Three Steps to Becoming A Motivational Speaker For Your Business

As I was listening to BNI podcast number 89, “Become a Motivational Speaker for your Business,” I started wondering what really separated motivational speakers from the normal networker like myself. Does Tony Robbins eat something exotic and different? Does Jack Canfield wear a lucky t-shirt when he is making a presentation? What does Brian Tracy do that makes people want to buy so many of his books?

Then, the answer hit me. The professionals are not that much different than I am. They all still eat food, require shelter and prefer to wear clothing on a regular basis. The great motivational speakers of our day are humans too, and they have become very successful at doing three things differently than everyone else. In just three steps, I can become a motivational speaker for my business too!

Step One: Technique. You will notice their vocal pitch changes when they are making a point. The tempo of their speech changes too. When they get excited, their volume changes as well. It almost feels like they are looking right at you when they are speaking. Their hands are held perfectly so as not to distract their audience.

The good news is that technique can be learned! Every college and university holds some type of public speaking class. The National Speakers Association (http://www.nsaspeaker.org/) has introductory classes for people who want to become professional speakers. If that sounds intimidating, check out your local Toastmaster’s Chapter (http://www.toastmasters.org). Speakers of all levels of experience participate and you often get pretty good coaching in a small group setting too.

Step Two: Preparation. I sat in the second row a few years ago at a Jack Canfield presentation. Amazingly, he carried a full three hours WITHOUT referring to notes. He commented a few times that he had not given that presentation in several months, then proceeded to rattle off the correct slide numbers so his Power Point presentation would match his words. Preparation is key to making this performance happen!

Perhaps Dale Carnegie said it best, “Only the prepared speaker deserves to be confident.”

Step Three: Get passionate

"You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart,” said John Ford.

“A good orator is pointed and impassioned,” implores Marcus Cicero.

“When the message comes from your head, it’s intellectual and unemotional; it’s just facts, figures and features. But a message from the heart is filled with emotion and passion,” declare Dr. Ivan Misner and Michelle R. Donovan in their book The 29% Solution.

In my role as an Assistant Director for BNI of Michigan, I often run into business owners and sales professionals who lost their passion. Just like a set of car keys, they quite often set it down and forgot exactly where they put it! It is human nature to focus on the tasks at hand and forget our why. Just like retracing your steps often helps you find your car keys, reflecting on why you started your business or why you enjoy selling is often an easy way to recapture your passion.

For me, helping people figure out how connected we are charges me up! For a CPA, it could be the idea of keeping the IRS out of their clients back pockets. For a massage therapist, it could be the ideas of helping people have pain free mornings. The great thing about passion is that it is completely individual. Your passion is what makes you a motivational speaker for your business. Your passion is what separates you from the average networker!

Get Nspired!