It’s almost a given that your event should have an entertaining keynote speaker. But what do we mean by ‘Entertaining’ and how can you be sure the speaker you choose for your event will have entertaining qualities? This article explores the topic…
Let’s be clear on something… when we talk about booking an entertaining keynote speaker, we are not talking about booking a comedian. The ability to be entertaining requires more from a keynote speaker that gets laughs.
What you don’t want for your event…
Have you ever sat through a presentation that you wished would end… but it dragged on? The chances are, that speaker was not an entertaining keynote speaker. There was something about their presentation that lacked energy, interest, relevance and maybe even personality. Or maybe it was something else…
Perhaps their presentation and anecdotes seemed predictable. Maybe the speaker went into too much detail and they failed to read the audience’s polite boredom. Your brain switched off because of the volume of detail. You got the fidgets. You felt like you wanted to leave or to move and a trip to the bathroom was the best excuse you could find.
Maybe their voice and body language lacked expression, maybe they failed to connect in some meaningful way through their eyes, or their PowerPoint and it made you feel even more uncomfortable.
What this tells us is a fundamental truth about speakers…
The truth is that not all keynote speakers are entertaining. Just because someone says they can speak on a topic, doen’t make them a safe bet for you as a booker.
If you are looking to book a speaker for your next event here are 7 attributes to look for, so your next speaker doesn’t send your audience to sleep…
7 attributes that make an entertaining keynote speaker
All keynote speakers need to inform the audience and it’s best if they can do that in an entertaining way. But what does an entertaining keynote speaker look like?
An entertaining keynote speaker will:
Put you at ease – An entertaining keynote speaker is comfortable in their own skin. Because they are at ease, they’ll project that energy of ease out to your audience, disarming them and allowing them to follow the keynote more easily than if they were edgy or nervous. Keynote speaker who has this quality are almost certainly professional speakers.
Have presence – have you noticed how some people have the ability to fill a room with their personality? An entertaining keynote speaker will own the stage. They’ll move forward to press a point, and backward when they want the audience to think. They’ll work silence in and wait while the audience can grasp a vital point. You’ll notice that novice speaker speak quickly and feel uncomfortable.
Be engaging – An entertaining keynote speaker will engage people. A professional speaker will be comfortable asking the audience to participate at appropriate moments. They’ll raise the energy of the room and then use that energy to create more energy as people forget the challenges they face outside the auditorium and lose themselves in the moment, following the journey the keynote speaker is taking them on.
Listen well – It seems strange to say your keynote speaker will listen well when they are being paid to talk. But the professional keynote speaker will listen in multiple ways. First, they’ll listen to you before the event, so they deliver an entertaining keynote presentation that hits the right notes for your organisation. Secondly, they’ll listen to the audience’s reaction throughout their presentation and even change an angle in the moment, to hit the right tone for your audience. Professional speakers are masters at this.
Open the audience emotionally – entertaining keynote speakers are storytellers. Using stories, they allow the audience to open up emotionally and get deeper into the narrative. Like a good theatre performance, the entertaining keynote speaker has the ability to get into both hearts and minds.
Create laughter – While entertaining keynote speakers are not necessarily comedians. They can tell a joke, inject some self-deprecating or observational humour, or use their stores to create laughter. Professional keynote speakers know how to use humour to lighten the mood, release tension or drill home a point.
Be positive – You’ll notice that professional keynote speakers are positive. They are not tarnished by the politics, history or current politics within an organisation. Because they are not held back by any organisational issues they can reengage people with a positive perspective.
What your audience expects from a keynote speaker
Audiences today are more demanding than ever before. They expect to be entertained. If your keynote speaker isn’t entertaining, the event will not have the impact it could have and you may disengage people. It’s important to remember, even if people are showing up on the company dime, they still need content that can engage them. They will want to leave feeling they have learned something new or had a point reinforced and been entertained in some way, through the keynote. If your event matters (and we suggest all events matter), you will want to book a professional speaker who can entertain and give the audience what they need… and expect!
Stellar speakers are a unique speaker agency representing entertaining, change-making keynote speakers. We provide expertise to help you manage your budgetary expectations and provide realistic options. We provide a preferred partner’s service base, so that partner clients get everything they need, lowering your risk as a booker of speakers, so you can make your choice about your next speaker with confidence.
For more information contact: https://stellarspeakers.com/contact-us/
