Keynote Speech Success: How to Become a Great Keynote Speaker
February 02, 2023
What is a keynote speaker? What’s different about keynote speaking? How do you write a keynote speech? How do you give a keynote speech? How do you shine in a keynote address? What is different about the best keynote speakers?
Meet the Author: Benjamin Ball
Ben is the founder of Benjamin Ball Associates and leads the presentation coaching and pitch deck creation teams. Formerly a corporate financier in the City of London, for 20+ years he’s helped businesses win with better pitches and presentations, particularly investor pitches. He is a regular speaker and a guest lecturer at Columbia Business School and UCL London. Follow Ben on LinkedIn or visit the contact page.
Everything You Need to Give a Keynote Speech and be a Keynote Speaking
So, you’ve been asked to be a conference keynote speaker and give a keynote address. How do you make sure your speech stands out and gets remembered?
Writing and giving a keynote speech is a real skill. And it’s a skill you can learn.
These are the top speaker tips from the coaching team at Benjamin Ball Associates, based on our 15 years’ experience of supporting business leaders.
What Is a Keynote Speech? What Is a Keynote Speaker?
A keynote is more than an ordinary conference speech. Your keynote talk may be the reason people come to the next event. As a guest speaker, the role of an event keynote speaker is frequently to set the tone for the day. You’ll probably be the first speaker and that means your audience has high expectations.
Keynote speakers are not the same as motivational speakers or professional speakers. Instead, you are probably seen as a thought leader or industry expert, able to leave a lasting impact and have valuable insights.
What Does It Take to Become A Keynote Speaker
Becoming a keynote speaker means more than delivering a well-rehearsed speech; it’s about leaving a lasting impression. Event organisers are constantly searching for the right keynote speaker—someone who can captivate and inspire. It’s not just about having a great speaking voice; it’s about bringing a unique perspective that challenges the audience’s thinking.
The best keynote speakers don’t just talk about their industry; they offer a fresh take, a glimpse into the future of work, or an analysis of the latest trends. This sets them apart from other types of speakers.
To stand out, you need to show up as an expert, but also as someone who’s approachable and engaging. A good speaker doesn’t just share information; they create a memorable experience. Many aspiring speakers begin by delivering a TEDx talk to build their credibility and reputation.
The best keynote speakers are in tune with the culture of the organisations they speak to. A strong understanding of organisational culture allows you to tailor your message, making it relevant and impactful.
The most sought-after keynote speakers are those who can adapt their content to different industries and audiences while maintaining a consistent core message. They are often on the radar of event organisers looking to book top talent for their next big event, and they remain relevant by staying up to date with future trends. Whether you’re aiming to be a leadership speaker or to specialise in another niche, a positive attitude and genuine passion for your topic will go a long way.
How Do You Prepare a Keynote Speech?
For those who aspire to be a sought-after keynote speaker, understanding your audience is key. Whether you’re speaking to a small group in person or delivering to thousands at a virtual event, your message needs to resonate.
A strong keynote presentation draws on real-world examples, industry insights, and sometimes even stories of failure to connect with the audience. Event speakers who can balance expertise with relatability will be remembered long after the event ends.
Those who make it to the speaker list of high-profile events usually blend knowledge with storytelling, leaving audience members inspired and thinking differently.
If you want help to prepare a keynote speech, call Louise Angus today. She’d be happy to share how we can help you write, edit and rehearse you for a winning keynote.
You can only be a perfect speaker if you start with great content. That means writing a powerful keynote speech that your audience wants to hear. But what are the elements of great business speakers? These keynote speech tips are some of the most important things to get right.
16 Best Keynote Speaker Tips: How to Give a Keynote Speech
Let’s look at each of those speaker tips in turn.
1. Know your audience
The best keynote speakers talk about their audience. Whatever the subject of your talk, when preparing your keynote, you need to talk about what it means for them. For example:
If you are talking about new laws, then tell us how will these improve the lives of the audience.
If you are talking about changes in your business, what will that means for those in the audience.
This means you write your speech for your audience and no one else. See how Dan Gilbert involves his audience in his talk. “The Surprising Science of Happiness”
2. Have a clear intent to your keynote speaker speech
Great talks have a singular purpose. As a public speaker, you should decide exactly what you want to achieve with your keynote. The clearer your intent in your keynote address, the more likely you will achieve this. For example, in his TED talk, Christopher Emdin uses his six minutes to achieve his one objective.
How to do this? Write your intent on a post-it note and keep this over your desk as you prepare your talk. This should be your guiding light.
