Speaker demo videos are your digital résumé, offering potential clients and event organizers a little preview of your speaking style, expertise, and value. Demo videos are crucial for creating strong first impressions and making yourself stand out in an increasingly competitive market. This video can help build your personal credibility, showcase your abilities, and, of course, secure those speaking gigs!
In this article, we’re going to quickly run through what a successful demo video is comprised of and then look at some top examples of twelve different speakers across different fields and their speaker videos and explain why their demo videos are effective. Using some of their strategies, you’ll be able to make your own video in no time. Ready? Let’s dive in!
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What Makes a Great Speaker Demo Video?
Key Elements of a Speaker Demo Video
Captivating Hook
The first part of a good demo video is a solid, attention-catching opening. The first 60 seconds should show you speaking in a variety of settings and platforms. This part should really captivate your viewers and spark real interest in who you are and what you have to say. Start the video with something compelling that will hold their attention and pique their interest.
Engaging Speaking Segments
In the next 2-3 minutes of your demo video, you want to really show how you connect with your listeners and what makes your speaking gigs stand out from the crowd (no pun intended). This is key for event planners! Use clips from your best talks that highlight how you can engage and inspire for a solid demo video. Mix it up with motivational bits, informative bits, and even some funny bits. Don’t hesitate to include clips of reactions—laughter or applause—to emphasize your impact.
Highlighting your strengths and dynamic style is crucial for leaving a lasting impression on potential clients and for making amazing demo videos. You can show your style and your message without going too much in depth.
Authentic Audience Interaction
Having authentic crowd engagement in your demo video is essential. Include clips where your audience is actively participating, reacting positively with applause, laughter, and big expressions – if your presentation is a tear-jerker, show them crying. These moments can help demonstrate your ability to connect and resonate with your listeners.
Compelling Testimonials
Including genuine testimonials from satisfied clients or audience members plays a vital role in enhancing the credibility in your speaker demo reel. These testimonials should really clearly illustrate how your speaking engagements have positively impacted others. Ask specific questions like: “What was your favorite part about the talk, and why?”
“Would you recommend this presentation to your best friend?”
“What changes have you made after attending this talk?”
These responses should be sincere and detailed, highlighting the clear, tangible benefits your listeners and clients gains from being at your presentations.
Technical Aspects
Necessary Filming Equipment
When putting together your demo reel, having the right equipment is crucial for achieving high-quality results. Here are the essentials:
- Camera: Opt for a good-quality DSLR camera like the Canon EOS Rebel or Nikon D series for clear video. This is the most important tool.
- Microphone: Use an external microphone such as the Rode SmartLav+ to capture crisp audio.
- Lighting: If the stage you’re performing on isn’t doing it for you, invest in softbox lights or LED panels to ensure well-lit, professional-looking footage.
- Tripod: Keep your shots stable with a reliable tripod, like the Manfrotto Compact Action Tripod.
- Accessories: Don’t forget extra memory cards and fully charged batteries to avoid interruptions.
Effective Editing and Pacing to Maintain Viewer Interest
Video editing isn’t everyone’s strong suit, but don’t worry too much about that. You can always ask or hire someone to help you put something together once you have the budget for it.
When editing your demo video, try to keep it fairly concise. Aim for a length of maybe 3-5 minutes – just long enough to really capture the viewers’ attention without overwhelming them. Try to use those few minutes to show your most impactful moments in your speaking engagements and try to seamlessly connect different clips to create as cohesive a narrative as you can. Generally, avoid abrupt cuts; use fade-ins, fade-outs, or other subtle transition effects. Good music doesn’t hurt either.
In your demo video, alternate between speaking segments (which can include wide shots of the stage or close-ups of you) and audience responses (like laughter or applause). Having some B-roll footage of different settings to use as visual aids scattered throughout can be a good idea. It doesn’t have to all be the dramatic parts. You can also include some brief testimonials as well.
