Motivation is the fuel that feeds our dreams and drives us to succeed, and the right motivational speaker can change your next training event from an arbitrary collection of dos and donts to a pit stop that will breathe new life into your business.

The role of a motivational speaker may seem a bit elusive. The title implies a call to action and the goal at the end of the day is to facilitate a change in behaviour. The last generation of motivators were adept at getting an audience to believe - I can do it! - but they often failed to provide the tools, or failed to start shaping the skills, that are necessary to implement this new-found inspiration.

The key to effective motivation is sustainability. A true motivator not only provides the fuel for dreams; he also provides the vehicle needed to achieve those dreams.

Modern speakers facilitate sustainable motivation in, broadly speaking, two ways:

The metaphoric-style motivational speaker: This style of speaking may be used by a motivational speaker who does not necessarily hail from a business background, or from a business that is similar to yours.

A speaker who draws on effective metaphors may come from a sporting background; he may have achieved remarkable things on a private crusade; in some way, he has likely overcome adversity and faced great challenges to reach his goal; and he is without fail a team player.

Such a speaker may challenge your views on the definition of success. He may analyse personality types and their individual places in a team environment. In any case, he would draw from personal experience to address topics such as leader selection, conflict resolution and change management, demonstrating what methods can be used to overcome the challenges faced by your team.

The tailored motivational speaker: A tailored motivational speaker will be more specific in meeting the unique needs of your business. He - or she - would go through a very thorough briefing with you and then address anything that is identified as a particular problem area, or that is a facet of your business that you wish to focus on.

As with a speaker who draws upon metaphors, a tailored speaker will also provide the tools necessary to achieve the established goals. He will provide the motivation as well as the suggested methods for carrying out the appropriate changes.

A tailored speaker will also address the need to measure the effects of the changes made in your business. Bob Miller, a very accomplished professional keynote speaker, advises that, If you cant measure it, dont do it!

What Makes a Great Motivational Speaker?

While sustainability is a critical factor in the type and style of the presenter chosen, it goes without saying that a professional motivational speaker must also have outstanding oral communication skills.

Structured content and the ability to entertain are essential qualities in a motivational speaker. He must be able to create a bond with the audience, to connect to them, to understand their own personal needs and desires and then address them in the larger context of the business environment.

Motivational speaking requires extensive preparation and much hard work. All this comes to naught, however, if the rare gift for truly effective communication is not there.

The Benefit to Your Business

A professional motivational speaker really comes into his/her own as a keynote speaker at important events. Whether you are delivering a message, announcing a new initiative or launching a new sales campaign, a professional public speaker will make sure that your business receives the most possible benefit from a function or event.

If you consider for one moment the launch of a new sales campaign with, for instance, 800 sales people in audience and featuring a one hour speech. In real time, this works out to 800 hours of wages - 100 working days, or over 13 weeks!

With so much at stake it is imperative that you make an informed decision when choosing the business speaker for your next event.

Spend your time and money wisely. Reap the full benefits of corporate events with a professional motivational speaker and give your staff - and, by extension, your business - the drive to succeed and the vehicle to achieve their dreams!