5 Ways to WOW People with a Video Audition

To wow or not to wow… that’s never a question! With the launch of our brand new Speaker Sourcing Contest this year, we have been flooded with tweets, posts, and emails from people across the globe interested in taking part. Among the comments are a number of questions about how to stand out in a crowd of highly talented individuals. We thought it was such a good question, it deserved more than a tweet or two.

Let’s start with the basics: to apply for our Speaker Sourcing Contest, you’ll need a great idea and a convincing pitch. The first one is up to you; your topic can be anything related to the themes of peak performance, strategy, and artificial intelligence. It doesn’t have to be focused on business, but keep in mind that you’ll be speaking in front of CEOs, managers, and other business executives! Your pitch will have to be both written and filmed, so we encourage you to focus your time and effort on it when applying. Our judges will use both your content (the written pitch) and your presentation style (video audition) to decide whether to put you through to our qualifying rounds.

Here are 5 tips to stand out from the crowd with your video application:

1. Stay on topic. The winner will be speaking at Nordic Business Forum 2018 to over 7,000 CEOs and business executives who are eager to hear about peak performance, strategy, and artificial intelligence. Their goal is to learn something or meet someone or discover an idea that they can use to improve the way they work and/or lead. So, don’t get sidetracked; find an idea that resonates with your audience and delivers real value.

2. Tell us the highlights. Your video pitch can be anywhere from 30 seconds to 4 minutes long, which gives you approximately 500 words to convince us that you belong on stage. It may sound reasonable, but we encourage you to focus not only on what you say but on how you say it. Start by addressing the big picture of your topic, tell us a few memorable key points, and then use your time to show us your presentation style. Extra credit goes to applicants who leave us wanting more!

3. Get real, not fancy. We’re not looking for someone with amazing video editing skills or someone who can dazzle audiences with jargon and implied knowledge – you can keep those bells and whistles at home. We’re looking for someone smart, doing something interesting, and who talks about it in a captivating way. The way to know that you’re doing a good job is by showing your audition video to a friend or colleague to see if they understand your message without any context – and asking them if they would like to hear more. If your answer is yes to both questions, then you’re on track for an authentic and interesting application.

4. Learn from the greats. Whether you’re looking for an idea or trying to refine your delivery, our previous speakers provide a wealth of inspiration just waiting for you. Browse through our YouTube channel and Facebook video archive to see what the others did to be effective and memorable. What makes these speakers stand out to you? Perhaps it’s how Guy Kawasaki charmed and informed his audiences, or how Gary Vaynerchuk stunned audiences with simple truths, or maybe you related to Nick Vujicic’s use of humor and storytelling. There’s no right answer, but you’re sure to find a lifeline.

5. All we need to see is you. Our speakers are fantastic, we chose them for a reason. But if you have a look at everyone from Al Gore to Rachel Botsman, you’ll notice that they don’t have a lot in common. Their topics are different, their styles are different, their persuasive techniques are different. The common factor? They’re unlike anyone else in their field. We’re not looking for Joe Schmo, we’re looking for Richard Branson. You have unique and practical experiences that are new to us, so don’t be afraid to show us who you are.

And there you have it! 5 ways to create a wow-worthy video. Visit our Speaker Sourcing Contest page for rules, dates, and other useful information.

We are excited to hear from you!