Having decided that a motivational speaker is the right type of speaker for your event (see What is a Motivational Speaker) the next step is to really consider who your audience is and the essence of what you're trying to achieve with the booking.
As with any type of communication, the key questions are: Who are you talking to and what message are you trying to convey?
Perhaps your business is going through a merger or take-over and your staff are struggling to adjust. Jim Lawless is one of the most sought-after inspirational speakers on change, having broken World records whilst putting his own life on the line to prove his theories.
If the objective is to boost performance and efficiency within the team, consider Olympic gold medalist for rowing, Ben Hunt-Davis MBE. Ben's Will It Make the Boat Go Faster? talk provides a highly practical approach and key takeaways, to ensure people focus on what's important and work together effectively in order to gain results.
Maybe you need to increase communication and effectiveness across the leadership team. In which case former Royal Marine commando, North Pole polar explorer and co-author of best selling book 'Keep Walking: Leadership Learning in Action' Alan Chambers MBE fits the bill.
Or you may be experiencing tough times within your organisation and simply need a boost in morale. Former army officer and landmine amputee Chris Moon MBE shows what's possible when you transform adversity and disadvantage into challenge, achievement and going the extra mile.
Good motivational speakers will be able to 'speak', both literally and metaphorically, to a wide variety of audiences. However, the message they deliver and the level of impact it has will be enhanced when the speaker is carefully selected to fit the audience and key objectives. An experienced and knowledgeable booking agent will be able to suggest speakers that fulfil your brief and give detailed guidance on the style of different speakers and the topics they can cover.
Quick guide to choosing a motivational speaker:
- Consider your audience.
- Have a clear understanding of your goal and the message you would like to convey.
- Know that even lower end budgets can stretch to a fantastic motivational speaker, even if they are less high profile than a big budget speaker.
- Be realistic about your timeframe - popular names may be booked up well in advance but never assume. It's always worth asking. And if you have less time, you'll still have great options.
- Carry out initial research - watch videos of motivational speakers to identify styles and topics that might work for your audience and read testimonials. You'll find an abundance of videos, exclusive interviews and testimonials on our website.
- Ask an expert - speak to someone who can advise you further on the specific qualities of particular motivational speakers and their willingness to work with a brief, which may impact your choice if you are particularly keen to have the message tailored to your audience.
- Are they topical? A speaker must have relevance. One way to increase their relevance is choosing someone who has particular insight into a significant event that will be ongoing in the wider world at the time of your planned event. Or within the world of your audience.
What to think about in regard to your audience
It's easy to fall into the trap of believing you need a motivational speaker to be representative of the audience they are speaking to, but that isn't necessarily the case.
Whilst having the audience in mind is crucial, that doesn't mean you have to book a motivational speaker who is just like the audience. You may, in fact, achieve far more by booking a speaker who is the audience's polar opposite.
How about encouraging empathy, perhaps challenging perceptions and a different point of view by considering, for your male audience, a female business leader?
Award-winning entrepreneur and business start-up tsar for the UK Government Baroness Michelle Mone, for example, is one of the UK's most notable business speakers. Get a feel for her style and hear her advice for budding entrepreneurs in our exclusive interview.
Know there are motivational speakers to suit all budgets
High profile and celebrity status often elevates demand for a particular motivational speaker and, as a result, the fee they can command. Stars carry gravitas, may add to an event by being particularly topical and can be key to ensuring a sell-out.
However, there are examples of hugely inspirational individuals, who speak with as much fluidity and passion as their better-known counterparts for much less cost. Double paralympic medallist Ian Rose, for example, is a lively, enthusiastic and humorous motivational speaker who has inspired thousands of people to aim higher and achieve more, yet falls within the bracket of our most affordable bookings.
Do your research - speak to the experts, review testimonials and find out about speakers
We have utter confidence that all of the motivational speakers on our roster possess the skill to transform thinking, challenge perceptions and inspire change.
There will, however, be individuals whose story and style resonate with your unique audience more than others.
Doing your research is key to choosing the right motivational speaker when planning an event. You can fast track that process by speaking to one of our highly experienced and knowledgeable speaker agents, who will happily help you to define what your audience needs, provide examples of speakers with differing styles and advise on specific speakers you should consider.
Either before or after contacting us, you can get a good flavour of differing delivery styles, topics close to the hearts of particular speakers and their price bracket by reading through their individual profiles, seeing their fee bracket (look for the £ signs) and watching videos of them in action. Search our blog for dozens of exclusive interviews with our speakers.
For further information: Contact NMP Live
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