Most people seem to think that a good motivational speaker should be an A-list celebrity or perhaps a politician or sports star.  The reality is that, according to the Home Affairs committee of the UK’s House of Commons, young people that are at risk of entering into a life of crime responded best to real people that they could relate to.

Unlike many leadership motivators, who do in fact come from sports or political backgrounds, some motivational speakers come from difficult backgrounds, or have had significant challenges to overcome to achieve success.  Explorers, musicians, and people who have overcome a significant disability all fall into this second category.  It is these people who have a unique opportunity to reach the disaffected youth that the Home Affairs committee refers to.

In recent years, the media has elevated to near-celebrity status a certain breed of crime; specifically, some street gangs such as the Bloods and the Crips, certain killings such as those of Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G.  With that celebrity has come a corresponding rise in gun and knife crime among youths who are in a position to be strongly affected by the media.  Increased police intervention has been effective at dissuading such activity, but could it instead be overcome through a more positive form of interaction?

No one would ever say that this violence could be justified or that the youths who commit the crimes shouldn’t be punished — but if the crimes could be prevented in the first place, who would deny the rightness of such a measure?

The Home Affairs report indicated that the relevant youths did, in fact, pay attention when parents, police, and teachers spoke to them — but there was a strong finding that such kids also felt drawn to people who had overcome significant challenges and achieved greatness.  Here lies the opportunity for motivational speakers to change the futures of these children.

By channeling the kids’ energies away from emulating what they see on the news and toward more constructive and fulfilling endeavors, motivational speakers can persuade youthful offenders and potential offenders from (re-)offending.

Motivational speakers, according to the UK government, have a definite place in the effort to reduce the amount of violent crimes committed by young people, specifically by redirecting the sources of their self-esteem away from violent examples provided by some media and toward constructive archetypes.  By showing youths that they can be valued for their ability to help others rather than claim territory and generate money for a gang, young offenders can be guided towards community service and furthering their education.

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To most observers, the transformation that a motivational speaker can effect on a person seems like an apotheosis — something divine, unaccomplishable by mere mortals.  Top executives of major corporations think of a motivational speaker as able to read people and coax or cajole them to perform better in their chosen fields — and thereby improve the effectiveness of their company as a whole — but no one seems to be able to pin down how this change occurs.

An effective leadership speaker will cause people who listen to speak in terms of ‘waking up’, or the speaker having ‘reached into my soul’, and inspire the speakers to ‘put their all’ into their endeavors.  Such a consultant will put forth workshops and presentations that change those who experience them on a profound mental and emotional level.

When an assignment is completed effectively, efficiently, and profitably, it is because the motivational factors behind that assignment have been properly evoked.  This can and does happen by accident or coincidence, but it is the job of the professional motivator to ensure that it can happen on demand.

Quite often, a company’s managers create a negative emotional atmosphere within their workplace for reasons that vary from personal failures to a perceived prejudice on the part of their superiors.  These negative vibes create a motivational vacuum that is all but invisible to upper management, but can ruin a company’s effectiveness.  The motivational consultant’s job is to overcome these unknown emotional hurdles and achieve an upbeat atmosphere capable of effective work.

The motivational speaker isn’t teaching his listeners anything that they don’t already know.  Rather, his goal is to ‘retune’ his audience to be more attentive to their latent talents and ingrained abilities.  By offering a variety of methods to develop and measure one’s inner spirit, and thus enhance one’s overall level of motivation, a leadership speaker can inspire a person to view — and tackle — his problems from a different perspective.

The most effective motivational speakers are able to get an audience of thousands to stop focusing on their problems and start focusing on their opportunities; to see the nadirs of their lives as the prequels to the zeniths which will follow.  This causes the audience to view ‘tomorrow’ as a source of hope and success rather than dismay and drudgery.

Such leaders never trivialize or deny the problems facing their audiences, but re-frame them as prospects for positive change.   By making this change in the minds of the audience, the motivational speaker changes very little in the listeners — but he creates the ability in each individual for that person to change himself…and therein lies the true miracle.

