As a motivational speaker, you have a unique brand that reflects your values, vision, and voice. But how can you adapt your brand to different audiences, contexts, and goals? In this article, you will learn some tips and strategies to customize your brand for different motivational speaking opportunities, without losing your authenticity and credibility.
Before you craft your message, you need to understand who you are speaking to. What are their needs, challenges, expectations, and interests? How can you connect with them on an emotional and intellectual level? What are their preferred modes of communication and learning? Research your audience as much as possible, and use surveys, interviews, or feedback forms to gather more insights. Knowing your audience will help you tailor your brand to their specific situation and desired outcomes.
You get three chances to make a persuasive first impression. Nail all three and you're in the zone. Check your talk - especially your opener - against Aristotle's model of persuasion. There are three sides to his persuasion triangle: Logos, Ethos and Pathos. Logos appeals to the audience's reason . Give logical arguments. Quantitative stats, left-brain facts, strong, well-vetted research, rock-solid arguments. Ethos appeals to the speaker's status or authority, making the audience more likely to trust them. Own that frame. Pathos appeals to the emotions, making the audience feel angry or sympathetic, for example. So be an imperfect, empathetic human. Bryan Kramer talks about this in his book There Is No B2B Or B2C: It's Human to Human.
Hey, before you start blabbing away, let's dive into who you're talking to! It's like making friends – you gotta get what they're all about. What keeps 'em up at night? What makes 'em tick? Find out what gets 'em jazzed up, what makes 'em groan, and how they like to hear stuff. Don't just guess – go talk to 'em! Throw in some surveys, shoot the breeze in interviews, or pass around feedback forms. It's not just about understanding; it's about getting cozy with their world. Once you know their gig, you can tailor your message to fit 'em like their favorite comfy sweatshirt. Trust me, knowing your audience is the secret sauce to making your message stick!
I've been a Motivational Speaker since 1988, and my journey has taken me to 40 different countries, where I've had the privilege of residing for a year or more in each. One crucial aspect of my approach is a deep understanding of the audience's culture. I make it a point to wear culturally appropriate attire, which symbolizes my genuine effort to connect with and respect the local culture. Furthermore, it's essential to engage in a dialogue with your audience rather than simply addressing them. Failing to do so can lead to a perception of condescension and disrespect. Remember that flexibility and adaptability are key when customizing your brand for different motivational speaking audiences. Remember to Touch, Heal & Inspire.
The messaging has to be tailored to audience you are speaking to. Having a bottom of pyramid approach will fail when you are speaking with specific audience. If you address with a generic content that's like a spray and pray strategy, tailor it to the audience.
Every motivational speech has a purpose, whether it is to inspire, educate, persuade, or entertain. Your purpose will guide your brand strategy and help you focus on the most relevant and impactful aspects of your brand. For example, if your purpose is to inspire, you might emphasize your personal story, your values, and your vision. If your purpose is to educate, you might highlight your expertise, your evidence, and your action steps. Define your purpose clearly and align it with your audience's needs and goals.
My guiding principle when I take the stage, whether in person or virtually, is to "Touch, Heal, and Inspire." I define my purpose as steering my brand directly towards uplifting and empowering those in the audience, all while elevating their vision, purpose, goals, and objectives. Although few are willing to openly admit it, I will. At one point in my life, I lost everything except the clothes on my back and found myself living on the streets. What's more, it was a situation I didn't have to endure. Instead of confiding in anyone, I firmly believed that to overcome my challenges, I had to face them head-on. Simply put, I had to "Go through it" to "Get to It". The truth crushed to the ground will rise and carry you up!
Your style is how you express your brand through your words, tone, voice, body language, visuals, and humor. Your style should match your personality, your message, and your audience. Depending on the context and the goal of your speech, you might choose a more formal or informal style, a more serious or playful tone, a more authoritative or friendly voice, a more dynamic or calm body language, a more simple or complex visual design, and a more appropriate or provocative humor. Choose your style carefully and consistently to enhance your brand identity and appeal.
My speaking style and approach can be described as a fusion of various elements. Depending on the context and the intended outcome of the speech, I adapt my style, tone, voice, body language, visual design, and use of humor. This allows me to tailor my communication to suit the specific needs of the moment, whether it calls for a formal or informal approach, a serious or playful tone, an authoritative or friendly voice, dynamic or calm body language, simple or complex visual aids, or appropriate or provocative humor. I'm a former R&B Singer/entertainer, and knowing my audience is my gift.
Your value is what makes you stand out from other motivational speakers and what makes your audience listen to you. Your value is based on your unique selling proposition (USP), which is a concise statement that summarizes what you offer, how you solve a problem, and why you are different. Your USP should be clear, specific, and compelling. Showcase your value throughout your speech by demonstrating your credibility, providing testimonials, sharing success stories, and offering solutions.
My value as a Motivational Speaker stands out due to my extensive global knowledge and experience, my adaptability to different environments, my ability to read and gauge audience responses and make quick adjustments as necessary. I'm dedicated to both entertaining and educating, ensuring that the audience is engaged and informed for their greater benefit.
Your audience is not just a passive recipient of your speech, but an active participant in your brand experience. Engaging your audience is essential to build rapport, trust, and loyalty. You can engage your audience in various ways, such as asking questions, telling stories, using interactive tools, soliciting feedback, creating a sense of community, and inviting them to take action. Engaging your audience will make them feel valued, involved, and motivated.
After delivering your speech, you need to evaluate your results and measure your impact. How did you perform? How did your audience react? How did you achieve your purpose? How did you communicate your brand? Evaluating your results will help you identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. You can use different methods to evaluate your results, such as self-assessment, peer review, audience feedback, analytics, and testimonials. Evaluating your results will help you improve your brand and your skills for future motivational speaking opportunities.