Why Pick Benjamin Ball Associates for Your Keynote Speaking Coaching
At Benjamin Ball Associates, we’ve been coaching business people to improve their business communication skills for over 15 years. Our coaching is fast and effective. We work with individuals and with companies, one-to-one and in groups. Call us today to learn more.
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3. Prepare clear messages in your keynote presentation
Great talks are easy for your audience to listen to and understand. One way you can make it easy for your audience is by having clear messages that you want your audience to take away.
We often use the TakeAway Test to check the clarity of our clients’ messages. Inspirational speakers and the best keynote speakers tend to be clear on their target audience and the event’s objectives. In that way it’s easier to craft powerful messages to get across.
4. Tell stories when speaking
Storytelling is at the heart of any great talk. Stories are a powerful tool to give your audience a great experience. One of our top bits of advice for clients is that “Facts get forgotten; Stories get repeated.” You can use personal stories in many ways – to start; to connect with your audience; to give examples; to illustrate what you mean.
See how Susan Cain uses stories in her TED talk The Power of Introverts to leave a lasting impression.
5. Use all the tricks of professional keynote speakers
Speech writing is an art and a science. That’s why speech writing is a paid profession. Simon Lancaster, a well-known speech writer, talks about speech writing tricks including speaking in threes, using contrasts and metaphor in his TED talk. So, if you want help using these tools and turning your subject into an impressive Keynote address, please get in touch.
What mistakes do you need to avoid in a keynote?
In our experience, these are the biggest mistakes made by speakers over and over again. Read this and make sure you don’t fall into any these public speaking traps.
6. Don’t be boring as a speaker
It may sound obvious, but this is the key failing of keynotes. Because people don’t prepare properly, they deliver a mediocre speech. The good news is that it can be relatively simple to turn an ordinary conference talk into a powerful keynote and sound like a professional keynote speaker.
We’d be delighted to transform your draft into a compelling Keynote with our public speaking coaching.
7. Don’t let your keynote speech be too formal
Professional speakers tend to use a conversational style. Short words, short phrases, simple words and colloquial phrases make a talk easy to listen to. Good writing is hard work, so keep at it until you know you have a great talk. Or use an experienced public speaking coach to help you draft your words.
8. A keynote speaker does not give a sales pitch
Some of the worst business keynote speakers give promotional pitches. Much better is to grab attention and demonstrate how good you are, rather than tell people how good you are. Be a thought leader and make a lasting impression by sharing insight and personal experiences. If you are an industry expert, stick to your specific topic and share personal stories.
Let your audience conclude that you are brilliant – don’t tell them.
9. Don’t say too much
It is easy to try and cover too much in your talk. A common mistake is to pack your talk with more information. But professional speakers tend to be simple and focused. We’ve improved more talks by cutting stuff than by adding stuff. A great talk will say less, but say it better.
10. A keynote speech is not an essay
The spoken word and the written word are completely different. You need to write for the ear, not the page. You need to learn how to write a keynote speech like a professional speaker. This is where a speech writer or a public speaking coach are so useful because they can help you translate your ideas into powerful spoken language that leave a positive impact.
11. Don’t rely on PowerPoint
Prepare a great keynote speech first. Only then decide if you need visual aids. And visual aids do not need to be PowerPoint. A PowerPoint presentation is not the same as a speech. Professional speakers rarely use PowerPoint.
How to Give a Keynote Address
Once you have written a great talk, you then need to deliver it well. If you have a bad speech, it will be hard to deliver and you will never look good. But with a well-written keynote and the right speaker, carefully prepared, you can be very impressive. These are some things that you need to consider:
12. Project your voice
The best speaker is a performer. Speaking as you would in a small room will not work. You need to look and sound impressive to make an impact. What does this involve? You need to think about the energy you put into your voice; how you vary your pace and tone and how you command the room. Fortunately all these techniques can be learned. We do this every week for leaders giving keynote talks.
With your body language and your eye contact you can look impressive. A speaker will seen to be comfortable and will look as if being on stage is natural to them. All this is a trick. Many speakers feel nervous, but they have learned how to appear confident. We can help you look confident.
15. A great speaker will look the part
What you wear, how you behave and what you say must all link together. If what you are saying and how you say it do not match, you will lose your audience.
You are offering your audience a package and all elements in the package must fit together. It’s no coincidence that the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy always wears military fatigues when he speaks in public. It’s all about projecting the right image. What image do you want to project?