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As the economy continues to struggle, and unemployment is at an all-time high, I find myself speaking to groups of people that are confronted with economic realities harsher than anyone in America has faced since the Great Depression.  These folks have often watched their homes, cars, and certainly their savings slip through their fingers, and many of them feel that their once-stable lives are out of their control.  I speak to each group for their own specific purposes, of course, but in many cases I find myself weaving a second message into my original: a message of attention.

Back in early 2002, business for motivational speakers was slow.  The 9-11 disaster had stolen a lot of the power of hope and motivation, and as a whole, we had moved from serving people to searching for people to serve.  I attended a gathering of some of the top names in professional speaking.  We talked about how hard things were for us and for the country, and the irony of the need for hope spiking just as the demand decreased.

An expert took the stage, someone who was supposed to tell us how to survive.  Instead, she told us that there “was no problem”.  She told us about professional speakers that were overbooked, and had more clients than they could serve.  She pointed to the need for hope, and told us that we were paying attention “incorrectly”.

The concept has been in the public sphere for centuries, under a variety of different names.  The most current ‘phenomenon’ surrounding this simple concept is called The Secret, but in fact there’s no secret to it.

As a group, our attention was focused on the problem — on the lack of business.  Our attempts to get more clients were focused on our own empty calendars.  The busy speakers paid attention not to their own schedules, but to the needs of their clients.  They approached each call not from a ‘please, I need you to hire me’ perspective, but from a ‘how can I assist you?’ point of view.

Her words moved me deeply.  I knew, intellectually, that we create in our lives that which we focus on the most.  If you devote your attention to your problems, they will multiply.  If you pay attention to your successes and blessings, they will multiply.

So what does of this have to do with the people I talk to today?  Simple: most of them are paying attention incorrectly.  The economic realities that we face today are challenges — but every challenge comes with opportunity built-in.  Instead of focusing on the fact that your job is tenuous (or even already gone), focus on what you can do with your time and skills if you’re not locked in to your current position.

One personal friend of mine lost a valuable job as a sales director for a major international entertainment company – and his response was to relax, cut back (of course), and start doing what he had wanted to do since his college days — play with Photoshop.  Today, he makes good money as a well-known freelance Web graphics designer.  By focusing on the opportunity that his change afforded him, he turned a disaster into a success.

Leadership speakers have known about this basic psychological tool for generations, but as my story above demonstrates, even we lose focus from time to time.  Everyone does — the important part is to recover quickly and shift your attention back to the opportunities as firmly as you can.

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If you’ve never had the opportunity to listen to a motivational speaker, then you are really missing something!  The whole atmosphere is totally charged with positive energy, and everyone leaves pumped and ready to go out and conquer the world.  But even when we can’t be at one of these terrific motivational events, the words of these leaders and great leaders through history are always here to guide us. Read on and be inspired!

Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu: “True leaders inspire people to do great things, and, when the work is done, their people proudly say, ‘We did this ourselves’.”

Goethe: “What you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has a genius, power and magic in it.”

William Smithburg of Quaker Oats on making mistakes: “There isn’t one senior manager in this company who hasn’t been associated with a product that flopped.  That includes me. It’s like learning to ski. If you’re not falling down, you’re not learning.”

Eddie Cantor:  “It takes twenty years to be an overnight success.”

George Bernard Shaw: “Success covers a multitude of blunders.”

Somerset Maugham: “It’s a funny thing about life. If you refuse to accept anything but the best, very often you get it.”

Franklin Murphy while working for Times-Mirror Corp.: “People have a stake in an idea if they have participated in its creation; then they’ll work much harder, in a much more dedicated way, to bring it to success.”

Edwin H Land- Founder of Polaroid: “The first thing you naturally do is teach the person to feel that the undertaking is manifestly important and nearly impossible,….That draws out the kind of drives that make people strong, that put you in pursuit intellectually.”

David Lloyd George: “Don’t be afraid to take a big step when one is indicated. You can’t cross a chasm in two small jumps.”

Sam Walton: “Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self esteem of their personnel.  If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish.”

Conrad Hilton: “Success seems to be connected with action.  Successful people keep moving.  They make mistakes but they don’t quit.”

