Before You Sign
Use this as a screening checklist. If a speaker cannot answer these comfortably, that tells you something.
| What to check | Why it matters | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Credentials and depth | Substance behind the stories, not just charisma | What is your training or qualification in this subject? |
| Relevant audience experience | A room of CEOs is not a room of graduates | Who have you spoken to at this level and this size? |
| Willingness to tailor | Generic talks land generically | What will you change for our audience? |
| A clear framework | Frameworks are what people take home | What model underpins the talk? |
| Proof from organisers | Attendee applause is not the same as organiser value | Can I speak to someone who booked you twice? |
| Professional media kit | A sign of how the rest will run | Can you send bios, images, intro script and A/V needs? |
| Follow-up options | Most keynote value leaks away within a fortnight | What happens after the session ends? |
| Clear commercials | Surprise costs sour a good event | What is included, and what is extra? |
The Red Flags Worth Walking Away From
- The same talk for everyone. If nothing changes between a fintech offsite and a charity conference, you are buying a recording with a pulse.
- No interest in your audience. A speaker who does not ask who is in the room, what they are wrestling with, or what came before them on the agenda has not prepared.
- Stories without substance. Inspiration that leaves no framework behind feels great for an hour and changes nothing by Monday.
- Testimonials only from attendees. Ask for the organisers. They are the ones who know whether it was worth the fee.
- Vague logistics. If A/V requirements and arrival times are still fuzzy a week out, expect problems on the day.
What a Professional Speaker Should Send You
Long before the day itself, you can judge how a booking will run by what lands in your inbox. Every speaker I would recommend has a proper media kit ready. Mine is public, and it exists because organisers should not have to chase these things at 9pm the night before.
| Asset | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Short, medium and long bios | Programmes, websites and press, without you rewriting anything |
| High-resolution images | Headshots and on-stage shots for promotion |
| A written intro script | So the person on stage introduces them properly and sets the room up |
| A/V requirements | Screen, projector, HDMI or USB-C, flip chart. Confirmed in advance, not discovered live |
| Intro music suggestions | Small detail, big difference to how the room receives them |
| A named contact for extras | Someone who answers when you need a custom bio at short notice |
Match the Format to the Job
Length is not a detail. It decides what is possible. A 45-minute slot can shift how a room thinks. It cannot build an accountability framework. Choose the format that matches the outcome you set at the start.
| Format | What it can realistically achieve | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 45 to 60-minute keynote | A perspective shift and a few practical takeaways | Conferences and large gatherings |
| 90-minute keynote with Q&A | The shift plus space for the room’s real questions | Leadership events and transformation kickoffs |
| Half-day leadership intensive | Audit, framework built in the room, 30-day commitments | C-suite and senior teams, smaller groups |
| Full-day leadership offsite | Deeper work, alignment across the whole team | Annual offsites and restructures |
| Keynote plus follow-up coaching | Behaviour that actually holds after the applause | Organisations wanting lasting change |
How I Approach a Booking
I am a performance psychologist first and a speaker second, and that shapes how I prepare. Before an event I run a briefing to understand what your leaders are genuinely wrestling with, then build the session around that. It is why one client has now booked me three times: every session lands differently because it is tailored to the room rather than repeated at it.
The content itself comes from my book Humanity’s Edge (Wiley, 2026), with a foreword by Piers Linney MBE. It is built on two decades of performance psychology and structured around self-leadership, three principles of accountability, and four approaches that scale leadership across a team. The commitment I make to every organiser is simple: every leader in the room leaves with three shifts they can act on Monday morning.
For organisations that want the work to stick, the keynote can be packaged with signed copies for the room, a leadership assessment for every attendee, and follow-up coaching. Leadership teams at KPMG, Harrods, the Home Office, Gallagher Re, Shojin and Vistage have trusted this work.
Case Study: A Conference Organiser Who Had Been Burned Before
A representative example drawn from the kind of bookings I take. Identifying details are anonymised.
The situation. A UK membership body was planning its annual conference for around 400 senior members. The previous year they had booked a well-known name on reputation alone. The talk was polished, entirely generic, and the feedback forms were brutal. The organiser told me plainly that she could not afford a repeat.
What we did differently. We started with a briefing call about the audience rather than about me. Three pressures came up: AI anxiety across their sector, middle managers avoiding difficult conversations, and a leadership team unsure what to promise their people. I rebuilt the 60-minute keynote around those three, kept the underlying framework, and swapped the examples for ones from their world. The intro script, images, bios and A/V requirements went over two weeks ahead so her team had nothing left to chase.
The result. The session closed with every attendee writing down three commitments for the next 30 days. Feedback scores were the highest the conference had recorded, but the organiser’s own measure was better: members were still quoting the talk in regional meetings months later. She has since booked a follow-up half-day intensive for the board.
| Booking on reputation alone | Booking on outcome and fit |
|---|---|
| A polished but generic talk | A session built around three real audience pressures |
| Applause, then nothing | Written commitments for the next 30 days |
| Organiser chasing logistics | Media kit and A/V confirmed two weeks out |
| A one-off booking | A follow-up intensive for the leadership team |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a leadership speaker cost in the UK?
Fees vary enormously, from a few hundred pounds for a local speaker to five or six figures for a celebrity name. For an experienced specialist keynote you should expect a professional fee that reflects preparation as well as stage time. As a reference point, my half-day leadership intensive starts from £2,997 plus VAT, and keynote fees are quoted per event depending on format, location and audience size.
How far in advance should I book a keynote speaker?
Three to six months is comfortable for a conference and leaves time for a proper briefing. Good speakers do get booked a year out for major events, but always ask. Diaries shift, and short-notice bookings are often possible.
What is the difference between a motivational speaker and a leadership speaker?
A motivational speaker is hired mainly for energy and emotional lift. A leadership speaker is hired for change in how people lead, which means frameworks, evidence and practical application alongside the energy. If you want the room buzzing, book the first. If you want different behaviour next quarter, book the second.
Should I choose a speaker who has written a book?
A book is not a guarantee of a good speaker, but it is useful evidence. It shows the ideas have been tested, structured and published, and it lets you check the substance before booking.
How do I make sure a keynote has lasting impact?
Plan for what happens afterwards before you book. Ask the speaker to leave the room with specific commitments rather than general inspiration, give attendees something tangible such as a book or assessment, and consider a follow-up session 30 days later. Most of the value of a keynote leaks away in the fortnight after it if nothing is scheduled.
Can leadership speakers deliver virtually as well as in person?
Yes, and many sessions work well virtually for distributed teams. In-person delivery lands harder for offsites and intensives where the room itself does part of the work, so match the mode to the outcome you want.