morale was poor, with 37% saying it is extremely poor, while 86% felt that the overall morale of the employees has seen a gradual decrease.

These statistics and many other such surveys speak to a very pressing concern that needs to be addressed in the workplaces. The talented and highly educated workforce represents the largest reservoir of untapped potential in an era when companies are looking for any kind of competitive edge. So, if your employees are constantly encouraged and motivated, you will reap the benefits in terms of increased productivity, improved bottom-line, and gaining an edge over the competition, not to mention the happy and satisfied faces at work that are more than willing to stay with the organisation.

Now, what strategies and tactics can the management undertake to keep their employees' morale high and keep the motivation cycle going? There are various methods the management can employ to motivate their workforce, like, providing monetary incentives, rewards and recognition, encouraging contributions, and keeping them informed about all the key decisions. While all these and many other tools serve to bolster the employees' confidence and faith in the organisation, there is yet another important motivational tool at the management's disposal; booking a motivational speaker. 

Hiring a motivational speaker works on many levels to motivate and build the employees' morale.

• Motivational speakers are individuals with extensive industry knowledge and practical insight gained from years of experience in their chosen field.

• They have achieved greatness in their respective fields, having overcome the various challenges, carved out outstanding careers, and built successful empires.

• Employees value insights that are drawn from real-life experiences, as it brings a human touch to the obstacles that they are encountering.

• When the audience respects the speaker, their engagement improves drastically. And, given the fact that the motivational speakers have lived their theories and weaved many a success stories in their personal and professional lives, they earn the trust and respect of their audience, that is, the employees.

• A one-on-one interaction is an effective way to motivate employees into taking goal-oriented actions. This kind of personal interaction helps the employees to tailor the advice and insights to deal with their own situation.

Motivational speakers come from a wide range of fields, and are qualified to offer their real-life skills and expertise in different industries. They are not just about delivering a well-crafted speech from the podium, but can help individuals achieve goals, inspire a team to success, and even turn struggling businesses around. The popularity of and the demand for motivational speakers has increased in recent times as more and more businesses are choosing to book them to inject a breath of fresh air into their otherwise stagnant and routine work culture. They are a big hit with companies as they ignite zeal and passion in the employees.

While motivational speakers are hired to speak at various events, they are hired for corporate events with the aim of inspiring the employees and achieving the organisational goals. To get the utmost benefit out of the speaker's experience and knowledge, you need to find the right speaker for your business. So, how do you go about the business of finding the right fit when it comes to booking a speaker for your next corporate event?

Following are the 6 tips that could help you find the best motivational speaker, one that helps you in achieving your objective.

Purpose:

Before you go hunting for the town's best speaker, you need to decide what you would like to achieve through this event. Are you looking to inspire your employees, assist them through a change process, or educate them about a certain topic? For the most part guest speakers are invited to corporate events to provide positive reinforcements to the employees, which will propel them in the right direction. Demotivated and disengaged employees are the last thing a business needs on its plate, as they are the most important asset of an organisation.

Relevance:

The right speaker would be the one who is competent in the concerned field. If the event is on information technology, then the speaker you book should be one who is well-versed in that field and can offer practical solutions to the audience's needs. When the speaker is eloquent and honest in his or her presentation and delivery, they are able to connect well with the audience. Being knowledgeable and experienced in the industry enables the speaker to confidently engage with the audience.

Proven track record:

Since you are investing valuable resources like time and money, you need to be sure that the speaker can deliver. Once you have narrowed down your search to the relevant speaker, it is time to find out the credibility of the speaker in the industry. Successful Speakers Bureau would obtain references and testimonials from other businesses that have previously booked or hired that speaker’s services for recent conferences and company events.

Awards and Affiliations:

Since motivational speakers have many years of experience and hold key positions in their industry, they would be affiliated to a few professional associations related to their line of work. Another measuring scale of an effective speaker is the awards and recognition he has gained over the years. Though they serve as a good indicator, not every award may carry the same significance. Awards from prominent speakers' associations indicate substantial experience, professional level of platform excellence, and the highest level of speaking achievement. While it is hard to measure the capabilities and results of a speaker objectively, awards and professional affiliations indicate their level of commitment to the art and business.

Audience demographic:

The message will have its intended effect only when the speaker and audience can form an honest connection. And for the speaker to form this kind of connection, his speech should be tailored to the audience and brief. If the organisation has employees who are older and more experienced, then they might like somebody who can provide an enriching content and add more value to their years of experience and industry knowledge. If the event demographic consists of a young crowd, then the style of delivery needs to be tailored to satisfy the hunger and curiosity of the young minds. Humour is an essential component to capture their attention and leave a pressing mark on their impressionable minds. Packaging the message in a personal story format will hit the right cord with a younger audience and inspire them to take objective-oriented actions.

Budget:

An organisation needs to strike a balance between the company's budget and the right speaker for their business needs. If the speaker you are booking is coming in from another city or state, then you would have to factor in the travel, ground transfers and accommodation costs apart from the speaking fees. A highly popular and in-demand speaker might come at a higher price. At the same time companies should not compromise on the quality of the speaker just to save some dollars. If you find a speaker who is the best fit for your audience, then take steps to make accommodate your budget for that, as it will give you returns in the form of higher productivity with knowledgeable and satisfied employees. While budget is an important factor, it should not serve as the sole determinant.

The success of a speaking engagement depends heavily on the strength of the message and the style of delivery. Hence, it is crucial to find not just the best speaker in town, but the one who will be most effective in creating the right buzz, enriching the theme of the event, reigniting the passion in the employees, and as a result propel them to take actions that meet the business goals.