Speaker coach Mike Domitrz argues that essential speakers aren't defined by polished performances but by deep expertise that lets them adapt in real time. A speaker locked into a script can't shift when circumstances change. Expertise lets you respond to what's actually happening.
When you're an essential, that means that you can bring expertise to the table others cannot, and that's why you're essential. They know no matter what happens in that room while you're there, you're going to be able to adapt, help, and transform in that moment for the room versus somebody who's giving a script. So if I've written a speech because it's the hot topic, that's a script. I don't have expertise on it. I might do a great job and blow it away, but I can't go off script. Because I don't have the expertise to go off script. So essential people don't need a script. They are not living by the script. Speakers who understand that, their businesses are built very differently.
