How to Become a Motivational Speaker

There are plenty of tips on this topic on the internet. However, I’m actually a real motivational speaker who derives his income from speaking to corporate america. The steps of How to Become a motivational speaker
are no easy task. My first year was exceptional but it took lots of planning to launch my career. I always advise everyone to not quit their day job until they have a full understanding of what are the entry level tools required for a speaking career. The speaking business, in many ways, parallels the entertainment business. When the hit show American Idol rolls into your city for auditions reports of 4000 plus will wait for days to audition. Only a small handful will be selected from each city. The speaking business is a great career but the first tool you need to start working on is finding your message and writing a book about it. If you do not have a book you can still get speaking jobs. Having a speaking career is different than getting some speaking jobs. There are several ways to get your book finished. In fact, you may be a great speaker but not very good a writing. Ghost writers can take your hand written notes or even audio CD’s of your ideas and turn it into a work that you’d be proud to publish. One of the biggest key's to starting a career is about crafting a great keynote speech. With a great keynote speech, training and coaching on you can earn a 6 to 7 figure income per year. Of course learning to market your business is whole different course module. But if you don't get the book and keynote finished and polished the marketing will only go so far. In our Presentation Fire Training School we've observed that most of the developing speakers have good material but lack the ability to engage with their audience. Not knowing the timing of a story or the use of humor is a professional skill that needs coaching, refining and much rehearsal. In our workshop we also have noticed the tendency to procrastinate doing the hard stuff like working on your book and the content of the keynote. For example, each attendee receives a workshop description and two reminder e-mails about preparing for a brief presentation which will be filmed by a videographer on the opening day. And yet, when I stand before them and say, “Now, of course, you all have your presentations this afternoon,” I’m met with a room full of confused “it’s-the-first-time-I’ve ever-heard-about-it” expressions. “What?” I add. “You didn’t know?” Then I hear a few, “I sure don’t remember anything about a presentation.” Occasionally, I will get the honest one who admits, “I just put it off. Sorry.” It never fails to amaze me that up and coming professionals, will come to a presentation skills workshop without a presentation! Moreover, these presentations are being video-taped and conducted in front of their peers Still, remarkably, many do not prepare. Often, I’ll try to break the “avoidance-syndrome” tension by reading those e-mails aloud, evoking some embarrassed chuckling and confessions of “Oh yeah, you’re right.” (I sincerely believe that if I didn’t read these “Exhibit A Evidences” to them, there would still be a few who would stubbornly hold to the claim that they’d never heard about the presentation requirement.) At this point, the room energy is comprised of a dangerous combination of embarrassment and guilt. So I use humor to make the bitter truth more palatable. I offer the following explanation: You probably did peruse the course description and signed up for the course with every intention of doing a good job on your presentation for yourselves, your peers, and your supervisors. You knew that it was important and would be beneficial to your careers, but you still had some time. Procrastination in preparing to speak is toxic potion for one who wants to become a motivational speaker.You can’t wing it you have to take the prep time that is necessary for every presentation. I’ve heard people describe their talents as not needing preparation that they think better on their feet. You are deceived. It takes:

* …reading
* …note-taking
* …outlining
* …writing
* …editing
* …memorizing
* …developing supplementary materials
* …finding appropriate props

…and as many essential etceteras as you can shake a stick at! Don’t make the mistake of so many who start in this industry and then bomb when they have to stand and deliver. It takes preparation…lots of preparation to become a motivational speaker. Start now in outlining the chapters of your book and your keynote speech because to become a motivational speaker the hardest part is always...just starting.