Crafting Your Signature Keynote: A Journey to Influence and Inspire

Listen to the full podcast episode here

Are you a speaker who's still struggling with your topic?

Perhaps you aim to create some intellectual property that makes you more marketable.

If you’re looking to get booked and paid as a speaker quickly, this post will guide you through a critical step in crafting a keynote that opens up speaking opportunities.

Concept and Positioning

In the previous episode of this series, we covered concept and positioning, which serves as a foundation for this journey. It’s essential to focus on an actionable idea that can solve a problem and align with your larger mission.

“One of the things I express to professional speakers or those aspiring to become one is that the problem they solve should be a ‘need to have’ rather than a ‘nice to have,’ especially when budgets are tight.”

Emotional Mastery as a Cornerstone

As I began constructing my keynote, I identified the transformation I wanted to provide: helping my audience gain emotional mastery. The objective is to empower the audience to decide proactively how they want to present themselves daily in both professional and personal settings. This objective anchors your entire talk and provides a clear direction.

Building the Framework

While planning your keynote, creating a framework helps outline your talk's structure. I developed a nine-point framework, knowing it’s too extensive for a single keynote but provides room for creating future content like courses or books. Remember, nothing is wasted in this process.

“Creating a framework for transformation can be a powerful tool and a great differentiator in the marketplace.”

Talk Titles: Ronseal or Teaser?

Choosing a talk title is pivotal. It could either be a Ronseal title, which is straightforward and descriptive (does what it says on the tin), or a Teaser title, which evokes curiosity. I generally prefer the teaser, as it can engage and intrigue the audience from the get-go. For my talk on personal state management, I opted for the title "Hooked on a Feeling," with a subtitle to enhance understanding: "How to Get One Day Closer to Your Best Self Every Day."

Final Thoughts and Next Steps

With these elements in place, your keynote talk starts to take form. It’s important to remember that this is an ongoing process. Creative efforts can be refined, iterated, and evolved over time.

“My creative process is mostly a solo one rather than a community effort. However, once the creative process is complete, I will actively welcome feedback.”

In upcoming posts, I will discuss the prospecting practices, website creation, and demo video development essential to a successful speaking career.

Meanwhile, I have some exciting guest interviews planned, so stay tuned and subscribe if you haven't already. Remembering that a rising tide raises all boats, is there someone in your network who might enjoy this newsletter? I invite you to share, repost and message with me on LinkedIn if you have any questions or feedback.

Wherever your path takes you this week, let it be fruitful and inspiring. Keep pushing the boundaries of your influence, and we’ll continue this journey together. See you next time!