Is a Professional Keynote Speech interesting or insightful?

Recently I attended a corporate event exploring how to use Technology for Organisational Growth. The highlight came from one Speaker, a ‘Futurist’, who spoke about the impact Blockchain Technology is going to have on the industry.

His presentation was certainly interesting, however it was not insightful. Because he made little or no effort to translate his content to the context of the organisation. The speech may have helped clarify what Blockchain Technology is, but not what Blockchain Technology is for them.

The purpose of this article is to highlight the need for transferable insights in a Professional Keynote Speech so you can make a more informed decision when booking one for your corporate event.

Relevance Rules

The audience in the above example was left confused. They were not confused about what Blockchain Technology is, but rather what it is for them. And confusion is never a good thing because a confused mind does not act.

Secondly, the audience was left, at best, overwhelmed and, at worst, frightened. They understood that something important was happening with Blockchain Technology; they were told that it will have a revolutionary impact on their organisation. However, because they were not guided on what to do next, a fear began to creep in, which resulted in a sense of paralysis. See also our article: Never Hire a Keynote Speaker who Motivates by Fear.

A Professional Keynote Speech will always translate their content to the context of the organisation.

The hype of an issue can never be more important than its relevance to the organisational context. Relevance in the organisational context is the deciding factor.

Transferable Insights

Many Keynote Speakers know how to make a speech interesting. However, it is a Professional Keynote Speaker who knows how to make a speech interesting and insightful.

The distinguishing feature then of a Professional Keynote Speech is what I call ‘transferable insights’. These are insights that can be transferred from the examples, stories, and references in the speech directly into the context of the organisation. These give the organisation ’inner sight’, or wisdom, into what they can now do.

A Professional Keynote Speech is not only interesting, it is also insightful.

For more insights to the qualities that define a Professional Keynote Speech checkout our article: The 7 Qualities of Professional Keynote Speakers.

The Right Balance

A Professional Keynote Speech always finds the right balance between being inspirational and practical, aspirational and operational, transformational and transactional. So with this in mind, and working with the concept of transferable insights, I structure my work on Patterns, Principles, and Practice.

Patterns are presented in my Keynote Speeches as the overarching forces that are acting upon every business. They consider the global context from both a timeless and a timely perspective.

Principles then become the first step in translating these general Patterns into specific transferable insights. These are the fundamental assumptions and concepts that serve as the foundation for new mindsets and action.

Then what follows is how these Principles, these specific transferable insights, can be applied in Practice. Therefore, a step-by-step plan is offered to apply them within the organisation and to test them in action.

So the next time you are deciding on which Keynote Speaker to hire for your corporate event, make sure you chose a Professional Keynote Speaker who can make their topic relevant for your organisation, by:

• finding the right balance in inspiration & practice,
• being interesting & insightful,
• most importantly, by offering transferable insights.

To learn more about how Paul Hughes’ Keynote Speeches can impact your organisational growth Request a Quote now.