When the time comes to find motivational speakers for your next event, you could easily become overwhelmed.
Type "motivational speakers" into Google and you'll find well over 500,000 results.
Where do you begin? And how can you choose a speaker with any level of confidence? There is no need to tackle the assignment alone.
Here are three options to connect with others in your speaker search:

1. Ask your colleagues for recommendations.
   If you are a meeting professional, then chances are you are a member of an organization such as Meeting Professionals International (MPI) or the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA).
   Tap into your connections there, either by personally contacting fellow members, or by using various online means of communication.
   MPI has a "Best Practices and Cries for Help" section on their message board, for example, where you could post and ask for speaker suggestions.
   And even if you're not a member of one of these organizations, you can get help in finding your motivational speakers by connecting with open online communities such as mimegasite.
   com.
   Let the planners know about your budget, your audience, and your objectives, and you're likely to receive some very valuable feedback that will guide you in your speaker search.
   
2. Survey your prospective attendees.
   No one knows what your audience wants like your audience! If you ask prospective attendees about who they would most like to see at your next event, not only will you earn bonus points for showing that you care about their interests, but you'll likely receive some great keynote speaker suggestions.
   If you start to see certain names coming up on multiple occasions, that might be a hint that you've found someone with a message that will resonate with your entire audience.
   And that, of course, will help you rise to hero status after the event!
3. Contact a speakers bureau.
   If you were seeking recommendations of the best flowers for your flowerbed, you would likely contact an expert in flowers, right? You would want the input of someone who understands which flowers do best in your climate, and in your soil.
   When you need to find motivational speakers, call on those who are experts in motivational speakers: speakers bureaus.
   Speakers bureaus work with hundreds or thousands of speakers on a daily basis, and when you tell bureau agents about the unique dynamics of your meeting or conference, they can tap into their experience and recommend speakers who have been successful in scenarios very similar to yours.
   And beyond just helping you find the right motivational speaker, a speakers bureau will also issue the contract and help you manage all of the logistics of your speaker's visit, working as a partner on your side to provide added comfort.
   For a listing of speakers bureaus, visit the International Association of Speakers Bureaus web site.
   

With one or a combination of all of these options above, you'll be on your way to finding the perfect motivational speaker for your upcoming event!