Nelson Mandela:” There is no passion to be found in playing small, in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”

Andrew Carnegie: “No man will ever make a great leader who wants to do it all by himself or to get all the credit for doing it.”

Henry Ford: “One of the great discoveries a man makes, one of his greatest surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do.  Most of the bars we beat against are in ourselves-we put them there and we can take them down.”

Vince Lombardi: “Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal.”

Simon Walker: “When you are faced with a decision- always choose the bolder option. The most extraordinary things are created by ordinary people.”

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There is nothing better than feeling completely energized and empowered to follow your dreams no matter what.  This is what a motivational coach does for you. He teaches you tricks and new ways of seeing your reality that put you in control and give you the tools to move forward in spite of anything.

Any one of us would wish we were able to have such a person right at home with us every single day.  Imagine that you just wake up every morning and start listening to all this valuable advice and are reminded constantly of your power and capacity. How great, huh?  Sadly, in most cases, that is not possible.  The majority of us receive coaching for a few days, and afterwards, we are left alone with what we learned to apply it wisely and change our lives, or save it for later inside a desk drawer.

The truth is that it is not easy to stay motivated after the coach is gone.  Amazingly, the thing that stops people the most after learning how powerful and capable they are, is actually knowing it.  Many people feel overwhelmed once they become aware of all the potential they have.  These persons have to stop right there and think about all they deserve; it was a huge step to allow yourself to be coached on how to motivate yourself, and now you have to stop thinking about all the hard work this coaching meant so as to feel in control of your life again.

Remember that you are a big and creative thinker with amazing goals and expectations, and you are allowed to be afraid of the unknown; just don’t let this fear own you.  Motivation is not about not being afraid, it is about acting in spite of fear, because above all, you know you can do it if you just give it a try.  You know you have all that is needed to succeed, if you don’t go for it, you will never know how it feels to be powerful, you will never grow, and you will let many worthy opportunities pass you by.

If you need more than a little boost to stay motivated, take some time to organize and work on your coaching sessions’ notes.  Write down the important points and comments your coach has mentioned.  Work it out like a reference book or pamphlet you can check regularly for inspiration, because the key to making a new behavior stick is repetition. The more you hear it and say it to yourself, the more you will begin to make it a part of your reality, until finally it becomes a part of you.

It is a good idea to talk to the speaker about your feelings and concerns when the end of your coaching event approaches. As he has done with the rest, the speaker can give you tips on how to tackle those fears as soon as they appear and how to move through them.

You can also talk to someone you trust and ask him or her to be your accountability partner.  He or she will become a non-judgmental supporter during your ‘weak’ times, someone you can go to every time you feel you want to quit.  This person will listen with an open heart and mind.

Staying motivated puts you in control of your life, so it is important that you know yourself very well to acknowledge where you need help in order to find it.  The motivational coach will open your eyes to the possibilities, but only you can act on them; only you have the ability and power to be your best self.

The motivational speaker has shared with you an amazing secret: that you can do anything you dream of; it’s just a matter of dedication and commitment.

Become the Leader Your Company Needs. Get My 6 FREE Leadership Videos Here: www.JohnHersey.com

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Any company that cares for its personnel and recognizes their value as the moving force behind its business’ success, especially during hard times, will definitely invite a motivational speaker to boost their pride and knowledge.

By planning a seminar for your employees, you are surely working towards improving your company’s productivity, sales, and image.  In past years, a company’s worth was thought to be on the equipment it possessed. Today, people are a company’s insurance for success so, instead of upgrading equipment, the leadership team should be working on upgrading its staff’s performance and quality of life.

Yes, motivational talks not only improve performance, skills, and motivation, but they also improve the way in which the individual perceives his life and the world around him.  Through these talks, you are demonstrating that you care about the person behind the job title. Employees feel valued, and in turn, it makes them value your company much more.  This is why it is important not only that you hire a motivational speaker but that you hire the right one.

But, how exactly do you hire the right speaker to benefit you as much as your staff?  Here is how:

1.    Research locally
Due to budget, and even more so if you are making this a regular practice, you should research local motivational speakers, because they mean savings in travel, lodging, and professional fees.  However, NEVER sacrifice quality to practicality.

