Speaking of Empowerment

Are you hosting a conference and worried your audience may not be as large as hoped? Are you planning an organisation’s annual dinner and hoping to make it memorable?  Are you launching a new product for the media or introducing a new business technique to your company? Are you organising an upcoming charity event and keen to boost attendance and donations? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then it might be time to consider an after dinner speaker.

Many event organisers would agree that in any of the situations mentioned above, an after dinner speaker would be their weapon of choice. In cases where an after dinner speaker has a little bit of celebrity, the effect could be even better. And that doesn’t just mean celebrity in the conventional, showbiz sense, but rather any type of renown or respect in a particular field.

In the business world, an after dinner speaker might attend anything from the dinner following an AGM, a training day or a conference. This is an example of when a speaker with renown rather than fame, per se, might come in handy.Employing an after dinner speaker who is highly respected in the relevant business field could encourage more people to attend and add weight and authority to any new practices or techniques introduced at training days.

In the world of charity, the after dinner speaker is a fantastic tool. Depending on the type of charity and the expected audience, using a famous face can be a wonderful boost. Before the event, a celebrity after dinner speaker can raise the profile of the event and the charity itself. With interest comes attendance and with attendance come donations. So be sure to make the most of your after dinner speaker.

Deciding on the type of after dinner speaker to go with is never easy. Choosing a famous face might seem obvious, but be careful to ensure the speaker is right for the expected audience’s age, gender and interests.

An after dinner speaker with plenty of experienced will be highly skilled in his or her art. Their previous experience will always shine through when their presentation is compared to that of a newly emerging after dinner speaker. This is because inexperienced speakers may not have finely tuned all the skills which are so vital to great presentations.

Because the type of message an after dinner speaker might be trying to get across can vary so widely from one event to another, it is obviously important that he or she has strong communication skills. However, humour is also vital if the speaker is to prevent boredom amongst audience members. Because the after dinner speaker is expected to entertain the audience during what is a natural lull in proceedings, they must be humorous to prevent any after dinner lull. Aside from humour, brevity is another string to the after dinner speaker’s bow. Conveying messages without spending hours doing it always makes for a good speaker.

Furthermore, good, solid knowledge is very important for an after dinner speaker. They must have a good grounding in their subject matter or else the audience is unlikely to take them seriously and will probably disregard their message. In this regard, the person responsible for hiring the after dinner speaker has a role to play. Hiring a former Big Brother housemate to speak at a conference on sales techniques would obviously be foolish. Still, even a knowledgeable speaker will need to be given some information about the company and the audience.

Another major skill that any good after dinner speaker will be able to demonstrate is their ability to understand an audience and its needs. Of course, this does not mean that audiences should neglect to provide background information. Failure to consider the specific needs and position of an audience has caused many an after dinner speaker to put their foot in it, with inappropriate jokes proving common.

We've all heard of an after dinner speaker and what they do at various events, including charity events, educational and sporting events, but what about keynote speakers? Without being aware of it though, most people have heard keynote speakers at one time or another. This is simply because unlike an after dinner speaker, we aren't all so familiar with the notion of keynote speakers.

Keynote speakers are the speakers who deliver speeches at various events, which are normally important, large or grand. The events might be political, industrial, commercial or academic. The purpose of the speech is to set out the general tone of the event as a whole. Therefore, keynote speakers will most likely set out the main points or messages of the event in a summary.

Depending on whether they are introducing or summing up the event, keynote speakers may perform at the beginning or the end. If they are introducing it then they will be employed to raise interest amongst the audience so that they are really geared up for the conference, exhibition or event. On the other hand, if they are employed to speak at the end of the event, they will focus more on summing up key messages so that the audience leaves with a very clear understanding of what the event has been about.

Keynote speakers have generally been trained in public speaking and know how to make engaging and coherent speeches. Oftentimes they are also famous, renowned or well respected in their field. They are never hired only for speaking ability, but for the authority and the expertise with which they can comment on a subject area. As a result, keynote speakers are generally educated, successful and in some cases business minded.

Keynote speakers are sometimes hired to reward attendees. Many students are rewarded with a speech by someone they look up to or respect at their graduation ceremony. Also, many keynote speakers are hired with the simple aim of increasing interest in and attendance at an event.

Not everyone can comfortably speak or perform in front of a lot of people. For some, it can even be a frightening experience which is to be avoided at all costs. Stage fright or performance anxiety affects a lot of people and some of the symptoms include anxiety and paranoia before, during and after a performance.

Even keynote and business speakers who are experienced and trained in public speaking can suffer from anxiety before a speech. While some people have the ability and presence of mind to remain cool and composed in stressful situations, most of us are geniuses as far as coming up with all the negative thoughts that may happen before and/or during a performance.

The context of the performance will often play a role in the amount of nerves someone experiences. A speaker can feel more or less anxious depending on whether they are on the stage by themselves, the number of people in the audience and if the evaluation is important for career prospects among other factors. For a larger audience, the speaker might experience more nerves. In a job interview, the applicant is more nervous in front of the manager than the secretary.

Variations Of Anxiety.

1.     Most common among sufferers of performance anxiety is a fluttery, unsettled sensation which slowly dies down once the speech has begun. When the speaker begins to feel calmer, this shows that they are able and willing to perform and the adrenaline may even make them better.

2.     Reactive anxiety is something which happens when the speaker or performer is not prepared enough or they do not have any public speaking skills. This will go away with practise and experience and of course, more public speaking. Business speakers get better in this way.

3.     What is most common with stage fright are the physical and emotional signs which can include sweating and shaking, an uneven voice, fear and panic and a quick heart rate. The thought that you will be unsuccessful at the speech is what causes these reactions.

Positive thinking is a way that the anxiety can be alleviated as they no longer think their performance will be bad. The performer should learn to accept the fear but use breathing exercises and practise to overcome the fearful triggers. You may discover that fear still remains, but you notice that you can handle it, as you are beginning to get the sense of enjoyment from your performance and from connecting with others.

Remembrance events are a time for reflection, for thanks and for respect for those who gave up their lives or suffered for the common good. however we never forget those who have suffered fighting for their country, which is easy to see in the outpouring of remembrance every November 11th and with the passing of the last soldiers who fought in WW1 earlier this year.

The modern wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have brought home just how easy it is to take our lives for granted, and as we reach the 100th death in Afghanistan in this year alone, there has been an outpouring of remembrance and thanks to those soldiers who still fight for our protection. Public displays of remembrance have been held around the country to thank and think about those who still serve, get injured or die in war. At events like these we can feel even closer to the soldiers through keynote speakers who can tell us of their firsthand accounts and touching words.

Keynote speakers are often thought of as third rate celebrities who will do any event so long as they are being paid. However, there are members of the armed forces and everyday citizens that have personally experienced battle, warfare and injury who speak at events such as these. When you are listening to a soldier who has seen people die and lived in a war zone it really does make you realise just what soldiers go through and your respect increases.

However, the keynote speakers at these events will make it a speech full of optimism and hope rather than despair and sadness, because what we achieve on the battle field and what we have achieved, has shaped our success as a  leader on the global stage. We have become a fair democracy that treats all our citizens correctly and our army now fights to keep it that way from enemies of democracy.