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What A Motivational Speaker Can Achieve
When a business makes an investment there is pressure to see a good return on that investment, so that it can be justified. This is true of staff training and use of a motivational speaker as well as in terms of resources bought. A motivational speaker is very often a very strong investment, especially when many employees are able to attend and hear the presentation.
Some companies which are unwilling to invest in the speaker claim that management should be able to do the same job. This is not necessarily true. A team which is performing below par might be spoken to by a manager with the intention of improving performance, but if that manager comes across as frustrated or aggressive then the team is likely to become defensive. A third party public speaker will not be perceived as a threat, and if they have a reputation as an expert, perhaps resulting from some renown or fame within the industry then they are likely to have an easy time building up a rapport with their audience.
It’s rare to invite a motivational speaker in for something as insignificant as a training afternoon. More usually, they feature at important, larger scale events as keynote speaker. They may deliver a specific message, help announce a new initiative within the company, launch a new product or a sales campaign. If the motivational speaker is renowned in the business world, they may be able to provide some endorsement for a management style, working style or new technology that the company is trying to introduce.
The perfect motivational speaker will vary depending on the business field of the audience. Most of the time, it is best to choose someone with proven success behind them in a similar field of business. However, the speaker shouldn’t just rely on their experience: they should be briefed on the situation of the business and the audience. Properly briefing a speaker allows them to establish any areas that need to be addressed or particular problems.
Linking In To Your Audience Before You Ever See Your Audience
Give Your Next Sales Presentation a Laser Focus to Connect With Your Audience
The quickest technique to connect with your audience is to really know your audience. Sadly, as motivational speakers, sales people, or anybody delivering demonstrations understands, we don’t often get the chance to get to know our listeners to start with. Or do we? Is it realistic to become familiar with an audience before getting up to speak? I say no question you can as a result of social media and it’s much easier than you might think.
First you need to recognize that you aren’t on a mission to discover their particular stories but rather their group situation. You should know what life’s like from the place these folks sit. The experiences, while specific to each person, are universal to their occupation.
You could ask the event organizer all the questions in the world, but that’s inadequate. You could shoot surveys to all audience members. I don’t know about you, but I’m busy, very busy. And I don’t have the free time, energy or desire to prepare a survey beforehand – on your behalf, the presenter. You’re privileged I am able to come anyway. I don’t want another questionnaire. Do your own job. Do your own research. Don’t bug me. Why make me grumpy before I actually speak to you ?
So, just how can we do our own prep work?
I have one word to respond to that: LinkedIn Groups. Okay, so that’s more than one word . And yet that’s my answer for today. There are numerous social networks nowadays, but as of November 1, 2010, I am going to declare that LinkedIn is the best location to hang your hat.
So let’s take a look at making use of LinkedIn Groups to research your audience. There are various other ways to use LinkedIn, but today we’ll stick to audience investigation. In case you’re unaware of LinkedIn, bless your heart, go get familiar and after that pick this article up again. For those who are comfortable with LinkedIn but haven’t implemented the “Groups” functionality – check out what it’s all about and pick up this informative article again.
So now we’re on the same page – we realize that there’re groups we can become a member of on LinkedIn which may or may not necessitate prior consent from the group liaison. Search for the group or groups that are most strongly associated with your listeners.
What groups do you sign up with? Choose the ones most like your audience. You won’t always locate a perfect match, but if you’re planning to speak for an audience of older folks, you definitely need to be capable to find some groups – okay, perhaps not senior citizens – nevertheless , you understand what I’m saying.
Understand the reason why you’re here and why you are not here. First – you aren’t hired to hawk your wares. Period. Don’t do it. LinkedIn users don’t expect to be sold on LinkedIn. Networking isn’t about getting to know a stranger over drinks and smacking them between the eyes with your sales hype in the first minute of your discussion. Networking and relationships are about connecting and making friends. They aren’t single-sided. When I login to LinkedIn for the intent purpose to educate yourself about my listeners, I’m there merely to listen closely. Period. I might ask a query to get some dialogue going and I don’t feel that’s impacting on their time so long as the question relates to the group and its interests – not YOURS.
