What makes a good keynote presentation

Nancy Duarte of Duarte Designs and her teams work with industry giants on their keynote speeches. They recommend that for a one-hour speech you can expect to spend 30 hours on the content creation side. Ninety hours likely seems like a lot of time, but to create and develop a keynote requires evolving iterations based on feedback that take time and improve with each iteration.

Investing the time to evolve your presentation from a rough draft to one that you know will carry an audience away is worth the effort. Keynotes are a rich opportunity to give an audience perspective into who you are and what you know. You should allow for three months and a minimum of two months of lead time before you deliver your keynote. However, life does not always go according to plan. You may not have a lot of time left to prepare.

From the perspective of viewing your body of work and experience, what, and how will you resonate with your audience? How will you inspire them to take action?

Or have your words of wisdom create a legacy that will stick with them for years? They were emphatically told to my communication cohort by our professor during the first class of our degree program. Investing time in establishing this is crucial and the foundation for a successful keynote.

Equally as important is your intention. Why are you giving the keynote and what do you want to have happen because of it? Your intention is also an important checkpoint to continually circle back to, to insure you are on track to engage and inspire your audience. With these key foundational pieces consider how you will craft your speech while keeping both in mind.

The client who was keynoting the tech conference planned to speak on resiliency, which is a broad topic. I encouraged her to dig deeper. She realized how much of her success was because of her commitment to creating and building relationships. The through-line she decided on was resiliency through relationships.

Each and every component of a keynote is important. How many presentations have you been to where you were bored by the speaker in the first few minutes?

I suspect a few. My client started her keynote off with a dose of humour. She talked about the inappropriate clothes she wore to an interview and what she did to gain access to the building where her interview was being held. Finish your keynote with clarity and power. A tenet I firmly stand by is it is not good enough to leave your audience inspired. Unless a compelling title comes to mind before or as you are developing and creating your speech, leave the title until the end.

I learned this trick while writing and working with an editor at Inc. Quite often, the messages can be personalized simply by leaving the audience with two to three questions that they have to answer for themselves. In this case, each individual can find a personalized mode of action as they answer the questions in their own context.

After experiencing many speakers in action, these are just a few of the key points by which we judge them. You may have some additional observations about keynote speakers. I agree with 1. That's why speakers should be paid, so we don't have to sell ourselves from the stage.

It's not good for the audience, the meeting planner, or the speaker. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem antium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae. A strong narrative requires both data and emotion.

Visuals think thought-provoking imagery, large font statements, simple yet powerful graphs present your ideas in yet another way for your audience to understand. Also think about the energy and tempo that fits the theme and mood of the main event. Practice makes perfect and looking confident and in control requires it, especially when you may have to answer questions before or after the speech.

Your focus should remain on your audience at all times. Dynamic movements on stage are a simple way to take your presentation to the next level, so make it a point to familiarise yourself with the stage beforehand.

How a keynote speaker is introduced can make or break their speech — even before the speaker walks on to the stage! Sometimes they want you to read it word-for-word. Want to learn more about delivering an outstanding keynote address that builds your reputation? Get in touch with secondnature and we can help you get started! With a determination to drive a paradigm shift in the delivery of presentation skills training both In-Person and Online, she is a strong advocate of a more personal and sustainable presentation skills training methodology.

Your email address will not be published. What Makes a Good Keynote Speaker? In this Article What is the purpose of a keynote speech? How to prepare for a keynote speech Know your audience Get good at storytelling Make the audience the hero Visuals are key Know your material Love your environment How to introduce a keynote speaker Here are some tips to introduce your keynote speaker in style:.