16. Practise
The one thing that distinguishes great guest speakers from ordinary ones is the time they spend rehearsing their speech. Obviously, the more public speaking you do, the better your will get. So if you don’t speak frequently, dedicate extra time to practising your talk.
And by practising, you should keep improving and refining what you say. Never be happy with the first draft of your speech. The best speakers are editing right up to the last minute. And of course, call us in to help. We can transform you from a nervous speaker into a confident, compelling communicator.
Get Professional Coaching for a Compelling Keynote Speech
So, how do you prepare your next keynote talk? You are welcome to use all the advice above. Or, to make it simpler, we could help you.
Before you give your next Keynote address, get in touch. We’d be delighted to help you write, prepare and deliver a compelling speech. We’ve been doing this for over 15 years and have helped thousands of business executives.
Call our director of customer service, Louise Angus today on +44 20 7018 0922 to discuss how we can help with your next keynote.
Why Choose Us: Transform your pitches and presentations with tailored coaching
We can help you present brilliantly.Thousands of people have benefitted from our tailored in-house coaching and advice – and we can help you too.
“I honestly thought it was the most valuable 3 hours I’ve spent with anyone in a long time.”
Mick May, CEO, Blue Sky
For 15+ years we’ve been the trusted choice for leading businesses and executives throughout the UK, Europe and the Middle East. We’ll help you improve corporate presentations through presentation coaching, public speaking training and expert advice on pitching to investors.
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Speak to Louise on +44 20 7018 0922 or email info@benjaminball.com to transform your speeches, pitches and presentations.
If you are giving a keynote, you’ll know that a keynote speech is a central presentation at an event, designed to set the tone, inspire the audience, and deliver key messages aligned with the event’s theme. It is usually given by a subject-matter expert, industry leader, or influential speaker.
Q2: How do I prepare for a keynote speech?
A great keynote is written for your audience. Great speech writing involves understanding your audience, researching the event theme, and structuring your speech with a strong opening, clear key messages, and a memorable closing. You should spend most time working on your content and structure. Then you can practice extensively and refine your delivery.
Q3: How long should a keynote speech be?
Some people would say “The short the better!” Most keynote speeches last between 20 to 60 minutes, depending on the event format and expectations. Where you can, aim for nearer the 20 minute mark.
Q4: What makes a keynote speech engaging?
A great keynote speech:
– It well-written. Perhaps using a professional speech writer. – Starts with a powerful opening (story, question, or bold statement). – Has a clear message and structured flow. – Uses storytelling, humour, and personal experiences to connect with the audience. – Ends with a strong call to action or memorable conclusion.
Q5: Should I use slides in my keynote speech?
The more senior you are, the less likely you’ll want to use visuals. Visuals can enhance your speech, but they must not be a crutch. Aim to illustrate points that you can’t express verbally. Remember, a handout that people receive after the event should not be the same as the visual aids you use. These are different tools used in different ways. Think book and film. If you use slides, keep them minimal, visually appealing, and supportive of your key points. Avoid anything text-heavy.
Q6: How do I handle nervousness before speaking?
The best way to handle nerves it to write a speech that you know will work with your audience. The better written your speech, the more likely you’ll feel confident. In our experience, bad speeches are the biggest reason for speaking nerves.
Practical steps you can take once you have a great speech include:
– Take deep breaths to stay calm.- – Do practice runs in front of a mirror or small audience. – Use positive visualisation—imagine yourself delivering a successful speech. – Remember that the audience is there to learn from you, not judge you.
Q7: What’s the best way to start a keynote speech?
Begin with a hook that grabs attention, such as:
– A personal story – A surprising fact or statistic – A thought-provoking question – A bold statement or quote
Some of the techniques we use with our clients to make speeches memorable include:
– Use a metaphor or analogy – Have one clear theme or message. – Use storytelling and real-life examples. – Involve the audience through rhetorical questions or interactive moments. – End with a strong takeaway or call to action.
– Prepare for common and tough questions in advance – Listen carefully before responding. – Keep answers concise and relevant. – If you don’t know the answer, be honest and offer to follow up later.
Q10: How do I improve my keynote speaking skills?
– Get professional presentation coaching to help build lasting skills – Watch top keynote speakers and learn from their techniques. – Practice with a coach, mentor, or supportive audience. – Seek feedback after each speech and refine your delivery.
Giving a keynote speech is an opportunity to inspire, educate, and make an impact. With preparation and practice, you can deliver a compelling and unforgettable presentation.
We’d love to help you make a real impact at your next speech, big or small. Call us to discuss how we can help with writing and coaching.
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