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Of course, you can have two or more keynote speakers at an event. The benefit of this is that attendees may find one particular speaker, or topic, of interest and that prompts them to attend the event. As the old adage goes, “variety is the spice of life.”
Professional keynote speakers bring a unique expertise and presence to an event. They typically have a level of knowledge and presentation skills that most people lack. Their education, experience, or achievement can draw more people to a public event. Finally, they have the ability to stimulate thought or action after the program has ended. Get a Quote/Book a professional keynote speaker here for your next event.
This can vary depending on the convention or event. Often, the keynote address begins the event, and this pulls all of the attendees together to hear the main theme and any other announcements. Sometimes it is in the middle of the event, and sometimes the last part of the program! It all depends on the organizers of the event.
How to book a keynote speaker varies greatly. The best way is to contact them directly by phone or email with your event date and location. Speaking to them directly allows you to ask any questions that may come to mind. Click here to get a quote on a professional keynote speaker for your next event.
There are four types of keynote speakers.
1) Motivational – the ability to motivate or inspire the audience to think differently or take action on a topic or problem.
2) Generalist – they will craft a speech exclusively for your topic or theme.
3) Internal – a high ranking executive, or technical speaker with inside knowledge of the organization or industry.
4) Celebrity – A big “name” speaker that will draw a lot of attention or interest to your event.
A business motivational speaker is an individual who has the ability to motivate, inspire, or encourage an audience to take action on a particular topic or the need for change.
Keynote speakers are individuals who have an impressive education, or experience, or achievement to present valuable information to an audience. A professional keynote speaker has excellent presentation skills to engage the audience during the entire presentation.
A “keynote” speaker provides a talk that establishes or discusses the main underlying theme of an event. The purpose is to bring all the attendees together to hear a message about the central topic from a reputable source.
First, you need to establish a budget for your event including the range you can afford according to your budget. Most business keynote speakers have a range they use to determine their expected fee depending on the length of the speech and location. Some may have a flat fee, but expect all of their expenses to be paid like travel, lodging, and food.
The most common method today is to use an internet search targeting your industry or interest. YouTube is also a good way to do a search and see the person speaking on camera. LinkedIn is another fine resource. Many people go through a “speakers bureau” to locate a speaker for their event.
Depending on the venue, size of the sponsor, and audience, the fees vary greatly. For example, a small non-profit may offer an honorarium of a few hundred dollars. For-profit organizations and conventions can pay fees from $4,000 to $15,000, depending on the authority and notoriety of the speaker. Celebrity speakers such as noted business executives, political figures, influencers or athletes can command fees well over $100,000 for a speech.
New managers often lack the experience needed to motivate and direct others. Perhaps more than any other time in their career, new managers can benefit from leadership training before poor habits are formed.
Everyone can benefit from improved productivity and learning basic leadership skills. In the 21st century, leadership must be present throughout the organization, not simply at the executive levels.
There is a vast difference between managers and leaders. Leadership training combined with sound management skills and principles is a “force multiplier.”
You can expect a certain amount of reading and guided study to learn new ideas and concepts. This may include a workbook and videos to enhance your training. You can expect an interactive environment to reinforce and practice the new concepts you are learning.
You can expect some self-analysis assignments to determine your present level of achievement and recommend new growth opportunities. You can expect to be challenged and eventually “changed” into a better person and leader.
Leadership training fails for three basic reasons:
1. The intended learner doesn’t really care and has no desire to change.
2. A poorly designed training program.
3. An ineffective trainer who lacks the skills or enthusiasm to impart knowledge.
Everyone can benefit from improved productivity, and by learning basic leadership skills. In the 21st century, leadership must be present throughout the organization, not simply at the executive levels.
The most popular types of leadership training programs are designed for:
Strategic leadership
Motivational leadership
Because of modern technology, training can occur face-to-face, or using the internet with software designed for meetings such as GoToMeeting® or Zoom.
