Top 10 Traits Of A Great Virtual Keynote Speaker
Booking a virtual keynote speaker is a super effective way to engage, motivate and educate your remote team or organization. But how do you know if a speaker is right for your needs? Here are the 10 most important traits to look for.
1. A great keynote speaker loves what they do.
They think that they have the best job in the world, and they’re really committed to serving others and serving the audience. You notice this trait in their energy level. When you talk to them, do they seem enthusiastic about speaking?
2. The ideal virtual speaker is super experienced in delivering virtual events.
From March 24th to May 22nd, I delivered 50+ virtual events - I hosted my own webinars daily to help teams in crisis and also get tons of practice in front of people from my home studio. From keynotes to emcee gigs and sales team training virtually, I’ve learned a whole lot about what to do, what not do and how to level up the experience. My ROI? Attendees that stay engaged, entertained and walk away from our time together feeling energized to tackle their biggest goals is the win planners and I are after together.
THE STUDIO SETUP AT LA CASA DE SHEERIN
3. Great virtual speakers also use professional-grade equipment to provide a high-quality stream for your audience.
Before booking a speaker, be sure to ask what type of equipment they’re working with and what steps they take to ensure the best possible audio and video quality. Don’t hesitate to ask for a video of previous streams so that you can make sure they’ve got their tech right and that the performance is lag-free, sounds great and incorporates back up plans incase the powers goes out (been there, learned that!).
4. A great keynote speaker understands that it’s not all about them, and this understanding shines through in the way that they speak.
A great speaker won’t pepper their talk with “I this,” “I that,” “I think that,” and so on. Instead, they primarily focus their speech on “You,” “Us” and “We.” Ring a bell from 10th grade English? By using 2nd person point of view, the presentation engages the audience on a more personal level.
Some notes:
Some first-person talk is unavoidable, but the speech shouldn’t be all about the speaker’s experiences and opinions. Instead, it should be about discussing strategies that will help the audience in one way or another, and sprinkling in some stories of personal experience to help illustrate how those strategies can be effective.
When you watch a speaker’s video, pay attention to whether they use excessive first person speech or they focus more on addressing the audience. If it’s all “me this” and “I that,” then you should look elsewhere.
5. A great virtual speaker takes the time to connect with meeting planners and help create an event that is above and beyond expectations.
The right speaker will understand emotionally what the planner wants to give to the audience. With my background as a behavioral analyst and sales leader, a question I typically ask: “After my keynote – when people leave, how do you want people to feel and what do you want them to remember about your event?”
Another great question a good virtual keynote speaker should ask is, “What change is the audience currently going through?” Changes can include:
Industry changes: bad PR, regulation change
Organizational changes: management, ownership, mergers
Personal changes: specific gender, age, experience
6. A great keynote speaker will keep your virtual audience engaged and entertained.
They understand that we live in a distracted world, where we’re refreshing, liking and double-tapping on mobile devices - and they’re an expert in delivering talks that keep your remote audience on the edge of their seats, listening and taking notes. How do they do it?
Great speakers know how to use well-crafted, memorable stories that hit home, taking your audience on an emotional roller coaster for maximum impact. They may also use humor to connect with attendees even more. Utilizing surprises, technology, videos and taking notes from movies, TV and improv comedy, I like to blend a variety of visuals and authenticity to my performances so people are either smiling or wondering, “What is coming next” as I start our time together - earning trust so we can get to the heart of the messages, takeaways and actions of the keynote and end on a motivational and energizing mood.
7. An ideal keynote speaker has relative, relatable experience.
For example, I speak on sales because I’ve made tens of millions of dollars for small businesses. By the same token, I speak on burnout because I burned out and have gone through that experience (and have the TED talk to prove it!). I’m able to deliver a presentation that connects with others who are going through that same experience. Make sure that the speaker you hire has personal experience in the field they’re talking about.
8. The right virtual speaker is clear about the actionable takeaways that attendees can do to succeed.
A pitfall that many speakers fall into is that they make you feel good, but they don’t give you the tools to help you continue that feel-good. Before making the hire, ask the speaker what takeaways your virtual audience can expect to receive and ask for a same of the resources they’re able to share with your audience after the talk.
9. A great speaker needs to demonstrate a high level of authenticity.
People can smell when someone is bullshitting them (even through screens!), and no one likes that feeling. Showing even just a little bit of vulnerability can help boost the speaker’s authenticity, but more than that, authentic speakers add up to creating memorable experiences for your attendees that they’ll talk about long after the laptops shut down. I believe success is as simple as being yourself - so hire speakers that are themselves full blown and watch the success soar.
10. The virtual keynote speaker you choose should be easy to work with and extra communicative through the process of your virtual conference or event.
Do they return your calls and emails within 24 hours? Do you constantly have to ask for clarity and additional details about the potential speaking arrangement? Or do they strive to over-communicate and do everything they can to make your event a success? In these times, over communication is going to be paramount because there’s a lot of moving pieces in the transition to virtual. Rehearsals matter more than ever and access to speakers will be important - make sure you have a partner that you can text the day of before it’s urgent.
Like what you’ve read? Be sure to share it with your colleagues and social networks - and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about hiring an awesome virtual keynote speaker.