The art of the after dinner speaker

Whether you’re organising a charity event or an awards ceremony, arranging a function can be a challenging experience. Finding a suitable after dinner speaker can be tricky too, especially if you’re not sure what to look out for.

It could be said that there is a certain art to being able to present the perfect speech. As talent agency NMP Live point out, you’ll need an after dinner speaker who is at the top of their game. So, if you’re looking for the ideal spokesperson, keep reading.

 

Knowing the audience

A polished speaker always knows their audience. Regardless of the occasion, your orator should be able to adapt to any audience and have sufficient knowledge of your company and industry. So, whether your firm specialises in IT or fashion, the perfect speaker will have the talent and know-how to fine tune their speech so that it is engaging, relevant and on topic for the listeners.

 

Perfecting the timing

From start to finish, a good speaker is able to time their speech to perfection. While it’s up to you to set a specific time for your speaker to take to the stage, it’s important to remember that they’re the expert. To capture the energy of the room, be sure to allow them to begin their talk sooner rather than later. Leaving the speech too late into the evening could risk you losing the interest of your listeners. When it comes to the length of the speech, a great orator should know what might be considered too much or too little. As the organiser, you could give them a guide as to how long you’d like the speech to last. Whether it’s 10 minutes of half an hour, a talented speaker should be able to tailor their technique to fit the timeframe you give them.

 

Relying on technique

One of the secrets to a successful speech is technique. Ideally, a good speaker should be fluid when it comes to their content. While sticking to an exact script might work for some, most talented speakers have only a small amount of prepared material, with the rest being left to improvisation. Moreover, a great orator isn’t phased, whether it’s by nerves or hecklers. They are confident and able to perform with the utmost conviction and belief in what they’re saying.

If you make the right choice, an after dinner speaker could help ensure your event is a successful and memorable one.