For many businesses, a motivational speaker is the missing link between them and their corporate goals. These speakers are professional salespeople, high-energy and with an infectious positivity. However, some people have misconstrued these traits.  

Do not miss my article on the common misconceptions about motivational speakers, and why I believe these outstanding individuals are essential for a productive, united and positive workplace.  

“They Read from The Same Playbook” 

“Believe in yourself” and “you can do it” are meaningless phrases that people often associate with motivational speakers, but the stereotypes are just that, stereotypes. A good motivational speaker, someone with genuine life experiences and a passion for their craft, can use their powerful stories to relate to and resonate with audiences.  

Motivational Speakers tailor their guidance to their clients’ needs. They understand that complex issues cannot be fixed with a ‘can do’ attitude, particularly in business. Instead, motivational speakers inspire meaningful change at a senior level, starting from the top down rather than expecting employees to ‘fix’ a negative corporate culture by simply believing in themselves. 

“They Do Not Produce Results” 

In life, there is no ‘one size fits all’ answer to often complicated issues. Self-motivation and confidence are in constant flux, which leads some to believe that motivational speakers do not produce results. However, when the dopamine high of an inspiring speaking event wears off, audiences are left with tailored, actionable strategies to maintain their productivity, motivation and self-empowerment.  

It is easy to debunk this misconception, simply read the testimonials! Motivational Speakers like Daniel Pink have been described as “provocative, humorous and extremely insightful,” by clients like Coke, who also noted, “most of all, we enjoyed his humble and engaging leadership style". Companies with motivated employees see a 27% profit increase and 38% above-average productivity, so what do you have to lose? 

“They Are Just Trying to Sell a Product” 

Yes, there may be motivational speakers whose primary goal is to “sell, sell, sell”, but not all speakers are driven by profit. I have personally worked with many speakers who go out of their way for their clients, whether by staying behind after an event or taking part in pre-event conference calls to discuss the clients’ aims.  

In the industry, the speaker is their own product, so it is common for motivational speakers to promote themselves online. However, do not mistake their online promotion for the speaker “just trying to sell a product”. For a motivational speaker to be successful, they must have a long list of happy clients, and they can only achieve that by producing genuine results.  

“They Are Out of My Budget” 

There is a misconception that all motivational speakers expect big bucks for their speaking events. However, we have a wide range of speakers on our roster, many of whom tailor their speeches to their clients’ budgets and attend events just not to make money, but to share their powerful messages.  

The likes of Simon Sinek and Richard Branson do require big budgets, because they are equally big names who are globally renowned. Despite this, here at Champions Speakers we are confident that we have the perfect motivational speaker for your target audience, objectives and budget available on our website.

Conclusion 

With their flashy websites, online promotional content and high-energy speaking events, motivational speakers may seem like salespeople with catchy slogans. However, the proof really is in the positive experiences of our clients! 

Browse our website and see for yourself or use our online contact form to discuss your event with one of our professional booking agents.  

About the Author 

Jack Hayes was appointed Director of Champions Speakers in 2012 becoming one of the youngest Directors in the UK. A year later, Jack became a founding member of the European Association of Speakers Bureaux (EASB) collaborating with speaker agencies to create a code of ethics and regulations for the industry.