It’s Not About Me, It’s About You

My #1 mantra as a professional keynote speaker is ‘it’s not about me, it’s about you’ (‘you’ being the audience). It’s not about what I’ve accomplished or who I’ve worked with, it’s about what the audience will find helpful and what the audience needs to hear.

Every time I take the stage, my goal is to provide as much value as I’m capable of. To share relevant concepts, proven principles, and practical, actionable strategies in a compelling and captivating way. To customize an impactful message that makes each attendee feel like I am talking specifically to them. A message that is meaningful and memorable. I take the stage in full service of the audience… and I’m there to talk with them, not at them.

Corporate clients, meeting planners, and bureau partners don’t just book me to deliver a keynote. They book me to provide an experience. Therefore, I strive for everything I do - before, during, and after I speak - to enrich that experience. That starts by taking tremendous pride in being very low maintenance and easy to work with. I know how challenging it is, and how much work it takes, to put on an event… and I make sure my involvement is seamless, fluid, and thoroughly enjoyable. I alleviate headaches, not cause them!

Prior to the event, I review the client’s responses to my pre-event questionnaire, conduct a pre-event video call, and do extensive research and due diligence. I do this to get to know the client and audience so I can best customize a powerful message. I also offer to record a welcome/teaser video they can share with their audience in advance (so they can feel my excitement prior to the event). And of course, I rehearse incessantly.

At the event, I work closely with the host and A/V team to make sure everything works properly, I observe the speakers/sessions prior to mine (so I can reference what they said during my talk), and I attend formal event functions (meet-and-greets, book signings, meals). I do this so the client knows I’m ‘all in’ and to really get a personal feel for the event’s theme, culture, and attendees. I want every member of the audience to think, ‘Wow, this guy really cares about us!’

After the event, I have a post keynote process to ensure my takeaways stick and the attendees jumpstart massive momentum. That process begins with an organized follow up email that offers a robust menu of reinforcement tools to assist in the implementation of the strategies I shared on stage. Many clients choose to deepen their initial investment by hiring me to create additional, progressive follow-up virtual sessions… 30-60-90 days after the event. This makes the keynote just the starting point to eliciting real change! This speaks to the title I most identify with… which is coach! Speaking is what I do, it’s not who I am. At my core, I am a coach… a teacher… a ‘bucket filler.’

What do I consider a big win? One, I know in my heart I was fully prepared, showed up on stage as my best self, and was in full service of the audience. Two, I made the person that hired me look like a genius! Three, I delivered a message so captivating that the attendees reference it and are talking about it 3 hours, 3 days, 3 weeks, and 3 months later! Four, when I check in with the client 3-6-9 months later… they boast tangible results.