Leadership courses offer new and expanded skills. Among these include “soft skills” (encouraging and motivating others), vision to see the upcoming environment, strategy to prepare for the future, the ability to prioritize and focus on important tasks, and a positive attitude of enthusiasm and caring for others.
Leadership traits are always important in every aspect of life, including how we relate to others in business, our community, and our personal relationships.
Many leadership skills are important and some are even essential for long-term achievement. These skills will include emotional intelligence, good communication, a positive persona, integrity, motivation, servant-leadership philosophy, and goal/strategic thinking.
It should start with a respected and effective formal leadership training program or format. It should also include a reputable and skilled leadership trainer who has the experience and flexibility to make the educational environment stimulating and fulfilling.
Most employees can greatly benefit from both personal productivity and time-management training. An employee with a positive mental attitude and a high level of productivity achieves much higher performance. This can benefit your organization greatly both with profit and with higher morale.
Good leadership training can literally change how you think and how you act! It offers a unique perspective on how you may view complex topics like motivating others, effectual communication skills, strategic thinking, dealing with difficult people, and emotional intelligence.
Achieving goals is a “process” and requires a clear strategy. Effective leadership training teaches you how to understand and execute the process effectively.
Much like any academic coursework, the results depend on your amount of attention and focus on learning. Individuals who study and reflect on the training find it life-changing. Behavioral science has proven that the most powerful way to learn new ideas and skills is to practice “spaced-repetition” of this fresh understanding. A good leadership training program does exactly this.
Leadership is primarily a learned quality. Research shows that there is no such thing as a “natural born leader.” It is true that some individuals have natural skills such as speaking, organizing, time management and productivity skills, or analytical skills. Yet, these skills alone do not make one an effective leader. Leadership is the process of taking your natural skills and combining them with a heightened awareness of many other important qualities to achieve your best. This comes through education and experience.
Leadership training activities are specific actions or events intended to teach and reinforce enhanced leadership skills and traits. These activities may include individual assignments, or group gatherings.
First, leadership training programs enhance the raw basic skills a leader may already possess. Secondly, leadership training programs teach new skills, attitudes and approaches. Leadership training programs are specialized activities intended to educate a group, or individual, to develop a higher level of leadership competencies.
Good leadership skills are what separate good leadership from mediocre managers who struggle in their role and lack achievement. Good leaders help organizations thrive and boost employee retention rates, making them extremely profitable for their company!
Leadership training goes beyond important! It is essential if you are to effectively lead a team or organization to achieve exceptional levels of success. Leadership training teaches you the skills and attitude needed to motivate others and accomplish important strategies.
The best leadership training is a formal program that teaches new information through spaced repetition. It has a live trainer who cares about your individual needs and can help you to focus on specific areas of growth and opportunity.
A popular program we offer is the Personal Leadership and Productivity program. Each participant receives their own workbook and study guide. A live personal trainer helps the participant to learn and practice their new skills during six (6) interactive sessions. Each session last 1 ½ hours and is conducted online. Here are the details of the program: Effective Personal Productivity Brochure.
Some organizations state there are 7 core skills of a leader. These are: 1. Relationship Building, 2. Agility & Adaptability, 3. Innovation & Creativity, 4. Employee Motivation, 5. Decision-Making, 6. Conflict Management, 7. Negotiation. However, effective leadership is far more a study of core principles. The totality of successful leadership is a blend of proper attitudes, cognitive perception, self-disciplines, intuition and soft/hard skills.
Yes, we offer a number of formal training programs online with a live personal instructor, not simply watching impersonal videos or other recordings. We also offer personal coaching online.
Feel free to schedule a free 15-minute consultation with Cleveland Leadership Coach Greg L. Thomas to learn more, get a free quote, or find out more information about our personal development program here.
