This weekend I attended a meeting of the NSA-DC chapter of the National Speakers Association, and one of the guest speakers, Susan Sarfati of American Program Bureau (a Boston-based speakers bureau), offered a list of things meeting planners want in a good speaker.  Now, when you think about it, meeting planners want what most audiences are after, a great experience so their client – the host organization – feels upbeat about their meeting.  I’ve divided the list into two categories, those items that relate primarily to the quality of the speaker (style and content) and those items that have more to do with their character (what they are like to work with).

 

Speaker Quality

 

Relevant topic for the audience

The speaker’s ability to relate to the audience

Dynamic

Inspirational

Captivating

Authentic

Likeable

Uses humor

Doesn’t read the slides

Provides information beyond the obvious

Uses relevant stories

 

Speaker Character

 

Doesn’t use a gate-keeper or handler

Approachable (for the audience, willing to stay and talk)

Giving and willing to share information (handouts, slides)

Doesn’t complain to the audience about how little time they have to speak

Doesn’t try to sell from the stage

Understands the sponsoring organization (did some homework)

Exceeds expectations

Understands the time frame and fills it effectively

 

The Speaker Quality items track pretty closely with what we are finding in our own polling of CEOs around the country.  So far this year I have been able to share our communication skills package to over 200 CEO’s in Philadelphia, San Diego, Phoenix, Raleigh-Durham, Providence, R.I., San Francisco, and Toronto, Canada.  During each seminar we ask what they expect from a “great presentation.”  The results are remarkably similar where ever we go.  We will soon publish that list and let you know via this blog.