Motivational Speaker Training-Use Props

guestspeaking — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 23:55:48 +0000

Props are so captivating, so effective, so connecting for your motivational speaking career. In his book, Do Not Go

Naked Into Your Next Presentation, Ron Hoff discusses the importance of good props:

I’ve been trying to forget the O.J. Simpson trial, but one picture

keeps developing itself over and over in my mind. It’s defense attorney

Johnny Cochran, delivering his summation to the jury. He’s wearing a dark

stocking cap, pulled down right over his head. The cap was a piece of

prosecution evidence, but it didn’t look very dangerous on Johnny. And the

most compelling part of this picture is that it’s locked in my brain forever.

Images have a way of doing that. Never underestimate the power of a vivid

image to make linkages into the mind that words alone simply cannot

accomplish.

Cochran’s is a good example of prop-power. I’ve already related a number of

instances when speakers used props with excellent effect. You’ve probably seen

examples as well.

It’s always fun when you use props that you can hand out to members of the

audience. My friend, Marda, gave a presentation entitled, “Who Packs Your

Parachute?” in which, instead of simply thanking the audience for all the community

service they’d done, she gave each audience member a little plastic paratrooper –

something memorable for them. Great fuel!

As mentioned earlier, I once used nine different props in a speech. Also,

whenever I tell one of my signature stories — the Nordstrom Story — I actually hold up

the ratty old green shirt I’m talking about, so the audience can see it. When I share

about my phone call to my wife, I actually speak into my cell phone. When I mention

that I was lacking cash for a transaction, I pull out my wallet from my back pocket and

rummage through it with a sad look on my face. I don’t just tell about the tie I bought, I

wear it and flaunt it.

This is the captivating power of motivational speaking props, and they are especially essential in

meeting the needs of visual and kinesthetic learners in your audience.

Start to Become a Motivational Speaker

guestspeaking — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:25:09 +0000

If I ever do leave my current job working in corporate america then I want to get training and coaching on How to Become a motivational speaker . 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 motivational 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 1000 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 motivational speaking jobs. Having a speaking career is different than getting some motivational 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 motivational keynote speech. With a great keynote motivational 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 motivational professionals, will come to a motivational skills workshop without a presentation! Moreover, these motivational 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!

Motivational Speaker Jobs

guestspeaking — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:25:14 +0000

The great thing about hiring a motivational speaker is that you get a fresh perspective from the outside. A motivational speaker that you’ve not heard before can be a risk because it is an unknown. But hiring the right motivational speaker can change your company and your life. I just hired a motivational speaker trainer, well not really but close….it was a personal life coach. I have an extraordinary coach named Tamara Keefe. It wasn’t easy for me to hire her, though. When I ﬁrst considered it, I kept asking myself…a coach? Just a personal coach? To help…in life? And my friends kept saying, “James, you don’t need a coach!” It’s interesting that no one ever said that to me when I was
learning to play football or the trumpet. The educational system certainly believes in coaching. Likewise, the corporate world believes that we’ll beneﬁt from direction and advice. We have spreadsheets for projects at work – we have handouts and timelines – and a whole team of people to support a project’s goals.
But what about the project called “life”? It’s only in this area of our personal lives that people doubt
the need for a coach. People are looking for answers and meaning – trying to improve themselves – and they’re all attempting this alone! No direction; no support. When I was debating whether or not to be life-coached, I remember questioning Tamara, “Are you sure you’re worth
it?” Of course what I was really asking was, “Am I worth it?” Of course I am. And you are worth it, too! Ok here comes another shameless plug….I can help you become a motivational speaker. This could be the beginning of a whole new journey for your company.