How To Become A Motivational Speaker In 5 Steps

So you want to be a Motivational Speaker? Anybody can be a Motivational Speaker.  You don’t have to have a degree or fancy training to become one. Hands down, it’s one of the best ways to boost your credibility. You need to let go of your fear and just jump in there and DO IT!

So What’s Holding You Back?

Well, if you’re like most people, it’s FEAR!!. Fear of not being able to get up in front of a crowd. Fear that you might forget what you have to say. Even fear of thinking who would want to come and listen to what you have to say. You might be panicking thinking about just putting yourself out there and saying, “I’m hosting an event as a professional public speaker.”

How To Become A Motivational Speaker

Here’s the secret though. Your speaking event does not have to be a 500-person affair. Sure, you can have aspirations of that (and you really should), but that’s not where you begin. Start small and work you way up to a big event. Begin with a small, intimate venue that holds less than 50 people.

Think about it. If there’s only 50 people or less that you are speaking to, there’s a lot less pressure on you.

But you still have all the benefits of being able to say, “I’m speaking at an event.”

Start speaking for FREE. You want to get experience first before you start getting paid. Speak anywhere and everywhere.

The point is to get your feet wet and pave the way for how to find a public speaking opportunity down the road.

Speak at Meetup Groups, Rotary Clubs, Chambers of Commerce, Toastmasters Group, Networking Groups…. get the picture. Even at your local library. Anywhere and everywhere.

Plus, speaking at these type of events will lay the groundwork for future speaking engagements.

Tips On How To Become A Motivational Speaker

So while you’re trying to break into how to become a motivational speaker keep these 5 steps in mind:

 

1. Promote your public speaking event. Find people who would be interested in hearing what you have to say in your area and start there.
2. Tell A Story. People L.O.V.E stories. You want to tell stories that teach your audience by example and not just a bunch of lessons.
3. Have some laugh lines in your talk. Be personable and share some funny stories about things that happened to you.  I’m not saying that you have to be a comedian. Everyone isn’t. But if you are interesting enough you might get chosen for a paid speaking gig.
4. Get testimonials. If people are coming up to you after your speech and letting you know how great of a job you have done ask them to write a testimonial. If they don’t like to write, then ask them to send you a testimonial via email. Don’t wait until they get home, because we are forgetful creatures
5. Offer Free Workshops and Speeches  Offer free speeches within your circle on your area of expertise. If you want to get paid to speak you have to give at least 300 free talks. Keep offering free talks on subjects that you know you are an expert on.

Be willing to step outside your comfort zone and enter the world of public speaking. Once you’re there, you’ll find that as a professional public speaker your credibility will increase.