Everyone can speak. Yet, there are some who do it better than others. Some are so good at it, that their listeners are moved to actually achieve something as a result of listening to the speech. That’s the difference between a normal speech as compared to a motivational speech. Believe it or not, you can also become an effective motivational speaker.
What is Motivational Speaking?
If you thought that motivational speaking is one where somebody rants on and on about doing something, you’re part of a huge majority that thinks so. And you’re right! Although not totally accurate about the whole concept.
Whether you believe it or not, the ability to deliver an effective motivational speech is not just a useful tool for public speakers. It’s also useful to business leaders, middle management, executives, fresh graduates and even children! A motivational talk should affect the audience’s emotions and state of mind positively. They have got to believe that the message you’re trying to get across to them is not just a concept, but a reality.
They have to see the vision that you are trying to draw in their mind so clearly that they can almost reach out and grab it! They have to be so induldged in the message that they are no longer listening to you, but virtually experience what you’re narrating to them.
And contrary to popular belief, motivational speaking is not a tool specifically useful only in the realms of business and politics. It’s a useful tool for everyone. Here are examples where being a good motivational speaker can have a positive impact in your life:
- Gaining confidence of your friends, family members and spouses
- Securing credibility in your industry of profession
- Improving public perception of yourself and the organisation you represent
- Obtaining trust and companionship of those around you
- Providing the feeling of comfort and joy to those who had the honour to communicate with you
Understanding Motivation
The first definition of motivation as described by dictionary.com is:
The act or process of motivating.
The key word being: process. Like all processes, there are specific steps to follow. Each step leads towards an outcome that has to be defined in advance, so that the speaker can identify a milestone that he/she is setting out to achieve.
Motivation is not easy to achieve, especially if you are out to motivate somebody, as opposed to yourself. However, the key ingredients of motivational communications remain the same, regardless of who the intended audience is.
If you’ve read The Power of Self Talk, you’d know that motivating yourself to achieve something is already very challenging. Multiply this by a few hundred times, then you’ll get an idea on how it’s like to motivate others.
Next on the agenda, understanding the key ingredients of delivering an effective motivational speech.
Ingredients of an Effective Motivational Speech
Like all things, there are always criterias that need to be fulfilled before an effective motivational speech can reach its objective. The key ingredients are:
- Earn the right to give the speech
- You must want to give the speech
- You must have a strong opinion regarding the topic at hand
- Suit the content of the speech to your audience
Earning the right to give a motivational speech is of the utmost importance. Imagine giving a speech about Earning Millions Through The Internet, when you yourself haven’t even earned $100 from your online endeavours. Who would seriously listen to you?
Just as important is the drive you put into delivering your motivational speech. You must really want to give the speech. It should be very passionate! Deliver the speech as if it’s the last speech you’ll ever give. Engulf yourself in the scenes described in your talk. Cry during the sad parts, laugh during the funny sections, growl at parts which arouse anger. Don’t just recite your speech… live it!
Your opinion regarding the topic of your speech will decide its outcome even before the speech starts. Giving a motivational speech on something that you’re obviously bored of will reflect on to the audience. And believe me, they can tell how you really feel about the topic even when you give a performance worthy of an Oscar. Probably not during the speech itself, but sooner or later, they will know.
A major problem with most public speakers is that they don’t know how to tailor their motivational speech for the audience. This requires meticulous planning even before the speech starts. Speakers should always do their homework by identifying the audiencedemographics, level of understanding of the topic and not to mention cultural and/or geograpical centric examples that can be used in the speech. Achieving the right balance of informativeness while reducing usage of jargon requires experience. Therefore, never shy away from the opportunity to give a motivational speech even if you don’t feel confident delivering it. Practise makes perfect!