The ABC of the Best Keynote Speech

After speaking for 25 years in more than 45 countries, it became clear to me that a great Keynote Speech must be practical, engaging, and logical. It must engage, what I call, the Hand, the Heart, & the Head. Based on this understanding, and the belief that ‘success leaves clues’, I developed a system called The ABC of a Keynote Speech.

The goal of this article is to outline a simple system that all great Keynote Speeches follow, so you can make a more informed decision when choosing a Professional Keynote Speaker for your next internal corporate event.

The Best Keynote Speeches are Action Oriented.

A Professional Keynote Speech is always pragmatic. Whatever is spoken about can be applied within your organisation. It must be hands-on. This is what I call engaging the Hand.

Engaging the Hand means the Speech must be Action oriented. Indeed, this I believe is the ultimate goal of every Speech.

Because great Speeches do not end in words, they end in people taking practical action. A great Speech says, “You must take action!”.
See our article: The Impact of a Keynote Speech.

The Best Keynote Speeches inspire Belief.

A Professional Keynote Speech is always engaging. Whatever is spoken about is presented in an appealing and captivating way. It must stimulate belief. This is what I call engaging the Heart.

Engaging the Heart means it must inspire Belief. Because to get people in motion they need to feel emotion.

And one of the most powerful ways to inspire Belief is through Storytelling. I understand this implicitly because I come from a long tradition of Irish Storytellers, where stories are told in a timeless manner so the listener can decide how best they can be applied to a timely matter.

In this way stories have a timeless quality, they are outside of time and are therefore relevant to any moment in time. Stories allow the listener to step into a scenario, a situation, a context – the listener becomes the hero. Stories inspire personal belief.

The Best Keynote Speeches are Clear.

A Professional Keynote Speech must be understandable. Whatever is spoken about is presented in a comprehensible way. It must be logically expressed. This is what I call engaging the Head.

Engaging the Head means it must be crystal Clear.

Great Keynote Speeches are logical, understandable, and memorable. So not only will people understand what is being said and how it can be applied, they will also remember what was said. A Professional Keynote Speaker will use the science of mnemonics: techniques that help people remember.
See article: How can you keep the learnings, knowledge, & insights in your organisation after a Keynote Speech?

The best Keynote Speech is Action oriented, inspires Belief, & is crystal Clear.

The ABC of the Best Keynote Speech

Altogether then this outlines the pattern that all the best Keynotes Speeches follow: The best Keynote Speech is Action oriented, inspires Belief, & is crystal Clear.

So the next time you are considering hiring a Professional Keynote Speaker for your next internal corporate event ask them:

How is your Speech going to be Action oriented?
Is your Speech going to inspire any Belief?
How are you going to make sure your Speech is crystal Clear?

For more questions to ask a Speaker before you hire them see also this article: Five Crucial Questions to ask Professional Keynote Speakers when Considering one for your Internal Management Event.

For more insights on setting up the best working relationship with a Professional Keynote Speaker download Guide on how much does a Keynote Speaker cost.