1. How do I choose a great speaker for my event? Or,
2. How do I get chosen as a speaker for events?

Believe it or not, the answer is essentially the same: Figure out what matters the most to your audience and provide it.
Or find someone who can.
In today’s mega-connected world, consumers have instantaneous access to whatever amusement they want. Therefore being good on stage is not good enough. Whether you tell jokes, juggle, stand on your head, do magic tricks or paint historically accurate portraits while being hung upside down, you’re just a momentary diversion. Booking an “entertainment speaker” is not a great way to create a meaningful event. And being an “entertainment speaker” is not a great way to get booked.
At the same time, those same meeting professionals and audiences already have access to almost all the information they want and need. Being an “information speaker” and showing up with knowledge – no matter how relevant – is not good enough either. These “information speakers” are the folks who remind you of your most boring college professor – they give you the feeling that whatever the subject they’re talking about, they are just a page ahead of you in the book. No one wants to hire an “information speaker” and fewer people want to listen to them. You shouldn’t want to be hire one (or be one) either.
What meeting professionals want, and what the best speakers provide, is a seamless combination of both insight, information AND entertainment. Just like the spoonful of sugar that helps the medicine go down, having your audiences laughing while they’re learning is the best way to make sure that they appreciate both the speaker and the meeting professional who booked that speaker.
Once you’ve accomplished that, the next thing to do is to make sure that you – or the speaker you hire – transforms their audience. If the people in the seats leave the room feeling they have somehow been changed – by what they saw, what they heard, what they learned or what they felt – you can rest assured that they will appreciate and remember your hard work. And that they will ask you back to work for them again.
These practices are simple but not simplistic. Easy to say but not easy to do. If you simultaneously entertain and enlighten your audience while you transform their thinking, you have figured out exactly how to successfully choose a speaker AND exactly how to be a successful speaker.

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For example, instead of waiting for a problem to happen at your hotel, why not start a conversation with the hotel manager long before you attend the event? A handwritten note of introduction attached to a small gift box of chocolates or a bouquet of flowers is an inexpensive way to get on their radar screens before you need them. That way, when you do call with a problem, you’re already old friends and much more likely to be taken care of quickly and efficiently. And even if you don’t need to call on them, you’ve started a relationship with another professional who will have a high opinion of you and your company.

Of course, you already know to be prepared for medical emergencies but does the preplanning kit you prepare for each event already include the names and phone numbers of nearby qualified medical professionals? The last thing you want to worry about when your event is in full swing and the company CEO complains of chest pain is who you’re going to call for help.
Besides helping you deal with crises situations quickly and easily, having a well thought out crises plan in place will give you the peace of mind of knowing that you are ready for whatever comes your way. And this simple difference will make it much more likely that you’ll enjoy the events you’re working on. So, go ahead and actually listen to one of the great lectures you’ve scheduled or take a dip in the pool. You’ve got everything under control.

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But what do you really do to change the outcome of your year? Do you really plan to make a change in 2020? Or are you going to do the same thing you did in 2019.

Seriously, hand on your heart, what did you change last year?

I spent a decade writing stuff down over the holidays each year. I’d scribble pages and pages of notes only to find myself doing the same thing the following year. Then I looked back over years of notes and goals and realised nothing was changing, because, well, I wasn’t changing.

This year why not make your preparation for 2020 a little easier than years gone by. How about focussing on making only 3 promises to yourself.

Promises you can keep.

Promise 1 – Promise to make time to change

Promise yourself you’ll find 30 minutes every day to make a change in your life. For me this is only one of my daily routines, it’s a time when I clear my head and plan for the day ahead. And I do this in 3 parts;

• I take time to consider the things I need to influence that day to facilitate change in my life.
• I take time to consider the things I have influenced enough and now need to set aside.
• And I consider the things that I can not influence and should not even let them enter my consciousness.

