How to Open a Keynote Speech

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗞𝗲𝘆𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂 Ever given a whole speech with all the stats, slides, and preparation and still felt like you were talking to a wall? 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦. We all have, especially when you’re just starting, trying to sound confident but ending up with a flat, forgettable delivery. A few years ago, I spoke to a diverse group of women at a large non-profit. I went through my slides, confidently, thinking I was delivering a gold standard. But I noticed a few blank stares. Like, they weren’t quite getting it. Even though what I was saying was important, it wasn’t landing. 𝗦𝗼, 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻. I paused. 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁, 𝗜 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴. ☑️ And boom. The room lit up. People started participating. Questions flowed. It was like I’d flipped a switch. ☑️ Turns out, people don’t remember your slides. ☑️ They remember your story. Want your next keynote to be memorable? Here’s my secret sauce: 1. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 Your audience decides in seconds if they’re in or out. Pick a moment that’s vulnerable, honest, and relatable. 2. 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 4-𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 🔵 Setup: Set the scene 🔵 Struggle: Show the challenge or mistake 🔵 Resolution: Share the breakthrough 🔵 Lesson: Connect it back to your message 3. 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 🔵 Show how failure sparked innovation. 🔵 How personal growth built your leadership. 🔵 Or how resilience turned into revenue. 4. 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 ☑️ If they feel it, they’ll follow. ☑️ If they remember it, they’ll believe in you. 5. 𝗘𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 Your story isn’t just entertainment. It’s persuasive. 🔵 What moment in your journey made you who you are today? Your story is more than a memory—it’s a tool investors, clients, and teams will remember. Don’t be forgettable. Share one sentence from your defining story below. Or tag a speaker who nails storytelling, because we all learn through examples. Make your next speech unforgettable. Or risk being lost in the noise. What’s your go-to story?

The power of storytelling isn't just in the tale you tell. It's in the response you evoke. Want to move people to action? Here's how. Forget long-winded introductions. They know who you are, so start in the middle of the action. Imagine this: You're standing on stage, heart pounding. The audience is silent, waiting. You take a deep breath and.... just begin painting a vivid picture. That's how you grab attention. No background needed. Now, don't just tell, show. Details make your story real. They transport your audience. But skip the statistics and focus on what you felt, heard, see. For example... "The red velvet curtains rustle. A faint scent of beer lingers in the air. Your palms are sweaty against the cool microphone." But here's the secret sauce: tension or a twist. Keep them guessing. Build anticipation. For example... "You hear it. The heckler. There is always one in the crowd, and usually you take it personally. But this time you're ready, and your stand-up comedy routine is, too." Your story needs a destination. But forget the "moral of the story." Instead, end with a call to action. A "let's" statement. "Let's rewrite our stories to turn life's hecklers into a positive. Let's be prepared. Let's start now." This moves your audience from passive listeners to active participants. Remember: 1. Start in the middle 2. Include vivid details 3. Add tension or a twist 4. End with a "let's" statement Master these elements, and you'll do more than tell stories. You'll inspire action. You'll create change. You'll move people. Next time you communicate, whether in a presentation, an email, or a casual conversation, try this approach. Watch as your words transform from mere information to catalysts for commitment.

📣 Speakers: Do you struggle with how to open your speech? My 5th grade English teacher taught me how to write an essay: 1. Tell them what you're gonna tell them. 2. Then tell them. 3. And then tell them what you told them. ✅️ At a 20,000 foot view, it's how all great communication is structured. ❌️ But as a speaker, I used to take this advice literally, and accidentally ended up with a rather predictable speech. Consider a speaker who begins a talk on 'peak performance' like this: "Today, I'm going to tell you about the science of peak performance, how to achieve it, and why it matters." Sure, it's clear and direct, which I love. ❌️ But it doesn't invite curiosity! Instead of immediately laying out a roadmap of your speech, at Conquer the Red Dot®️ our speakers find that it's often more effective to begin by identifying a: ✅️ PROBLEM or QUESTION that your audience can relate to, and that your speech will address. This approach accomplishes two things: 🔹️It immediately engages the audience's interest 🔹️ It creates a promise or expectation that will keep them listening. In the words of David Mamet, "The only thing keeping the audience in their seats is wondering what's going to happen next." For example, our client Sneha Mandala was delivering her talk at TEDxReno on peak performance. Here's how she opened: "Go to school. Study hard. Get a job. Work hard. Get a promotion. Work harder. And then you'll be successful, right? I thought so, too." 🔥 It's so much more interesting! The audience immediately understands the problem that this talk will be address - working yourself to pieces in hopes of feeling successful - and starts to wonder what direction or shape the talk will take. Want more like this? Two more misguided openings and what you can try instead in this week's article: #speechwriting #speakingskills #communicationskills

If sounding smart is your only goal... You’re playing the wrong game. Being articulate isn’t the same as being impactful. People don’t remember polished. They remember presence. If you want your words to land, in meetings, pitches, or keynotes. Here’s what actually works: 1/ Start With a Hook • Ask a bold question • Share an unexpected insight → You only get seconds to earn attention. Start strong or lose the room. 2/ Trim the Fluff • Cut filler words and over-explaining • Focus on clarity, not complexity → Short sentences hit harder. Every word should carry weight. 3/ Use Intentional Pauses • Pause before and after key points • Let silence do some of the work → The right pause speaks louder than a rushed sentence. 4/ Tell Tiny Stories • Share quick personal moments • Make abstract ideas feel real → Stories stick. Data alone doesn’t. 5/ Project Confidence • Speak with a steady, calm tone • Drop “I think” and speak with clarity → Your delivery builds trust before your logic does. 6/ Match Energy to Message • Align tone, body language, and intention • Be animated or still but be congruent → People sense misalignment instantly. Be real, not rehearsed. 7/ End With Impact • Repeat the core message • Leave them with one strong takeaway → The last thing you say becomes the headline they remember. Speaking with impact isn’t about more words. It’s about better ones. 👇 Which one are you applying this week? Follow me Kary Oberbrunner for more!