The Secret To Being the Motivational Speaker They Hire

Because yesterday's motivational speaker won't work in today's economy.

A New Day Requires A New Model for the Motivational Speaker

Some say the day of the motivational speaker is dead, and holds no value in today's marketplace. Well if that's true, then call me a zombie, because my business is better than it ever was. I will, however, say that the old way of motivational speaking is dead, or rather should be.

Audiences don't want to see the canned speaker with over-the-top gestures repeating words of wisdom that don't hold any emotional value anymore. THAT is the speaker that is struggling today, and wondering why they don't get more work. Today's shifting environment requires a speaker that can shift with it. When I began speaking fifteen years ago, I was a different type of speaker than I am today. The secrets that got me work then, still get me work today. But I have changed the experience I give the audience and the way I position myself in the market. If you are struggling as a motivational speaker, or even just starting, here are some truths that might help you find clarity and increase your bottom line.

Note: There are no hard and fast rules in this business. For every statement I make below, will be someone else who has proven it wrong. These are opinions based on my experience and what has kept my calendar full. Please filter them accordingly.

1. They don't want a performance, they want a conversation. When I first began, I would have considered myself a performer on that stage. And it worked. But now audiences put a higher value on real, authentic, conversations. I still craft a "performance" but then I work to make it organic, conversational, and feel as if it is happening in the moment.
2. Less is more. While it feels cool to have flashy videos and smoke billowing out behind you - today's audience is not bringing you in for a Broadway experience. They are hiring a speaker, not a carnival act. Don't feel pressured to keep up with flashy gimmicks. It's you they want.
3. Have fresh content. These meeting planners want content that is relevant and wrapped in a way that they haven't heard before. Something that breaks through the clutter of all this information they already get on the internet and from the hundreds of other speakers they've seen before you. You're here to change their lives and teach them something. Spend time crafting a curriculum you can be proud of.
4. Tell Good Stories. You knew I would bring this up. For years, I've heard speakers being coached not to tell stories. Wow. What a mistake. And now the science backs me up. Stories aren't just a nice added extra. They are a powerful tool of persuasion that does what your data can't. Don't just believe me, go do the research. Your speech is your product. Spend time crafting it to be a masterpiece. Your stories will be critical to your success. Don't wing it.
5. Be Interactive When You Can. I was recently hired for a job that is my biggest one yet. The meeting planner said, "We aren't interested in someone who just gets up there and gives a speech. We want you because you talk with the audience, ask them questions, and show them what you know right there in the moment." I am hearing this more and more from meeting planners - the importance of interaction in a keynote. BUT.... It must be interaction with value. Just because you can go into the audience and compliment their shirt or make a joke, doesn't mean you're doing what these meeting planners want. They want interaction that brings your content and its value directly to the audience so that you can process this together. Very few speakers know their content enough to be able or willing to do this. So if you can - this will set you apart from your competition in a major way.
6. Market yourself well. For me, this has been a word-of-mouth and internet-driven business. I don't reach out and sell myself. I attract buyers through online strategies, and keynotes that are crafted to show people how I can help them in their own businesses. But this is just my model. Others follow a different model. Regardless of what model you create, you need to "look good on paper" as the saying goes. I know, we don't use paper much anymore. I haven't sent out one single sheet of paper to anybody in the past ten years. What I mean is that you need to look good on your website. Make sure your materials show that you are worth the money you are charging - show what credibility you bring to this area of expertise - showcase your body of work - and give social proof from others who have hired you. Make sure your website promotes a fresh cutting edge message that easily connects to their pains and desires. (They don't buy your content, they buy solutions to their problems.) Make sure that when we come to your website, we get a good feel for the experience you create, not just the content you bring. Give us videos to show you in action. Find a way to connect and engage in your web copy so that you rise above the clutter of all the other websites they have seen.
7. Have Clarity on Your Market and Positioning. So many speakers make decisions based on what other speakers are doing. This doesn't make sense. Speakers are working with different content, in different markets, with different ways of generating revenue. No two models are exactly the same. Just because one speaker charges 20,000 doesn't mean you should. Get very clear on what you are providing, who values it, and how much they are willing to pay for it. It's not about what you're worth as much as it is about their perception of your value. That being said, don't sell yourself short either.
8. Provide Extended Value. I have found that now, more than ever, meeting planners care about the message lasting longer than your speech. Offering them ways to start the conversation with their audience early, and continue the learning after the conference, are great ways to make more money, and beat your competition. It's all about extending the experience and learning for a more lasting impact.
9. It's all about the energy. This one is hard to define. I was speaking at a bureau showcase once (an audition for speakers in front of buyers) and I went around the room asking what the buyers were looking for more than anything else. One word kept coming up over and over. Energy. They said that most of the speakers have content that is relative and valuable - but they are looking for that speaker who stands out - who brings a certain energy to the room. This led me to wonder whether energy is just something you are born with, or something you can create? When I first began my journey as professional storyteller, I had something people noticed. It was raw and unpolished, but they noticed it. But it wasn't until I spent years on my craft and my business, that I began to really make money and fill my calendar. So raw talent wasn't enough. That "thing" I was born with wasn't enough. But now it is. I know I'm talking in circles. But I don't want to define energy for you. I think that's something you need to explore on your own.

I once heard someone wise say that "where you look is where you land." Focus is so important in this business. I have spent many hours focused in the wrong direction, or letting emotions drive me off track. I have spent way too much time comparing and trying to find my worth in the opinions of other speakers. Now I'm in a beautiful place (most of the time) where these are the words I tell myself:

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how high I got my fee, or who I beat out for that job, or how well I'm doing compared to the others. At the end of the day, this is a business - my own business. And what matters more than what I charged, is how much my business made this year. And what matters more than what I made, is how much I kept. And what matters more than how "successful" I am - is how I'm building for the future life that I want to create. And what matters more to me than how you think I'm doing, is how grateful I am that I get to share my gifts with the world in such a big way - that I get a front row seat to making people feel valued - and that I get to spend the rest of my life doing what I love. What matters more than looking around to see who has a bigger mountain, is honoring that I will get my own mountain to climb. And as long as I stay focused on climbing that, it won't matter how tall it is or what your mountain looks like. I will not look back. I will not look around. I will look up and continue to climb my mountain.