You can expect a certain amount of reading and guided study to learn new ideas and concepts. This may include a workbook and videos to enhance your training. You can expect an interactive environment to reinforce and practice the new concepts you are learning. You can expect some self-analysis assignments to determine your present level of achievement and recommend new growth opportunities. You can expect to be challenged and eventually “changed” into a better person and leader.
Leaders need many different skills. Among these include “soft skills” (encouraging and motivating others), vision to see the upcoming environment, strategy to prepare for the future, the ability to prioritize and focus on important tasks, and a positive attitude of enthusiasm and caring for others.
Much like any academic coursework, the results depend on your amount of attention and focus on learning. Individuals who study and reflect the training find it life changing.
Leadership training is like any good investment. There is an initial investment of money and time to develop new skills and attitudes. However, the benefits of the training can last a lifetime and have a powerful impact on both your personal life and working career.
Leadership skills training focuses on developing the tangible skills required to be an effective and competent leader. An example would be improved productivity resulting in the efficient use of time and priorities.
The benefits of having a personal development plan are improved relationships, increased productivity, better communication skills, and the ability to act as a leader.
Personal development planning is a step-by-step process established to help an individual grow as a person by creating the disciplines, habits and skills needed to reach their potential.
A personal development program is one designed to help you as an individual to develop the proper skills and attitudes to be an effective leader. Nelson Mandela once said after spending 27 years in an isolated prison… “until I changed myself I could not change others.”
Getting started on your personal development and leadership skill training is easy! Find the best personal development program online (or in your area, if you prefer in-person sessions) and sign up. The hardest part is the getting started, but you will be happy that you did as you begin to grow in your role as a leader and reap the benefits of your training!
- Being a better active listener
- Adapt better to / be more open to change
- Understand your limitations
- Become a better coach to others
- Provide valuable, constructive feedback
- Improve personal productivity & time management
- Lead by example
- Improve relationship building skills
- Being receptive to constructive criticism
- Improve confidence
- Enhance emotional intelligence
- Foster a growth mindset
Your leadership ability will determine how effective you are in your personal and professional life.
As an individual, personal leadership development can take you to the next level in the workplace, the community, and even at home. A good leadership development program will assist you in understanding your potential for personal leadership, guide you in making choices for success, plot out your personal growth, teach leadership essentials, and help you realize your full potential.
As an employer, personal leadership development is equally important because every employee you hire interacts within your organization and represents your company to the outside world. An individual’s personal self-image and motivation play a large role in how they perform, react, and lead others.
- Stay-at-home parents looking to provide better leadership for their families
- Individuals seeking better relationship skills (personal and professional)
- Business owners wanting to better lead their employees
- Employees who want to stand out as leaders within their organization
- Individuals looking to develop personal leadership skills to better serve those in their communities
- Many more!
A person should do research and ask around for word-of-mouth recommendations when looking for personal business coaching or small business coaching services.
Additionally, look for someone with an established business, good clientele listing, years of corporate experience, and a reputation for great results. The coach should be able to provide references. Also, check their online reviews to see what past clients have to say.
A business advisor is an interchangeable term with business coach.
Yes, but it is rare. In some cases, a CEO may hire a business coaches to help one of the members of his/her staff deal with particular issues. Sometimes an owner or HR manager will suggest business coaching for a staff member who is struggling to perform effectively. In this instance, it is typically due to a deficiency in a soft skill, such as communication or attitude.
A business coach first meets with the individual involved and begins by asking a series of probing questions to determine existing challenges and frustrations.
Afterwards, the coach diagnoses the issues and begins working with the client to overcome these challenges one by one.
Most coaches meet with their clients anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes coaching sessions. Clients can expect to see results immediately, particularly regarding increased focus and greater positivity.
Typically, business coaches will charge anywhere from $50-200 per hour, depending the length of commitment and the complexity of the issues involved.
The cost of personal business coaching or small business coaching services can be written off as a business expenses with the IRS.
How do you know when it’s time to obtain business coach services? Everyone can benefit from a personal business coach. However, warning signs that business coaching my be helpful include: constant frustration, a dysfunctional culture or working environment, lack of performance, or a general feeling of malaise.
