If you had to read that headline twice, or a few times, to make sense of it, I apologize. But, as subtle as it might seem, there’s a big difference between a “professional speaker” and a professional who just happens to be a speaker.

Let me explain: There are lots of men and women who can give a great presentation – one that’s fun and entertaining – but if you want real value for your money, and your audience’s time, then it pays to look for someone who is an expert in some area and has worked on their presentation skills, rather than the other way around. Why? Because to put it in the simplest and most unrefined terms, it’s fun to listen to a lot of great stories, jokes, and motivational material, but at the end of the day a keynote presentation that’s made entirely of “fluff” doesn’t do much for you or your audience.

Likewise, there are thousands of experts across Canada who are filled with fascinating, insightful information. But, if they can’t present it in a way that’s interesting and compelling to your audience, then what have you really gained beyond a couple of hours of nodding off?

Since the long-term return on investment for vague happy feelings and naptime sessions is pretty close to nil, the key to finding an effective speaker is locating a man or woman who has a defined expertise in a particular area – like Internet marketing, or personnel management, for example – and has taken the time to make it relevant and interesting. Go without either of those ingredients, and especially the first one, and your speaking dollars will have ended up being wasted.

The question of whether you want a professional speaker or a speaking professional might seem trivial, but it’s probably the most important one when it comes to getting the presentation your group really wants and needs.

If you’re looking for a speaker that’s fun, humorous, and informative, look no further. David West speaks across Canada on business and technology topics. Contact us today to find out about his rates and availability.

Meeting planners will resort to a lot of different ideas when it comes to finding the right speaker for their event, and I can understand why. Choose the right personality, one that shares a ton of useful information while entertaining your attendees, and you’ll come off looking like a hero. Go with the wrong person, and you risk looking bad in the eyes of senior management… not to mention facing questions about how you managed the budget for the meeting.

For that reason, I’m going to offer you an insider’s trick – a can’t-miss way to separate the really great Canadian professional speakers from the ones that will leave you wishing you had never heard of them: Find a professional speaker who has been hired multiple times by the same group.

On the surface, this could seem like a small detail, but it isn’t. Here’s why: For someone to have been brought in again by the same organization (regardless of whether it was for the same audience, or if it was months or years apart) says something about their work, and the reception they received. No one would pay to hear somebody twice unless they hit the mark, and they certainly wouldn’t shell out extra dollars to have them speak to a second audience if they didn’t work great with the first.

A lot of people won’t tell you what they really thought of a professional speaker, if only because they don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings or get caught expressing something negative when there’s a chance it can get back to them. But, as with all parts of life, if you follow the money you’ll get a definite answer. People vote with their purchases, and that’s a great way to find out what they really think about any product or service. So, if you’re looking for a Canadian professional speaker who is a cut above the rest, just go and find one who has been brought back multiple times by the same client.

Looking for a great speaker in Canada, and an expert on technology, the Internet, and online marketing? Call David West today – he could be the perfect presenter for your next industry event or trade association meeting!

In today’s economy, no group or trade association can afford to waste money on any part of an event. This is true for things like hotels and meals, but it especially applies to professional speakers. After all, once that presentation has been given, you can’t request another or send it back to the kitchen.

On this blog, you’ll find plenty of articles that should help you find the best Canadian professional speaker for your industry event or trade association meeting. Today, however, I would like to do something a little bit different and offer a few tips to help you get more value out of any speaker you book.

Here are four ways to turn the speaker for your next event into a better investment:

Choose a relevant topic and expert. It goes without saying that choosing the right speaker gives you better value, but it’s easy for meeting planners to go with the topic or personality that’s “hot” instead of one that has the right message for their group. Think carefully about the long-term message you want your audience to receive, and then find the person to best deliver it.

Do your homework. The more you know about the speaker’s presentation, the more you can ask them to tailor it to your audience. You might not want your speaker to completely rewrite or rearrange his or her talk, but by asking him or her to stress the right details, you can make their presentation more relevant to your group.

Give your speaker the right info ahead of time. In the same way, your speaker will very likely ask you for information about the audience, your industry, other speakers you’ve heard in the past, and so on well in advance of their speech. If you wait until the last minute to supply these details, then you’re allowing them much less time to be prepared – and lowering the chances that they’ll give an impactful session.

