Motivational speaking is a skill that can help you inspire, persuade, and influence others. But how do you develop your own signature style that sets you apart from the crowd and reflects your personality, values, and message? In this article, we will share some secrets to help you find and hone your unique voice as a motivational speaker.
The first secret to developing your own signature style is to know your purpose. Why do you want to speak to others? What is your main goal or mission? What value do you want to offer to your audience? Knowing your purpose will help you craft your message, choose your topics, and align your style with your vision. Your purpose will also guide you to speak with passion, authenticity, and conviction.
My purpose as a specialist physician, clinical researcher, certified meditation teacher, and breast cancer and ADHD survivor is to share knowledge about how authenticity, community, compassion, kindness, and relationships are essential for our health and well-being. Massive inequality is hugely harmful to human health. Disconnection is destroying our only living planet. Artificial intelligence is a fascinating field. Our greatest need is to grow our awareness and knowledge of animate intelligence. To survive and thrive, we need to learn from our ancestors, Indigenous sisters, and brothers. We need to cultivate a love of diversity, inclusion, and relative equality with unity. We need to embrace biological, cultural, and linguistic.
The second secret to developing your own signature style is to know your audience. Who are you speaking to? What are their needs, challenges, interests, and expectations? How can you relate to them, engage them, and motivate them? Knowing your audience will help you tailor your style to suit their preferences, preferences, and level of understanding. Your audience will also give you feedback, questions, and reactions that will help you improve your style and delivery.
To me, dialogue is essential. I have no interest in imposing my views on others. I am very interested in counteracting disinformation about climate chaos, loss of biodiversity, pollution risks, the harmful effects of unhealed trauma, and to counteract the lie that unfettered free markets lead to prosperity.
The third secret to developing your own signature style is to know your strengths. What are your natural talents, skills, and abilities as a speaker? What are your unique perspectives, experiences, and stories that you can share? How can you use your strengths to create value, differentiation, and impact? Knowing your strengths will help you showcase your best qualities, leverage your competitive edge, and build your confidence and credibility.
The fourth secret to developing your own signature style is to know your weaknesses. What are your areas of improvement, challenges, and limitations as a speaker? What are the gaps, mistakes, and pitfalls that you need to avoid or overcome? How can you turn your weaknesses into opportunities for learning, growth, and innovation? Knowing your weaknesses will help you identify your areas of development, seek feedback and guidance, and embrace your vulnerability and humility.
The fifth secret to developing your own signature style is to know your style. What are the elements that define your style, such as your tone, language, humor, gestures, visuals, and structure? How do you express your personality, values, and message through your style? How do you adapt your style to different situations, contexts, and audiences? Knowing your style will help you refine your presentation skills, experiment with different techniques, and establish your brand identity and consistency.
The sixth secret to developing your own signature style is to know your inspiration. Who are the speakers that you admire, respect, and learn from? What are the qualities, strategies, and lessons that you can emulate, adapt, or incorporate from them? How do you keep yourself motivated, curious, and creative as a speaker? Knowing your inspiration will help you find mentors, role models, and sources of ideas that will enrich your style and content.
Years before I started speaking at conferences, I attended conferences and events. I watched TED talks. I listened to podcasts. I noticed what I was drawn to stylistically and started experimenting with new approaches when I started getting asked to speak. This is what I was drawn to and tried to emulate about other speakers: 1. Compelling storytelling vs. busy slides full of facts and data 2. Vulnerability. When I was listening to speakers who showed up like real humans and not robots, I was so much more engaged and positively impacted. 3. Energy. Speakers who show up on stage ready to pour out everything they have captivated me. 4. Emotional roller coasters. Speakers who made me laugh, cry, and feel seen and understood were my faves.