Want to be a Motivational Speaker?
As you can imagine, I get approached by many who want to investigate speaking as a career. In fact, I created a product, From Go to Pro: How to Get Started in Speaking just for these people. It gives the real skinny on what you need, what you’ll experience and quite frankly, how tough it is to make a living doing this.
Now why, you may ask, would I create a product that may actually discourage people from doing this? Those of you who are doing this for a living know exactly why! It is a tough, tough business. You only get paid when you work, and you work like hell to get every opportunity. My favorite quote in the speaking business is by Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE. He says “The job is not giving the speech. The job is getting the speech!” Truer words were never spoken.
Another reason I created this product was because I never, never want to be approached by anyone who can say “Lois, you suggested I quit my job and jump into speaking!” Speakers must feel a real “calling” to be in the business. You have to love it to stick out lean years and hard work. Now don’t misunderstand me, I think speaking is a great business, a great career – for some people.
Often when approached I hear “I want to be a motivational speaker and tell my story. My story of overcoming the problems I’ve had, a comeback from the dead story, climbing a mountain, a medical challenge, etc.”
It’s important to have stories in your speeches; however, I tell these inquirers that they have to do more than merely tell their story. (Unless they are an entertainment type act, say a comic.) Why should someone pay you to tell your story? Ask yourself, what will your audience learn from the telling of your story?
If you’ve overcome an obstacle, you must share with us the techniques you used to overcome your problems and how those same techniques may help me do the same. Spell out your formula for overcoming obstacles, keeping hope alive, living with optimism, etc.
Now to the “motivational” tag. I tell my clients don’t say you’re a motivational speaker. If you want to use the word say, “I’m a high content speaker who is motivational/inspirational in style and tone”. That’s the way to say it if you want to make money speaking! There are some great people who truly are “motivational speakers”. I say, “don’t assume you’re going to be one of them”. Not to be a contrarian, (OK, maybe to be a contrarian), but to point out that the market has changed. It’s not the 80’s. Speakers who are known as motivational speakers and make a lot of money doing it started decades ago and have the market cornered. To newer speakers I say simply “that ship has sailed”.
As speakers you get approached all of the time by the curious about what you do. The biggest gift you can give someone is to tell it like is. It’s a hard job. It’s a tough job. It’s a crazy job. It’s a job you must love if you are going to be successful.
To those of us who love it, I wish you much success!
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Copyright 2012, Lois Creamer. Lois Creamer works with professional speakers who want to book more business, make more money and avoid costly mistakes! She can be reached in the following ways:
Lois@BookMoreBusiness.com
Twitter: @loiscreamer
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/loiscreamer
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/loiscreamer
For more information on Lois’ business check out http://www.bookmorebusiness.com as well as http://www.bookmorebusiness.tv!
8 Responses to “Want to be a Motivational Speaker?”
Got something to say?
What if you want to be a speaker, you enjoy speaking, you even feel called to be a speaker, but you do NOT expect to make a living at it? What if you just want to make speeches for the joy of making speeches?
Hello Lois, first of all I want to say thank you for sharing your heart in this article. I have to share that when I started reading through it, my very first impression was something like this: “Wow, this lady is trying very hard to be encouraging, but she keeps pointing and emphasizing the hard or perhaps the negative aspects of the speaking business”. Then, it really hit me that you were not negative at all, as a matter of fact you were very realistic in providing the real facts, and possibly not raising people’s expectations that an emerging speaker could become wealthy in a very short time; and believe me when I say that some people do believe that professional public speaking is a quick path to a gold mine. However, one element I would like to add is that any job/activity worth pursuing will definitely have its hardships, difficulties, strong determination to keep going especially at the very beginning of a speaking career. The real beauty of it all is the challenge of “Transforming obstacles into concrete possibilities”, and let us press forward to achieving our goals and be life conquerors!!!!
You totally understood exactly what I was saying! Speaking is a tough, tough business. Thanks for your thoughtful comments!
Be my guest … jump in!
You have shared a great post and it is committed to give lots of information to others. The other thing which is also important from the point of a Motivational Speaker is that how much degree of patience you have in yourself as well as how good communication skills you have to make your audience positive with your speech.These characteristics should be there if you want to become a speaker.
You make several good points David! Thanks for stopping by. Remember, be careful how you describe yourself …. ie “motivational speaker”
Loved this post Lois~Keep them coming:0)
My best,
Patricia Rossi
Appreciate you Patricia!