Three Non-Negotiables: Delivering Your Best When Given the Stage

When you're selected to speak at a conference, you're being handed something precious: trust. The conference organizers are trusting you with their reputation. The audience is trusting you with their time and attention. And both are trusting you to deliver value that makes that investment worthwhile.

Yet in the rush of success that comes with being in demand as a speaker, it's easy to fall into the trap of recycling the same talk, the same slides, the same jokes. After all, they worked before, right?

Wrong. Every audience deserves your best, and that means doing these three things - no matter how busy you are, no matter how many stages are calling your name:

First, understand your audience. Not just their job titles or industries, but what keeps them up at night. What made them spend money and time to attend this conference? What problems are they hoping to solve? What opportunities are they hoping to seize? Your brilliant insights only matter if they connect to your audience's reality.

Second, understand the event itself. What themes are the organizers building around? Who else is speaking, and how does your message complement theirs? What's the energy they're trying to create? Your talk isn't a solo performance - it's part of a carefully orchestrated experience.

Third - and this is where many speakers fall short - understand the host organization. Why does it exist? What value does it provide its members or attendees? What unique language (hello, acronyms!) has it developed? When you speak their language and connect with their vibe, you move from being just another speaker to becoming a trusted voice in their community.

These three steps aren't optional extras. They're the foundation of delivering value worthy of the trust placed in you. They're how you ensure that when you step off that stage, you've truly served your audience.

Because at the end of the day, speaking isn't about you. It's about them - the people who chose to spend their precious time listening to what you have to say. Honor that choice by doing the work to deliver your very best.