If you hire speakers for corporate events, you know that choosing the right one for your audience is just the first step. As a 30-year veteran of the podium, working as a corporate put-on comedian, I’ve learned plenty of lessons about the what can go right and wrong on stage. Here is some of my favorite advice for ensuring that speakers have the best chance to succeed.

Connect Speaker and Client

Once you’ve hired your speaker, or even before, have them talk with the client so they are both on the same page, and the client is comfortable with all content. Some speakers customize more then others. Prominent celebrities and high-level politicians are more likely to only offer a canned speech. There is not anything necessarily wrong with that, but you should know that going in and get as much information about their content ahead of time as possible.