If
you have ever made a class presentation, spoken up at a meeting,
or given a toast at a wedding reception, you have spoken in public.
Since public speaking is many people’s greatest fear, if
you enjoyed the experience, you might have what it takes to become
a motivational speaker.
From
the story teller around the campfire to great spiritual and political
leaders, speakers have motivated people throughout history. Today’s
motivational speakers inspire students to stay in school, say
no to drugs and gangs, and prepare for life after graduation.
Adults are motivated by speakers to follow their dreams and achieve
greater success in business and in life. Here
are 10 steps to breaking into this fabulous job, based on the
FabJob.com Guide to Become a Motivational Speaker: 1.
Do an inventory of your life experience The
first place to look for what to speak about is your own life.
Make a list of the goals you have achieved, such as: graduating
from college, landing your first job, finding someone to love,
overcoming a bad habit, starting a business, raising children,
or achieving a lifelong dream. Of
course, it’s even better if you have achieved something extraordinary,
such as winning an Olympic medal, publishing a best-selling book,
or giving birth to sextuplets! But even accomplishments that seem
“ordinary” can provide material for speeches. People
find it inspiring to hear about how others have overcome obstacles
to achieve their dreams. If you have ever had to deal with fear,
rejection, financial hardship, or loss along the way to achieving
your goals, chances are you have the basic material to give a
motivational speech. 2.
Identify what you have to offer Unfortunately,
unless you’re already famous, audiences won’t pay just
to hear about your life. (Many people are happy to talk about
themselves for free!) To be successful, you should identify how
your speeches can help people solve their problems, achieve their
goals, or otherwise improve their lives. 3.
Choose a “niche” People
are unlikely to take you seriously if you promise that your speeches
will solve all their problems and help them: get rich, lose weight,
find the love of their life, become great leaders, get healthy,
make more sales, be happy, etc., etc. Instead, pick one specialty
or “niche” such as leadership. It’s important to
have a niche because people like to hire experts. After all, if
you needed surgery, wouldn’t you want your doctor to be “an
expert”? 4.
Know your target audience It
can be tempting to say “I want everyone to hear what I have
to say!” The reality is that if you develop a speech bank
executives love, chances are it won’t go over as well at
the local elementary school.
Depending
on your niche, you could define your audience by characteristics
such as: age, gender, geographic location, industry, interests,
or any other traits that distinguish one group from another. Once
you have identified your audience, you can target your efforts
directly to that group. 5.
Write your speech If
this is the part of becoming a speaker you fear most, the good
news is there are people who can write a speech for you. You could
check the Yellow Pages and hire a speechwriter, public relations
firm, or speech coach. Prices can vary widely, so ask for a flat
fee quote. If you want to write it yourself you can find numerous
online resources to help you. 6.
Polish your speaking skills It’s
fine to feel nervous when you first start speaking. But as a professional
speaker, it’s your job not to let it show. Among the traits
that can help you succeed as a speaker are confidence, credibility
(a combination of likeability and expertise), and enthusiasm.
Most colleges and universities offer evening classes in public
speaking to help you develop these traits. Another
idea is to join Toastmasters, an international nonprofit organization
that helps people to practice speaking skills at weekly meetings.
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Tag Goulet
has spoken before more than 100,000 people in 24 cities, and helped
hundreds of people break into a career in professional speaking.
She is Chief Executive Officer of FabJob.com, a company that publishes
e-books on how to break into a "fab" job, and is author
of the FabJob.com Guide to Become a Motivational Speaker, available
online through http://www.fabjob.com/speaker.asp
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