How can you find an effective webinar speaker?

A webinar can be perfectly timed, well-promoted, and packed with great content, but it can still fall short if the speaker isn’t the right fit. So how do you ensure that you have the right speaker for your webinar? Let’s break it down.

Define webinar goals

Before you start looking for speakers, define what you’re trying to achieve with this webinar. If your goal isn’t clear, you’ll end up choosing a speaker who sounds good but doesn’t actually make an impact.

Ask yourself what you want your attendees to take away from the webinar. Do you want them to book a demo afterwards, or leave with the technical knowledge of the product? Do you want them to become a qualified lead or a customer immediately after? Knowing the answers will get you closer to finding the right speaker.

If you want to generate leads, find an industry expert or thought leader. If you want to educate attendees, get a product expert. And if you want to build trust, you can even bring your own customer.

Decide who your target audience is

Before choosing a speaker, you need to be clear about who the webinar is for. If your target audience isn’t well-defined, even a great speaker won’t be able to save the webinar.

Who are you trying to reach with this webinar? Are they beginners exploring the space, or experienced professionals looking for advanced insights? Are they decision-makers, leads, or customers? What are their biggest challenges, and what would they expect to gain from attending?

Thinking this through helps you shape not just the content, but also the kind of speaker who will resonate with them.

For example:

If your audience is new to the topic, you need a speaker who can simplify concepts and keep things approachable.

If your audience is highly technical, you need someone who can go deep and provide actionable insights.

If your audience includes decision-makers, a speaker who can tie insights to business outcomes will be more effective.

The better you understand your audience, the easier it becomes to find a speaker who can truly connect, engage, and deliver value.

Where to find the right speaker for your webinar?

Once you know your goal and your audience, the next step is figuring out where to find the right speaker. The best speaker may be a colleague you’ve known for years or an expert you have no connection to. Start by asking yourself who understands your product, your space, and your audience.

First, look within your network. Your first set of speakers is closer than you think. This could be a marketer from your team, a developer who understands the product, or even a customer who can push your content forward. These people already have context, which means less onboarding and more relevant content.

Next, explore your industry circle. Find speakers from social media, such as Instagram and LinkedIn, where you might be able to evaluate if they’re a good fit. You can also view speakers at past events, podcasts, or even online forums. If you think someone may be a good speaker for your webinar, there’s no harm in getting on a call with them to understand them better and see if they’re a good fit. 

Think about your own past webinars. Check if you’ve had speakers who excelled in delivering content and being helpful for you or your team. Most importantly, don’t just rely on credentials; look at their abilities and decide if they’re the right speaker for your webinar.

What are the key traits of a great speaker? 

Confidence

The most essential trait of a great speaker is their confidence. When a speaker is confident, the content resonates with the audience. It makes the content believable and trustworthy. In a webinar, confidence plays a big role because there are so many chances for distractions. A confident speaker can hold the audience’s attention, respond to questions without getting flustered, and navigate technical or unexpected issues calmly. It creates a smoother, more professional experience for everyone.

Conciseness

Conciseness is crucial because webinar audiences have limited attention spans. If a speaker takes too long to get to the point, repeats ideas, or adds unnecessary detail, the audience can quickly lose interest. A concise speaker respects the audience’s time by delivering clear, focused insights without any distractions.

Authenticity

Attendees can quickly sense when someone is trying too hard to sound impressive. Authentic speakers make the webinar unique and interesting. An authentic speaker comes across as genuine by sharing real experiences, honest insights, and even challenges. This builds a stronger connection with the audience and makes the session feel more human rather than just another webinar.

Wrapping up 

Finding the right webinar speaker isn’t about choosing the most popular or experienced person, it’s about finding someone who aligns with your goals, understands your audience, and can deliver content in a way that truly connects. When you take the time to define your objectives, narrow down your audience, and evaluate speakers based on how they communicate rather than just what they know, you set your webinar up for success.

A great speaker doesn’t just present information, they create an experience that keeps attendees engaged and drives action. Get this right, and your webinar won’t just be another session, it will be something your audience remembers and responds to.