What makes a great keynote speaker? As US Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart once famously said about pornography, “I know it when I see it.”

Every one of us has sat through a keynote speech in which we were underwhelmed. “How in the world did they pick this person to speak to a group of 800 people?” Be honest, we all have said something like this at one time or another. And when the opposite happens, we get lost in the presentation and hope that it doesn’t end any time soon. Seth Godin at CASE Summit 2012 was that keynote for many of us. The late Steve Jobs and former President Bill Clinton also fit into this category. Brilliant speakers with insightful messages to share.

This past week I had the pleasure of attending a planning meeting for the AMA 2013 Symposium of Higher Education which will be held in Boston this November. One of the key topics for the committee is to brainstorm for ideal keynote speakers for the conference. What a wonderful assignment. Whether planning for a conference keynote speech, a commencement or an open house speaker, in conducting research there were several key factors that not only demonstrated the who…but also how to find/interview these folks.

What makes a great keynote speaker? Below are some key attributes:

• They have provocative ideas that they can clearly articulate.
• The ability to give people hope and lift up the entire room.
• They change the lives of people they meet when speaking/and outside of the podium.
• Their personalities entertain as well as inform.
• They will work closely with organizers to make the presentation relevant and personalized to the industry they are addressing.

Judge the next speakers you listen to with this set of criteria in mind. You know it when you hear it, right?

Ideas, suggestions, thoughts for AMA 2013 in Boston? Please comment or send them my way… we would love to hear from you: ann@convergeconsulting.org.