Karl Speak is a speaker in a class by himself! He is amazing in his ability to engage people of all levels and make them feel like brand experts. I have produced the best and Karl Speak is in the upper echelon of speakers.
— Dan Yaman, President, LiveSparkKarl Speak mesmerizes audiences with his capacity to turn the “take-for-granted” into the profound. People who believe brand making is the province only of market researchers and ad writers leave with a deep and affirming realization of their personal power for creating and enriching a brand.
— Chip Bell Author, Magnetic Service: Secrets for Creating Passionately Devoted CustomersYour presentation certainly brought a new perspective on brand to our audience of brand professionals
— Bryn Mooth Editor, HOW MagazineYour speech to the President’s Club at our National Sales Meeting really gave us an understanding of what brand is that we didn’t have. You made a big impact on our executives and their understanding of brand as a real-world business tool, and not some academic marketing concept!
— Elaine Kramer VP of HR, Pulte HomesWe chose Karl because of his global reputation as a brand management expert. He made the concept of brand work for our people in 23 countries. He introduced our brand to key executives in a compelling and relevant way.
— Giles Elliot Director, Skandia, StockholmSpeaking Engagements
I have been a public speaker for the better part of 25 years and have enjoyed every minute of it. I am asked to speak because of my experience and my work as a thought leader in applying the concept of brand in a variety of situations and industries. My clients consistently tell me that I present my topics in a very pragmatic way so that everyone in every audience can relate to the topic at hand.
Whether the situation relates to a product brand message, corporate brand focus or aligning the personal brand of employees to better serve customers, my goal is always the same – make it practical, relevant and energizing for everyone in the audience. I take on speaking assignments because I love to present and interact with audiences with content that makes a difference for each person and the organization that has hired me.
My Perspective on Public Speaking
I approach each speaking assignment based upon a common set of core beliefs:
- No cookie cutter. Each assignment is unique and it’s my responsibility to make the content work for them.
- Preparation is half the battle. Preparation starts with getting to know the client, audiences and objective of the presentation. I use my 30 years as an executive consultant to understand the underlying business issues and make my content relevant.
- Personal connection. Getting to personally know the audience before taking the podium can make a difference. I like to arrive early and have dinner and drinks with attendees to make some personal connections.
- Learning first, entertaining second. I am not hired as a comedian, that’s the after-dinner guy. I believe that some entertainment and fun are critical to learning. My primary job is to help people learn and I do that by presenting important concepts about brand in a practical manner; in a way that is relevant to the audience; and use audience interaction to facilitate the learning. I integrate entertaining bits and delivery techniques to keep the audience interested and enthused. I strongly believe learning happens best when people are engaged and enjoy the presentation.
- Tools to use. All my presentations contain tools that audience members can use when they get back to their jobs to apply what they learned at the meeting.
- Motivation to do something. I am very passionate about what I present. I use my passion and enthusiastic style to motivate audiences. My passion for what I do and know is contagious!
For more information on Karl’s dynamic speaking style, topics and how to book him for your next engagement, you can download the speaker flier.
A Sample of Popular Speech Topics
The Power of Brand3 – Tap into the Power of the Personal Brand of Salespeople
The personal brand of salespeople is the most under-leveraged brand of almost all organizations. In this proven, upbeat and very popular presentation Karl ignites audiences of sales people by showing them how to build a stronger personal brand and most importantly how to discover alignment with the organization’s brand to supercharge their performance. Salespeople love this motivational presentation because it speaks to the importance of their personal brand in the company’s success. Sales professionals of all levels will learn some practical skills to use the strength of their personal brand to get their performance to the next level. Marketers love this presentation because it finally presents a proven framework to truly integrate marketing and sales. Leadership is impressed with the messages in this high energy, high impact presentation because it speaks to the importance of internal brand alignment, knocking down silos and promoting cross selling of products across business lines.
Introduction of a Corporate Brand
Successfully launching a new corporate brand hinges on helping employees discover meaning in the new identity, beyond the flash and dash of the new name and logo. Karl has a way to add authenticity to the new corporate brand by connecting audience members with the “who” and “how” behind the new identity. Karl uses his thought leadership in personal brand to help employees make a special and relevant connection to the new corporate brand. This connection helps create a sense of alignment with the corporate brand that will add credibility to the new identity.
Merging or Consolidating Business Units
A merger or combination of business units within a company create anxiety for employees; wondering how they will fit in and thrive in the new organization. For the organization it is important to move quickly to a culture with a common set of values and operating principles. Karl has a powerful message and engagement tool that propels the audience forward in understanding the power of having “one brand or culture” on the inside and how they fit in. Attendees complete personal brand pre-work activity and Karl helps them use this tool to discover real alignment with the values of the new culture and how they can personally contribute to the new strategic direction of the combined organization.
Delivering this message is a hallmark of Karl’s public speaking career.
The Practical and Relevant Guide of Brand for Executives. After almost 30 years of working with executives of organizations of all sizes and virtually every industry, profit and non-profit, Karl knows how to make brand real for executives. Karl boils-down the topic of brand into the four things that an executive needs to know about brand.
Growing Through the Power of a Customer-Centric Leadership. Highly engaged employees and high performance teams are energized not by what the organization does, but by the difference they make for a customer. Karl shows audiences how the Power of Brand Alignment is the framework that will focus employees on the things that matter most to customers. Higher levels of customer engagement drive higher levels of employee engagement and vice versa.
Professional Service Client Loyalty= Personal Brand +Firm Brand. Karl has an energizing and practical message about the power of brand alignment for professional services firms.
Women Business Professionals: Use the Power of Perceptions to Catapult Your Career. Karl has spoken to a number of different women’s’ groups inside organizations and in public forums. In his highly engaging style he helps audience members to not be held prisoner by how people perceive you, use the power of perceptions to get credit for your strengths and build relationships that will take your career to the next level.