What do audiences want to hear from speakers, coming out of the pandemic (if in fact we are finally emerging)?  With the caveat that there are no good databases or sources for that kind of information in the rather Byzantine speaking world, I’ve been talking to industry insiders, speakers, meeting planners, bureau folks, and Yoda, and this is what I’ve learned.  It’s non-scientific, but good as at least a directional indicator. (With thanks to my old friend Adam Hartung for the idea that started this post. )

Audiences need to be entertained more than ever.  Many people I talked to said that “their people” are tired, stressed out, grumpy, and in need of a break.  We can blame the usual suspects here, I think:  the pandemic, of course, and the various workplace trends that began before the pandemic and have continued in this post-pandemic period.  For example, the flattening of workplace hierarchies, the increased speed of change in the workplace, the need for near-constant innovation, and so on.  I’ve been working with a shifting group of executives from one company over the past 5 years, from before the pandemic, through the lockdowns, and now in a post-pandemic-back-in-the-office period, and the current set are as stressed out — stretched thin — as any group of executives I’ve ever seen.  As a result, the increase in demand for speakers that help their audiences laugh, relax, and recharge is palpable. Call it public speaking lite.

There’s more uncertainty than ever, and that brings out the economists and futurists.  When we’re not sure what’s going to happen, we want someone to predict the future for us.  For that difficult task, in the speaking world we turn to economists and futurists.  It happened during the period after 9/11, after 2008 and the meltdown, and it’s happening now.  I’ll refrain from making the easy jokes about the prognosticating power of any group of humans and just say that anyone who can give us a handle on the future right now is in demand.

Tech and science subjects are also popular right now.  If you can explain AI or nano-anything or predict the next wave of tech innovation, you can find a ready audience right now.  I think the demand for these subjects has to do with the rapid pace of change as much as anything, and the sense that the tech wave has not crested yet and still has many changes to impose upon society before it has crashed upon our mental shores and begun to recede.

At the same time, workplace culture looms large in people’s minds.  It may be the Great Resignation, or more simply the demand for talent, especially technically able talent, amidst a generational shift in the workplace, but organizations are paying a lot of attention to their cultures – and looking for speakers on these subjects.  In addition to the talent questions, we have the need for diversity and inclusion, the spotlight being put on sexual harassment in the wake of the #metoo movement, and the general call for workplace cultures that welcome all workers, not just a select few.

Finally, leadership is forever.  When I began working in this business 25 years ago, the prevailing wisdom was that 1/3 of all speeches and speakers were about leadership.  Now, lo these many years later, that number has changed to – wait for it – 33%.  You read that right.  It’s still the largest category, holding steady at one out of every three speeches and speakers, because when times are difficult, we need strong leaders.  And for some reason, the job of creating them hasn’t been completed.  Maybe because the world is changing so fast. And leadership is hard.

I’ll close this non-scientific look at what audiences want with a question for speakers:  should you change your topic to jump into this demand?  The smart answer is ‘no’, strange as that may seem, because a career in the speaking world is built over years, not months, and you need to be seen as reliable and clearly branded in your area of expertise.  Of course, you can update your speech(es) with new chunks of information, fresh stories, and current themes.  But stick to your basic area of knowledge and become known for that.  The speaking business is a word-of-mouth world to a surprising degree, and you need to be known as that leadership speaker, or that AI speaker, or that workplace culture speaker.  No one will believe in your expertise if it shifts from one season to the next. Especially, don’t go from being a serious speaker with an area of expertise, to a stress-reducing, calm-inducing feel-good speaker.  They are two different genres and you will not thrive trying to be known for both.