End the video with a clear invitation for viewers to book or contact you for gigs. Share your contact information and maybe even show a final shot or slide that has a recap of your main points and the call to action.
Examples of Successful Speaker Demo Videos
To help you really get a sense of what makes a compelling speaker demo video, we’ve gathered a selection of standout examples. As you watch, pay attention to how these different speakers use technical aspects like editing, pacing, and quality to enhance their message and impact.
Use these examples as inspiration to craft or refine your own great demo video, making sure it reflects your strengths as a speaker and connects with your target demographic.
Dustin Portillo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Va4C1p8oAY
Dustin’s demo video is a great example to start with. It is captivating, engaging, and straight to the point. It opens with a testimonial about his positive impact as a speaker and shares a bunch of the big brands and companies he has worked with to establish his credibility and expertise.
The video includes the introductions of some of his key concepts, such as the “Idiot’s Roadmap,” which is meant to empower people to overcome their self-doubt. It also has a mix of motivational and educational segments that show his insights as a speaker and thought leader in his niche.
Finally, he has some video content of his audiences, showing them clearly engaged and eating up his words. Coming in just under three minutes, Dustin’s speaker demo video is a great, straightforward example to get us started.
Natalie Nixon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7_JuGruc9Y
Natalie Nixon’s speaker reel opens with this thought-provoking question: “Who gets to invent and why does that matter in our work environments?” Wow. Talk about immediately setting up a deep discussion on creativity and its role in the workplace. That’ll keep you watching.
Throughout her short reel, Natalie does an amazing job introducing her key, unique ideas about creativity, leadership, and innovation in the work place while also including testimonial slides and lots of great, candid footage showing not only the crowd members’ reactions to her speaking but also activities and different ways that Natalie keeps them involved and engaged.
Natalie’s demo video is edited really nicely to include good transitions and nice little graphics that seamlessly flow with her speaking in the background. She advertises her book and shares dozens of impressive companies and institutions she has worked with, all while keeping you very engaged in a small amount of time. This is a very solid demo video.
Grant Baldwin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cHLlkCIMmI
Of course we have to include our founder’s demo video! Grant’s great video starts with the question we probably all ask ourselves at some point: “Why do we feel the need to do so much?” Immediately, he sets the tone for relatability and piques your curiosity.
His video very clearly illustrates his lighter tone as he includes several relatable, humorous bits that include laughter from his listeners, but he also is sure to include segments that present his message about the myth of “work being our worth” and uses meaningful analogies to describe it.
Throughout the video, Grant overlays testimonial quotes from past clients, audience members, and peers to establish his credibility. At the end of his video, you can see his contact information, including his email and website, which is a clear call-to-action that encourages viewers to reach out.
Ryan Leak
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilVWG3ysu8o
Ryan’s video is a bit longer than we would generally recommend for a demo reel but his is of such high-quality that it probably doesn’t matter. His video quality is high, his editing skills (or whoever edited the video for him) are clearly top-notch, and he has a clear understanding of how to best market his brand and his message.
Luckily for him, as an established speaker, he has lots and lots of high-quality footage to draw from which means the B-roll clips throughout his video can really add to the engagement of his viewers.
It may seem unreasonable if you are just getting started but the truth is that B-roll footage doesn’t have to be hard to get – just shoot from a couple of different angles and that’s it. Ask a friend to shoot on their iPhone or set up an extra tripod if you can. Ryan’s video is so well-edited that it keeps you engaged without distracting you from what he wants to share with the viewers.
Josh Linkner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JejhNOms1GM&t=51s
Another demo video, another strong opening. Josh Linkner’s demo video starts with him challenging his audience to pursue creativity and innovation urgently as a way to sustainably keep competitive advantage high. His video features lots of clips of people’s reactions and engagement.
It is well-edited and has several testimonials from some serious clients, such as the director of Intel! He includes a mention of his, not one, but two New York Times bestsellers and some pretty prestigious accolades. All of this adds credibility to his brand in a short demo video.