Make space in the schedule for a breakout session or Q&A period. Regardless of how well your speaker covers his or her topic, your attendees are likely to have questions, or want personal attention. Leave some room in the schedule for this to happen; the more loose ends your speaker can tie up directly with the audience, the more value they will have received for the time they spent listening.

Want to book one of Canada’s best technology speakers? Get in touch with David West today to find out about his speaking fees and availability.

The biographies and presentation descriptions for professional speakers in Canada are a bit like items on the menu at an upscale restaurant – they all sound good, but you have to read between the lines a little bit if you’re going to find something that’s a good match for your audience’s appetite. That’s because lots of speakers can be great, but you need a keynote or presentation that’s perfect for your group and event.

Here are a few things you should look for in presentation titles and descriptions that can help you narrow in on the right fit:

Overall topics and focus. Obviously, if you’re looking for a speaker on Internet marketing, for example, then the speaker who specializes in human resources isn’t going to be a great match. Likewise, someone who speaks on dozens of unrelated topics isn’t as likely to have as much knowledge or background in any of them as a subject expert is, so think carefully about the type of personality you want to hire.

Energy and enthusiasm. You can tell a lot about a speaker’s personality from the couple of short paragraphs in their presentation descriptions. If they’re filled with energy and excitement, then there’s a good chance their keynote or breakout session will, too. Likewise, a lack of enthusiasm should be a big red flag that their session might let attendees down.

Short, succinct points. Unless you have hours and hours for your speaker to talk, they’re going to need to sum up what they know into bite-sized chunks. If they can’t describe what they’re going to talk about in less than a couple of pages, then don’t be surprised when they ramble on stage, too. Giving a solid, professional presentation is as much about brevity as it is detail, so look for the right mix.

Details and content. Sometimes, you’ll see a presentation that’s perfect for your group, if it can only be tweaked slightly. Assuming your speaker knows his or her material well, this isn’t normally a problem if they’ve been given enough time to prepare. Still, make sure to ask any questions you have about their content and focus beforehand, so that you can have them make any necessary adjustments.

For a lot of meeting planners, regardless of whether it’s their full-time job or a temporary assignment, choosing a professional Canadian speaker for a business meeting or association event is a little bit of a mixed bag. If they get it right, they’ll look good to peers and supervisors; bring in a dud, and they may not be trusted with such a big decision for a long time in the future.

For that reason, a lot of men and women I talk to about keynote presentations and breakout sessions want to find someone who’s informative and dynamic… but also want to play it a little bit safe and be sure they don’t choose the wrong person. That’s completely understandable, and I can promise you that it is entirely possible to do both.

To make it easier, here are three things to look for in a Canadian professional speaker, no matter what kind of event you’re planning for:

The right topic. All the charisma in the world won’t help you if you choose someone who doesn’t have a topic that’s interesting to your audience. When in doubt, try to stick with universal themes, like better business management, or cutting-edge marketing techniques. These are topics that almost everyone is interested in, meaning that your speaker will have wide appeal.

Membership in the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers (CAPS). While booking someone with CAPS membership doesn’t guarantee that you’ll find the exact right fit, it does allow you to have confidence that you aren’t going with someone who hasn’t given lots of presentations before, or will struggle to make their point effectively. Because CAPS has some fairly rigorous standards in place, you can feel comfortable knowing you’re going to get a professional presentation.

Humor and energy. Depending on what kind of time you have your speaker slotted for, your attendees may be tired, distracted, jet-lagged, excited to see colleagues for the first time in several months, or all of the above. It takes a special kind of stage presence to overcome these factors, meaning that your speaker’s style is as important as their topics are. Remember that, and choose wisely.

As the owner of a growing web design company and one of Canada’s more popular (not to mention modest) technology speakers, it might not surprise you to know that I give dozens of keynotes and workshops on topics like search engine optimization and online marketing every year. What may surprise you, however, is that the majority of them aren’t for technical groups at all, but business associations and trade groups filled with plumbers, dry cleaners, florists, and more.

Do these folks really need to worry so much about finding customers online?

Believe it or not, they do – and in fact, the competition on the web within these industries, and most others, is getting fiercer than ever. This isn’t necessarily because the professionals and business owners in question are groundbreaking, but that they’re doing the smart thing and following their customers.

