Being asked to give a keynote speech is a very significant honor and achievement. In most situations, people that are asked to give a keynote speech at any event have typically achieved a certain level of success in the field and are highly respected. While it can be a significant honor to be asked to give a keynote speech at any type of event, it can also be a nerve-wracking experience. Fortunately, there are a variety of tips that can be followed that could help anyone to give a great keynote speech at any type of event.
1- Connect with Audience
When you are giving the keynote speech, the most important thing that you need to remember is that you need to try to connect with the audience. As opposed to other types of speeches, a keynote speech does not necessarily require you to have a planned and pre-written speech. Instead, you should try to read the room and base your speech off of the audience. While you should have a general plan of what you want to cover during the speech, you should definitely not have it all written down.
2- Keep it Simple
If you have been asked to deliver a keynote speech, it likely means that you have a lot of knowledge about the industry in topic you are going to be discussing. While you may have a lot of knowledge about a certain area or practice, you need to remember that not everybody in the event has the same background. Because of this, you should try to make the speech as simple as possible. While you will want to cover the important topics, you should try to keep everything at a high level so everyone is able to understand it
3- Use Humor
During a keynote speech, you will be responsible for getting the entire audience ready for whatever event they are attending. Because of this, you should try to make the speech more humorous than serious. During a speech, you should try to have a good sense of humor and comedic timing. This will help you to loosen up the crowd and make the speech more memorable.
4- Concrete Example
When a lot of people are giving speeches they end up speaking in very general terms. While this can make it easier to prepare, it would be more helpful to have at least a few real-life examples in the speech. This will help to make your content seem more applicable to your audience if you are able to show how it adapts to the real world through examples.
5- Practice
Similar to any other type of speech, giving a good keynote will require you to practice ahead of time. While you do not need to have a fully written speech, you should at least practice your presentation a few times. Ideally, you should have some people listen to your speech. This will give you the chance to receive some constructive feedback that could help to make your speech even better. Ideally, you should also visit the venue ahead of the speech as it could help you to visualize your presentation.
6- Be Physically and Mentally Ready
For any big speech, being ready to give it as one of the most important things that you need to do. When you are going to give a speech, you need to make sure that you are physically and mentally prepared. This will normally include making sure that you have a good night sleep the night before, that you have a healthy meal and some exercise the day of the speech, and that you are generally in a good and upbeat mood. This will help you to feel good, which will allow you to give a better overall presentation and speech.
7- Attention Grabbing Opening and Strong Ending
While the whole keynote speech is important and should be focused on, the two most important parts are the opening and the ending. When you are preparing your speech, you need to focus on creating an opening for the speech that will truly grab the attention of all people in the audience. You should then prepare an ending that will make the speech memorable and allow it to stick.
