By the way, if you have a famous last name, it may not matter what you speak about. (People just want to say that they saw you in person.) You will also likely have a speech writer working on something inspirational for you anyway. But what if you don’t have a famous last name to back you up? What if you didn’t win an Olympic gold medal? What if people don’t know you from another face on the street?
Since 99.9% of us are in this situation, how can we increase our fame to become professional speakers? Before we explore these tips, let’s explore the types of professional speakers.
The Three Main Ways to Become a Motivational Speaker.
There are three main types of professional public speakers. Each has a different rise to success and each has a different focus. Actually, there is a fourth type of speaker as well. But the last one typically doesn’t typically experience a long-lasting success.
The Celebrity Motivational Speaker.
In addition, many actors also deliver motivational speeches. For instance Will Smith and Ice-T each started their careers in music. Then, they transitioned to acting. Now, they also speak professionally. John Cleese, from Monty Python, has spent the last couple of decades leading funny inspirational keynote speeches.
Talkshow hosts like Anderson Cooper and Oprah Winfrey are also very popular motivational speakers. Currently, some of the most lucrative motivational speakers come from Reality TV. Kevin O’Leary and Daymon Johns from Shark Tank are very popular right now.
There are a few celebrities who were famous for a single life event that caught everyone’s attention. Examples of this type of speaker are “Rudy” Ruettiger and Erin Brockovich.
Each of these professional speakers was famous before they ever delivered their first professional speech, though. So, this strategy isn’t open to most of us.
Celebrity Politicians Who Get Paid to Speak (Usually for Campaign Donations.)
Almost all politicians fall into this category of professional speaker. However, here are a few current examples. For example, Stacey Abrahms has spent the last four years speaking professionally at political rallies. She is now running for Governor of Georgia again. Likewise, one of the most highly paid political keynote speakers is Sarah Palin. She recently announced that she will be running for Alaska Senator.
Bill and Hillary Clinton, George W. and Jeb Bush, Rudy Giuliani, and other high-level politicians are also high-level professional speakers.
Of course, the absolute most highly paid professional speakers are the few who are both celebrities and politicians. The Governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger, generates up to a million dollars per keynote speech. Donald Trump generates over $1.5 million per speech.
Again, though, not necessarily the easiest way to become a professional speaker.
The Non-Celebrity Innovator Who Speaks on a Niche Topic and Gets Paid to Speak about a Specific Expertise.
Becoming a professional public speaker if you are in this category can be a challenge, but it’s not impossible. It does take more focus, though. (We’re are going to spend the rest of this post explaining how to build your celebrity if you are in this camp.)
A few of these types of speakers make it “big.” You will now recognize names like Malcolm Gladwell and Stephen Covey. These speakers, though, are few and far between.
The more common professional speaker in this category are going to be people who specialize in a niche. For instance, Tom Antion figured out how to attract millions of website visitors by giving away content. He generates millions every year by teaching people how to sit on the “butts” and make money. (As a result, he calls his speaking engagements butt-camps versus boot camps.)
Another interesting example is Michael Stelzner of Social Media Examiner. He started out as a social media coach. However, he created a hit podcast and turned it into a lucrative speaking career. He generates millions of dollars each year from a single speaking event called Social Media Marketing World.
For a list of a few people who have broken through, see the post Best Leadership Training Books.
So You Want to Be a PAID and Successful Speaker. Here Are Five Things You Will Need to Become a Professional or Motivational Speaker.
1. Hone Your Craft Before You Dabble into Speaking Professionally.
A few years ago, a young man attend one of my speaking classes. He told me that his goal was to help young people make better decisions. It seemed like a noble goal, so I asked him how he planned on doing this. He said that he wanted to become a professional speaker and get paid to speak at schools.
After a few more questions, I realized that this guy’s profession was as an HVAC installer. He grew up in a tough neighborhood but had escaped into a good profession. However, he had never made it past the first rung in his career. He had never supervised or coached even a single person.
He believed that no one would pay him to speak because he hadn’t yet developed great speaking skills. I had to subtly let him know that this was not the case. Organizations hire professional speakers to share wisdom from their own experiences. These organizations have challenges they are trying to overcome. They are looking for people who have already overcome those challenges. You can’t learn these things from reading books or listening to other speakers. You learn this wisdom from the school of hard knocks.
I suggested that this HVAC guy start by learning to speak about the profession that he is already good at. Why not volunteer to record a few FAQs (frequently asked questions) videos for the company you currently work for? Or maybe, create a presentation about how to cut your cooling expense in the summer months. Or, if he really wants to help kids, why not go to the local high school and recruit a few apprentices. Help these kids do what he did. As he develops this skill, more schools will request that he speak for them as well.
