A good number of organizations arrange a keynote speaker to impart a new point of view to the employees. Management wants to elevate the spirits of the workers and improve team performance. Almost of all types of industries and segments of business need keynote speakers - be it sales, health, management, infotech, education, entertainment, housing, food processing. A keynote speaker must be an expert in his chosen field of presentation. They have to motivate the workers to do better and perform differently. Their speeches are designed to increase productivity and profitability. The speaker must know the requirements and the standards of the company.
Now, follow an outline of points to consider before hiring a speaker.
-What is the reason for having a speaker? Is to change the negative attributes of the employees/to instill a streak of confidence/to provide relaxation and recreation/to introduce modern technological developments/to enliven the sagging spirits or dormant morale/to streamline the growth-track?
-Two types of presentation are in motion - speaking to an audience and conducting presentation workshops. What the viewers want is the prime consideration. The speaker, to be successful, should grasp the issues and concerns of the workers. He should know the characteristics of the industry. He should expect questions and opinions from the workers and wait for feedback. To get the viewers fully occupied, the forenoon sessions will provide the sufficient energy-levels.
-Find out the required tools such as overhead projectors and powerpoint presentations. The participants may get bored due to over-exposure of devices. So, a balance has to be struck between instrument usage and direct lecture.
-As a manager/owner of the company, you have to discuss with the speakers about the company, productivity and nature of work. Explain about your expectation. Provide information about room, number of participants, timings of lecture, schedules of dates etc. Ask about the mode of presentation.
-See to it that the topics to be covered are current. Outdated ideas are not beneficial to the workers. Standard speakers will have proof for their past performance in the form of books, audio tapes, compact disks, newspaper reports.
-Think about the previous sessions handled by some other speakers. Enquire the participants about the previous speakers and get a feedback.
-Try to get references for the speaker's proficiency from some other companies.
-Consider the age and gender of the speakers and decide about their suitability; a female speaker coordinates well with female participants, etc.
-After the session, get response from the participants about the performance to ascertain about the positive side of the productivity.
Keynote speakers are very much like a property for any company. They have to present a vision to the participants and create a basis for growth. A keynote speech is delivered at the beginning of the event which creates a mood for the event. It exemplifies the program. A keynote speaker enhances the underlying spirit of the program. The occasion can be anything -conference, convocation, political agenda, promotion campaign, sports inauguration, theater festival and the like. But, he has to stir up the zeal of the audience and get them involved in the proceedings, lest, it becomes a mundane, methodical, mechanical and monotonous affair.
The speaker should open the event with an authentic quote which can inspire the audience. Normally, verses, quotes, proverbs, remarks - will raise the pitch of the event. Then, he has to give the reason for the assembly to be followed by the target of the event. He has to emphasize the thrust of the meeting with relevant examples and illustrations. The speech has to be interspersed with strains of humor here and there, to make the event a memorable one. He has to wake up the participants from the possible mental stupor and get them engrossed in the program, with a short and sweet Q&A session.
He has to offer a platform for future deliberations. His speech should goad the audience to think about next course of action resulting in teamwork and coordination. An expert speaker must spell out a summary of the proceedings towards the end, which, in turn, motivates the participants to get into action mode.