Promise 2 – Promise to stay focussed on happiness

What are the 5 things that would make you happy this year? I only have 5, for a few reasons. It’s easy to remember 5. It keeps me focused on the things that matter, and not chase rainbows. And it keeps it real, so I make sure I am not just writing things down for the sake of filling a sheet of paper.

Promise 3 – Promise to let go

Every year I try to start the year with a clean slate. I make a conscious decision to not let those things that disappointed me in the previous year hang over into the New Year. You know then ones. The people that may have let you down, the promises that some may have broken, or the things that maybe didn’t go your way through the year. Let it go. Shut the door.

On the flip side, be proud of your successes in 2019, but don’t let them overshine what you could achieve in 2020.

It’s time to get focused on the present so you can change the future. Stop looking in the rear-view mirror, let it go in 2020.

With 3 simple promises you can take control of 2020, and look back this time next year, happy in the fact that you’ve kept your promises, and that 2020 was another wonderful adventure in the journey of life.

Troy Hazard is a keynote speaker on business strategy, growth and change. He is an Amazon business books best-selling author and television host. He has owned 13 companies over 30 years and has consulted to 300+ companies in 16 countries.

To find out more information or to book Troy contact info@advantagespeakersbureau.com or call 877- 415-1845

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As you evaluate potential speakers, consider some of the following strategies, secrets, and tips—all of which will guide you to make the best decision possible, and to end up with a conference that participants will speak highly of. Here are six rule that you can follow for choosing the best keynote speaker for your next conference.

How to Pick the Right Conference Speaker

Watch your speaker perform live or on video. You wouldn’t buy a car without taking it for a test drive, and neither should you engage a speaker without actually watching that speaker perform. Any reputable speaker will be willing to send you a YouTube clip or some other video sample.

Ask about past experience and get references. If you’re looking for a speaker to present at a marketing convention, you want to ensure that it’s someone who’s presented to marketers before. Don’t hesitate to ask about past experience with your industry or niche.

Look for speakers who want to include you in their preparation. You don’t want someone who’s just going to rehash tired old talking points. You want a presentation that’s tailored to your group. Try to find a speaker who will ask you questions and seek your feedback in planning his or her remarks.

Seek a speaker who will stick around before and after the meeting. Make sure your speaker is willing to stay after the presentation and talk with people one-on-one, take questions, or just be present at your conference. You don’t want someone who’s just going to speak, then make a mad dash for the door.

Be cautious about speakers who want to sell stuff right away. It’s fine for a speaker to want a table to sell his or her book but be careful in hiring anyone who seems like they only care about promoting their wares. That’s usually a bad sign.

Go with a speaker who seems interested in your organization, your mission, and your goals. As you interview potential speakers, listen for those who also seem like they’re interviewing you—because those are the ones who are really going to be invested in your event.

Be strategic in picking your conference speaker—and land on someone who will really provide optimal value to your group!

Dr. Rick Goodman, CSP, is one of the most sought-after transformational leadership and engagement experts in the world today. His keynote presentations and breakout sessions have produced transformational results leading to engaged employees, increased productivity and, most importantly, HIGHER PROFITS. Dr. Rick has the distinction of delivering over 1,000 presentations in all 50 states and 24 countries.

He is the author of: “Living a Championship Life – A Game Plan for Success,” “Jamie’s Journey Travels with My Dad” and his latest book “The Solutions-Oriented Leader: Your Comprehensive Guide to Achieve World-Class Results”

To find out more information or to book Dr. Rick contact info@advantagespeakersbureau.com or call 877- 415-1845

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It’s about this time of the year that everyone is planning their ‘kick off’ meetings for 2020, and speakers and agents are typically taking briefs from event planners about all of the things their clients are looking to ‘launch’ at those meetings, to kick start the New Year.

But what if the kickoff meeting wasn’t just kicking off the New Year, it was instead kicking off a narrative for 2020?

Knowing how important these meetings are to an event planner, we’ve come up with a formula to carry the message well beyond the kickoff meeting, and campaign it throughout the entire year.

