An after dinner speaker must combine charisma, humor, intelligence and entertainment into a single presentation. An after dinner speaker must be able to capture the attention of the audience within seconds and maintain their attention throughout the presentation.
Your after dinner speaker must have charisma. If they lack this essential quality they will fail to engage your audience. At most dinner events there are many distractions. The speaker you choose must be able to use his or her charm to capture attention immediately and maintain it for the remainder of their presentation.
Humor goes a long way towards maintaining the attention of the audience. You want to make sure the after dinner speaker you choose has a sense of humor and understands that their humor must be appropriate for the venue and the audience. This is something you should discuss prior to signing a contract with any after dinner speaker.
Intelligence is also very important. The audience has to feel that the presentation has value to them. The speaker must convey intelligence to be considered credible by the audience. Watching video clips of potential after dinner speakers can help you determine if the speaker is able to convey their intelligence during a presentation.
An after dinner speaker must be entertaining. No one likes to be lectured to. Your audience must be entertained if their attention is needed for more than 15 minutes. A good after dinner speaker will be entertaining, informative and motivating. Again, it is important to view video clips of the potential speaker to confirm if they have this ability.
Everyone judges entertainment differently. You are the best judge of what will and will not work for your target audience. Watching video clips of the potential after dinner speaker can help you know whether or not they are a good fit for your organization.
The epitome of an after dinner speaker is the person who can immediately capture the attention of your audience, maintain their attention and use that time to inspire, motivate and enrich the audience. When you find this you have found the right after dinner speaker for your organization.
