Five Steps to Finding Speakers

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in the December 2003 issue of Leadership Tips, an e-mail bulletin formerly sent to STC leaders by the STC Leadership Tips Committee. The author has updated it for Tieline.

Communities put a lot of time and energy into setting up meetings that provide value to members. Finding the right speaker is essential to keeping your meetings interesting and lively. Here are some tips for those who are responsible for finding speakers.

1. Start by choosing topics that interest your membership. Easy to say, but how do you know what interests your membership? You can do any or all of the following:

Conduct a survey by mail, phone, or online
Read about trends in publications such as Intercom
Monitor mailing lists that your members read—your own chapter lists, Society SIG lists, or even non-STC lists such as TECHWR-L
Add a question to the bottom of your program evaluation forms asking attendees about other topics they’d like to see

2. Identify speakers who are knowledgeable on the chosen topics. Get a couple of people together with your list of topic ideas, and brainstorm. For additional ideas, you could:

Check with your local universities or colleges
Contact authors of relevant articles published in Intercom or Technical Communication
Search the STC conference proceedings database
Look at the calendars of other chapters or organizations in your area—you may be able to share a speaker (and associated expenses)

3. Contact potential speakers two to four months before the date you want them to speak. This communicates respect for their schedules and gives them enough time to prepare. Be ready with this information:

Date (and alternatives, if any)
Start and end times
Location
Topic (or a selection the speaker can choose from)
Type of presentation you expect
Audience information (profile of membership, expected attendance)
Facility information (such as projector availability, room size, and so on)

Start with a phone call or e-mail. Introduce yourself by giving your name, your community, and your role in the community. If the speaker is not an STC member, be prepared with a brief explanation of what STC is and who we represent.

Then simply ask if the person would be willing to speak at your meeting. Expect a lot of questions, but if you’ve done the preparation, you should have the answers handy. You may need to negotiate the date, topic, or type of presentation. Be sure to give your name and phone number so the speaker can contact you with any questions. This would also be a good time to mention whether you’re able to pay travel expenses, and to discuss any other financial expectations.

If the speaker agrees to present at your meeting, terrific! You’re almost done. Before you hang up, be sure to get a current address and other contact information, and request whatever your team will need for publicity (a paragraph describing the topic, a bio, and a photo of the speaker are common requests).

If the speaker decides to say no, thank him or her for taking the time to consider the matter. Ask for recommendations of other experts in the field; this person may have some great contacts.

4. Confirm everything twice. Immediately after your speaker accepts the invitation, send a confirmation letter including the date, topic, amount of time for the presentation, meeting time and location, and a preferred arrival time. You may also want to include details such as where to park and where to meet you or another leader. Include a map if necessary, and reiterate other special agreements you may have made on the phone. Be sure to include your own contact information—at the very least a phone number and e-mail address.

About a week before the actual meeting, call your speaker to confirm the date and time, provide directions if needed, and answer any last-minute questions. You’ll also want to make sure that you arrange for any A/V equipment the speaker needs.

5. Show your appreciation. Thank the speaker at the meeting, and again privately after the meeting. Make sure to send a thank-you letter. Include some specifics about the speaker’s presentation, perhaps including audience comments. If you normally include a program review in your newsletter or on your Web site, send a copy (or link) to the speaker.

If you enjoyed the presentation, consider scheduling a date with the same speaker for next year. Having been treated so well, he or she will probably want to visit your community again!

Brenda Huettner is an STC fellow, a member of the Southern Arizona Chapter STC, and a member of the Management, Consulting & Independent Contracting, Usability & User Experience, and AccessAbility SIGs. Through her company, P-N Designs, Inc., she writes manuals, conducts training, and authors Help systems. She also writes books and articles on management and communication topics. Brenda’s latest book is Managing Virtual Teams: Getting the Most from Wikis, Blogs, and other Collaborative Tools with co-authors Kit Brown and Char James-Tanny.

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