Do you really think that motivational speakers can motivate you or your team?

There's No Such Thing as a Motivational Speaker- There is no job description “Motivational Speaker” But rather you need to be a “Stimulator”

How does the cycle of motivation really work? One talk and you win the world? If it was so simple to motivate people through a one day or a two- day session life would be so easy. Business would thrive, and we would have more and more motivational speakers.

I have never attended a session that would motivate me; however, I have participated in workshops that have stimulated me. Of course, I enjoyed these workshops and felt good during these workshops. But did they motivate me? I am not sure. May be for a day – I felt like doing great things, I felt like exceeding my targets or achieving breakthrough results.

Maybe it is not about motivation. May be we are just looking for a Stimulation over a pep talk.

Have you ever asked yourself “What is a motivational speaker?”  “Someone who’s entertaining but doesn’t have any content.” But ultimately you hope to be motivate.

There are a few things that turn me off if I should decide to attend a Motivational Speaker …..

#1 – DON’T TRY TO SELL ME ANYTHING BEFORE YOU EVEN OPEN YOUR MOUTH

If you try to sell me before you even speak I will not buy a thing or have an open mind to listening to what your trying to motivate.

#2 – IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU

This is a biggie period! It is like you coming out on stage and asking folks to stand and clap…then saying; Now I have to earn that standing ovation! Not only did you turn me off from listening – I felt robbed after you spoke because you didn’t earn the standing ovation you forced me to give!

#3 – DON’T PUT YOUR AUDIENCE ON THE SPOT

Talking about hopes and dreams is intimate self-disclosure that is best not done with a motivational speaker in front of a live studio audience. As a motivational speaker, the goal should be inspiration not making people feel crappy. When people leave a room feeling worse than when they walked in that is a giant FAIL!

#4 – I WASN’T KIDDING!  IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU

When a motivational speech sounds like an opera singer warming up – me, me, me, me, me – I get turned off. I don’t care how great any speaker thinks she/he is! The audience should be able to picture themselves in the story!

As an audience member, I want to know why I am listening to your story. What can I expect to learn or take away from the talk? (Yep, the old “What’s in It for me?”)

 Joel Garfinkle is spot on with this quote: “Humans learn best from events that surprise them. The greatest motivational speakers are never entirely predictable and throw their audience the occasional curve ball. Audiences respond best to moments of novelty that precede important, potentially trans-formative content. When people experience true surprise, their entire mind-body connection lights up and becomes ready to receive and process input”

That to me is making contact and drawing us into what you have to say, like throwing banana's into the crowd for them to catch…….…It’s is called stimulation!

Bottom line is being a Stimulator rather than a Motivator and thus you will be a great motivator in whatever industry your in.