A business speaker is someone who gives a presentation at a corporate event such as a meeting or a convention. Authors and entrepreneurs can also be business speakers. Many business speakers have overcome personal obstacles to achieve great success, and they use their stories to inspire and motivate other businesspeople. A business speaker must always be an expert in their field, and they frequently have education and training in that field. The term “business keynote speaker” refers to the event’s tone or theme, and the speaker addresses that tone or subject.
If a meeting’s goal is to increase sales, for example, having a business speaker who is a proven expert in that area hits the right note or keynote of the meeting’s goal. However, if the meeting’s theme is international trade, a business speaker with experience studying globalization and business trends around the world would be a better fit. Successful business speakers share at least five characteristics, regardless of their area of expertise.
A good business speaker, for starters, speaks clearly and avoids awkward pauses and filler words like “er” and “um.” Second, no matter how large the audience is, engaging business speakers know how to maintain eye contact with them. Third, a skilled public speaker knows how to incorporate humor into any presentation without going overboard. Fourth, professional business speakers either have their speech memorized completely or glance at point-form notes every now and then — they never read their entire presentation from their notes. Fifth, an effective business speaker recognizes the value of visual aids and makes use of them whenever possible.
Speakers frequently use printed handouts that attendees can glance at throughout the presentation. Many business speakers use technology-assisted visuals to illustrate their main points, such as computer-generated images or graphs. Because many people learn visually, visual teaching aids can be extremely effective.
A company may hire a business speaker to provide information and motivational stories to motivate employees to take charge of their work and put forth their best effort. Many motivational business speakers have faced personal challenges, but have overcome them to become successful in their field. Their true stories have the ability to inspire others. A professional public speaking organization, such as the National Speaker’s Association, based in Tempe, Arizona, might be a good place to start looking for a business speaker.