Firstly, if you’ve been invited to be a keynote speaker at any conference then congratulations that is a huge compliment!
I have produced conferences for 10 years so I can say this with confidence:
A LOT of careful planning, thought and time goes into selecting the right people and companies to headline any event as keynote speakers.
Why?
Because keynote presentations hold the power to set the tone for the entire conference.
Executed well, they can inspire, captivate and a leave an enduring influence on the attendees which directly impacts their experience at the event as a whole.
So, as a speaker entrusted with the responsibility of delivering a keynote, what should you be doing to ensure your keynote presentation is outstanding and memorable?
Understand Your Audience
It may sound obvious, but understanding your audience is the cornerstone of an impactful keynote presentation.
What industry are they from? Ask the conference producer or organiser what job functions and seniority levels will be there.
What are the demographics, interests, needs, and expectations of those in the room?
How can you shape your keynote content to ensure it is going to be relevant to their needs and aspirations?
Establish Your Keynote’s Message
Your conference producer should be working closely with you to help shape the title and essence of your keynote presentation.
Identify what your standpoint, central idea, and key takeaways are on the subject-matter you’re addressing.
What message do you want to leave the audience with?
A focused and clear message ensures your presentation remains memorable, relevant, and impactful.
Capture Attention From The Start
Capture your audience’s attention right from the outset of your keynote presentation.
Start with a compelling story, a thought-provoking question, or a relevant quote.
Engaging your audience immediately will set the tone for an interactive and dynamic session.
Structure Your Presentation Coherently
Organise your content in a logical and structured manner.
Begin with an introduction, followed by key points, supporting examples, and a powerful conclusion.
Ask yourself “so what?” throughout your planning phase to ensure that everything you’re including in the content is relevant and aligned with your topic.
Add Some Visuals
Visuals can enhance your message.
Use slides, images, and videos judiciously to complement your spoken words.
Just make sure that your visuals are clear, uncluttered, and directly support key points.
N.B. I would advise against putting text on accompanying slides unless you’re using singular words for impact, or a keyword to emphasise a point.
Always Be Authentic
A surefire way to ensure your keynote presentation flops is by making it void of personality.
That’s right, you have creative licence here to be genuine and weave in authenticity to let your passion for the topic shine through.
Authenticity builds connection with your audience. It fosters trust and helps your messages to resonate on a deeper level.
Tell Stories
Interlace storytelling into your presentation.
Use figurative language, anecdotes, similes, metaphors, fables etc etc. to emphasise and enhance your key points and make your keynote more interesting.
Maintain Enthusiasm and Energy
Enthusiasm is contagious. Maintain a dynamic and energetic delivery throughout your keynote presentation.
A passionate and animated speaker is far more interesting to watch than one who is indifferent or bored.
The audience can always tell who wants to be there and who doesn’t!
If you’re energised, present, and engaged then your audience will be too!
Collaborate with the Audience
Foster audience engagement further by encouraging questions or interactive activities.
This could be as simple as posing a question to your audience and requesting a show of hands as a response.
The more engaged your audience are, the more likely they are to retain information and find value in your keynote’s messages.
Rehearse Thoroughly
Practise your presentation multiple times to familiarise yourself with the content and flow.
As the keynote speaker, I would recommend that you become so well-rehearsed that you do not need prompt cards on the day.
Practise in front of an audience if you can. Anyone who will offer constructive feedback afterwards so you can build confidence and improve.
If you want to join the waiting list for our Empowered Public Speaking online workshops where you can practise in front of an audience and coach, then click here.
Manage Your Time
Please respect the allocated time for your keynote presentation.
The audience and conference organisers get disgruntled if you run over time because doing so can impact other speakers’ sessions, valuable networking, lunch breaks, and/or cause people to be delayed getting home.
So do practise pacing to ensure that you cover all key points without rushing.
A well-timed presentation reflects professionalism and consideration for everyone else.
Provide Actionable Insights
The best keynote presentations equip the audience with actionable insights or takeaways they can apply straight away in their professional or personal lives.
Make sure these are all relevant, applicable to your topic and the overarching event theme.
Handle Q&A with Dignity
If you’ve agreed with your conference producer to incorporate Q&A into your time slot, then be prepared.
Anticipate potential questions and respond thoughtfully.
Handling Q&A sessions with pragmatically and calmly demonstrates expertise and boosts your credibility.
Whatever you do, don’t become defensive or provoked!
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I hope you have found this article useful and let me know how your keynote presentation goes!
Tilly x
Further Reading
The Epic Keynote by Jane Atkinson
TED Talks: The Official TED guide to public speaking by Chris Anderson
TED Talks and Talk Like TED (2 books collection) by Chris Anderson and Carmine Gallo
How to Present Yourself as A Confident Public Speaker
A Genius AI Tool for Public Speaking Improvement
What Do The Best Conference Speakers Have in Common?
This article may contain links to resources that I genuinely recommend and believe to be of value. If you act (i.e. make a purchase) after clicking one of the affiliate links, I’ll earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps me to pay my Empowered Public Speaking admin costs so I can continue to support you on your public speaking journey.