For business owners who have lost their passion, in many cases it may just be due to daily frustrations, which can be remedied with the help of a good business coach.
Technically, yes, as there is no formal accreditation process for business coaching services. However, legitimate business coaches can document years of experience, a client listing, and often a certification demonstrating specialized training in personal business coaching or small business coaching. Experience in a particular field can often be helpful.
A business coach can help provide clarity, focus, and guidance. This is typically done on a one-on-one level. Business coaches often are contacted by human resources managers and business owners. Owners themselves will often seek personal business coaches for guidance on how to best lead their company.
Business coaches are different than mentors. A mentorship is usually a more of an personal relationship where someone acts as a role model to help you prepare for promotion or to assume a different position. Most mentors are not paid.
Many good organizations assign mentors to help people reach their potential more quickly.
Oftentimes mentors are employed by the same organizations. Often times they serve as role models to other staff members.
Business coaches are external independent contractors.
Yes, personal business coaching is considered an acceptable business expense by the IRS.
The difference between a business consultant and a business coach is that a business consultant is more attuned to working with an organization’s problems, like executive staff, human resources, and the like. A business coach works more on a 1:1 level with one or two people, typically.
Signs that your business coaching isn’t working may include conflict with the coach, inconsistent growth, contradictory advice, or poor communication. In these cases, it is time to look for a business coach that better fills your specific needs. Typically to doesn’t take long to figure out that things aren’t working.
Personal business coaching generally deals only with business-related issues, while personal coaching may go into person’s private life beyond the business environment, if the client wishes for coaching in personal areas. Small business coaching services do not go beyond the business-related issues.
The short answer is yes! A business coach can help you to clarify issues or challenges that you may not even immediately recognize.
A great business coach doesn’t tell you what to do. They ask a series of appropriate questions and offer guidance to help you reach the best solutions. Usually a business coach helps initially establish a number of goals to improve a situation or the environment.
The accomplishment of those goals is a good judge of the effectiveness of the business coach. Many of the achievements of the business coach are intangible and difficult to measure increased focus, improved attitude, higher level of positivity, and personal leadership development, improved communication skills.
Many business owners wonder how to choose a business consultant. Word of mouth is a great way to find a good business consultant, so ask other business owners who have had a good experience. Internet searches can also yield good results. Check their google reviews and other reviews to see what others are saying. Once you have narrowed down the business consultants you are interested in working with, ask for a free consultation to see if they are a good fit.
They can work either at their homes or offices. They can also work within companies depending on the needs and desires of the organization. They exist across all sectors, and work with small business owners from one entrepreneur to 100 employees generally. Business consultants can be in financial, healthcare, manufacturer, services industries, technology, and other sectors.
Most consultants are considered independent contractors and are paid an hourly rate. They are responsible for all their own expenses and not eligible for employee benefits. Most companies don’t want the additional expense of an on-site consultant. When a business consultant becomes a part of an organization, they can soon lose their impartiality and be embedded in the existing culture.
Business Consultants work to meet the needs of the individual owner. Sometimes the best course of action is for them to work out of their own office, and other times it is better for them to come to the business owner’s facility. For example, some organizations are content with online training for their employees. Other organizations may desire the consultant to come on-site and do training. For Leadership Excellence, most training can be done online including communication training, productivity and time management training, personal leadership training, sales training, and pre-employment assessments. Also 1:1 business consulting or coaching can be done virtually or in person.
Most business consultants are paid an hourly rate and require payment up front for a certain number of hours to begin their services. If you are an individual within an organization interested in fine-tuning your personal leadership skills, communication skills, time management and productivity skills, or other job-related skills, your employer will often cover the costs for you.