At this point settle back and listen. Read the threads. Jump in a discussion only when it’s essential. You’re not here to dispense tips; you are here to investigate – to accumulate answers. Just let them chat and be a fly on the wall.
I’m composing a presentation for administrative personnel. Despite the fact that I have performed that job previously in my work life, I am sure that it is not going to appear identical now as it did years ago. Check out how very much the planet has changed in 20 years! I can guess what challenges they face, and the meeting organizer may give me a a long winded diatribe from their viewpoint. Nonetheless that’s not enough for me to really feel like I have a decent grasp of who they are.
So I looked on LinkedIn and searched for administrative assistant groups. Back up , where do I get started? There are an abundance of groups. I picked two large ones (though I’m not positive it truly matters) and uploaded this question:
Hi there, thanks for enabling me to be a member of your group. I am not an administrative professional, I am a motivational speaker and comedian, and I’m writing a show for administrative assistants. But I don’t understand what your work is like – actually like. Should you be so inspired and would like to remark, please tell me what your work is like. You don’t need to give names. Just let loose. Think of this as group therapy.
I posted that message on two big group sites and I am even now (six months in the future) receiving advice. It brought on a whopping chat via the internet and a location where folks could get together and let loose with individuals who understand. Obviously, I have more details than I’m able to possibly use. Speak about customization! Do my stories have to match theirs when I present? No. Of course not. No two stories were identical – yet I was fortunate to seize on to many widespread realities about the profession to stand up there and show them that I get what it’s like.
(PS I later discovered that you don’t want to distribute the identical question on two comparable group sites. It’s a no-no and annoys your audience – people involved in both groups.)
So there you go, a straight forward way to get to know your listeners before you ever meet them. Have fun, and successful networking!
How Many Motivational Speakers Really Connect?
I received some ground breaking information. Not every motivational speaker is as good as he thinks he is. Alarming I know. However, it’s most likely something you’ve thought after many hours of listening to droll motivational talks. As a motivational speaker, I hear many speakers drone on about how skilled they are. After I see them perform, I ponder what they consider ‘good’. We are not decent judges of our own ability. Also, don’t count on an impartial counsel from your mother. We also can’t rely on those sugary people in our audiences who love everyone and are just ecstatic to be alive – or the ones who don’t have the heart to inform you that your speech was as motivating as oral surgery. Clapping doesn’t always signify that you did a good job. Even a standing ovation isn’t a sure fire indicator of a home run. We’ve all been guilted into a standing ovation by a solitary annoying fanatic. The following question isn’t for the weak hearted. If you want to be a motivational speaker, at some point, to have to discover if you really motivate. DO YOU MOTIVATE YOUR AUDIENCE? Do you deliver on their investment?
I am not talking to trainers. I’m aiming what I have to say at motivational speakers. You know — the folks who advertise the life-changing experience. The trainer is paid to come present knowledge and they should be judged primarily on the content delivered – although I will say that they are likewise evaluated on performance. Motivational keynote speakers are brought in to wow the audience with a performance threaded with content. The show you put on will decide if you get hired back.
Ok, we’re back to the question “how do you know if you are motivating your audience?” Are they battling through a crowd right after your speech to get your business card? If they say, “We would like to hire you.” If the meeting planner is glowing, hugging your neck, and saying you made them look great. If they ask you back again or tell others about you. These are all signals that you have delivered on your promises.
In comedy school we were taught something called the 80/10/10 principle: Ten percent will invariably love you, ten will always dislike you, and eighty percent will wait and give you a chance. Concern yourself with that eighty percent. Did you deliver for 80% of the audience? Just keep in mind, nobody hits it out of the ball park every time.
