Put your platform in professional hands
| Julie and Dan wanted to give their daughter a wedding to remember. They spared no expense on the hotel and meal, and they hired a hot new band for dancing. But now the budget was getting a bit thin, and professional photographers are expensive. So Dan’s work colleague, Bert, who had a great camera and said he would do the job free, took the photos. What a pity that the photographs—the lasting, tangible memory of the occasion—were definitely sub-par.
Associations—and sometimes companies—often make the same mistake. The budget seems able to support a great venue and meals, even offsite entertainment. But when it comes to the speakers, they settle for “industry speakers” who, of course, speak free. Now these people may well have a great deal of subject or industry knowledge, and many have been speaking for years. But do they really have the dynamic delivery and strong message that will hold the interest and enthusiasm of the audience? Or do they tend to stand behind a lectern and read? When you hire a professional speaker, on the other hand, you buy a complete package: a message tailored to the needs of your audience, delivered with style. Professional speakers understand that the dynamic, immediate approach needed for a keynote is different from the more in-depth, learning-based content of a breakout session, and most know how to deliver both. If people take two days or more from their work schedule to attend a conference, they have high expectations. They want to take away information they can use, and they also want to enjoy the process of assimilating the information. A few years ago, the promotional brochure for the annual convention of Meeting Professionals International contained a message from the association’s then Chairman, which said, “No longer is it acceptable for an MPI meeting professional to be judged solely on meeting logistics. We need to create a new paradigm which dramatically underscores the fact that meetings must serve as a primary communication tool to change the hearts and minds of employees in order to improve company performance.” You don’t change hearts and minds with information alone. To positively alter behaviour you need inspiration and motivation, as well as valuable content. To achieve all this you need dynamic speakers. After all, people can get the glamorous hotels and fine dining on their own. They come to your conference for more than that. They want information delivered in a way that holds their attention and, at least partly, entertains them. More than any other factor, great speakers will make your conference memorable. A carefully selected professional speaker will give you: • Strong content, tailored to the needs of your audience • Inspiration—Motivation—Entertainment • A great impression of the conference Doesn’t your event deserve all that? Isn’t it worth the investment? © 2004 Helen Wilkie All Rights Reserved. You may reprint this article for your online or print publication so long as you include the complete article and the following paragraph: Helen Wilkie is a professional speaker, consultant and author who helps companies do better business through better communication. Her latest book is "The Hidden Profit Center". To received free monthly tips and techniques on communication, visit http://www.mhwcom.com or http://www.HiddenProfitCenter.com and sign up for "Communi-keys". Reach Helen Wilkie at 416-966-5023 or hwilkie@mhwcom.com |
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