The art of motivational speaking for beginners

Being a motivational speaker can be very rewarding. As well as providing lucrative business opportunities, a speaker’s position can also lead to significant contacts through networking and the chance to explore and inspire others about an area that you are passionate about.

Those that want to get into motivational speaking should think about some key personal strengths, and how to make the most of them. These areas can range from knowing your subject, through being flexible about work and other arrangements, as well as being able to sharpen up your public speaking.

Know your subject: To be a good motivational speaker, you need to know your chosen subject inside and out. A niche area that no one else is working on in detail is important to consider, as is a fresh perspective on a popular subject.

Be flexible and prepared: Good motivational speakers are ones who can adjust to different goals and requirements. You may have to make last minute changes, or adjust your performance to the needs of a particular company. In this respect, it is worth having a comprehensive enough plan about what you want to say and to be able to switch your approach for different occasions. A big part of being a motivational speaker, or a professional speaker of any kind, is being prepared for different venues. Make sure that you’ve all of your equipment, and consider issues like food, a dressing room, and any technical requirements beforehand.

Be honest: Speakers who think they can get away with being all style and no substance will eventually be caught out, so make sure you’re honest about what your abilities are, and the kind of subjects that you are prepared to speak about professionally.

General public speaking skills:  Public speaking skills take time to develop, and you will need to refine your performance over time, as well as building confidence to go off script. Practice your delivery as much as possible, and seek feedback from audiences.

Be passionate: A passionate speaker will be able to enthuse an audience, and lead to a more memorable subject. Even if you get a bit frustrated talking about the same subjects, try to remember what brought you to them in the first place, and why you are passionate about that area.

Market yourself well and seek advice: Marketing yourself means being able to create a strong presence across a range of media — a personal website and blog, as well as paper adverts and listings on a bureau website.

A professional speaker agency, or bureau, is perhaps the best place go to for when you need advice about building up clients and promoting yourself to prospective clients. It is also worth getting in touch with an established speaker for advice.

Know your audience: Not understanding a target audience can lead to problems with tone and delivery. You want to be able to be flexible about what an audience can expect, as well as being prepared for questions.

Refine your act: Again, lots of practice will make it easier for you to refine your act, and to become a better motivational speaker. Focus on cutting out anything that doesn’t work, or that means you run out of time when speaking.

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