Preparing for a Keynote?

So one of the questions I got for a friend is…

Say if I got an opportunity to give a free speech or talk…

How should I prepare to make the most out of it?

Here are my two cents:

(It’s a bit different from what other gurus may share.)

1. Share What Works For You—Instead of sharing advice you hear from a podcast or guru, share what works for you. When people show up to watch you speak, they want your perspectives.
2. Give Implementable Action Steps—Many free talks are RAH RAH or inspirational in nature. This is why you stand out when you show people how good your results are and how to take action.
3. Demonstrate PROOF – You want to show the data, numbers or proof that the things you share are working. Instead of bragging that you got X or Y accolades, numbers humbly show the truth. (That’s how you build authority without being obnoxious).
4. Reinforce Your Thesis with Trends – Share about how you notice other big names or best performers in the industry applying the same concept (Or doing the same strategy while making it their own). This will make your thesis a lot more relevant.
5. Having a Strategic Structure – You don’t have all the time in the world. If you get 30-45 minutes of air time, you must make the most of it. How much you share matters, too. (You can’t overshare because your audience will get overwhelmed with information.)

If you’re curious about what format I used, here’s the structure:

1. Who is this for (Call out your audience – Who they are)
2. Who you’ve helped + Results (Show who you have helped and the results you’ve gotten for them.)
3. Their Problems + Pain (Talk about the problems they have and the consequence of not solving that problem)
4. Your Solution (Your special framework or offer)
5. Why Your Solution is Superior (Mechanism) (Justify why your system is better in the market and it fixes so many issues that others don’t).
6. Supporting Evidence Behind Your Solution (Bring in Trends etc.)
7. Summary (Share 3-5 Actionable Points people can take away from your talk)
8. Call-To-Action
9. Question & Answer

This is super useful if you wanna give a free talk at an event or podcast– Btw, this is something incredibly powerful to do if you want to build authority.

You can use it and thank me later 🙂