Booking the right keynote speaker is important. And let’s say you have £10,000 to spend on a keynote speaker. You want to be confident in your choice of the speaker, but there are just too many options to choose from. In this article we’ll walk through what a professional speaker’s bio should look like and help you make important distinctions, that will give you assurance in your choice.
We’re going to share six things you should look for in a speaker’s bio. These will help you quickly rule a speaker in or out. We’ve started with the most obvious errors so you can rule a number of speakers out in seconds.
Spot the novice – Take a look at how the bio is written. Is it written in the third person or first-person? If it’s written in the first person you can bet this speaker is new and still learning, and if your reputation is on the line or you want to make a good impression with your bosses, you will rule this speaker out now.
A sign you can trust – If the speaker has an agent or a manager, add them to the serious pile. The fact they have representation means they get booked often. Representation also means that industry-savvy people trust this speaker to deliver. This means: when you book a speaker through an agency you can feel much more confident in your choice.
A good match – can you clearly see from the bio that this would be a keynote speaker who can talk with authority on the topic you are looking for? More than this, do they look like they can bring the topic to life and engage and inspire your audience?
Stand out – A professional speaker will have a stand-out title they are known by. You are looking for 3-5 words at the top of their bio that say who they are, what they do, or hints at their mission or style. These few words will be sound bites you can use when describing a speaker to decision-makers in your company or to encourage attendees’ buy-in for the event. These few words can be super powerful.
An obvious sign of quality – Now you’ve ruled out the lessor speakers by looking for the obvious signs, you can now use another simple rule to evade, the ones who got through, who will cause you some anxiety later…
If your reputation is on the line or you want to make a good impression in your role as the event manager for your company you will want a recognised speaker. While the speaker might not be a household name and have appeared on TV or be a regular on the radio or in the media, they may well have worked for well know organisations or presented to large corporates or charities you recognise. Professional speakers who have spoken at events run by a large corporation or at an industry conference or congress will usually say so. This is a sure sign they have experience in handling large events and other large organisations or institutions have had the faith to book them.
To what degree do they care – When you look at this speaker do you feel they really care? What we mean is: are they speaking on these topics because they genuinely care about the subject?
Some speakers have tripped into a speaking career because they wanted to promote a book or get more clients for their consultancy. Others might see speaking as a way to earn money after retiring from sport or a career at the top of their industry. It might not be their passion and you might be hiring a speaker who is doing this for the money and who will only give you an 80% performance and the same keynote they give every other time.
At Stellar, our speakers are on purpose and genuinely care. They are usually international speakers, passionate about their topic and have a framework of trainings and workshops. Our speakers are also keen to bespoke their keynotes for your organisation and give you something specifically tailored to your needs.
Our speakers love their topics and they go deep. It’s not just about money. It’s about more… and their passion, as well as expertise, on-stage, will be obvious to your audience.
Stellar speakers can help you when it comes to booking the right keynote speaker for your event. We are a unique speaker agency representing change-making keynote speakers. We provide expertise to help you manage your budgetary expectations and provide realistic options. We provide a preferred partner’s service base, so that partner clients get everything they need, lowering your risk as a booker of speakers, so you can make your choice about your next speaker with confidence.