Patrick Schwerdtfeger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7386JH8w7yQ&t=79s
Patrick Schwerdtfeger’s demo video features a mix of on-stage footage, high-quality, dynamic B-roll, and shots of his viewers’ engagement to show his stage presence and the impact and value of his talks. Patrick’s video has text overlays with some of his message’s key points, like “think differently” and “challenge the status quo.”
The fast-paced editing of his demo video keeps the energy high. His choice of background music and inclusion of positive reactions builds excitement throughout the reel and reinforces his message of disruptive innovation and strategic thinking.
Daymon John
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRqcsctx474&t=56s
You likely know Daymon from the hit show, Shark Tank. Daymon’s demo video is typical in that it features a mix of personal storytelling, on-stage speaking footage, and reactions in the crowd, stressing his inspirational journey from humble beginnings to business success.
What sets his video apart a little bit is that it opens with and has clips throughout of Eric Schurenberg, the CEO of Inc. Magazine, speaking about Daymon very positively. These testimonials from clients, attendees, and peers present Daymon’s speaking as “phenomenal” and “inspiring.”
Daymon’s speaking is of course included in the video and he has some powerful snippets, but the prevalent place that his spoken testimonials take really enhances his credibility (as if he needed help with that).
Matt Johnson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gXJ7LfIHmM&t=50s
Matt Johnson’s demo video starts with an engaging question to the audience, paired with some sharply edited graphics enhancing his key points. Clips of Johnson speaking directly to the crowd are combined with testimonial write-ups, further validating his expertise in his niche of productivity and wellness. His humor and practical advice help make the video feel both informative and entertaining.
Matt’s demo video is effective because it combines really neat visuals with relatable content. His delivery is dynamic, using personal anecdotes and humor to connect with his listeners, while his message about expanding capacity and finding natural energy offers practical, actionable insights.
The video balances energy with clarity, using testimonial write-ups, crowd reactions, and some pretty cool graphics to emphasize key points. Johnson’s take on his topics of productivity and wellness is simple and engaging which helps keep his content accessible and memorable for a wide range of viewers.
Chester Elton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4wmdVG-3aM&t=20s
Chester Elton’s demo video does a great job of blending his engaging storytelling with practical leadership advice, making it both inspirational and actionable. His dynamic speaking style, combined with personal anecdotes—like a story of getting some flowers from his boss—makes his message relatable and memorable.
The video features the ever-needed listener interaction, humor, and powerful calls to action. Chester emphasizes the importance of culture and emotional engagement in the workplace, and teases his philosophy of creating a “carrot culture” where recognition drives performance.
The mix of humor, solid visuals, and real-life, relatable examples makes his demo video compelling and engaging.
Erik Qualman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOZxW5LvdX4&t=17s
All right. How many demo videos start with an intro from Al Roker? Yes, the Al Roker. Well, Erik Qualman’s demo video does.
His video stands out due to its blend of engaging storytelling, humor, and insightful lessons on digital leadership. As you would expect in the demo reel of someone who works in the digital world, his video has lots of interesting graphics. The video highlights his expertise in digital trends with actionable steps such as creating a “not to-do” list and the need to embrace failure as a growth tool.
By drawing these connections between digital innovation and human nature, Qualman effectively balances some pretty futuristic concepts with relatable, human-centered insights.
Marc Randolph
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Uy15Mkogd4&t=13s
Marc Randolph is the former CEO of a little company called Netflix. Marc’s demo video highlights how innovation is achievable for anyone, anywhere, and within any company. He uses real-life anecdotes, including his Netflix journey, to share these points and connects with the people by acknowledging their unique challenges. His message encourages proactive experimentation, urging viewers to take immediate action on their ideas, as doing so provides invaluable lessons that no amount of planning can replace.
Marc’s video includes clips of him speaking directly to camera, interview-style, more clips of him speaking on stage and clips of crowd engagement. The video also includes some pretty cool graphics that emphasize Marc’s background and history with Netflix that keep the video engaging. His delivery is motivational yet practical and he keeps viewers inspired to apply the concepts he stresses to their own work and lives.
