The Problem with Motivational Speakers

The so-called “motivational speaker” does not motivate people to change their behavior.

Throughout my career as a CEO, from hiring speakers for our annual conference to becoming a professional speaker to managing speakers - I can honestly say that when you start working on ideas for your conference agenda, most, if not all of your committee will say, let’s hire a ‘motivational speaker.’ Everyone gets excited and throws in ideas and names of possible motivational speakers - except me.

What is it about the whole concept of ‘motivational speakers’ that gets people excited? And why would I sound so unenthusiastic, the founder of a Talent Management Agency?

You will find on many speaker websites a claim that their story will have the most significant effect on encouraging attendees to change. This is a bold claim that doesn’t stack up.

Let me explain. When you hire a ‘motivational speaker,’ your attendees get excited for the afternoon, return to work, and get into the same ole’ habits. Did anything change? Most likely not. I have seen some fantastic speakers at different events throughout my career with outstanding achievements: a blind speaker who climbed Mt. Everest to an Olympian who went from rags to riches, each with an astonishing, memorable, and heartwarming story. But what does this have to do with motivating people to create real change?

Years ago, we knew that we could talk about three things. The past, the present, and the future. Talking about the past doesn’t move someone to change… 99.9% of the population does not want to look backward.

Many motivational Speakers will focus on the past. If you want to drive new behavior, you need to hire a speaker who talks about the future for each of your attendees and what it means for them. And provide both the justification and the call to action, which will drive them to act once they leave the room.

The real trick to finding the right speaker for your event is to look for one who can paint a picture of the future your attendees want and those who will build a platform for change. Real change.

Changing behavior will not be achieved in one afternoon. Use the message of your speaker to build a platform for change. Selecting a speaker for your conference (or board meeting for executives or sales teams) is critical to the success of your event. Look to hire a speaker who will leave a lasting impact to create change.