The Myth: Anyone Can Become a Business Motivational Speaker
John Di Frances
It seems that every former ‘anyone’ having enjoyed their moment in the limelight, whatever that may have been, is hanging out their ‘Motivational Speaker’ shingle as a professional keynote speaker. Frequently well intentioned and having one or more inspirational, motivational stories regarding their ‘transformational moment’ to share with audiences, they believe that this qualifies them to ‘speak!’
Unfortunately, what they fail to realize is that unless they are seeking to speak as entertainment, which is a valid offering for certain association and corporate events, they don’t belong. Business has become ultra competitive globally and what both corporate and association audiences want and need, are solutions – real life innovative strategies and solutions that audiences can apply to their own problems and challenges.
Solutions that will enable them to compete more intelligently and effectively, as their future employment depends upon it. Gone are the days when business event attendees came primarily to be entertained and ‘have fun.’ Not that meetings shouldn’t be fun, they should, but that is not their primary goal. The goal of association and corporate meetings audiences today is gaining new knowledge and the tools which will enable attendees and their organizations to gain a competitive advantage.
More of the same no longer cuts it. Fresh, innovative strategies for competing and out thinking and maneuvering global competitors is what counts. New paradigms that will allow individuals and organizations to be more creative and innovative in the way they view and approach both their existing and developing marketplaces as well as their competitive landscape.
Certainly, inspiring and motivating audiences is important, but simply making audiences ‘feel good’ about themselves has little benefit if it cannot be translated into winning in the game of business on Monday morning. In our present environment, delivering high VALUE content is at the heart of keynote professional speaking. If a business keynote speaker is not communicating high value content that the audience can immediately put into practice and quickly obtain measurable benefits from, then real VALUE has not been delivered and received by the attendees.
In order to deliver VALUE, keynote business motivational speakers must have authority from which to speak and that authority comes only one way, real world experience gained in the trenches. Whether it’s from operating management or executive positions or through corporate consulting, an effective professional speaker has personally ‘done it,’ not just read about it in business books and case studies. Hands on experience is key. And the wider the keynote motivational speaker’s experience, the better.
Knowledge beyond your industry is critical. Hearing only from within your industry is like swimming in an aquarium. What is outside your little world remains unknown. Business keynote speakers who can enlarge the scope of their audience’s vision are best. Look at it this way. It wasn’t from within the music, telephone, television, publishing and other industries that disruptive innovation came, but rather from outside players with names like Apple, Amazon and Google. Business keynote speakers need to have broad industry experience which they can relate to the unique needs of each audience to whom they speak.
Business has become a constant daily battle for survival. Winning that battle results in a sustainable business in which the employees have a future. The calling and responsibility of business keynote motivational speakers is to provide their audiences with new knowledge and the methods by which they can apply that knowledge to ensure organizational sustainability and a bright future for the individual.