Are you looking to hire a keynote speaker for an event or conference?

Do you need help in figuring out how to find the best keynote speaker?

In this article, you are going to learn what to look for when working with a professional.

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The purpose of a keynote speaker

A good keynote speaker is someone who has established a reputation for trust and authority in their field and can command a room when speaking.

This expert has the challenging task of summarizing the main message of an event as well as setting the tone for the rest of the program.

They have the power to engage an audience who can fire up your attendees and get them ready to absorb all the content intended for them.

Since they play a crucial role in the success of your event, it’s important to know how to choose a good professional.

Even though the type of speaker may vary according to the event, there are certain traits that every good keynote speaker should have.

Below you will find out about some of these traits and why they are important. By keeping them in mind, you will have an easier time choosing the right speaker for your audience.

Leadership and Credibility

A great keynote speaker provides leadership and credibility to the audience.

The way they accomplish this is by being confident with who they are.

This in turn makes them come across as authentic, which adds credibility to their message.

Moreover, a good keynote speaker is usually someone who is very accomplished in their field, thus adding more gravitas to the audience’s perception of them.

Entertainment and Connection

Being able to connect with the audience is another characteristic of a competent speaker.

One way they are able to do this is through their oratory skills. Successful orators pace their presentation appropriately, knowing when to startle the listeners with an energetic remark or make them at ease with a more mellow approach.

A good keynote speaker is also able to entertain. This is not usually done by simply telling jokes (although witty, well-dosed humor is always welcome), but more through connecting with the audience via storytelling.

Accomplished speakers are great storytellers, able to convey deep messages with personal anecdotes or even fictitious characters.

Proper research and needs analysis

Aside from all the points already mentioned, it’s vital that the presenter is able to do proper research about your company, issues and the audience profile.

Sitting down with the Speaker in advance in order to discuss these details is important, as well as the speaker’s open-mindedness in the whole process.

Once armed with that information, a good keynote speaker will be better able to craft a speech tailored to your audience’s needs and that aligns with the ultimate outcome you hope to reach by the end of the event.

It’s also worth mentioning that the speaker should be flexible enough to adjust the speech based on your feedback.

Creativity and thinking outside the box

Powerful keynote speakers make us look at things from a different angle, opening our minds to possibilities we weren’t able to imagine before.

Sometimes, they don’t even have to bring us new information, just remind us of what we already know but in an engaging and memorable way.

For example, when Steve Jobs talked about “connecting the dots” during his commencement address at Stanford University, he was talking about how life tends to sort itself out organically and naturally, if we allow it to.

This analogy of “connecting the dots” of your life was a clever and remarkable one.

Many people remember this analogy long after watching his speech.

Mission driven

Most credible speakers are usually someone who has committed their life to a purpose or mission that makes them authentic.

Your goal should be to find someone whose mission or values align with yours as this is a great way to amplify your overall theme and message.

Articulate and to the point

A keynote speaker has to be able to condense a great deal of information in a very short period of time.

This means that they must have the ability to be articulate and express their message in a way that everyone can understand.

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