Finding Canadian virtual speakers for a webinar or online event can be challenging since there are many new virtual speakers in the industry and not all professional speakers make good presentations online. Finding a virtual speaker has brought event organizers “back down to basics” to search, find and book online speakers for corporate meetings online.

KNOW THE AUDIENCE AND WHAT THEY HOPE TO LEARN AT A WEBINAR MEETING AND ESTABLISH THE PURPOSE OF THE EVENT, EVENT THEME AND WHAT YOU WANT PARTICIPANTS TO WALK AWAY WITH

Meet with your leaders and team members to collect data on what type of virtual speaker will be successful at the event. Outline specific organizational or personal challenges employees may be facing to include them in the criteria for the speakers’ session. Ask about previous virtual events and what went well and what could have been improved. Understand their professions and their willingness to attend a virtual event if held by the organization. Find out if the event is meant for a “break away” for employees to motivate and inspire them or if it is more beneficial to have the attendees walk away with new tools and skills they can implement in their lives and at the workplace.

WHAT TOPICS DO YOU HOPE FOR THE SPEAKER TO ADDRESS AND WHAT DO YOU WANT PARTICIPANTS TO LEARN IN THE SESSION

Before you start your search, remember to know the topics you hope for the virtual speaker to address to the audience and the desired learning outcomes of the presentation. Much like an in-person event, each speaker offers different approaches to working with organizations and offering practical solutions on a specific subject matter. Knowing what you hope to achieve through the virtual event for the attendees and establishing the session requirements and the criteria for the speaker to be successful with your employees will help you narrow your search online. Understand if you require an engaging interactive and entertaining virtual presentation or if you want to motivate, educate, and activate the audience with practical insights and usable tools virtual attendees can use right after the event.

ESTABLISH YOUR BUDGET AND MAXIMIZE YOUR INVESTMENT FOR A VIRTUAL EVENT

How much should you spend on a virtual speaker? Professional virtual speakers often discount their fees since they do not have to travel to the event location and can present virtually to multiple organizations per day. Needless to say, the higher investment in the virtual speaker the better the virtual presentation will be. Having a reasonable budget between $2,500 to $15,000 for a virtual presenter will be sufficient to book Canada’ top virtual speakers.

Know if you will have other virtual speakers in the program on the day or if the CEO or leadership will be participating in the event. Include them in the conversation at an early stage. Virtual events and online meetings allow organizations to invite a larger number of attendees from different departments and locations as long as the software platform supports the number of attendees invited to the session and that log in on the day of the event. Collaborate with organizations and different business locations is one of the biggest advantages for virtual events since organizations can combine budgets and impact more people at a virtual event, since there are no travel costs associated with the speaker.

MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKERS VS VIRTUAL SPEAKERS

Motivational keynote speakers and guest speakers are different then professional virtual speakers. We have seen the virtual speaking industry grow and many motivational speakers attempted to go “virtual” with their speaking but were not successful. On the other had, there were some professional speakers that became powerful engaging virtual speakers as they adapted their business for online events. Why? Some motivational speakers are only successful in an in person setting since they thrive on human interaction and connection. Virtual presentations on different software platforms can limit the speakers ability to see the virtual attendees, gauge their reaction and the “energy of the room” does not exist in a virtual event environment. Many professional speakers invested in elaborate set ups, home studios and advanced the space with tips and tricks to engage the audience online. Some strategies worked and stayed, and some were short lived, as virtual speakers continue come up with new ideas and presentation formats for an innovative approach to speaking virtually.

The virtual speakers that became professional virtual speakers had some key points of learning and take aways for the audience. They also have a natural and authentic speaking ability for engaging storytelling and interaction with participants. They often have a good sense of knowing their content to align with the needs of different audience members. Investing in virtual content that is relevant to each virtual attendee will drive a larger impact at an online event and virtual keynote speakers are able to use their content to promote and market themselves as virtual speakers. Engaging virtual speakers will also include polling, workbooks, or interactive webinar Q&A to create more engagement for attendees with a higher amount of interaction. Top virtual speakers will be familiar with all software platforms and be able to improvise on short notice if production, internet, or the technical set up has any glitches. Lastly great virtual speakers bring a high energy and posses excellent sense of humour that they can tell appropriate jokes and bring smiles to uplift the audience.

ASK YOUR COLLEAGUES & PARTNERING ORGANZIATIONS IF THEY KNOW ANY GOOD VIRTUAL SPEAKERS

One of the best ways to find virtual keynote speakers for webinars is to ask if any of your team members or any leaders from organizations you trust have been able to view a great virtual speaker at one of their online conferences or events. Ask them about some of the virtual presentations that were not as good, and the reasons why. Having personal reference from professionals that you work with will give you insight into what makes a good virtual presentation and engages the audience if they are working from home. Remember to ask them for some virtual speaker names or resources they have used such as a Canadian virtual speaker bureau to support them in connecting them with qualified virtual motivational speakers.

RESEARCH PROFESSIONAL SPEAKERS AND MOTIVATIONAL KEYNOTE SPEAKERS THAT WERE SUCCESSFUL AT PREVIOUS EVENTS

A great way to find a virtual speaker is to reach out to previous guest speakers you had in the past for in person events to see if they are presenting virtually or if they have any recommendations for resources to search and find a virtual keynote speaker. Ask them if they “went virtual” with their business and explore if they may be a good fit for your upcoming event. Since you have established a relationship with the speaker, they will want to assist you in finding the perfect virtual speaker for your online meeting.

SEARCH ONLINE AND ON YOUTUBE

Search terms like “virtual speakers in Canada” or “Canadian online speakers for webinar meeting” to find a list of engaging virtual keynote speakers. Add to the search by entering the topics you hope for the speaker to address one by one, and you will be able to produce different results. Once you find any speaker of interest, make sure to check out their YouTube channel and see how they present themselves on a webinars, videos, and interviews. Videos may not always be the best way to discover the content the speaker presents on virtually; however, they are a great way to learn the energy they bring in front of the camera and their speaking ability in a virtual setting. Create a list of virtual speakers that you feel can be potential speakers at the webinar and take down their contact information and save their websites/videos so that you can review them at one of your team meetings.

CONTACT A CANADIAN VIRTUAL SPEAKERS BUREAU

Speakers Bureau of Canada is a motivational speakers bureau and also a virtual speakers bureau that has a large list of engaging virtual speakers for ZOOM, MS TEAMS, AND GOTO MEETINGS online events. Through working on hundreds of virtual events a year, our virtual speakers talented agents can send you a list of qualified virtual keynote speakers that present on specific topics. Our speakers for webinars and online events are tested and proven with a wide variety of organizations. They are able to meet the standards, technical requirements and customize the content of the presentation to align with organizational needs and the desired learning outcomes for the audience. Whether you are looking for a Canadian motivational virtual speaker or an informative webinar speaker, Speakers Canada’s talent is has the skills and ability to deliver a powerful, motivating, and educational virtual presentation for audiences of all sizes.