National and international corporations and small and medium-sized businesses often use political public speaker services for meetings, conventions and events. Such speakers can range from an American politics speaker like former President of the United States Jimmy Carter or former Senator Robert Dole, to economic politics speakers like former head of the Federal Reserve Paul Volcker or political media speakers like Watergate journalist Bob Woodward.

As a business owner, it is in your best interest to first determine the chief reason for hiring a political public speaker:

1. Motivational political public speakers are hired with the intent of lifting the spirits of the audience.
2. Keynote political public speakers are often used at the beginning or end of a business event to set the tone (as the former chairman of the Senate's Agriculture and Finance Committees, Bob Dole typifies an American politics speaker with a focus on business).
3. Professional public political speakers are known primarily for their punditry in politics and/or business. The late business and social protocol pundit Dale Carnegie typifies this type of political speaker.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find reliable lists of political speakers for hire from associations

Before targeting one of the popular political speakers services, scan a broad spectrum of agencies for the sake of your organization's specific speaker needs.

I recommend: The International Association of Speakers Bureaus (IASB) offers their Official Speaker Directory for a fee. Their directory may allow you to find the right political public speaker services by searching for specific political speakers. IASB also has a free searchable member database that can be focused by topic, such as a diversity public speaker. The National Speakers Association also offers a free speaker search online database.

Visit the websites of some of the higher-end political public speaker services

Higher-end public speaker services offer a wide variety of speakers from stand-up comics to Nobel Prize winners. They many also include political public speakers.

I recommend: Total Access Speakers Bureau has a long list of big name speakers including key political public speakers like former President Jimmy Carter and political pundit Bill Moyers. The Allen Agency also has a long list, but their political public speakers lean more toward media political pundits like Bob Woodward, Helen Thomas, Ben Stein, and Al Franken. Brooks International roster includes former President George H.W. Bush, former Senator Robert Dole, and former Washington Post executive editor Ben Bradlee.

Visit the websites of services with a focus on national and international political speakers

There are a few small prestigious 'boutique' political public speaker agencies.

I recommend: The Washington Post, the country's leading politically-focused newspaper, has its own political speaker bureau. Washington Speakers Bureau has a primary focus on political leaders like former Secretary of State General Colin Powell and political pundits like Patrick J. Buchanan. The London Speaker Bureau specializes in international political public speakers from former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to anti-apartheid South African leader diversity public speaker Bishop Desmond Tutu. The Harry Walker Agency is another boutique agency with an exclusive political public speakers roster including former President Bill Clinton, former UN leader Kofi Annan, former Vice President Al Gore and former Bush administration Chief of Staff Karl Rove.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Higher-end political public speakers services usually mean higher priced speakers.
• •  There are very informative and interesting non-name professional public speakers available. They can add quality to a business event or meeting.