Make sure you know how you want them feel after your presentation. What you want them to think. Are you giving them a way of responding to your presentation? Evaluations? Surveys? Begin looking through the survey data at your earliest chance. Sit up and take notice of feedback.
Having them tell you that was a good performance does not automatically mean they learned anything. Just because the audience gushes over how expert you are doesn’t mean they were in love with your presentation. Getting high fives after a breakout session doesn’t automatically mean you’re cut out to be a keynoter. What you don’t want to hear from a client: Well, how do you think you did? If your customer smiles tactfully and avoids eye contact, you’ve got a problem.
What are you supposed to do when your speech falls short? Reserve a card board box under the highway. Say you’re sorry. Give the client their dough back. Determine if the grievances are legitimate, and learn from the experience.
When things seem rough and your evaluations tank, give yourself a boost by going through past customer letters and testimonials. They will remind you of the times you got it right. If you don’t have any, well, maybe it’s time to take an honest look at yourself. Don’t be discouraged. None of us starts out great. Shoot, many of us don’t even start out good. It takes time. Quit goofing off and get your nose to the grindstone.
The Strings To The After Dinner Speaker’s Bow
An after dinner speaker with plenty of experienced will be highly skilled in his or her art. Their previous experience will always shine through when their presentation is compared to that of a newly emerging after dinner speaker. This is because a new speaker has not yet had the chance to hone the skills required for great presentations.
Because the type of message an after dinner speaker might be trying to get across can vary so widely from one event to another, it is obviously important that he or she has strong communication skills. However, the speaker must also be able to incorporate humour into their presentation to avoid the audience becoming bored. Due to the fact that the after dinner speech occurs at what is a natural lull in proceedings, the audience must be amused or lethargy may creep in. Brevity, as well as humour is important in the after dinner speaker’s skillset. The ability to get a message across succinctly is always important.
Furthermore, good, solid knowledge is very important for an after dinner speaker. They must have a good grounding in their subject matter or else the audience is unlikely to take them seriously and will probably disregard their message. As far as knowledge is concerned, some responsibility lies with the person booking the after dinner speaker. Hiring a reality show star to talk about implementing new sales techniques is an unwise decision. All the same, even respected and knowledgeable speakers should be given some basic grounding in the company at which they will be speaking.
Another large part of the after dinner speaker’s skill lies in their understanding of an audience and their needs. Of course, this does not mean that audiences should neglect to provide background information. In the past, many an after dinner speaker has made faux-pas through failing to be aware of the audience’s needs.
Reasons Why You Should Use A Motivational Speaker
Many different types of speaker with various backgrounds can all be included under the term ‘motivational speaker.’ What they have in common is their goal which is to inspire and motivate their audience. Of course, different audiences will face various different challenges and so not every speaker will always be appropriate. Many a motivational speaker has a strong business background. Others have a background in the military. Others might have achieved great things in the world of sports and adventure. This means that whether the audience is involved in business, education or sport, there is the right motivational speaker for them.
Following the recent recession, it is natural that morale is at a low in the business world. Unfortunately this negativity can seep into society as a whole and affect all human relationships. This ultimately causes ongoing cycles of negativity to dominate. A motivational speaker with a strong grounding in business, people management, or even the military can help improve morale in the workplace. When a team is built on unity and shared ideas with high morale, it is more likely to achieve.
In the world of education, particularly around exam time, many educators call on a motivational speaker. A motivational speaker often helps youngsters to realise that they are in exclusive control of their destiny at a time when disaffection can cause problems. Taking ownership of one’s own future produces a newfound feeling of control and increases motivation.
Of course, the motivational speaker for the world of education is very different from the speaker for the world of business. Younger audiences will be more inclined to look up to sports stars or celebrities. On the contrary, those people who work in business would be more interested in the words of a respected entrepreneur.
Regardless of the situation or type of motivational speaker, the investment will pay off if a talented speaker is used. Experience teaches the best speakers to make their presentations memorable so that their wisdom can be called upon in future. The long term benefits of a motivational speaker will be self-evident.
