3 Golden Rules For Becoming a Motivational Speaker

Think you have what it takes for becoming a motivational speaker? Check out these non-negotiable golden rules and you’re well on your way. 

Becoming a Motivational SpeakerThey say there’s a story in all of us. But what’s inside doesn’t always translate easily into great story telling. The best storytellers are those who take a personal story, add insight, deliver a message… and entertain.

That’s a lot!

If you’ve got a great story inside of you, that’s a fantastic place to start if you want to make a go of becoming a motivational speaker. But in addition, you’ll need to follow these 3 golden rules, too. They form the basis of what separates those who simply have a story from those who can really tell a story.

Becoming a Motivational Speaker

1. Offer Added Value.

There’s a huge chasm between entertainers and motivational speakers. Entertainers might be comics, jugglers, singers, or dancers. Speakers who motivate a crowd offer entertainment too (many were once comics), but they don’t stop there.

Personal transformation, steps to success, or how you overcame obstacles in your life: whatever your story might entail, it should do more than simply entertain. It should offer added value.

Use your story to address important topics. Don’t leave people wondering “so what?”, but rather lead them from your personal saga into a broader theme that touches upon their lives.

In other words, tell your story but connect it to something that’s relevant to your audience.

2. Examine Your Story for Lessons

In order to make those audience connections, you’ll have to really perform some hard self-analysis. You changed something in your life: what did you learn from the process? Did you learn not to sweat the small stuff? Not to give up on yourself? That your inner circle of supporters was vital to your success?

Any of these “lessons” might become the focal point of a great motivational speech.

3. Come Up With a Takeaway

You’ve changed your life, but can you outline the steps that you took in order to make it happen? Until you’ve clearly defined what got you from Point A to Point B, you won’t be able to help your audience very much.

The best part of becoming a motivational speaker is the feeling you get when you know you’ve made some real connections with your audience. When you can clearly convey your story, show what you learned, and deliver some helpful action points to your listeners, you’ve won the day.