What do you do if your career as a motivational speaker needs feedback and constructive criticism?

Feedback is a gift. Especially when it’s critical. I’m grateful to have four established speakers I can ask for honest feedback from. I send them a link and tell them to “destroy me.”

Each person has a unique perspective influenced by his own experience and according to his specific role in the process. Comparing a feedback from a peer with feedback from a client will not help you improve but will make you feel frustration and confusion. Take diversity of feedback as an opportunity to grow in different areas of your work.

Every time you speak you should ask for feedback. Whether it be an audience survey or from the person/company who hired you. If you have never done this, go back to all the people who hired you in the last year to speak and ask for feedback. Maybe try temporarily hiring a speaker coach and allow them to give you feedback.

As a student aspiring to be a motivational speaker, seeking feedback and constructive criticism is essential for growth. I actively engage with my audience, encouraging them to provide honest feedback after my sessions. For instance, during a recent workshop on goal setting, I asked participants to share their thoughts on the content, delivery, and overall impact of the session. I also seek feedback from mentors, peers, and trusted individuals in the field, welcoming their insights on areas for improvement. By embracing feedback and applying it to refine my speaking skills, I continuously evolve and enhance my ability to inspire and motivate others.

Feedback and criticism are essential for refining your skills as a motivational speaker. Two primary sources for this are your audience and mentors. After each speaking gig, distribute feedback forms to your audience to gauge what resonated and what needs improvement. Additionally, invite mentors—individuals senior to you or experts in your field—to attend your gigs and provide constructive criticism. Combining insights from both sources allows you to continually enhance your performance and better connect with your audience.

Feedback is just 'feedback', don't attach +ve or -ve with it if you want to excel in speaking. Respect everyone's point of view and appreciate their participation in the process.

Remember, when you are getting paid to speak, you are not there just to share your story but you are there to motivate, educate and inspire your audience. So you should be always looking to get better, to improve, and to sharpen your talk. But you can't do that if you are not open to feedback.

Always keep in mind where the feedback comes from. An audience member is not a speaker. Get feedback from audience members about your message. Get feedback from event organisers about working with you and the value you deliver. Get feedback from other speakers on how to better your delivery.

In my experience as a motivational speaker, no matter how knowledgeable and experienced you are, there is always room to learn. Every one of us comes from a different background educationally and spiritually and receiving positive feedback back is very critical for professional growth.

Eat the meat, leave the bones. Meaning after you have gotten all this feedback, take time to assess it. Take from it the things you find help or that you feel you can improve and leave the rest.

Hear everyone's feedback; you do not need to listen to all the feedback. Choose what you will use and what not. The fact that someone said something does not mean you have to listen. If you listen to everyone, you can go into a deep, dark negative spiral.

Feedback is the most important part of growth. It doesn’t mean that we have to think about all the criticism and put ourselves down but we have to see them as stepping stones to our success. We need to understand what the people are trying to tell us, review it and make changes accordingly.

In order for criticism to be constructive you should get clear and specific on what you want feedback for. Don't waste the expert's time. Know what areas you want them to pay attention to. Maybe it's your body language and facial expressions. Or your CTAs at the end. Perhaps you want feedback on your storytelling skills. If you're specific about what kind of feedback you want you are better able to get it and work on improving in that area.

It helped me a lot to address my desire for feedback to my growing network. Since public speeches are best showcases and ideal network opportunities, you may openly demand feedback from people in your network, who you value for their expertise in motivational speaking and their ability to share critisism and feedback.

Constructive criticism from those who excel in the field offers invaluable insights, helping us refine our delivery, tone, and message. Embracing feedback from experts provides a mirror to our performance, revealing blind spots and areas ripe for improvement. It's not about seeking validation, but rather gaining a deeper understanding of our strengths and weaknesses. Constructive criticism empowers us to evolve, refine our skills, and ultimately excel in our craft.So, let's lean into discomfort and invite feedback from those who can offer valuable insights. It's through this process that we truly hone our abilities and become impactful communicators. Remember, constructive criticism is not a setback but a stepping stone towards excellence.

Your mindset will determine how you receive criticism and feedback. Train your mind to understand that you don't know everything. And an expert can help you to improve on your weaker areas. Once you accept that truth the ability to accept constructive criticism becomes much easier for you.

If you want to be great at anything, feedback plays a key role. Through the years I’ve come to respect feedback as a source of learning and growth. I say respect because even when I don’t want to hear it or don’t like it, I appreciate the further development it brings. Ask for feedback from: ??Coaches ??Current clients ??Other professional speakers ??Speaking agencies and bureaus you are already working with ??People attending your sessions I recommend that after your presentations you stick around and mingle with your audience. Be curious, open and intentional with your questions. What worked well? What didn’t ? What’s something you wish I had covered or done differently? ??

Hay claves Para avanzar en la oratoria, es fundamental buscar retroalimentación y críticas constructivas. - Solicitar Retroalimentación Específica. - Participar en Grupos de Oratoria. Unirse a grupos como Toastmasters International ofrece práctica regular y feedback en un ambiente de apoyo. - Buscar Mentoría. - Formación Continua. Asistir a talleres y cursos de oratoria para aprender nuevas técnicas y recibir retroalimentación de expertos. - Analizar Oradores Admirados. Abrazar estas estrategias con una actitud abierta y comprometida hacia el crecimiento personal es clave para mejorar en la oratoria, aumentando el impacto y la conexión con la audiencia.

Very important: Keep the following in mind. As a speaker, question your impact if you do not get some level of pushback or hate. I believe pushback is a sign that I am making a worthwhile change in the world. Otherwise, I am simply maintaining the status quo. Not everyone will like it, and the fact that they voice it is a sign that you are making an impact. it is making people uncomfortable.

Practice, practice and more practice. And that practice needs to be focused practice. We have to practice with an intent in mind. We can’t just practice for the sake of practising but practice with the intent of growing the skill for betterment.