Tan Le
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkaSmJU4uX8&t=7s
In Tan Le’s video, she introduces her company, Emotiv, which creates headsets that read brainwaves to enhance human-computer interaction. Highlighting that 2 billion people suffer from brain-related illnesses, Tan’s aim is to shift the focus of brain research from purely illness to understanding everyday emotional responses and interactions.
Le shows how the technology allows its users to control devices using only their thoughts (wild, right?), showing its applications in gaming, robotics, and market research. She also shares her personal story as a refugee and the strength that comes from being an outsider, emphasizing the power of innovation and resilience.
Because her product and ideas have been well-known and well-documented for some time, her video is not short on quality footage to use as marketing tools to show how her product and app works. This B-roll footage keeps the video engaging throughout.
How to Analyze and Learn from These Examples
Identifying Common Themes
What are the common themes throughout these examples we’ve looked at? Well, there’s more than a few. Each one has a strong opening – typically a statement or question that immediately grabs your attention as a viewer. The speakers in these videos pretty much all use storytelling or personal anecdotes to lure in the viewer and get them engaged and interested in their brand.
There are fairly well-defined objectives for each video which is obviously marketing the particular speaker and his or her brand. The videos keep a clear and concise messaging throughout the reel. They also have very good use of visuals and graphics that help the viewer understand the concepts and brand more fully in a short video. The best of these videos have high-quality production value – that’s lighting, sound, editing, etc. Some even include crowd participation and feedback during the presentation.
Another good feature in all of these speaker videos is that they all present the speaker’s background. They share relevant personal experiences or expertise that is related to the topic of their message. The videos highlight credentials or accomplishments that will also serve to lend authority to the speakers.
The speaking clips use humor or relatable language to connect with the listeners and are sure to maintain eye contact and the type of body posture that will enhance trust. This will also help you resonate emotionally with your viewers, which is important. To create demo videos that pique people’s interests, you want to address their pain points or aspirations and you can evoke empathy by incorporating personal stories or testimonials in your speech.
Adapting Strategies to Your Demo Video
When putting together your demo video you want to make sure to develop a really compelling opening that will get people hooked. Use something that also aligns with the theme of your message.
Outline your main points clearly and then use good visuals or even props that can help reinforce your most important points in short snippets. If you can plan interactive moments, such as asking questions or inviting input, into the video, that could work well. Generally you just want to use a storytelling vibe to keep people invested.
Another very important factor in creating good demo videos is keeping true to your style. Emphasize the importance of being genuine and authentic in your delivery and make sure that your video presents you honestly and in your unique way. Don’t be afraid to really lean into you natural speaking style and clips that show you being comfortable on stage, not just the clips that you think fit the typical “speaker” bill.
Staying True to Your Brand
We obviously really encourage you to use strategies in designing your demo reel that are effective and that may include top-notch editing and high-quality technical aspects, but the most effective strategy is making sure that your personality shines through throughout the video. Study the techniques used by the speakers whose examples we looked at earlier and adapt them in a way that feels authentic to you and your brand rather than forced or just straight up copy-catting just to create amazing demo videos.
Lastly – and this goes for more than just your demo video but for everything in your speaking career – seek feedback constantly! Encourage your viewers, your clients, your peers, your friends to give you feedback on your reel. Use their constructive criticism to refine and improve future reels as you continue to create demo videos.
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Conclusion
Well-crafted speaker demo videos are some of the best marketing tools for showcasing your unique expertise, connecting with your audience (and clients), and building your credibility. By really watching and studying these successful examples and using the techniques we’ve seen and discussed, you can create an excellent demo that highlights your strengths and resonates with your viewers and addresses their pain points. Just always remember to stay authentic and true to your style and your brand while using these tried-and-true strategies to create great demo videos! Try out our demo video formula and let us know how it goes!
