Guest Column: Lessons in Keynote Speaking

Guest Column: Lessons in Keynote Speaking

By Robbie Kellman Baxter

A little about where I am with my speaking journey…before my book, The Membership Economy: Find Your Superusers, Master the Forever Transaction and Build Recurring Revenue, was published in March 2015, I did only the occasional talk, and usually for a small audience. Since then, I have given several keynotes, spoken at large conferences and been paid as a speaker for major events.

Last week, I attended the workshop Speaking with Alan and learned a lot. While it might have been useful to have participated before diving into speaking, the fact that I had some “real world” experience under my belt provided me with some context for his wisdom and I got so much out of the sessions.

Here are some of my most useful takeaways. Please feel free to share your own tips too. I’d love to hear them.

How to get a great introduction

Write it yourself.

Email it in advance of the event, and then bring a printed copy (large font, double spaced) to give to the person who will be introducing you. Ask (tell) them not to deviate.

The most important parts of a speech

The most important parts are the powerful opener and the powerful close. Master those short passages, or even memorize them.

How to build an opening

An opening sets the tone for the whole speech. In the first few seconds the audience decides whether they’re going to like you. Remember—they hope they like your speech.

An intro should be about three minutes long and well-rehearsed.

Here are eight ways to open, suggested by Alan

• Demo
• Stats (“the average person has X…”)
• Metaphor
• Audience participation (ask a real question and seek out answers)
• Exercise (“do this…”)
• Rhetorical question (“what would happen if…”)
• History
• Comparisons
• Contemporary event

When to use slides

Generally you don’t need to do slides. They can distract the audience from paying attention to you, they are often unnecessary to convey your point, and they’re a lot of work to create and update. Also, if you’re running behind or ahead, it’s hard to adjust on the fly.

Use slides if the idea is complicated and really benefits from a visual process flow or image.

What to do when your crowd is low energy

If the group is low energy, give them an exercise.

“Why don’t we stop here….”

• where are you on this quadrant, 1-10 scale?
• do you tend to spend more time on acquisition or retention?
• what’s more important X or Y?

Get people talking. A minute or two, then “Shout out your findings!”

Don’t ask “What resulted from the exercise?” Instead, try “What did you find interesting about this exercise?”

How to do Q&A

Repeat/Respond/Review. This method ensures that everyone hears the question, that you’re satisfying the questioner, and that you have a little time to come up with an answer.

• Repeat: So you’re asking…?
• Respond: as concisely as you can.
• Review: did I answer your question?

Every once in awhile, especially if you don’t have a great answer immediately ready, you can “play volleyball” with the question, and throw it back to the audience.

How to handle a hostile questioner

If you get a hostile question—reframe…and then go right to next question and do not review. Take attention away from the asker.

Know that this happens occasionally, and be ready. Your obligation is to the audience and your host, not to any one questioner. If the boat tips over, get it righted and be up sailing again quickly!

When to do Q&A (hint…not at the end of the speech!)

Open for Q&A about two thirds of the way through your talk. After your Q&A, you will still have one major point and the conclusion to come. Then, with about 10 minutes left of your time, close out your speech.

“Well, it’s time for me to move on, if you have more questions, come find me after. My fifth and last point is….. To conclude…”

You don’t want to end by saying “well, I guess that’s all the time we have for questions…thanks for your attention.” You want to end with a powerful close.

How to close powerfully

You need to close as well as you open. Your close requires energy and choreography. It should be about three minutes, just like opener. Include a summary of what they’ve learned, why it’s important and a call to action.

How to structure your speech so you can “customize” quickly

• 60% of your speech stays constant.
• 30% should be customized for the audience, usually the stories chosen and a few references to the audience’s specific challenges (“I know that it’s hard for your industry to XYZ…because ABC…but if you…you will see good results”)
• 10% of your speech is ad-libbed.

How to add value (and increase the fee)

As a group, we brainstormed ways to add value before, during and after a speech. I’m sure there are lots more!

Alan suggested that these kinds of additional elements could more than quadruple the value of the basic speech and should always be offered.

• Before
  • Interviews
  • Advance work
  • Talk to execs
  • Surveys
  • Customers
  • Competitors
  • Suppliers
  • Webinar
  • Shop the company as a “mystery shopper”
• During
  • Meetings on site
  • Attend other talks
  • Handouts
  • Book signing
  • Extra Workshop
  • Lunch/dinner with allstars
  • Debrief
  • Observations
  • Recommendations/follow up
• After
  • Provide free subscription
  • Summary distributed
  • Record and disseminate
  • Special web page
  • Plan more education
  • Revisit to audit progress
  • Coach selected people
  • Send best practices
  • Refer other resources

The most important thing (having fun)

People learn best when they’re having a good time. Use a lot of humor. Alan isn’t funny to be funny. He uses it to add to the learning experience and to hugely reduce hostility. Remember though, observational humor is great, but never make fun of host.

Open, and close, with energy, a strong voice, and a smile!

Robbie Kellman Baxter is the author of the Amazon #1 new release The Membership Economy, and president of Peninsula Strategies  (http://www.peninsulastrategies.com), a strategy consulting firm which helps organizations improve performance through marketing discipline. One of Alan Weiss’s Master Mentors, she can be reached at 650-322-5655 or [email protected].