The short answer: compare speakers with a weighted scorecard built around your audience, not the speaker's fame. Score every candidate on the same seven criteria, require evidence for each score, and let the total, not the best-produced highlight reel, guide the shortlist.

When three speakers send three different pitches, comparing them feels like comparing apples, helicopters and cookbooks. One sends a video, one sends a bio, one sends a fee sheet. A scorecard gives every speaker the same test, and gives you something concrete to show your board, your sponsors or your boss.

The seven-criteria scorecard

Score each criterion from 1 (weak or no evidence) to 5 (strong, verified evidence). Multiply by the weight, then add up. The weights below suit an event for SME owners; change them to match your goals, but agree on them before you see any candidates.

A worked example

Here is how two fictional candidates might score for a 400-owner regional conference. The numbers are illustrative.

The famous name may still fill a registration page. The scorecard simply shows what you would be paying for, and where the gap sits. If your goal is ticket sales alone, raise the weight on audience draw. The point is that you choose the weights before the pitch, not after.

Five rules for using it

1. Set the weights first. Agree them with your team before you look at any speaker.
2. Score from evidence, not impressions. If a speaker supplies nothing for a criterion, score it 1.
3. Score separately, then compare. Have two or three people score on their own, then discuss the differences.
4. Set a minimum. For example, no speaker scoring below 3 on audience fit goes to the shortlist, however high the total.
5. Keep the page. The completed scorecard is your answer when someone asks why you chose this speaker.

What an organizer says about tailoring

Criterion 3 is where many speakers separate. The feedback below comes from a New Zealand organizer who booked Kevin D'Ambros-Smith for several SME owner audiences. Kevin is based in Auckland and speaks to SME owners in the USA and New Zealand, in person or live online.

When I organised events at The Icehouse, Kevin was the speaker I wanted in the room. He spoke for us at the Tile Space conference, the Kinetic Electrical conference and a full-day workshop for Mahi Tahi in Nelson. Every audience was different, yet each one felt the session had been built for them.Darilyn Kane
Coaching and Advisory Lead, The Icehouse

Once your scorecard narrows the field, the next step is to verify the claims. See How to Check a Speaker's References (and What to Ask Previous Organizers) for the call questions.

Frequently asked questions

How many speakers should I score?

Three to five is practical. Fewer than three gives you no comparison, and more than five costs more time than it saves.

Should fees be part of the score?

Score clarity of fees and terms, as above. Keep price itself as a separate budget filter, so a cheap speaker with poor fit cannot win on cost alone.

What if a speaker will not supply evidence?

Score the criterion 1 and note it. A speaker who cannot show live delivery, references or a draft outline is telling you something about how the booking will go.

Client feedback is quoted word for word from the person named and shared with permission. Scores in the worked example are fictional and illustrative. Published 4 November 2026.