Motivational speaking has been part of all our lives in some way or the other. Be it our mother giving us good advice to coax us to do the housework, or a freedom fighter motivating their country to rise against injustice, all that in a way is motivational speaking. But, do you know that motivational speaking can also be a career these days.
The money for motivational speaking is low at first, but then soon mounts up once you do well. It could involve YouTube videos, speaking at corporate events, leadership coaching etc. We interviewed Mr. Yogesh Chabria recently and we learned a lot about motivational speaking. Let us have a look at some of the ways one can become a successful motivational speaker.
Loving to Share
To be a successful speaker one needs to love sharing their ideas to anyone including strangers. One shouldn’t be uncomfortable in approaching people or sharing personal ideas on a public platform. Of course, as all jobs there needs to be differentiation from work and private life. But, motivational speaking is where that boundary thins.
Sound Natural and Speak From Your Heart
The most successful motivational speakers are generally those who can make other people relate to them easily. In order to do this, the speaker needs to sound natural. If the audience feels that you are faking it, or feel an ounce of doubt in your voice, they won’t buy what you are saying.
It’s Not a Speech, It’s a Conversation
Motivational speaking is by no way a speech. You must engage and interact with your audience. If your audience feels left out then they wouldn’t be interested in the conversation. You should also keenly listen to your audience if they have something to say.
Listening is Key
Just like how a writer needs to read to be able to write, similarly, an orator needs to be a good listener. You must watch videos of the other motivational speakers like Yogesh Chabria online and also keenly listen to people in your daily life. Though not everyone is an orator, some people share ideas on a personal level which you could use to captivate an audience. Listening to your audience and reading suggestions online if you want to be a ‘vlogger’ is also important to be successful.
Overcome Fear by Facing It
Some of us might have the qualities stated above, but just fear the stage. The stage becomes a stumbling block, almost literally, as your legs are shaky. However, there seems to be only one way to overcome this fear and that seems to be ice-breaking and further practising. One must never lose an opportunity to go on stage and speak however fearful it might seem. In psychology, we have a method of treatment called systematic de-sensitisation which makes one lose fear by facing them. As this a scientifically proven method, maybe you should try it when overcome by stage fright.
It’s Never Too Late to Start Practising
One might think if one has finished their school life and never been on stage then it is over. This isn’t true. Speaking becomes easier through practice and one can start anytime. One can join the nearest toastmasters club and learn to speak. It is also important to keep practising once you have broken the ice. If you stop practising, speaking becomes difficult again.
Have a Side Job
Getting a good pay or even a job in motivational speaking is very difficult in today’s world. There is tough competition out there. For this reason, one shouldn’t immediately make motivational speaking their career. They should start off slowly through YouTube or small clients while still doing another job in a field of their interest.
Having job experience also immensely helps you in the field later on. For example, if you think you are an excellent seller and that’s why you should venture into motivational speaking, then doing a job as a salesperson will give you more clarity about the job and enhance your speaking skills. Only make motivational speaking a full-time job when you feel you have been successful enough and can run your life with the money you are making from it.
