While it’s an honor to be asked to give a keynote speech at a major event, it’s also one of the most ‘high pressure’ asks in the thought leadership space. You’re great at what you do You want to give a memorable presentation that creates value for the audience. You want to set a motivating tone for the event. So where do you begin?
When the lights dim and the spotlight is on you, there are some key factors you’ll want to have mastered before you take the stage.
When the lights dim and the spotlight is on you,
there are some key factors you’ll want to
have mastered before you take the stage.
A Compelling Start – Your primary task as a keynote speaker is to share a message that compels people to make an important shift. This is why a compelling start is essential for having a message that truly sticks. A compelling start typically consists of an engaging question that sparks interest, a personal story or an eye-opening statistic that no one has ever thought of. More importantly, it sets the stage for sharing ideas that will help them see things in a new light the moment they walk out the door.
An ‘Audience-Centric’ Message – Our brains are hard-wired to talk about ourselves. We actually spend 40% of our conversations doing just that. When preparing a keynote, it’s easy to resort to ‘numero uno’ language — i.e. using the entire time to unpack a case study from your company or reminiscing on stories from your long-term career. This type of filler information can be helpful if used appropriately. However, it’s also a common ‘shortcut’ speakers will take to make their talk easier to present. The most compelling messages are those that make it less about themselves and all about their audience. Otherwise, they won’t see you as the trusted ally they can turn to for inspiration and solving their pressing needs.
A Real Problem — The easiest way to combat No.1 language is simple. Make the focal point about the very real problems your audience faces. I once heard of a speaker who want to stress the importance of having more women in leadership roles. And instead of going on and on about how her role as a leader shaped the future of her company, she simply talked about what the world would be like if there were no women in any leadership positions at all. She then went on to paint a very vivid picture of world economies failing and entire nations collapsing.
- A Real Solution
- A Finish Line
