John is a CEO in a conglomerate of business was invited to
give the keynote address in a call center company under his line of authority.
He accepted the invitation without any reservations but he did not prepare the
theme of his keynote address.
When he arrived at the venue he was enthusiastically
welcomed by the excited crowd. Who would not be excited when you are visited
and given the keynote address by the top official of your organization? When
John’s name was introduced, they all stood up and were actively clapping their
hands.
When John started to talk he was mumbling his words for the
simple reason that he did not prepare. His words were like a headless chicken
straying anywhere without a sense of purpose and direction. The enthusiastic
crowd became unenthusiastic and disappointment could easily be seen from their
facial expressions.
The speaker must prepare when giving a keynote address. He
must also see to it that at least 50% of his theme is related with the job
environment of his crowd. He can start with an interesting story to immediately
capture the attention of his audience. He should also ask questions to engaged
his audience and to promote mental dialogue with them.
To promote light-heartedness the speaker could also inject
humor that connects with the work environment of his audience. Make it short, 15 to 20 minutes is enough;
historically speeches that carves a space in the hearts of the audience are
short.
Last but certainly not the least, practice your keynote
address in front of the mirror or an imagined audience. Why? So that there’s no
need for you to read it, you will be spontaneous and you create connection with
your real-life audience. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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