Here’s an example of how that works.

At the moment I am working on a speaker brief for an event in January with 1,000 participants. This is for an incredibly successful 30-year-old business that is about to push through another inflection point in its growth. As a result, there is a lot of change going on in the business, which trickles down to a lot of information to consolidate into a series of key messages at the event, mine being one of them as the opening keynote.

In our first (scheduled) briefing call I encouraged the event planner to consider how we might broaden the sphere of influence, beyond the brief, to include client stakeholders from their learning and development department, their HR department, and their field team of representatives. The main reason for the request was to engage anyone that would have contact with the event participants on a regular basis, after the event.

Then we collaborated to develop a 5-part plan on how to take my core messages and campaign a narrative throughout 2020.

1. From the initial briefing with the event planner, I crafted a custom keynote that reflected stories and case studies from the 13 companies I’ve owned, that directly related to the changes the business was about to go through.
2. Then I recorded a short video outline of the keynote content so the event planner could socialize that with various client stakeholders.
3. From there, we set about working out who would be part of the 2020 ‘team’ to campaign the messages throughout the year and invited those individuals to a second briefing call. On that call we outlined the communication elements we felt would be beneficial in ensuring the message was carried well into 2020.
4. We then shared those elements in a short video with all client staff that were attending the event as event support.

a. I was to deliver a 60-minute opening keynote that finished with some participant interactivity to, ‘get the 2020 conversation started’.
b. We developed narrative and some short ‘sound bites’ so the clients’ staff could share ongoing thoughts about the messages in the corridor conversation throughout the event, delivering a common voice.
c. The clients’ learning and development department also created a webinar that was scheduled to happen a month after the event, to recap on some of the messaging, and to remind participants of the more tactical application of the themes day to day.
d. I would then shoot a series of 60-second custom videos for the client to circulate over the balance of 2020, to call back to the key messages and themes.
e. Field representatives were also given ‘sound bites’ of the core messages to continue the narrative with participants in the field throughout the year.
5. I then created a ‘teaser’ video to send out to participants introducing the theme for the event and giving them a taste that, ‘this is not a typical kickoff event, this is truly going to be a launch into 2020’.

The end result will be that we will have everyone aligned to the message, and participants more engaged both at the event, and throughout 2020.

It’s a formula I’ve worked with year on year for many years, and the results are outstanding. All it requires is a little more engagement from a few more stakeholders, and the minds of many make a much bigger mark on so many more participants.

This year, when you are preparing for your kickoff meeting take a moment to consider how you can kick 2020, into 2021.

Troy Hazard is a keynote speaker on business strategy, growth and change. He is an Amazon business books bestselling author and television host. He has owned 13 companies over 30 years and has consulted to 300+ companies in 16 countries.

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So, what will the next ten years hold for business leaders? Well, for many of us we turn to ‘experts’ for advice on ‘what’s next’ as we try and navigate our way through business and life.

However, having owned 13 companies over the last 30 years, I’ve also learnt that the best place to start to gather an understanding of what’s around the corner is to look introspectively. That way I focus on the things I can control, rather than the things I can’t.

Here are my 5 key things to focus on for 2020 vision.

1. We’re overdue for an economic correction

   So many commentators have been pitching the idea that there WILL be a correction, and yet it seems to continue to be business as usual. Reality is, no matter when it comes around, they key is to be prepared. Have your nuts stored for the winter and your plan to course correct mapped out and ready to implement. It’s only when a correction is a surprise, that it becomes a setback.

2. Don’t let an election year distract you

   Elections are inevitable. But so many business owners and leaders use it as an excuse for poor trade, lack of momentum in their business, or the reason the sky is falling. Red or blue, life will go on and your business will too, so long as you are not distracted by a single event. Sure, turn up and vote, and then get straight back to the things you know you can influence day to day.

