The keynote is the one session every attendee sees. It sets the tone for the whole event, and it is the part people describe when someone asks how the conference was. Choosing well is mostly about asking the right questions before you look at a single speaker reel.
1. What should people do differently on Monday?
Start with the outcome, not the topic. Energy for a sales year, a shared language for a new strategy, permission to rethink how a team works. A good keynote speaker will ask you this on the first call. If they do not, that tells you how tailored the talk will be.
2. Will they remember it in a month?
Most audiences forget most of what they hear within days. What they keep are moments: something surprising that happened to them. That is why experiential keynotes and speakers who use live demonstrations tend to outlast a strong slide deck. Ask every candidate: what will people retell at dinner?
3. Is there proof the message works on a stage?
Watch a full talk, not a highlight reel. A TEDx talk or a full keynote recording shows how the speaker builds an argument and holds a room for more than ninety seconds. Johnny's TEDxBeverlyGrove talk, Is Your Success Just an Illusion?, is fourteen minutes and shows exactly how he works.
4. Who have they spoken to that looks like your audience?
A speaker who thrives at a founder meetup may not land at a sales kickoff, and the reverse is just as true. Look for named clients and reviews from events like yours, and read what attendees, not just organizers, say afterward.
5. How much of the talk will be about you?
Tailoring is the difference between a generic talk and one that lands as: that was about us. Ask what the preparation looks like. A discovery call, your language worked into the stories, and examples drawn from your industry are the minimum.
6. Does it work in your format?
In person, virtual or hybrid changes everything about delivery. If part of your audience is remote, ask how the speaker includes them. Johnny built a dedicated studio in 2020 and designs every demonstration to work through a camera.
7. What comes with the hour on stage?
The best speakers bring more than the talk: a pre-event video to build anticipation, a run-of-show call with your production team, a resource guide afterward so the ideas keep working. Ask for the full list before comparing quotes.
A quick checklist
- The outcome you want is written down before you shortlist anyone
- You have watched at least one full talk from each finalist
- Each finalist has spoken to an audience like yours
- The preparation includes a discovery call and real tailoring
- The format (in person, virtual, hybrid) has been tested
- You know what is included beyond the hour on stage
If you want a keynote that is also an experience, see how Johnny's keynote The Power of Micro Moments is built, or check his availability.