Here are some important questions to consider when selecting a speaker for your presentation:

1 Is the speaker accredited or certified? Sandro has an industry recognised FPSA accreditation.

2 Is the speaker represented by an agency? Most accredited speakers can be found using reputed agents. These agencies can help find the right speaker from a range of different people "on their books". They will help to find the appropriate style, personality and overall "fit" for your event.

3 Has the speaker been recommended? First hand recommendations are often the best way to find a good speaker. Reviews and testimonials are normally available from good speakers. (See Sandro's testimonials and reviews.)

4 How often does the speaker present? It is important to find out how often they speak, whether they have spoken at similar events before, how "professional" they are and how long have they been speaking professionally?

5 Does the speaker have anything relevant to say? It is important to find out if the speaker has relevant ideas and material to present. It would be good to find out if they have published their ideas in other formats, such as books, CDs or videos.

6 Does the speaker have subject descriptions or background biographical information to send out? It is good to read some background information since it gives an idea of their ability to be concise and clear.

7 Does the speaker use presentation aids? It is often interesting for the audience when a speaker enhances the presentation with slides, props, interactive aids or AV presentations.

8 Does the presentation meet the specific requirements of the audience? It is important to understand whether the speaker adapts their material based on the audience or event context, or whether they just do the same thing each time. Good speakers like to understand the requirements of their audience and specifically tailor their presentation prior to the event (as Sandro does!).

9 Is it possible to contact the speaker? It is good to be able to speak to the speaker personally prior to the event. This will give you a good "gut feeling" about them and whether they'd be appropriate for your event. Feel free to ask them some tricky questions since this is what your delegates may do! Gauge their response - can they think of their feet? And sound convincing?!

10 Once you have chosen your speaker, it is important for you to get the best from them. Work with them to help them become familiar with your event or organisation, and ultimately the audience. Let the speaker know what you expect. Don't forget to inform them who else is speaking at your event since this may help to avoid duplication!