Selecting a keynote speaker for your event is no small feat. You’re not just picking someone who’ll talk at your audience for an hour. You’re choosing someone who’ll set the tone for the entire event, inspire the crowd, and hopefully leave them with something more than just a few good quotes scribbled in their notebooks. So, how do you choose the right person for the job? Let me save you some time—here’s the checklist that will ensure you pick someone who can actually deliver.
1. They Shouldn’t Be a Bore. Simple, Right?
Look, this seems obvious, but you’d be surprised. When you’re booking a keynote speaker, they need to keep your audience awake. I’m not saying they need to juggle flaming swords or do backflips, but they sure as hell need to be engaging. You want someone who can not only speak to your audience but actually make them feel something. The last thing you want is for your audience to be checking their phones halfway through, right? When I’m on stage, I make sure to challenge my audience, make them laugh, and above all—keep them engaged. I don’t do “lectures”; I do conversations.
2. Know Their Storytelling Skills
Here’s a tip: If the speaker can’t tell a good story, don’t book them. I don’t care how much experience they have or how many degrees they’ve got—if they can’t weave a narrative that keeps people hooked, they’re just a glorified PowerPoint presenter. Great speakers use stories to illustrate key points. And those stories need to be relatable, funny, and sometimes a little shocking. For me, storytelling is a way to build a bridge between me and my audience. It’s how I turn dry business lessons into moments that resonate.
When booking a keynote speaker, don’t settle for someone who reads off a script. Get someone who can tell a story, use humour, and deliver powerful messages that stick.
3. They Need to Have Real-World Experience (Not Just Book Smarts)
I’m going to say it loud and clear: book knowledge is great, but it’s useless if it’s not backed by real-world experience. Don’t book someone who’s never actually lived the stuff they’re speaking about. You want a speaker who’s walked the walk, not just talked the talk. When I’m on stage, I don’t just share theory, I share the stuff that’s happened to me. The successes, the failures, the lessons I learned the hard way—because that’s what makes the advice valuable.
You want a speaker who can draw from personal experience, not just a textbook or a list of buzzwords.
4. Do They Have Energy?
There’s no way around it: a keynote speaker has to have energy. They have to bring it. If they don’t, the whole room will fall asleep. Energy is infectious, and the best speakers know how to harness it. It’s about passion—do they care about what they’re saying? Do they want the audience to succeed? Do they genuinely believe in what they’re teaching? Do they want to be there? If you get the sense that they’re just going through the motions, then they’re not the right speaker.
I’m acutely aware of the energy I bring into a room and even more so if I’m on stage, so I give it everything I’ve got when I’m up there. I’m convinced that’s why people tell me after every session that they feel like they’ve been inspired to change their mindset, shift their approach, and go after bigger goals.
5. Do They Have the Ability to Tailor Their Message?
Let me tell you something: a great keynote doesn’t just have one generic speech they trot out for every event. A great speaker tailors their message to the audience. If I’m speaking to a group of financial professionals, you’re going to get a completely different talk than if I’m addressing a group of entrepreneurs. A good keynote speaker knows how to read the room and shift their delivery and content to meet the specific needs of that audience. If you hire someone who delivers the same message, regardless of the audience, you’re wasting your time and money.
6. They Should Leave the Audience Wanting More
You want a keynote speaker who leaves the audience hungry for more. The worst thing you can do is hire someone who does their bit and then leaves. A dedicated keynote doesn’t just deliver the goods during their session—they’ll have people talking about them well after they’ve walked off the stage. You want someone who can leave a lasting impression, spark conversation, and inspire immediate action.
As a speaker, I want people to be thinking about the lessons I shared, the stories I told, and most importantly—the impact of what they can do next.
7. They Should Be Easy to Work With
Don’t overlook this one. The last thing you want is a keynote speaker who makes your job harder than it already is. The speaker should be the ultimate professional which means being responsive, flexible and willing to collaborate with you to ensure the content fits seamlessly with your event and the objective is achieved. Communication is key, and a true pro knows how to work with you to make sure everything runs smoothly.
8. Does Their Reputation Speak for Itself?
Finally, don’t forget to check their reputation. The best keynote speakers have a track record of success. Look at their past events, their testimonials, and the impact they’ve had on previous audiences. A strong reputation doesn’t come from one successful talk—it comes from years of consistent, high-quality work. And if you’re looking for someone who can change the game for your event, then you need someone who has a proven history of doing just that.
So there you have it—eight things to look for when booking a keynote speaker for your next event. At the end of the day, you need to make sure your audience is so moved by your speaker that they’re itching to hit that ‘share’ button. You want to go for that viral impact, where the message resonates so deeply that it spreads like wildfire. Think of it like an earthquake—your audience should feel shaken from their seats, their minds, their careers, and be compelled to make bold, new plans for the future.
If you’re looking for that kind of speaker—someone who can truly shake things up and spark lasting change—then look no further. Let’s talk. And trust me, your audience will thank you for it.
