How Coffee with One of Australia’s Most Respected Speakers Changed the Way I Measure Success

This weekend I shifted gears a little to be in the audience at a conference and on both days had the absolute delight of hearing Keith Abraham. Keith is one of Australia’s most respected professional speakers with an international reach and extraordinary numbers to match his career, and someone I never tire of hearing. 

In 2016, as someone unknown in the professional speaking space and unsure which direction I wanted to follow – to be a speaker myself, or to build an education based business giving others a powerful voice – and with no idea if he would say yes, I asked if we could meet for coffee. The answer was yes.

In 45 minutes over great coffee, overlooking a lake on the Gold Coast, his insights were generous but the most powerful was this. 

That he knows when he has delivered well through one key metric – the trifecta. When he is rebooked by the organisers, booked by someone in the audience, and when someone in the audience refers him to a potential booking. 

Keith’s own numbers bear this out. An author of 5 books, having spoken to more than 1.5 million people globally, he has a:

✔    93% Client Repeat Rate
✔    57% 6 x Client Repeat Rate
✔    34% 10 x Client Repeat Rate

Those of you already in my world know I am adamant this is the measure of true success when we speak, with one variation if you are building a knowledge-based business. That you are rebooked, that you are booked by someone in the audience, and you pick up a significant piece of work.  

I rarely speak. I prefer being the king-maker than the king. But the keynotes I do deliver I create with one mantra in mind – nail the trifecta.  

Last week I delivered a keynote I speak to only 3-4 times a year, and again nailed the trifecta. It has become the key measure not just of success, but of knowing that I have served the audience and the organisers and delivered on point and to brief for both myself and my clients. 

And I would suggest that if you are not reaching the same in your own speaking, then it is time we had a conversation about just how to achieve this for you.