2. Create a Well Developed, Almost Magnetic Presence When You Deliver Presentations.
All successful speakers are confident. They know how to draw the crowd’s attention, and keep it. Even if you aren’t a model, a boxing champion, or a billionaire, you can develop a strong presence.
Believe in what you have to say, and be excited about the information you have to share. Share your experiences (See Point #1,) but make it about them, too. Let your audience know how they can benefit from your knowledge. Remember, you are doing them a favor by sharing what you know – and when you believe it, you radiate confidence.
So, how do you create this dynamic presence? Here are a few tips.
- Catalogue Your Success Stories (And Your Failure Stories Too for that Matter.) — As you develop your craft, you will have challenges. Document these challenges. Keep a journal or just open up notepad on your smartphone. As you figure stuff out along the way, you’ll want to share these successes (and failures) with your audience.
- Show Energy and Enthusiasm. — Great speakers show great enthusiasm from the stage. Speak faster. Speak passionately about your topic. People will follow a leader who is going somewhere.
- Add Showmanship to Your Professional Speeches — If you just do what every other speaker does, you’ll never be able to set yourself apart from them. Be different.
We’ll cover specifics about each of these in the next posts. But for more details see the following. Remember Stories from Your Life. Add Energy and Enthusiasm to Any Presentation. Add Impact to Any Speech.
3. Become the Absolute Expert on Your Topic (within Your Industry.)
Whether you’re the King of Hollywood, the Wolf of Wall Street or the president of your local neighborhood association, one thing is for certain – when you are a public speaker, you’re an expert in your niche. Your goal is to have people listen to what you have to say. Then, they have to take your advice and apply it to their own lives.
Ideally, your speech will better their personal circumstances. The way you can do this is to make it a personal mission to be the absolute best at what you do, no matter what it is. Becoming a local expert will make you a go-to source and a must-hear speaker in their hearts and minds.
Remember, though, you don’t have to be an expert at everything. The “Riches are in the Niches.”
I have a friend who helps small businesses create websites that are highly searchable for local traffic. So, he isn’t creating the next Facebook or Amazon. Instead, he specializes in getting websites for local plumbers to show up when people search within a 20-mile area. His first big client was a plumber. The results worked so well, that the company doubled in revenue within four months. So, he went about 30 miles away and did the same thing for a plumber in the next city over.
He did this over and over. Before long, he was being asked to speak at both plumbing association meetings and website developer meetings.
4. Don’t Rely on Speaking Gigs Alone. You Can Get Paid to Speak without Actually Speaking.
NONE of the example professional speakers that I have mentioned so far built their success speaking. The speaking gigs came long afterward. Before Donald Trump became president, he was already a great speaker. But he didn’t make his money speaking. He was a real estate tycoon. In the same way, my tech friend didn’t make money speaking until after he helped dozens of small businesses double their revenue.
Although both of these people make significant money from speaking now, each still makes more from their professions. The revenue they generate from speaking is just icing on the cake.
In addition, most professional speakers use their speeches to generate additional types of revenue. Some sell books that they wrote. Others speak to find new customers. Still, others speak to build their brand so that they increase their popularity.
Sure, there are a few people out there who make most of their income from professional speaking. However, these people only account for a very few of the top professional speakers out there.
For additional details, see How to Promote Yourself Using Public Speaking.
5. Tough Skin
Even comedian Jerry Seinfeld’s been booed off the stage more times than he can count. When you’re a public speaker, you’re in the public eye, which opens you up to criticism. Not everyone is going to agree with all of your ideas 100 percent of the time.
The key is to not take it personally. Smile and let it pass. Take your lumps, stand behind your beliefs, and explain yourself the best you can. Trust that there will be more people benefitting from your work than people who want to tear you down.
In addition, as you protect your craft, you are going to screw stuff up. I sometimes go back and listen to my very first podcast or look at my early YouTube videos. Every time that I do, I think, “What the heck was I thinking?” You will get better as a professional speaker every time that you come off stage. Success or failure will cause you to grow.
You will also get a lot of people saying “no” along the way. This is normal. However, as you protect your speech and grow as a professional, success is the best revenge!
For the next post in this series, see How to Build a Public Speaking Career.
If You Want to Become a Professional Speaker or a Motivational Speaker, Get Creative.
Public speakers get to be up on the stage for one reason — they’re creative. They think outside the box and encourage others to think that way too. You likely have a different way of looking at the world or dealing with everyday problems and situations. Share them – that’s why people want to hear you speak. Remember, the best ideas aren’t the ones that are rehashed over and over again.
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