A. Plan ahead
Do your research. Brian Palmer of the National Speakers
Bureau in Lake Forest, Illinois, keeps a database on speakers'
behavior which he calls "scouting reports".
They are very detailed and include the bad news as well
as the good: who is reliable, who cancels at the last minute,
who drinks too much, and many other key details. Other companies
such as IBM also keep data on speakers which they share within
the company only. Be sure to ask the professional speaker
to send a recent videotape of his or her performing before
a group. Review it and check out their all around reputation.
Also, if you have worked with a speaker you respect, ask for
a recommendation.
That speaker may be able to recommend a colleague who will
be the perfect fit for your group. A common mistake in choosing
a speaker is not being clear about your expectations and needs
and not communicating them to the speaker. Some meeting planners
are intimidated by giving instructions to a "celebrity" speaker,
but no matter what you are paying, or even if the speaker
is not charging you, they are there to do a superior job for
you and your group. Just because your speaker is someone well
known or a "star" does not mean that they won't take detailed
instructions about your audience and your expectations. It
is absolutely essential the speaker understands the ethnic
diversity of your organization and the audience they will
be addressing. As the meeting planner, it is your responsibility
to educate the speaker about your organization, internal problems
the audience is concerned about and who are the attendees.
B. Be sure you and your speaker are up to date on "political
correctness"
As a planner, you should expect politically correct behavior
and language from your speakers -- from "stars" to industry
speakers. Be sure to make that clear to them beforehand. An
Asian-American attorney in San Francisco attended a speech
given by a well known lawyer. He was talking about jury selection
and warned against picking Asian Americans for fear of "accent
discrimination". The attorney spoke to him afterward to point
out that he was perpetuating stereotypes, but he refused to
see her point. Now she and many of her colleagues remember
the racial slur more than the rest of his presentation.
An executive from a major utility company reported hearing
a presentation from her own company's lobbyist. The speaker
made several sexist remarks and the executive said all she
remembers about the entire speech is those remarks.
Lenore Billings-Harris, an international speaker and educator
specializing in cultural and workplace diversity, routinely
asks groups she works with to tell her what terms they NEVER
want to hear again from a speaker. She said that no matter
what ethnic group one is talking to, being referred to as
"you people" is offensive to everyone.
Ms. Billings-Harris adds that meeting planners need to be
sensitive even when planning themes and decorations for social
events. She said that one common mistake that is very offensive
to Hispanics is a Mexican theme featuring pictures of men
in sombreros sleeping against a cactus. This perpetuates a
stereotype of laziness and is offensive. She also said that
Native Americans dislike the term "squaw". Although there
are ski resorts, restaurants and many other places with "squaw"
in the title, it is offensive and does not mean what you may
think it means. As meeting planner, you want your attendees
to leave the event feeling they have learned something new,
not that they were insulted.
C. Be aware of warning signs
If the speaker uses culturally insensitive language when
speaking with you, you might assume she or her will use it
in the speech. If your attendees will be primarily white males,
consider a speaker who isn't. Diversity in your speakers is
as important as diversity in your audience. In fact, if you
are planning a meeting for an organization that is primarily
men, the corporate powers often want someone "different" as
the keynote speaker to offer another viewpoint.
D. Trust your own instincts
Do not book a speaker until you are sure this is the right
one for your group.
E. Remember, the speakers are on your side
By keeping them well informed about your group, you will
make them part of your team.
