How to Become a Motivational Speaker?

We, humans, do almost everything when there is a strong motive. This motive could be our desires, need, wants, etc., and could be an abstract feeling or a materialistic objective. But, imagine if a person has no motive whatsoever which might be due to any reasons. How do you think such a person can push him/herself to continue with their daily chores and activities in their lives? This is where people who use words and strategies come into the picture and motivate people. They remind you of the various motives that are attached to our lives, give you relatable examples, and push you towards achieving them. These people have been known as motivational speakers. This article will walk you through the ways and skills necessary for how to become a motivational speaker. 

 “Speech has power. Words do not fade. What starts out as a sound, ends in a deed.”
-Abraham Joshua Herschel

Who is a Motivational Speaker?

As the name suggests, a motivational speaker is someone who will inspire, push, and help people advance themselves. These individuals could be experts and professionals in their field/subject who also impart some solid advice and guidelines. They help people view situations and conditions from a different perspective and remind them of their unique talents, abilities, and passion. As humans, we tend to divert our minds to our problems, our incapabilities, and our damages. These speakers help people see the better side of themselves, positively boost the audience, and elevate their mental and emotional capacity. 

Also Read: Easy Languages to Learn for English Speakers

What do Motivational Speakers Do?

Motivational speakers are often invited for specific programs, podcasts, conferences, seminars, etc., or are even hired for a time period. Their fundamental job is addressing their audience on a specific topic and using various speech tactics and to inspire them. Motivational speakers do more than merely talking on the stage. They also bring out new ideas and energize the group by covering various domains, from business, personality development to social services. Motivational speakers also go on to write books, create their own podcasts/talkshows/videos. 

Did you know? American author, Tony Robbins was just 17 years old when he first witnessed an actual speech. He spent all his week sitting in front of Jim Rohn and sparked himself with the same energy. In his mid-20s, he became the world’s no. 1 motivational speaker. 

Comprehensive Guide on How to Become a Motivational Speaker

Now that we know what does a motivational speaker does, let’s check the various steps involved in how to become a motivational speaker.

Know If this Job Is For You

Even though speaking is what matters, there is a lot that goes on behind the stage for a motivational speaker. Hours on composing a good, accurate, and engaging speech. Another set of hours practising. A motivational speaker must also be extremely patient and determined with their path. Like any other career, you won’t instantly start earning or receive the audience’s attention. It is important that you know your subject matter and can deliver it with ease. 

Hone your Public Speaking

“It’s what you practice in private that you will be rewarded for in public.”
– Tony Robbins

Polishing your speaking skills is an important part of how to become a motivational speaker. Having good content is only half the part of the process. The way you express your thoughts is equally important as the words you use. Convincing and influencing people requires good skills since there are always chances you have some habits which can bring out some wrong impressions( walking while talking, moving your hands a lot). Start watching videos of different inspirational speakers, practice delivering your pitch in front of the mirror, record yourself talking and analyze your mistakes, enroll for a good communication program, join public speaking groups, club classes, etc. A few essential points to improve that can hone your public speaking skills are:

• Voice Modulation
• Body Language
• Speech Deliver
• Audience Interaction

Develop your Ideas

You can’t become a successful speaker by rephrasing old ideas.  You need to develop fresh, relatable content that people around you want to hear. You should spend a good amount of time socializing with people, talking about their aspirations, fears, and challenges, and using that to inspire, motivate and affect your audience’s minds.

Identify Your Ideal Audience

It can be alluring to think that your speeches can affect or resonate with everyone. This is one of the most common mistakes that people make. A generic message won’t leave that impression. Rather than aiming to motivate the whole business sector, try and narrow down your niche. Think of impacting the marketing team first, then the sales, and then the board members. Identify the groups you want to reach so that you can accomplish your motive of delivering impactful speeches.

Test Your Content

Before getting on the stage, you should execute your prep talks to test your skills and analyze the atmosphere. In today’s time when we have the biggest opportunity in the form of a platform like the Internet to test our content before moving forward with it. Use social media to share your original thoughts and quotes, launch a blog and share your speeches. Collect your reviews from your audience and know what they want to hear about. One of the most common misunderstandings of publishing speeches online is that people think they are giving up their content for free, they won’t be able to make money. They tend to forget that this creates an opportunity to inspire millions of people online, giving them a reach.

Offer to Speak For Free

“Before you can be paid to speak, you have to have given 300 free talks.”-
Brian Tracy (motivational speaker)

Another important aspect of how to become a motivational speaker is practicing your content. After getting speaking skills and sufficient content, offer to speak for free. This exercise can help you explore your confidence level, your comfort with the open environment, plus the most important aspect of experimenting with free speeches is that you can gain feedback from people to improve or develop your scale. Approach public speaking groups, local organizations, conferences where they offer you to speak for free and gain practical experience in front of a live audience. Some people look for a few free speeches to prepare themselves to enter the industry while others do dozens of free gigs to feel equipped to enter the show. It solely depends on the efforts.

Market Yourself and Listen to Feedback

Once you feel like you have plenty of confidence and a lot of content to share, start looking for a paid gig, build a website, and market yourself. Keep updating your website with fresh content. Post blogs, quotes, thoughts, engage with the audience, make videos, write books. It is also important that you carefully listen to the feedback, work on criticisms, and rectify your faults. 

Skills Required

Apart from the above-mentioned steps, the following are a few necessary skills essential to becoming an adept motivational speaker. You can develop or learn them with time and continue working on them.

• Leadership
• Communication
• Confidence
• Engaging presentation
• Narration
• Adaptability
• Clear articulation
• Authenticity
• Empathy
• Time management

Books

Without reading, a speaker cannot find new ideas and examples. The following books can guide you with your journey on how to become a motivational speaker.

• Lend Me Your Ears – Prof. Max Atkinson.
• Talk Like TED- Carmine Gallo
• Start with Why- Simon Sinek
• Confessions of a Public Speaker- Scott Berkun

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Salary

The salary for a motivational speaker severely depends on their reach, audience demand, and their overall work. The salary might be a one-time payment or overall fees for consecutive sessions. The pay also depends upon the place where the speaker is invited and the amount of time invested. Keeping these factors in mind, the initial salary of a motivational speaker could be between INR 25,000-INR 50,000. As you gain experience and increase your reach and demand, the salary will increase up to INR 50,000- INR 2 Lakhs. Motivational speakers can also earn from additional sources like royalty money from published books, youtube channels, podcasts, etc,  

“The first time you say something, it’s heard; the second time,
it’s recognized; the third time, it’s learned.”
– John Maxwell

We hope that this article on how to become a motivational speaker helped you gain some knowledge. If you ever want to change the world, this is the right time to do it. It’s all about taking the right step and starting where you are. If you have that zeal to motivate people and talk confidently, then becoming a public speaker or motivational speaker can be the perfect job for you. Planning to enhance your career? Take the right steps and get in touch with the experts at Leverage Edu who can help you decide on a suitable course that will help you ace your career.