3. Listen to the ‘futurists’, and then go and create your own

   The turn of a decade is a great time for ‘experts’ to appear on just about everything. Some of them have very valid observations for the future. Others just seek to confuse us for a self-serving purpose. Like most business owners I read a lot, and I spend 30 minutes every day seeking to learn how to be better tomorrow than I am today. Only I can create my future.

4. Learn from the past and apply it to the present, to protect your future

   We’ve spent the last ten years recovering from one of the biggest shifts we’ve seen in a modern day economy, the GFC. The next ten years are bound to be both challenging and surprising. So remember what you’ve learnt and remind yourself how you can apply that knowledge to your 2020 vision.

5. It’s just another year

   The one thing we can be sure of in business is that things happen in cycles, and 2020 will just be part of the ongoing cycle.
   Just because it’s a new decade it does not mean it’s a new game. As a business leader you don’t need 2020 vision, so long as you continue to focus.

Troy Hazard is a keynote speaker on business strategy, growth and change. He is an Amazon business books best selling author and television host. He has owned 13 companies over 30 years, and has consulted to 300+ companies in 16 countries.

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Related Media

Troy Hazard television Interview on ‘A 2020 Vision For Business’ – on The Big Biz Show, broadcast on Youtoo America Network, BizTV Network and 150 radio station across America.

Troy Hazard on stage, talking about how you create vision in your business by following the business cycles.

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1. Target the Media

   Focus on the target. What is your right fit outlet? What will put you in front of your prospects. Just focus on reaching out to those outlets. This strategy is a combination of reaching traditional media as well as social media/internet media outlets. Good news… you can create your own content and many will run it.

2. Just Email Them

   (Traditional Media.)
   You don’t have to spend all day putting together involved press kits. The media is looking for stories and interesting people who get to the point. Write a short email that includes the hook or headline in the subject line. Also include bullet points on what you’d say if they were to interview you.

3. Use a Hook

   A hook is a short sentence or headline that really hooks or grabs the attention of those reading your pitch. When you write out potential hooks, ask yourself, does it make you say “so what?” or “tell me more.”

4. Do Some Story Detective Work

   This is how you know what stories the media wants. This is how you get ideas for stories. Go to news.google.com. Search for keywords around your topic and notice the evidence of other stories that the media has run. Use this information to formulate your pitch. Also, create your own content around these hooks. This is more content for you to use on your website, in email marketing, social media posts and beyond. When the media sees that you have content on this topic, they will want you even more.

5. Bullet Points and What You’d Say

   This part is crucial when writing your pitch email. The one thing most people do not include is… What they’d actually say. In the body of your email, include short answers you might deliver.

6. Local Media Needs You Badly

   Here’s a secret… they need your help. They need to fill spots with stories and they need people to pitch them ideas. It’s as simple as that. Be the solution.

7. Don’t Forget the Power of Internet Media

   The internet has the greatest reach of any media outlet. It’s worldwide. It also has something else that beats traditional media… it can be incredibly focused. You can have a wide reach and target your right fit prospect at the same time. I’m talking about podcasters, bloggers, people who will post online interviews. These outlets don’t get pitched as much as traditional media and need your help. I use the phrase internet media because not all internet media is social media. Some is just your content for people to consume.

8. Write Articles and Guest Blogs

   People need your content. Content helps with ranking in search engines. This is a guaranteed way to be seen by more people and to have greater visibility.

9. Author Strategy

   This makes you an instant expert. Write a short book. Organizations can easily do this now as well. You can distribute this yourself or through Amazon. Books are an amazing media opportunity. They don’t have to be long. They just have to share great content.

10. BE The Media

    The tables have finally turned. You can now be the media. You can host a Facebook Live, a tele-seminar or Webinar. You can post YouTube videos share your own articles. When you are the publisher or broadcaster, you are guaranteed to get your content out there for others to see.

Jess Todtfeld high energy keynotes and sessions are interactive, fun, and filled with actionable takeaways. Make sure to check out one of his speaker videos as well as many of the video testimonials.

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