Top Questions to ask your meeting planner before you speak
Later this afternoon, I will take a short call from a client about my upcoming speaking program for them. They have asked me to join them as part of their manager's retreat. It seems that communication is an issue in their organization (and not just theirs!). It's a nice fit, because I happen to know a few things about communication! I've seen the responses from other similar organizations I've spoken to, so my confidence is high and I'm sure we can pull this off.
But if I rest on that last sentence, failure is lurking. Remember that small print on all your financial statements - "Past success is not an indicator of future returns!" Just because others programs have been well-received does not mean that this one is sure to be. I've learned (please don't ask HOW I've learned, this is a place for positive, feel-good stories!) to ask a few important questions of the meeting planner that could save the program from disaster.
Here are some of the questions on my checklist:
Who's in the audience?
This is the most important thing to understand. Who is in the audience? How many will be there? What are their expectations? Are they interactive? Upset/grumpy? What will they be wearing? The whole first half of our
content course is about understanding your audience. It should be the driving force behind everything a speaker says and does. The more you know about the audience, the better your talk can become.
But there are practical issues that we must address, too.
What's the room layout?
While I would argue (and teach) that a speaker should be able to adapt to any situation, there are some layouts that are better than others. If there's a meal involved, there will frequently be round tables and lots of distractions, which is a whole different set of problems than rows of seats in a conference ballroom.
I frequently ask the meeting organizer to take two pictures and send them to me: one from where they think I'll be standing and one from the back row of the audience facing back towards the front. Those two photos can tell me all I need to know about what will and won't work with regards to movement, audience participation, and distractions.
What's the audio setup?
Bad sound can scuttle a presentation/speech/talk in no time. Is there a mic? Is it a lapel, hand-held, or over-the-ear? Is there someone on call that can help when (not if), the audio begins to go bad? Side note, and not for the Q&A call with the meeting organizer: bring your own mic, spare batteries, and remotes - don't rely on someone else's incompetence to mess up your talk.
What's the visual setup?
For straight speeches, I am always prepared to do without, but if there
are visual options, I use them more and more. Small groups are great for flip charts. Is the projector mounted, or on a table with a beam I'll have to walk through? Is it 16x9 or 4x3 (I usually have both options available)? Can I see slides from someone else on the program (if I see Death By PowerPoint, then I know what I'm up against)?
How much time do we have?
This seems obvious, as they'll almost always tell you when they contract you. But this is a deeper question. First, what is the absolute, drop-dead time that people will want me off the stage? I don't accept, "oh, they'll love you, take whatever time you need." No, people do NOT (ever - EVER) want the speaker to run over. So you MUST finish on time. Which means you MUST know what the end time really is. Have a mechanism for shortening your talk when (not if) the speaker in front of you runs over. Bring a clock or iPad to display the time so you know.
Where am I in the program?
Who is before you? Who is after you? What's the transition/segue look like? Who will introduce me (have a bio sheet ready for them, and get to know them so they have something personal to add)?
What's your definition of success?
This is my favorite question to ask. I want the person signing the check
to state exactly what they see as a program worth their money. If they can't articulate what success looks like, then I know that they trust me, but there is also WAY too much leeway in our assignment. I then will help them find the problems I could help with. I don't want to just "be a speaker" - I want to solve the problems they face, ostensibly with communication, but often much more.
And the day of the program, shortly before walking on stage, I ask, "What's the end time again?" and "Who am I handing the program back to when I'm done?" I can't mess those up ("Well, I'm done, who's going to take it from here?" is a HORRIBLE way to close!).
This is not a comprehensive list, to be sure, but it's a great start to assure that you will not embarrass yourself as the "guest speaker". And please note this list says nothing about the legal issues of travel, payments, and contract. This is about you being the best you can be on stage.
Got additions? What questions have you found successful in securing those speaking gigs?
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