Just takes a little homework – Courtesy of Pixabay

Just as there are those “so called” unethical speakers out there, the same holds true for a select number of unethical hosts. I’ve been burned a few times by event hosts myself. That’s why I’m a lot more selective of the number of multi-speaker events I agree to speak at. Do your homework in advance by asking the host the right questions in advance.

Here are some important questions to ask before you agree to speak:

• How many events have they hosted in the past?
• How many attendees do they expect will attend?
• Who is their target audience?
• Who else will be speaking at the event?

Every answer should be the right fit for you and your expertise. For example, if the host has not hosted many events, you will want to ask for speaker referrals to check them out in advance. Make sure the audience size and the target market are a perfect fit and also ask who else will be presenting at the event so you eliminate the possibility of competition on your topic. The last thing you want to do is to show up at an event and find out there are two other speakers who are presenting on the same topic. That’s as much a nightmare as showing up wearing the same dress! Okay, maybe this doesn’t apply to the guys.

Even when you do your homework in advance of signing a speaker agreement, you can still get burned. You want to at least try to avoid any possible nightmares. When you do your homework in advance it usually sets you up for success. But that’s not always the case.