The Six Qualities of a Conference Speaker

Posted by Amos Fred on November 11th, 2020

One of the highlights of a successful conference is the speakers. A good conference speaker will capture the audience's attention, engage them, and give a lot of life to the summit.

While great speakers like Steve Jobs made public speaking look so effortless, it is an art that requires a lot of skill and effort.

This means if you want your conference to be a success, you should take your time to look for a speaker who has the skill to draw and retain attention.

To start you off, here are some of the qualities that you should look for.

1. Confidence

Did you know that listeners will decide if a speaker is trustworthy and worth listening to within seconds?

Lack of confidence tends to show in the speaker's vocal attributes and body language.

If the audience does not find the speaker competent, they will lose interest in the speech.

A good speaker must display confidence. They should be accurate, believable, likable, credible,andintelligentin the audience's eyes.

Excellent speakers also know how to control their emotions and connect with their audience.

2. Charisma

Charismatic speakers are very likable, and they have a way of making their audience feel connected. With such a speaker, everyone will leave the conference feeling happy, uplifted, and more.

Such speakers leave a lasting impression on their audience and make them want to hear even more.

This is because of their firm and powerful demeanor.

3. Personalization/ Authenticity

A speaker's ability to be themselves is an essential quality. They need this to connect with their audience.

Remember, the audience can tell if a speaker is authentic or not.

Authenticity will add the wow factor to a speaker and the speech.

Everyone has a story to tell. If the speaker can use their personal experiences in their speech, they can win over their audience.

Get a conference speaker who is not shy about who they are or what they have been through and are ready to use it to inspire their audience.

4. Originality

Everyone wants to hear something fresh. The most influential speakers have their very own unique style of speaking. Their individual styles make them stand out and also evoke wit and humor.

A speaker’s originality will keep the audience entertained and engaged.

Try not to choose a speaker who imitates other speakers no matter how good the impersonation is. Originality also triggers the emotions of the audience.

5. Awareness

To keep their audience engaged, a speaker should always remain alert and aware of their audience's tone and mood.

They should know how to read the different emotions and understand if they are losing their audience.

A self-aware speaker will know what the audience likes and the energy in the room and use it to deliver the best speech.

6. Friendliness

Apart from having excellent oratory skills, a good conference speaker should create a bond with their audience.

They should not speak as though they are a harsh inapproachable boss.

Good speakers create some level of familiarity with whoever they are addressing. This also makes the audience more interested in what they have to say.

They can sympathize and empathize with them too.

We cannot overover-emphasize how important it is to have a good conference speaker.

So, before you choose a speaker, listen to their past speeches.