Are you looking to hire a motivational speaker for your event?

If so, then chances are you are overwhelmed by the amount of professionals you can choose from and all of the details you will need to consider.

In this article, we are going to provide you a step by step process on how to book a motivational speaker.

However, if you are looking to find a motivational speaker to hire, go here to browse our directory.

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Selecting the right speaker

Identifying the right motivational speaker that suits the objectives of your event is one of the most important first steps in the hiring process.

A good speaker can make a lasting impression, while a low-energy speaker can be forgotten before he or she even exits the room.

There is a wide range of professionals with different expertise levels and aims to accommodate any event’s requirements.

In order to narrow down the options, you need to:

  1. Define your event’s objectives and
  2. Define your audience’s needs

Ask yourself these questions:

  • What do we want to accomplish at our event?
  • What message best aligns with our overall theme?
  • What are the demographics and psychographics of our audience?
  • What key takeaways do we want our attendees to leave with?
  • What results or benchmarks will determine the success of our event?
  • What characteristics should the speaker have that best represent our organization?
  • How much of the event’s success is determined by the speaker?
  • Will the cost of our event warrant bringing in a more well-known speaker?

If you’re hosting a business conference for entrepreneurs, your speaker needs to have years of expertise in the field, and he or she needs to offer insights that are relevant to the business world.

Similarly, if you are hiring a motivational speaker for your community organization’s event, perhaps a message about strength and perseverance is more suitable.

Defining the event’s objectives and the audience’s needs and interests will help you determine some requirements for your speaker.

Researching the speaker

After narrowing down your search to a few options, it is time for you to conduct research about the speaker and interview him or her, just like you do when searching for a future employee.

Here are some questions you can use to help you through the research process:

  • How many events has the speaker presented at?
  • What size audiences have they spoken to?
  • What types of audiences are they accustomed to speaking to?
  • Do they have the right type of achievements that satisfy your audiences needs?
  • Do they have a strong online social presence?
  • Do they have videos where you can see them speaking at past events?
  • Do they have good content that aligns with your message?
  • Do they have any recommendations from trusted references?

A motivational speaker’s relevant experiences, past achievements and social media presence can tell you a lot about who they are as a professional motivator.

Speaking to them in person or over the phone can also help you communicate your expectations for the speaker, and you can get a sense of how you will work together to create a memorable event for your audience.

After selecting the right motivational speaker for your event, the rest is just about logistics.

See also: How to choose a motivational speaker

Working with a speakers agency

Some of the professional speakers you want to hire may be associated with an agency or speakers bureau.

Don’t let this intimidate you.

First and foremost, unless they have signed an exclusivity with the bureau, this does not mean you can’t work directly with them.

However, if the expert you are looking to contact is quite busy, establishing a connection with their agency might be the best bet.

Not only can they make the back and forth process easier, but they can also help you connect with other speakers in case the one you want is unavailable.

See also: How to contact a motivational speakers bureau

Motivational speaker fees

It goes without saying that how much a speaker charges will drastically impact the people you cull on your list.

The factors that will determine the speakers fees could include:

  • Level of expertise
  • Years of speaking experience
  • Brand name recognition

These factors alone will determine whether he or she charges  $1,000 to $50,000 for speaking at an event.

In addition, many motivational speakers will require the organizer to pay for their travel, including first or business-class flights, ground transportation, accommodation, and meals.

You need to agree with the speaker on the speaking fee and travel costs (who books and who pays) before signing with them.

Motivational speaker contract

Professional motivational speakers often have a standard agreement that outlines the specific terms of his or her speaking arrangements.

This agreement will include:

  • Time, date, and venue of the event
  • The gross speaking fee, payment schedule, and deposit amount
  • The speaker’s travel arrangements including flight, ground transportation, accommodation
  • Whether the speaker’s products can be sold at the event, and if so, how
  • Penalty and liability agreement in the event of cancellation of the event, no show of the speaker, or force majeure.

Before signing the contract, you should review the terms carefully and negotiate if you need to.

Keep in mind that how flexible they are will be based upon a few critical factors:

  • Are they in high demand?
  • Does your audience align with their objectives?
  • How far the event is from their home
  • What type of opportunity does your event provide them?

From their perspective, speaking is a business.

Therefore, the more you can offer that supports their objectives, the more flexible they are willing to be.

Pre-event evaluation

Most motivational speakers tailor their supporting stories and ideas to suit your event’s settings, audience, and objectives.

Before your event, you should share any relevant information about your event’s objectives, organization and audience to your speaker to help them understand more about the purpose of their speech and how they can capture the audience’s attention.

This is also a great time to work with your speaker to promote your event by making announcements on your social media channels and cross-promote them to the speaker’s channels.

You can also encourage the speaker to interact with your audience online to get them excited about the upcoming event.

The day before the event, you should check in with the speaker to see whether he or she has arrived safely in your city and whether you need to clarify any last-minute points before the big day.

Post-event evaluation

After the event, besides making the payment to the speaker and other logistics arrangements, don’t forget to evaluate your event and assess the return on investment.

If you hired a motivational speaker to boost employee morale, was the morale boosted?

If you hired a speaker to encourage young people to lead a healthy lifestyle, do they feel encouraged to start taking actions?

You can answer these questions to make sure that you have achieved the objectives you set when you hire the motivational speaker.

This can be done with a follow-up online survey or ask attendees immediately after the show.

This performance evaluation can help you and the motivational speaker improve your future events and performances.

Hire a speaker

Feeling overwhelmed with your search?

Need help identifying the best speaker for your event?

Fill out the form below and answer these 6 brief questions.

We will contact you with some suggestions that fits your objectives and budget:

See also: 7 ways to find a motivational speaker