Keynote speaking opportunities are an excellent way to enhance your industry credibility and personal brand in the professional world. Becoming a sought-after speaker in 2024 demands a blend of genuine authenticity, forward-thinking ideas and strategic engagement.
If you’re looking to elevate your impact and visibility through speaking engagements, it’s important to understand the current thought leadership landscape as well as your target audience. Here, 19 Forbes Coaches Council members share ways for aspiring business leaders to position themselves as go-to keynote speakers this year.
1. Choose A Specific Niche
One way an aspiring speaker can become a sought-after keynote speaker is to pick a specific field or niche. By doing this, you present yourself as the expert and can begin to build your brand as an authority on that subject matter. Next, create content around it to showcase your expertise and attract organizers of conferences and speaking events. - Lisa Herbert, Just The Right Balance LLC
2. Build A Strong Personal Brand On Social Media
By consistently sharing valuable insights, engaging with your audience and showcasing your expertise in a specific domain, you will attract conference organizers and companies looking for speakers who resonate with their audience. In today’s world, your online presence is truly a global stage. - Kerri Sutey, Sutey Coaching & Consulting LLC
3. Identify Your Unique Message
An aspiring speaker can jump-start their progress toward becoming a sustainable keynote speaker by identifying what their unique message is, which is as individual to them as their DNA. You can break through the clutter and rise to the top by having this type of clarity. The second step is to understand who your message most benefits and how to package it to make it accessible to the audience it is meant to serve. - Katy MacKinnon Hansell, Katy Hansell Strategic Advisory
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4. Start Speaking Now
Request to speak at your local chamber of commerce, or any community event, and reach out and pitch yourself for a local TEDx event. Create a speaker landing page that clearly details who you are as a speaker, what you speak about, why, and how to book you. Share it widely. Ask for testimonials and referrals from every engagement. Repeat. Refine your “talks.” Soon, the phone will ring with requests! - Susanne Biro, Susanne Biro & Associates Coaching Inc.
5. Be Distinct
Make your ideal target audience clear and share your message in a presentation abstract that is short, compelling and specific to the learning objectives. Network within the associations and learning organizations that cater to your target audience, and identify conference planning committee members. Send your speaking ideas to them with a request for support in getting selected. - Jennifer Wilson, ConvergenceCoaching, LLC
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6. Engage Your Audience
No boring speaking allowed! You are an expert on stage, so keep your audience with you by incorporating interactive elements into your presentations, such as live polls, Q&A sessions or multimedia experiences. Help them see themselves as passengers on a ride. Engaging your audience fosters memorable experiences, sets you apart and increases demand for keynote speaking engagements. - Lawrence Henderson, BOSS Consulting
7. Create Emotional Connections
Engaging keynote speakers create an emotional connection with the audience by sharing stories and painting the picture of what might be possible, versus simply teaching concepts or presenting information. To become sought-after keynote speakers, leaders should build out their repertoire of stories, experiences and examples, and use simple, engaging visuals with few words to anchor these messages. - Katie Anderson, Katie Anderson Consulting
8. Become A Thought Leader
Start by establishing yourself as a thought leader in your field. Submit articles to journals and post your hot takes about current events in your field on LinkedIn and other social media platforms. Add terms like “keynote speaker” or “professional speaker” to your profiles, and have a well-written professional bio and headshot at the ready when you receive inquiries to speak. - Sheri Nasim, Center for Executive Excellence
9. Harness The Power Of Digital Platforms
Establish a strong online presence through social media, a personal website and platforms such as YouTube or podcasts. Share valuable content, showcase your expertise and engage with your audience to build credibility and attract the attention of event organizers seeking dynamic speakers in the digital age. - Adaora Ayoade, EZ37 Solutions
10. Focus On The Power Of One
Choose one speaking topic, one interesting angle, one target industry, one thing you are passionate about and one key example as evidence of your experience in your expertise. Stay consistent for a few months. Reassess and fine-tune your topic regularly. - Svetlana Dimovski, PhD, ICF-PCC, NBC-HWC, Dharma Growth, LLC
11. Bring Something New Or Personal
The most inspired keynotes have one of two things: an amazing personal story or a breakthrough way of looking at a problem. Everything else should be scrapped from the program! - Cari Jacobs-Crovetto, carijacobs.com aka The Force Majeure
12. Develop Highly-Engaging Virtual Content
As hybrid events become the new normal, speakers who can captivate audiences both in-person and online will have a major advantage. Leaders should focus on crafting dynamic presentations that translate well through screens, using multimedia, interactive polling, Q&As and other techniques to maintain interactivity and energy in virtual settings. - Jonathan H. Westover, Ph.D, Human Capital Innovations
13. Forget About Yourself
It’s all about your audience. Create a library of two to three talks that reflect your experience, passion and expertise. What’s your “so what?” Create a list of organizations that would be aligned with your message. It could be alumni associations, chambers of commerce, relevant professional associations or nonprofits to start. Be clear and compelling about what’s in it for them. - Susan Sadler, Sadler Communications LLC
14. Focus On Storytelling
Storytelling is a powerful tool that helps convey messages in a memorable and impactful way. By sharing personal stories, experiences and insights, you can connect with your audience on an emotional level, making your message more relatable and engaging. When pitching an idea for a keynote, be clear and tailor the pitch to the interests and objectives of the event. - Dr. Michele D’Amico, Vetta Consultants LLC
15. Craft A Compelling Title For Your Presentation
To distinguish yourself as a keynote speaker in 2024, focus on crafting a compelling title for your presentation—akin to a headline showcasing your expertise. Aim for immediate engagement by brainstorming three potential titles and soliciting feedback from industry peers. Ensure your title succinctly addresses a prevalent problem or promises a sought-after solution. - Dale Wilsher, Your Authentic Personality
16. Offer Pro Bono Speaking Engagements
Offer pro bono speaking engagements to large nonprofit organizations aligned with your expertise and values. This is a proven way to showcase your expertise while making a positive impact on society. This also demonstrates your commitment to social responsibility and attracts attention from event organizers seeking keynote speakers who have a genuine passion for making a difference. - Alla Adam, Alla Adam Coaching
17. Reciprocate Engagement Offers
Speaking engagements tend to be reciprocal and driven by visibility. If you are in the position to do so, invite people to speak at your own events. If you do, invitations to speak will likely start coming to you in return. Of course, every time you do a speaking engagement, you’re expanding your network, so the more talks you give, the more invitations you can expect in return. - Carol Geffner, CB Vision LLC.
18. Make The ‘Pitch’ About The Organization; Show The ROI
There are a few ways to increase the number of speaking engagements you land. First, make the “pitch” about the person or organization (not about you.) Second, demonstrate the nuanced and unique value you will bring to the audience that they won’t hear anywhere else—the takeaways and learnings they’ll receive and how the talk will improve the top revenue, retention and productivity goals of the company. Show them the ROI! - Sara Connell, SARA CONNELL COACHING CORP
19. Prioritize Delivering Value Over Self-Promotion
Business leaders can become sought-after keynote speakers by providing valuable insights and actionable takeaways that genuinely help their audience solve their challenges or improve their businesses. Positioning yourself as a thought leader who prioritizes delivering value over self-promotion will attract more speaking opportunities and earn the respect and trust of event organizers and attendees. - Rukayat Alabi, RKY Careers
