An invitation to deliver a keynote address is a tremendous honor to virtually any speaker,

from a seasoned professional to someone with little or no professional speaking resume. It

symbolizes a perception that an individual’s achievements and reputation are synonymous
with some set of overarching progressive goals and principles passionately valued by a like-
minded organization. Simply having one’s presence requested in such a capacity can
significantly validate the values a speaker strives to inspire belief in by conveying the
message, “You wield the influence to light an uncommon fire beneath both strangers and your
peers alike. You could lead us to a turning point. Will you help us?”

Your keynote address will be remembered as your event’s defining moment, a talk that
encapsulates everything you intended to accomplish within a single gather. Before engaging
a speaker, carefully ask yourself, “What do I want this rallying speech to say for me and the
people I represent by extending this invitation?”

KICK-START

If your occasion calls for a speaker who infuses every word with the kind of captivating
personality that holds the audience’s interest and attention hostage from the instant they take
the stage, look to a ‘kickstart’ personality. You and your attendees will instantly feel a personal
connection and thrall running through every word, because these immensely talented
professionals thrive on intuitively reaching out to audiences through trustworthy personas,
emotion and logic. Prepare to be moved down to your most fundamental fiber.

INSPIRATIONAL

Wherever your organization is headed, you will find something worth gaining in the words of
someone who has already been ‘there’, wherever that may be. The most celebrated
inspirational speakers reach right into the hearts and souls of each audience member and
sow the time-tested seeds of lessons learned from numerous personal adversities overcome
against daunting odds. These are the motivators to whom you should turn when you need
the people around you to steadfastly believe, “If this person could survive those setbacks, we
can do anything.”

EDUCATIONAL
Knowledge is power, but it tends to be wasted when not imparted unto others. Educational
speakers thrive on seminar and workshop stages where they can pontificate on a wealth of
informative, exciting subjects and make every anecdote, factoid or debate unforgettably
entertaining. That being said, be advised that your chosen setting will no doubt determine
whether this type of guest lecturer bombs dramatically or stands as the highlight of your event.
Take your speaker’s contrast with the surrounding atmosphere carefully into account.

BUSINESS

Lasting success in the business world accrues, virtually without exception, on a foundation of
lessons learned the hard way. When you consider just how many more companies fail
spectacularly than succeed beyond their founders’ wildest dreams, it doesn’t take much
scrutiny to see and understand the singular lessons only hard-fought success can teach.
Among them, your audience is bound to learn how to look back on their hardest times, shake
their heads in amazement and laugh at the leanest days after putting miles of struggle behind
them. If nothing else, there’s nothing hearing an entrepreneur remind an audience that there
are times to persevere along a plotted course, times to pivot rooted toward a new path based
on you have learned so far and moments in which we deliberate carefully over what each
choice holds at stake.

EXPERTS

These seasoned, highly educated speakers often cultivate their followings as speakers based
first on a distinguished list of certifications, degrees or licenses in specific fields of study. The
best can and will vindicate the depth and breadth of their expertise by delivering highly
insightful talks centered on their areas of expertise ranging vastly farther in detail than the
majority of their peers. A keynote address from a seasoned, honored expert is almost always
a requisite element of any complete training, workshop or seminar.

SPONSOR

More often than not, a sponsor’s keynote advances some fairly transparent marketing
agenda. To be perfectly honest, that’s why a speech from an organization’s CEO or vice-
president of marketing is often seen by the audience as more of a considerately provided
opportune window for checking email than a spark to ignite a revolution. It makes a certain
degree of sense for the group that made the event possible to ask for a moment of valuable
face time before a captive audience. Besides, some of these executives turn out to be
phenomenally bright, charismatic speakers in their own right. Unfortunately, it is altogether
too easy for attendees to cynically dismiss their presence as little more than a neatly
interpolated plug for certain products and services.

MOTIVATIONAL

Much like an accomplished inspirational speaker, a motivational speaker conjures wellsprings

of enthusiasm in an audience by imparting stories rooted in pivotal life experiences, priceless
knowledge and/or extensive education. They rejuvenate every attendee’s self-esteem and
enthusiasm for the organizations they serve. If you want to fill your conference or business
convention with some desperately needed humor and optimism toward a shared objective,
look no further.

