How Many Points Should A Keynote Speech Include?

There are no hard and fast rules to speech construction and how many points you should include. I have heard awesome speakers with a lot of points, awesome speakers with only a few, and even some who really didn't have a point at all, yet I was delighted the whole time. As most things in this business, the right way is the way that gets you booked. But this doesn't help those who ask me this question does it? It would be a pretty short article if I ended here! So let me share my opinion and you can see if it works for you.

Content versus Point

Let me first differentiate between content and point - at least from my perspective. You can poll speakers and they will all give you different answers. Here is how I define them.

Point = the point you want to make. It is brief. It is succinct. It is clear. Easy to remember, repeat, and tweet. The lesson or the teaching point. Similar to the chapter heading in a book. The bold print of your speech. The take-away phrase. The place in a long-winded conversation where you smile politely and think, "Will you just get to the point already?"

Example: The point of this story, is that you can't win unless you try.

Content = further explanation of the point. The how-to. The text in the chapter of the book. More teaching points that fall under this one point. An illustration of how this point can be applied. An action step you give the audience to help them implement this lesson. Further discussion on the point.

Example: Let's talk about some ways that you can find the courage to try. First, you must change your attitude. Second, you must find people to support you. Here's how I build my own support group.

As a keynote speaker, you (and your client) choose how much content you want to teach them in the time that you have. It's your choice. There is no wrong answer. The right way is the way that gets you booked over and over.

My 3 Point Philosophy

There is only so much your audience can remember. It has been said that they can really only retain THREE KEY POINTS from a speech. Notice that I said points, not content. Give them three main principles to walk away with. This has nothing to do with how much you talk about each principle. I once saw a speaker give at least 25 points in his speech before I quit counting. The audience was exhausted and lost interest at about point four. People like their content in a structured way. Three is a nice number of modules for your main points.

I would suggest that you stick to three main points, go into a little detail about each one, use a story to illustrate that point, and give them an action step to implement, and then move on. Fight the urge to give them more points under the main point. Instead, give them a handout (or a digital downloadable handout) where you can go into more detail later.

Example: The main point is that you need to rewrite your inner script. I have six steps to help you do that. I won't go into them today, but you can access them later in your online handout.

This gives you the ability to deliver a lot of information, but not exhaust your audience, and you can spend more time on the fun stuff they will remember most.

My Umbrella Concept Philosophy

In every speech I give, there is one umbrella philosophy that all these points fit under. That one thing that holds everything. It is usually a shift in perspective. It makes those three points feel less random. At least to me.

Example: Today we're here to help you deliver better customer service. I have three ways to help you get there, but they all involve one thing - a shift in perspective. You must go from a list of things to do, and move to an attitude of service. Here are the three ways to do that.

Don't Forget The Keynote's Intent

Keynote slots in a conference are designed to be broad strokes moments in the event. This means that instead of getting finely detailed, you stick to the broad strokes. The key note of today. Often keynote speeches are a good place to focus on the WHY instead of the how. Break out sessions are designed to be more training in nature. But don't get caught up on terminology. They don't mean the same thing to every client.

Here is an example how I am often placed in an event:

Keynote Speech: Who Hijacked My Fairy Tale? A hilarious and motivating journey through the power of your mind to control your happiness. Kelly will share four words that get her back on track every time.

Breakout Session Following Speech: Six Steps To Rewrite Your Inner Script. In Kelly's speech, one of her key words to happiness is "believe." In today's breakout session, Kelly will walk you through the six steps to rewrite your inner script. We will focus on the first two, and the remaining will be available by download following the workshop.

We expect the keynote to be more entertaining, motivating, energizing, and flat out more exciting than everything else on the agenda. Your audience expects it, and so does your client. It's why the keynote speakers are often paid more than any of the other speakers. Pure content does not have the ability to be exciting no matter how much vocal variety you add to it.

The way you wrap it, is how you create the magical experience. And that wrapping takes up time in that speech - time where you have to cut out content to make room for a story or use humor or whatever your wow factor involves. More wrapping, less content. We'll save the wrapping for another day. But if you can't wait to learn more - or if you're afraid you don't have a wow factor - or your wrapping is the same wrapping you've been using for ten years - or you don't have any wrapping at all - you should enroll in Story Impact Academy or come to Story Crafting Camp where you'll learn how to wrap that content in the magic sauce that gets you bigger stages and higher fees.

FREE GIFT

Thanks for reading this article. I hope it helped you. I would love for you to share it with your communities of people who might need good presentation skills and content in strategic storytelling. And in return for sharing, as a thank you, I would love to give you a free ticket to one of my upcoming online Master Classes scheduled all year. Just send an email to [email protected] and say "I want my free ticket" and reference this LinkedIn article. Let me know if you want an Audience member ticket - to just hop on and watch/listen - or if you want a Contestant ticket which allows you to share a story on the call and get feedback. Then I will send you a promo code.

Here's the master class link if you want to check it out for more details - but you need a code from me before you can purchase a ticket at no charge.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kelly-swansons-story-impact-academy-master-classes-tickets-28871911665