2.    Look for referrals
Good motivational speakers are widely known in certain industries.  Make sure you ask your colleagues and acquaintances for referrals, and go into several motivational speakers’ websites to read the testimonials.  The best way to find the best is by listening what others have to say about him.

3.    Do not judge by the website
Remember that websites are a source of information that reach many people, thus, they tend to be ‘general’.  Most motivational speakers tailor their presentations to fit a company’s specific needs and are open to new ideas and proposals, so it is imperative that you talk to them personally in order to know exactly what they can do for you, your staff, and your company.

4.    Ask what other things they offer
Some motivational speakers who also happen to be authors may offer their books at a special price or as part of the deal.  They may also add one or two free coaching sessions after the event.

5.    Ask if they can provide a breakout session for a lower cost
Since the speaker is already on site, sometimes you can talk him into delivering a short breakout session for a different group in the company after the main event, for a much lower cost.  The speaker’s main goal is to satisfy his clients and give added value, thus, flexibility is the norm.

6.    Ask for permission to record the event
In this way you can make it available for new employees and use it, when pertinent, in future events or for specific training sessions.  You can even invite some clients over and show them the material so that they can experience your staff training vision and mission, reinforcing your image and professionalism.

7.    Maybe you can pay the speaker with your product or service
You may not be able to negotiate the whole fee, but perhaps part of it.  If you work or own a hotel, restaurant, or spa, the speaker may want to exchange some of your services for his.

Thinking about your staff’s wellbeing and professional growth is a priority if you want to succeed in today’s business world.  No more are business and life two separate things. Nowadays, one complements the other and are intrinsic to mutual success.  Consider this the next time you are thinking about ways to boost your people’s inspiration, and let the motivational speaker do his job.

Become the Leader Your Company Needs. Get My 6 FREE Leadership Videos Here: www.JohnHersey.com

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Maybe you think that a motivational speaker is an unnecessary expense for your business. Maybe you think this person will not benefit your staff enough to compensate for the time and money he requires.  Well, think again… because if this is your line of thinking, maybe you are under appreciating your personnel.

A motivational speaker’s mission is to inspire your work force and to enhance their sense of pride in what they do by teaching them new skills to improve their life and their work, and to help them see their jobs under a new and different light.

Motivational speakers are business leaders that have trained themselves in the areas of public speaking and motivation in order to be able to inspire others into action and to teach people in high positions within companies to reach their staff in meaningful ways.  They employ proven techniques to get the best results out of the people they are motivating, in alignment with the company’s mission and vision.

It is important to hire a motivational speaker every time your company schedules a one or two-day training event.  This is a way to show your staff how much faith you have in them by encouraging them to learn new things, new perspectives, and to become better human beings.  The speaker will teach your employees how to act on what he teaches; he will show them simple techniques to apply what they have learned to their jobs and other areas of their lives, enhancing their experience on the job and outside of it.

The trick here is to find the right motivational speaker for your people.  He must be credible and respected by your staff; thus, it is best if you hire someone with experience in your field.  A speaker that can relate to your industry will be able to enrich the presentation by sharing personal stories that will make sense to the audience and will offer a completely new level of bonding.  Take your time researching the best motivational speakers out there, and ask for referrals. If a speaker is good, most certainly many people in your industry already know him.

Professional speakers will create a specific plan for each presentation, ensuring that it is relevant, interesting, and amusing, so as to keep the audience engaged and asking for more.  It is important that you talk to your staff after the event, to understand what they think about the experience, what they learned, what they considered most valuable, and how they plan to apply what was taught.  Do not forget to encourage them by praising their work and reminding them how valuable they are to you and your company’s success.

Regular motivational speaking events will guarantee that your people feel cherished and respected.  They will regard their job as worthy because their employer is investing time and money on them and their personal growth.  They will talk about it, and when they do, they will be showing you their loyalty and willingness to do and be their best.

Yes, a good motivational speaker is an investment, but it is a worthwhile one, because your staff is the heart of your business. If they are happy, your business thrives. If they are unhappy, you lose them and eventually, you will probably lose your company.

Become the Leader Your Company Needs. Get My 6 FREE Leadership Videos Here: www.JohnHersey.com

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