HUMOROUS

It doesn’t matter how grave your organization’s situation may be or how vital your immediate
objectives are to growth and success beyond your wildest dreams. Nobody wins with a
consummate white-knuckle intensity running through every moment of every day. A little levity
strengthens bonds between colleagues by reminding everyone, “If you don’t laugh, you
eventually cry.” A more lighthearted speaker can prove with a single quip that every success
comes with moments destined to inspire chuckles when seen in the rearview mirror. After all,
something is drastically wrong if your passion never brings a smile to your lips.

CELEBRITY

Think of every positive quality listed above that an outstanding keynote speaker can lend an
impassioned address. Now, envision all that substance with the intrigue and glamour of an
immediately recognizable celebrity. That’s exactly why famous faces are always in so much
demand for marquee promotional events. A renowned figure from the world of the arts,
professional sports, politics or the media can put butts in seats with name value alone.

ENTERTAINER
As is the case with humorous speakers and celebrity guests, electrifying entertainers virtually
always offer a needed momentary break from an air of laser-like focus and professional
decorum. As keynote speakers, pure entertainers such as comedians, mentalists, sketch
troupes, mentalists, variety acts and the like can keep an audience hooked into a dinner or
banquet, party, general session or any other special event by inserting a timely moment for
everyone to breathe and disengage their brains for a minute.

SEMINAR LEADER

Although adept at educating and motivating an audience, seminar leaders provide the most
conversational, inviting keynote address within a longer format anywhere from one to three
hours that accommodates plenty of interaction with attendees. Expect handouts, slides and
overhead projections that eschew drama and bombast in favor of digestible, concrete
takeaway thinking points. These speakers typically rank among the most respected experts
versed in a specific subject.

WORKSHOP FACILITATOR

If you expect a smaller audience in a more intimate setting, look to a reputable workshop
facilitator to construct a program rife with immersive individual attention. Like a seasoned
school teacher, these speakers instigate enthusiastic participation among attendees by
offering personal guidance replete with new knowledge, skills and enhanced understanding.
Your keynote will include plenty of simulations, exercises and activities that deepen learning
through ample hands-on involvement.

TRAINER

Much like a workshop facilitator, trainers hone valuable skills through personal involvement
and practical exercises. Organizations often approach these speakers to instruct employees
at their home facilities more often than they approach them to provide instruction at a
convention or meeting.

INDUSTRY SPEAKER
Experts with a wealth of expertise and sterling reputations within a specific field transition into
public speaking, though not all necessary become ‘professional’ speakers. Since their
wisdom is usually valued most among a fairly narrow audience, they choose to give back to
their peers by accepting invitations to deliver keynote speeches or seminars based on
particularly relevant information they have to offer. For instance, a longtime successful real
estate professional might impart stories of noteworthy successes, time-tested sales secrets
or strategies for better leveraging emerging technology to drive showings.

PRACTITIONER

Approach ‘practitioner’ keynote speakers with a certain caution. Whatever the industry or
subject, they tend to stick to what they know best: extremely specific experiences. Attendees
are not likely to take away broadly adaptable strategies, but industrious listeners may be able
to reverse-engineer the speaker’s anecdotes to recover inferred problem-solving
methodologies they can test and adapt to suit their own needs within other scenarios. Many
practitioners demonstrate their lack of experience addressing sizable groups by relying
excessively on complex, confusing visual aids and failing to mindfully project their speaking
voices to be clearly heard in the farthest reaches of a venue. What your peers get out of these
ultra-detailed case studies will no doubt depend more on how creatively they themselves
evaluate and analyze what they just heard.

PROFESSIONAL / THOUGHT LEADER

Finally, there are professionals and thought leaders, each with their own pros and cons to
bring to the table. The former class makes a living rallying crowds to action. They will pack a
talk with an inimitable enthusiasm perfected through hours sharpening and customizing their
presentation. They can hold an audience in the palms of their hands, and that is exactly why
they add so much to an event’s overall cost. Then again, the ROI from hiring a seasoned
professional speaker often comes down the road in the form of bolstering word-of-mouth
recommendations for your next event’s registration. Meanwhile, thought leaders ordinarily
don’t have a great deal of personal stake in the event but will offer unusual sources of wisdom
not often found anywhere else. When you want to set your organization apart through its
goals, you sometimes have no choice but to part from conventional schools of thought. Turn
to these outside-the-box minds when you need to zoom out to a ‘big picture’ perspective.