The Key to Keynotes
So—you’ve just been invited to give your first keynote address.
What an honor! A major conference has recognized your expertise and wants you to speak to their people.
There’s just one problem…
You have no idea how to write or deliver a keynote.
And the sad reality is: most first-time keynote speakers flop.
Their talks come off as either mind-numbingly boring or (even worse) self-indulgent.
Is this because they’re bores or egomaniacs? Absolutely not!
(Well… not most of them.)
The truth is, keynotes are full of traps—even experienced speakers fall into them.
Today, I want to talk about two of the biggest traps—and how to avoid them.
Trap #1: The Honor of It All
Getting invited to give a keynote is a huge honor. And yet—that’s where the first trap lies.
Many first-time speakers become obsessed with proving they’re worthy of the opportunity.
They ask themselves, “How can I prove my competence in this field?”
The result? A talk that’s competent… but deadly dull.
Or worse—a speech that reads like a résumé in monologue form.
The best keynote speakers don’t get hamstrung by "the honor of it all."
Instead, their first question is: “How can I be of the most value to this audience in the next 30–60 minutes?”
They treat every story as a gift—asking, “Why am I telling this story? How does this help them?”
Now I have to shout out one of my rockstar clients, Aradhana Bejarano, co-founder of the animation and design studio TheLittleLabs, who absolutely smashed her first keynote in June by fully embracing this mindset.
As Aradhana prepped her keynote—which was chock full of beautiful, personal storytelling—she asked of every story: "How can this help my audience show up more bravely, more creatively, more rebelliously in their work?"
No joke, I teared up during our final Zoom rehearsal. It was that powerful.
When was the last time you got misty-eyed at a keynote?
So—be like Aradhana. Don’t be daunted by “the honor of it all.”
Focus on your audience’s needs, and I promise: not only will you come across as competent—you’ll be remembered as engaging and generous.
Trap #2: The Word “Lecture”
Here’s another trap—and it’s right in the name. Keynote address. Keynote lecture.
If you tell someone to give a lecture… what do you think you’re going to get? A lecture.
The best keynotes feel more like conversations. Or even workshops.
And here I’ve got to shout out another brilliant client who embodies this principle in every talk he gives.
Peter Shepherd is no first-time keynoter—he’s a seasoned pro and in high demand on the speaking circuit. (Just check out what he's build at Human Periscope if you don't believe me.) So when he reached out about polishing an upcoming keynote, I had to take my own advice and not get dazzled by “the honor of it all.”
One of the things I loved about Peter’s keynote was how unlike a traditional keynote it felt.
He found ways to keep things interactive—even with a crowd of 200+ people. Much of that interactivity was intentionally built in. But here’s what really showed his mastery…
As he stepped onto the stage to deliver the keynote he’d been shaping for three weeks, he immediately read the room—and pivoted.
He clocked that the audience was dragging after a full day of lectures… and made the snap decision to open his session with an interactive exercise.
Was it on his outline? Nope.
But you know what mattered more than sticking to the plan?
Asking,“How can I be of the most value to this audience right now?”
And that, my friends, is the key to keynotes.
So go forth, follow Aradhana and Peter’s lead, and be brilliant.
Sara Glancy is an NYC-based actor and public speaking coach and the founder of Speak Masterfully, a service that helps professionals take the stage with less fear and more fun!
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