It varies by the company. It can be as short as a couple of conversations/discussions to an ongoing relationship that may last for years, depending on the need or problem that exists. For example, a human resource consultant may be hired initially for communication training, but in the process the small business owner realizes the need to hire people with different skillsets. The business consultant can then provide pre-employment screenings and employment assessments to help the business owner in hiring the most qualified team members. Employment assessments can include a pre-employment test to better understand the mental acuity and personality traits of a proposed candidate. Other employment assessments can be used to coach existing employees and perhaps determine the best candidate for a promotion within an organization.
There is a saying that is so true for business owners and executives: “It’s lonely at the top.” Sometimes a small business owner simply needs an independent advisor (not a part of the company) to discuss problems and confidentially voice frustrations or challenges to a trusted source. A business consultant can act as a sounding board to help you pinpoint the specific issues your company is facing and determine a plan to solve your challenges. Because an independent business consultant has no ties to your company, he or she will be able to confidentially and objectively determine the issues and how to fix them.
Is a business consultant worth it? The short answer is yes! Professional business consultants quickly demonstrate the value of their services. Usually, the ROI is anywhere between a few weeks to a few months. The long-term benefits are the elimination of roadblocks that are hindering the growth of the business, resulting in greater profits and business expansion.
A business strategy consultant is an individual that provides a service based on improving the strategy or strategic plan of a small business. It usually begins with an analysis of every aspect of the existing business. The consultant then provides a plan with proposed solutions to improve the strategy. Sometimes a new strategy will be implemented for a certain aspect of the business.
Business owners sometimes wonder why business consulting is important. This is because small business owners can’t know everything. Like all humans, they have strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, issues and problems will arise where they don’t have the skills to solve the problems. A business consultant can provide the advice and counsel to meet those needs.
Business management consulting involves and individual or business that provides advice on how to manage your business more effectively. For example, if you have a sales team that isn’t performing, a business management consultant would do an analysis, and provide advice and a plan to improve your sales team’s performance. This can include sales training, replacing personnel, or an improved marketing focus, to give a couple of examples.
Larger organizations usually have the resources to have people within the organization resolve issues that arise internally. Smaller businesses usually need outside help to provide the knowledge and understanding to tackle specific issues. For example, if you staff needs training, a larger company usually has staff for that, whereas a smaller business will typically use a consultant to provide training as needed. It saves small business owners money when they can outsource leadership training, human resource development, sales training, productivity training, or employment screenings on an as-needed basis.
A business consultant can help you pinpoint any root cause and issue in your company, and provide workable solutions to solve the problem and monitor your progress. Consulting is a relationship between the business owner or department manager and the consultant.
They do not wave magic wands. The better business consultants know how to teach the owner/team how to inspire motivate individuals in their company. Consultants cannot change your organizational culture, they help you do it. The more you work as a team, the better the result.
The best consultants are specialists in particular areas. Some are very good at financial focus. Others on human resource development. Other specialize in sales training and marketing. Look for a consultant that specializes in your particular needs. Leadership Excellence focuses best on people development. Training people, employment assessments, management development, leadership development, etc.
Business consulting fees will vary depending on the consultant and the complexity of the need. Generally, the range is $75 to $250 per hour, plus travel costs.
Business consulting services are businesses that advise and provide leadership in needed areas of expertise. Those areas would include anything from financial guidance and human resources to sales and marketing, accounting, communication skills training, and much more!
From the start, the consultant asks a series of questions to determine the business owners’ needs and helps them to clarify their particular needs to come up with solutions. Then the advisor assists the owner in implementing the solutions to meet the needs of the business.
Typically, one issue is tackled at a time. It is important for the consultant to help the business owner understand the root cause of the issues and not just deal with the effects. For example, high employee turnover is simply the effect of a greater root cause within the organization’s culture.
Yes, they are considered part of basic business expenses. It is a legitimate business expense, and you can show it as an expense like any other. Your company can benefit from business consulting services and write them off at the end of the year– it’s a win-win!
We provide Ohio business consulting in person or virtually, but we also service businesses across the country virtually.
