The Keynote Misconceptions

There is something we need to get straight, and I want to share it with you.

Especially as you are hanging out in my playground, which means you most likely have a strong interest in speaking, or you listen to speakers, or you wonder what it would be like to be a better speaker, or something else completely irrelevant : )

BUT in any case, there is a clear distinction that is missing in the world of a lot of emerging speakers. To be blunt, it is actually missing in the world of a lot of people who believe they are established speakers as well. 

It shows up in two ways – when people believe they have delivered a ‘keynote’ or overshoot their experience and call themselves a ‘keynote speaker’. When in fact they have neither delivered a ‘keynote’ nor have they earned the place that means they can self-nominate as a ‘keynote speaker’.

1.   A keynote speech is the BEST of you, not ALL of you

Especially as an emerging speaker, we are so thrilled to have the opportunity to speak we think adding value means giving everything we have – in one 45 or 60 minute time slot. But every time we try to do that, we put too much in, we race through content, we don’t give space to take the audience on a journey, and we completely overwhelm – so even if the audience loves the WAY we deliver, they will never remember WHAT we deliver. A keynote speech is just the BEST of us – simply an invitation to discover more.

2.   A keynote is not selling from stage. It is not a pitch. It is not even a ‘seeded’ pitch.

I started crafting my skills in speaking more than 15 years ago and I simply didn’t get the memo that speaking was about selling. The educators and mentors in my world taught me it was about delivering immense value, sharing of knowledge, connecting and educating. The moment you go into selling from stage, pitching, or even seeding the pitch (which is what not so great trainers will teach you to do) you end up in the zone you don’t want to ever be in – you disconnect from a lot of, if not all, of the audience. Deliver immense value, wrapped up in an exquisite listening experience, and the people who want to work with you will find you, fast. (P.s there is a place for selling from stage – a keynote stage is NOT that place).

3.   It is not 90 minutes or more – that is a rapid-fire workshop

There is one waiver to this – experienced, world class, actual keynote speakers can do this, and do it to an extraordinary level. Emerging speakers can’t hold attention simply with the spoken word and compelling graphics supporting them for a total of 90 minutes. It is a muscle build; if you are asked to do a 90 minute keynote/speech as an emerging speaker, the event organiser is simply filling time in a program. This is not a keynote and you need to deliver it as a rapid-fire workshop; that is an element of interaction in the midst of the keynote that gets your audience physically – kinaesthetically engaged. There is a way to do it with strength, from any stage.

4.   A keynote is not something you simply deliver off the cuff because of your natural talent

This one horrifies me. If you are speaking and believe that you can speak off the cuff because you are naturally talented… you can not only not claim to be a keynote speaker – you should not claim to be a speaker. Full. Stop. Speaking is a muscle build; it is an overlay of strategy, structure, throughline, story and language that you simply cannot deliver off the cuff. Period.

5.   It is not simply a chronological unfolding of events without a throughline, a core message

There are a lot of speakers (generalising here!) whom are positioned and often secure keynote speaking engagements because of a single catastrophic event, or mind-blowing achievement – blown up in a warzone, lost their sight as a child, won a gold medal, climbed a mountain blind.  And whilst this is great, the speakers who achieve true keynote status and longevity of career – a Gold Medal Olympian going into her twentieth year of professional speaking comes to mind – are those that realise simply unfolding the chronological timeline of events is not enough. There has to be a core message, a throughline that makes sense to an audience and gives meaning to the event. It is in the shaping of story to match that throughline, and the ability to adapt it to changing sophistication and demands of an audience over time. It gives reason for people to continue to book you long past the event and the fame window, and pushes you out of the celebrity/insta-fame box into the keynote speaker box.

6.   It is not when you are given the worst place on the program, nor are you doing it for free

A keynote speech is traditionally positioned at the opening or closing of a major conference or event, is delivered from the mainstage – not a breakout or plenary stage – or as the stand alone speech in a major event, or component of a conference. For example, the opening speech of a conference program, the closing speech, the speech at a conference dinner, the speech at a gala dinner. Any other places on any program and you are a speaker, helping to add value and substance to the program to make the organisers look incredible – something a keynote speaker does inherently by the way. It is also not when you are delivering the speech for free – even if you hold the keynote position. The only exception to this is when you are doing it for your chosen charities or causes. 

7.   It is not a confusing ramble for the audience to work out themselves… in fact lets adopt TED

A great keynote speech is tight, as if every moment of it is on point, on purpose, and on target. It shifts you in the audience, from one place to another, seamlessly. It moves you through emotion, insight, wonder or horror, and leaves you with an indelible sense of a world that is possible. It is not a meandering mash of ideas and stories that you love. In fact, I think we should adopt the mantra of TED Talks – one BOLD idea. Creating your one CORE message. Which gives you a strong THROUGHLINE your audience can follow. Against which story and tactic and strategy are measured and those that don’t support the one BOLD idea hit the cutting room floor.

But if I could get one more message through to you it would be this.

“Keynote speaker” should never be used as an aspirational title; it is experiential, and earned, and audiences know when you really are ‘that’ level.

And please remember – there is NOTHING wrong with being a great speaker, ‘just’ a speaker. Speaking, and lifting to keynote speaker and world class, is a muscle build – it is an evolution not an instant apparition. 

?Jacqueline Nagle is a successful business-leader, presenter and trainer, well known for her straight talk and spirited presentations.  Her own diverse career has been witness to (personally) securing in excess of $20,000,000 in sales, growing a consulting business from $4.2-$22.5M in 15 months, building a regional start up from $0-high-6-figure fee revenue in 18 months, driving significant change as CEO of a Traffic Control Company, successfully developing, negotiating and implementing more than 20 Enterprise Bargaining Agreements, collectively generating in excess of $3M in publicity, speaking across more than 150 events, creating and/or MC’ing in excess of 50 events, and delivering in excess of 180 workshops across 15 topics. 

Realising the core to her success – and the success of the great people she has met throughout her career – is the ability to speak well, Jacqueline has been sharing her experience in speaking, pitching and presenting with executives, professionals, entrepreneurs, consultants and mentors, delivering outstanding, proven results.

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