With the Yellow Pages and other forms of print advertising in a steep decline, there is a seemingly a reversible trend towards consumers looking for products and vendors online… even within their own local geographic areas. That means that businesses of all types and sizes have to be familiar with the basics of Internet marketing. Otherwise, they’re just going to have to sit back and watch their competitors quickly pull away.

Luckily, most people can learn the basics of Internet marketing in an hour or two; it doesn’t have to be a massive marathon effort. And so, for a meeting planner who would like to get a presentation that is impactful, the trick is to choose a web marketing speaker who is experienced and knows all the right concepts, but also can make it accessible by emphasizing the big picture and adding a little bit of humor.

Obviously, if you’re looking for a speaker for an upcoming industry or business event in Alberta or beyond, I would love to be that person. Regardless of whether you consider booking me, however, I encourage you to find a great technology speaker for your event – it can be a fun topic, and it’s a great thing for your attendees and the future of their businesses.

When it comes to choosing a keynote or breakout presentation speaker for a company or industry event, it doesn’t take long for the average executive or meeting planner to find out that there are many options to choose from… in fact, there may be too many in some cases. There are motivators, management specialists, marketing gurus, and a lot more.

But, if you’re looking for something that will be valuable to your attendees and make you look like a hero at the same time, then your best option might be to go with the technology speaker. Here are four quick reasons why:

It’s something different. Let’s face it, unless it’s one of their first few meetings or conferences, your attendees have already heard enough motivational and management presentations to fill a lifetime. I’m constantly amazed, though, at how many different groups have never had someone come and speak about the Internet, online marketing, and so on.

The Internet is a hot topic. The web has been a popular presentation topic for more than a decade, and it’s only getting stronger. Why? Because it’s still becoming a more and more important part of the business landscape. If your attendees aren’t getting online marketing right, then they are probably seeing parts of their business become less profitable than they used to be.

Your attendees probably have technology questions. In the same way, few managers or business owners understand concepts like search engine optimization, pay per click advertising, or social media marketing nearly as well as they would like. Having the opportunity to ask an expert specific questions about these parts of their business can be invaluable.

A technology presentation could have the biggest bottom-line impact. Even the best motivational speaker is unlikely to inspire lasting change in most people’s behavior, but attendees of a technology presentation can leave with a set of notes or a tip sheet that they can use right away to make more money. The more profitable your group can be as a result of the speaker you booked, the more highly they’re going to think of you and your decision.

April 1, 2010 eKzact Inc., a Calgary Social Media consultancy and search engine optimization service have opened a registration site. The new registration site is where eKzact will feature upcoming training workshops.

Currently workshops, scheduled and ready for registrations include;

• Search Engine Optimization
• Social Media for Business Owners
• A Social Media Breakfast for Real Estate Agents
• LinkedIn for Business

The iAmPlace.com approach to internet consulting is based on empower the client to take ownership of their online presence through education and support.

A practical “newbie” training…‎ By Sandy – Mar 30, 2010

I have been privileged to take two of eKzact’s social media courses and they have helped me overcome my fear in this area. They taught it in an understandable, hands-on method so that when I left, I felt confident that I could do this. Other courses left me feeling overwhelmed, rather than equipped. Though they’re very experienced in this field, they didn’t make me feel that my questions were silly. I felt very comfortable during the course and excited to try it out for my business. Thanks, Guys!!

We presented the first Blogging for Business seminar in Calgary on February 19^th and received excellent feedback from the attendees. In fact one of the participants was so pleased by the value and quality of the training that she insisted on sponsoring another session for her networking group.

So, on March 19^th, 2009, we are re-running our Blogging for Business seminar and are proud be be presented by Ronda Bertram and Carman LeFrance, both Publishers of WOMANITION in Alberta.

Here is what Ronda Bertram wrote;

“Do you know what google alerts, keywords and adwords are? I attended Dave’s course on February 18, 2009. It was hands down the best business course I have attended on the most up-to-date information available about blogging. This one course alone can increase your business ten fold if you follow the easy steps that Dave gives you to create your own blogs, and how to cross market yourself on the internet, search engine optimization for the lay person and how to increase your ranking on google….”

If you are not blogging for business, you really should consider joining me and the group from Womanition on March 19^th at 10:30 am.

To learn more about me and the seminar, please visit the “Blogging for Business” seminar page.