This is at least as important as the art of public speaking. So many
would-be speakers have failed because they don’t know how to market. First, you
need to come up with a brochure that explains your topic as well as yourself.
Ever notice that most motivational speakers are company presidents? Why not?
They form their own motivational speaking company and become the CEO. It helps
if you have credentials so a business background is going to be fairly crucial.
That’s why many motivational speakers come into the profession after at least a
short career with a few companies. Another important part of the marketing plan
is to have some referrals; in other words, testimonial letters from groups you
have spoken to. And some association leaders want to see you in action so
they’ll want a CD or a DVD of a speech. Then there are the cold calls. This is
where most speakers fail. They either won’t or can’t make calls to people to
try and sell themselves to a meeting planner.
Using Humor
The famous question that’s always mentioned in NSA gatherings is, “do you
need to use humor in public speaking?” The answer always is, “only if you want
to get paid.” Using humor in the form of stories of jokes is not easy for
everyone. It many times is a learned art. The truth is that when you’re
speaking to an organization they are probably going to be nodding off a bit
after their company’s day-long meeting agenda so they probably won’t be hanging
on your every word. They want to be entertained so most successful motivational
speakers use humor sprinkled throughout their speeches. It provides a welcome
change of pace.