Motivational Speaker: 10 Tips To Be Great On The Platform

After almost two decades of being a motivational speaker, I still aspire to get better. Fortunately, I’ve learned a few things (sometimes the hard way) that have enhanced my presentations and enabled me to make a living. Here are some of the best nuggets I’ve picked up along the way.

Figure out what you are. Are you an intellectual? Are you a storyteller? Are you a humorist? What style comes naturally to you? A good motivational speaker is aware of what he or she is best at and exploits that talent.
Figure out what you’re not. Part of being genuine is avoiding styles and content that don’t match your sensibility. It’s painful to watch someone who isn’t funny tell a joke. It’s uncomfortable to watch someone with no business experience tell a group of executives how to run their companies. Don’t pretend to be an expert in something you’re not, and don’t try to be a second rate version of a different speaker. Be the best version of you.
Speak on something you care about. Nothing holds an audience’s attention like a speaker’s passion. Find the issues and concepts that get you excited. You’ll be a more effective motivational speaker if the material motivates you yourself.
Make it about them. Resist the temptation to talk too much about yourself or to over-indulge your own experiences. You may have a great story, but the focus of your speech should be on the welfare of the audience. Tie every anecdote, every example, and every point back to the group members. By listening to you, they should leave thinking about themselves.
Be present. While a canned speech will get you polite applause, your audience will feel a deeper connection to you when they know you’re living in their world. Comment on a local event, or on what’s happening in the room. Come early and listen to the presenters before you so you can refer to their messages. Do what you can to be spontaneous and to communicate that you’re going through the same experience they are.
Customize your program. Incorporate the meeting’s theme into your presentation. Use examples from their industry. Apply your concepts directly to their world.
Connect with as many audience members as you can before the event. Email a few participants and/or interview several people from their industry. Your client can give you some names and make the introductions. This will help you learn the issues and terminology of the industry to create a more relevant speech.
Connect with as many audience members as you can right before your speech. A lot of last minute material can come from these conversations. It also allows you to begin building rapport with the group. As a youth speaker who speaks at schools, I’ll often look for the students I think are most likely to misbehave during my presentation. By making friends with them beforehand, I’m more likely to win their attention and prevent problems.
Come early to check the room. Look at the lighting, try out the microphone and examine the stage set-up. Notice which doors to the room are open and look for any potential distractions. If your presentation is following a meal, the catering staff will probably be picking up dirty dishes, which can get quite loud. While meeting planners want their conference speaker to succeed, they may be unaware of these issues or be too busy to pick up on them. If you come early, you’ll have time to address any concerns.
Be the last person to leave the room. It’s important to be available to shake hands, answer questions and listen. Make the time.