• Market Knowledge
• Speed
• Sales Experience
• Paperwork
• Negotiations

When it comes to booking a keynote speaker for an important event, the best way to avoid unexpected mistakes is to work with a Speakers Bureau that is highly experienced and quick to respond in case of emergency. Choose a Speakers Bureau that you feel confident in and that will go above and beyond to ensure that your event is a success. Not only does it help everything run smoothly on the big day, but it helps your team save a ton of time in the long run.

The speaking market has exploded over the last ten years, to the point where nearly every new author wants to start giving speeches at the corporate level. For a buyer of speakers, it is increasingly difficult to find fresh speakers who are very good at giving presentations.

Robinson Speakers Bureau is in New York City, and every day, speakers call us, pitching their materials. We also have lunch with well-established speakers every week somewhere in Manhattan. Our offices are in Soho… right in the heart of the action. This allows us to form personal relationships before telling clients about a great speaker.

This article is for someone like you… who buys speakers for corporate events. And these tips are from seven years operating on the front-line.

1/ Market Knowledge: You might have an idea for a business speaker or motivational speaker, but an agency knows the market thoroughly. Not just from online videos, but from actually being there, live, at a conference, with the speaker on stage. We have seen the audience reactions, received thank you notes from clients, and referrals. If you call us, we can rattle off a dozen names that will fit your price and theme, and will probably find the best speaker very quickly. It does come down to taste, but always use our knowledge.

2/ Speed: If a client needs to select a speaker fast, we can make it happen, and often connect them with a speaker in a couple of hours. We have the cellphone numbers, emails, know the price, know their flexibility with fees. Basically, if you’re in a hurry, an agency is invaluable.

3/ Sales Experience: With some speakers, who are in high demand, we need to sell your event to them, or really convince them to fit your event into a busy travel schedule. It’s not always about price. Sometimes it’s their book, or the audience, residual business. These hot-buttons need to be pitched the right way, and with established credibility, we’ll stand a greater chance of securing the speaker for your event.

4/ Paperwork: Contracts from huge corporates can be somewhat daunting. The last thing you want is to tie up the speaker and his lawyer for weeks picking through a contract. The deal is never secure until the signature is on dotted line. Bureaus can always speed this up, because we’ve seen most of the paperwork styles before, and know which parts are negotiable, and which points are just not worth the trouble. Most times we use our own contract, which has been almost standardized across the industry.

5/ Negotiation: I hate to say this, but bureaus can have more leverage in a negotiation than companies. We bring speakers a lot of business, and often they will help us get the deal done, knowing that we might have five more engagements for them in the next month. To them, it’s worth doing whatever they can to facilitate the deal. Corporations will rarely re-book the same speaker two years in a row, so this is another important reason to use a bureau.

Still have questions about working with a Speakers Bureau? Contact Robinson Speakers for more information! We’d be happy to speak with you and help you find the perfect keynote speaker for your event.