November 26, 2017 HeSpeaksVolumes

10 Steps to becoming a successful motivational speaker

10 ways to become a successful motivational speaker

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1 Figure out your why
Why are you interested in becoming a motivational speaker? That is the question you should ask yourself. Too many people get involved in fads because everyone else is doing it. The success of others has your mind racing saying “I can do that too.” Motivational speaking is a field that should not be started because you think it is cool and looks easy to do. Your why needs to come from within and to succeed your why needs to align with your passion and or purpose to motivate others. You may not find your “why” right away, and that is perfectly fine. It took me 34 years to find mine, just know that when you do, it is not too late.

2 What topics do you excel at?
Once your WHY is fulfilled, you must ask yourself what topics do you excel at? Not the issues you can try to figure out through books and other means of media. The subjects that come naturally to you, the topics you have personal experience with, and so forth. Experience is the most significant teacher, and if you have the expertise, everything else will fall into place. Once you figure out which topics you excel at, now is a good time to mix your experience with the knowledge you receive from books and mentors. The other issues you wish to speak about will come, but you should start off with your signature talks to establish yourself in the marketplace. Remember, have patience.

3 Write out your plan and goals
Once you have figured why you want to be a speaker and what you plan on speaking about, it is time to write your plan and goals down. I find it best to attach a date to the ideas I write. Writing out my goals helps me be more accountable when I drop the ball from time to time. It is a wakeup call to look at some goals you wrote out six months ago and still haven’t completed. Written goals help you remember and stay on track with what you want to do. Most highly successful people write their goals down and place them somewhere visible. Give it a try.

4 Practice and study
You would think that this would be simple, but many people are lazy. People want instant gratification and feel like they do not have to work for it. To be great at anything, you should practice. Everyone gives speeches differently, and everyone learns his or her speech different. With me, none of my talks are ever the same. I have issues with remembering everything, so I practice my key points and improvise with the flow of the audience. Reciting talks like this may not work for others, but the best way to find out what works for you is through practice. Practice makes perfect! If you have no clue what to study or where to begin, try watching video clips of your favorite speakers and take bits and pieces from each. My favorites and in no order, are Les Brown, Gary Vaynerchuk, TD Jakes, Former President Barack Obama, Joel Osteen, ET, Zig Ziglar, and Tony Robbins. I study these speakers EVERY single day at least for 30 mins. You are never too good to learn from someone else.

5 Work on the delivery of your story
Your story is that thing that separates you from everyone else. No one can truly help you with YOUR story as it uniquely belongs to you. You have found your why and the topics you excel at, so your story may be tied into those. Sometimes you have to deliver your truth for your story to make sense. Do not be afraid to own your mistakes as we all have made countless mistakes in our lifetimes. Your mistakes can be someone else’s lesson and blessing to change their life. That is what motivating is all about: helping others.

6 Attend seminars and conferences with speakers
Attend events for the knowledge you will receive and so you can see what the stage looks like as well. It is one thing to watch YouTube clips, and it is another to be there live. Observe how the speaker uses the stage and interacts with the crowd. Each event will have a different setup and probably a different speaker. For events with multiple speakers, watch how each speaker uses the same resources differently. Find what you think will work for you and take your notes efficiently. Moreover, do not forget to NETWORK at every event you attend.

7 Network
Your network will help you in so many ways. Without a secure network, your reach will be limited. Through my network, I get phone calls and social media tags about possible speaking opportunities. The more people that know you are good at something equals, the more times someone will think to refer you to the chance to speak at an event. A vast network also places you in good company with people who may plan their events and will ask you to speak at their event. Just starting out your network may not be as large as you envision, but display patience and work hard, it will come.

8 Find your own speaking opportunities
Finding your own speaking engagements takes much time and much effort. When you are first starting out, no one is going to just magically call you to “book” you for a speaking engagement. So, sitting on your couch thinking that your latest book me now social media post is going to do the job, is the wrong attitude to have. No one will initially hand you anything let alone pay you. Do your research and find events close to you. Do not be afraid to reach out and humbly ask to be placed on the bill. Share your experience and whatever footage you have of yourself with them.

My second speaking engagement was my largest one to date. I will share this story with you on how I secured it. I had heard on the radio that Daymond John from FUBU/ Shark Tank fame was coming to the area to speak. I emailed the point of contact for ticket sales, and they shared with me that everything with the event was already set in stone. So instead of being sad about the missed opportunity, I knew I wanted to attend this event- see #6. So, I helped them with marketing and promoting their event. I added value to them and asked for nothing in return. Before you know it, they offered me two free tickets to the event that valued at $100.00. I was happy with that blessing as I would be able to see Daymond John, whom I had just read his book Power of Broke at the time.

Now I am happy that I got two tickets to the event, but I started adding more value to them by reaching out to students in the area to boost their attendance. That slight effort landed me an upgrade to two VIP tickets instead of general admission. So, as you can see I am thrilled because before the E-mail, I had no tickets at all.

That Sunday night, less than a week from the event I got an E-mail about my interest in speaking at the event. I had less than a week to prepare for this meaningful speaking engagement, but if you stay ready, you do not have to get prepared. I ended up speaking at the Daymond John event in front of thousands of people all because I took the initial effort to be my own booking agent.

Be patient but be proactive with your career.

9 Build your resume
See #8 and keep working! Building your resume is not something that will happen overnight. If you are one of those people who wish for the overnight success – ignore all of this, please. Your work experience comes from working. The more gigs you get, the more experience you will have. Not only do you want speaking engagements but you want to get interviews on a podcast and to be featured on expert panels. All positive publicity is beneficial for your brand at this point and is needed. Take extra pride in your social media and remember that followers do not always equal results. Be grateful for every fan or follower you have and do not compare your results with the results of others. You do not know what they went through to get from point A to point B, so focus on your own journey. Once again display patience and work diligently on your craft.

10 Keep practicing, never forget your why, and remember it takes time
Never stop practicing and perfecting your craft. You always have room to improve and can work on getting better. Act like you are giving a speech in front of the mirror and practice your speeches.

Remember why you are doing this, to begin with, and always remember that! If you are not doing this for the right reasons, it will show, and you will not be as successful as you think. Be true to yourself and never forget why you started this journey to begin with.

You will not get these paid gigs you wish for on day one. Put in the work needed, build your resume and network to the point where you will not have to tip-toe around asking for payment. Through the hard work and constant evolution of your brand the money will come, but if you do not do this for free to help others overcome some deficiency, you are in the wrong field.

Sean Archer is an author, inspirational speaker, mentor, and philanthropist located in Virginia Beach, VA. He has currently spoken over 100 times nationally and is set release his new book titled The Art of Choosing: A Guide to Attracting, Choosing, and Keeping the Right Partner in February 2018. He currently writes for Blackloveadvice.com and through his HeSpeaksVolumes FB page helps thousands across the country with real-life issues daily.

Follow me on social media @HeSpeaksvolumes
www.HeSpeaksvolumes.com

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