Keynote speakers have a very big responsibility in an event or a program.  These motivational speakers give the keynote address at the start of the program, setting the mood and the expectation of the audience.  The keynote speech will often determine how the event or program will fare.  That is why it is important that the keynote speaker must easily be able to captivate the audience to ensure the success of the program.  Otherwise, he or she won’t be able to get the message across and the whole event will become one, disappointing failure way before the program proper has started.

So how does one become a successful keynote speaker?  Let’s start with the speech.  A good recipe for a keynote speech must include these four ingredients:  information, advice, and some story-telling and a dash humor.  You do not want to bore your audience with a dull harangue filled with information they will never remember.  However, you also do not want to segue too much from the topic in the hopes of keeping your audience captivated.  Remember that your aim is to get your message across and motivate your audience towards a common goal.  Adding a bit of humor and personal anecdotes can be very entertaining and at the same time encouraging, however this shouldn’t be the main highlight of your keynote speech.

Another important thing you must remember is to think about the audience and the event you are invited to when creating a keynote speech.  What kind of event are you invited to?  Is it a corporate event, or is this to promote a product or a service?  While it may be tempting write a template speech that will fit any occasion, this is one way to earn a bad reputation as a keynote speaker.  This rarely gets the message across and rarely motivates the audience towards following your advice.  Always remember to tailor your speech for the even you are attending.

Last but not the least you must also be conscious about the time.  Two of the worst crimes some keynote speakers is giving speeches that may be too long or too short.  Depending on the length of an event, the average time allotted for a keynote speech must be between 30-60 minutes.  Anything beyond that can bore the audience and could earn the ire of the event organizer as it could eat up the time allotted for other activities.  On the other hand, a speech that is too short can leave too many questions and this could be very daunting.  That is why it is advisable to ask for a rundown of the event so you will have an estimation of how long your speech is going to be.