11/ 30/ 2007
by Eric Butterman
Jump start creativity with an inspiring outside perspective
When Trina Patrick was planning the hardwood flooring distributor's summit that her company holds every year, she knew she needed a speaker who could raise the spirits of customers, who, for the past year, had been negatively affected by the housing slump.
"We typically choose someone involved in the industry, but knowing that the industry is struggling, we didn't want to send a negative message to our customers," says Patrick, marketing director at Roseville, Minn.-based Artistic Finishes.
That's why she called Ross Bernstein, a professional speaker, sports author and former mascot for the University of Minnesota hockey team. So what's the connection to hardwood flooring?
"We told him we were looking for someone who could focus on leadership through tough times," she says. So Bernstein talked to Artistic Finishes' customers about Herb Brooks, coach of the U.S. hockey team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Olympics despite being favored to lose.
"He gave them a fresh perspective on change and leadership and sent them home inspired, not discouraged."
When Sean Swarner speaks to business groups, he tries to help them make a connection between his experience and their own. "When I tell employees my story, it gets them inspired to give more," says Swarner, the first cancer survivor to ever climb Mount Everest. "When I talk about how I cheated death twice as a kid with terminal cancer and then took on Everest, you can see the audience realizing there are goals in their own life and at work that they can accomplish."
The key to making that connection is ensuring that your speaker has the right tools. If you want to emphasize a specific message, Swarner says, the more material about your company you give beforehand, the more it can be incorporated in the speaker's talk.
Before Artistic Finishes' distributor's summit, Bernstein visited the facility and took a tour "so he could really get to know our business and figure out how to tailor his presentation to suit our organization," Patrick says.
If you can't meet with your speaker in person, Patrick says talking on the phone and getting to know each other can help ensure the presentation will be a success.
How to Find the Best Speaker for Your Business
Make sure hiring a speaker is a good move for your business—and your budget. Artistic Finishes' Trina Patrick suggests thinking locally to limit travel expenses. Plus, she says, a local speaker has a similar understanding of the economy and the environment your employees live in, making it easier to forge a connection. If the speaker you're interested in doesn't seem enthusiastic, that's a red flag. "Just like with any relationship, you have to do that gut check," Patrick says. Finally, before signing the contract, ask for references as well as a preview video of presentations the speaker has conducted in the past.
