Many people will use these two terms interchangeably, in fact the difference between a motivational and an inspirational speaker is subtle and they have very similar skill sets. Both motivation and inspiration are required when holding a speech. You need an inspirational story to grab attention, but you also need motivation to keep the audience hooked and enticed by what you have to say. That being said, should you hire a motivational or inspirational speaker for your business? Or maybe someone who has both these skills?
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The Motivational Speaker
The aim of this type of speaker is to ensure people are excited about an existing project or way of working. This excitement can be used to ensure the current project is being run as efficiently as possible. In effect, the role of a motivational speaker is to excite and renew a passion for their current work. The speaker should be able to boost the morale of a team and excite them by making sure they believe in themselves and their importance to the project.
Inspirational Speaker
This type of speaker should take things up a notch. As well as inspiring a team they should establish a dream, a vision of the future and encourage every member of the team to think bigger and outside of the box. Many of these types of speakers will tell personal tales to inspire their audience and lift them from the mundane to the clouds. In essence an inspirational speaker should inspire and motivate every person to be the best person they can be. Either can be hired and they should both display the following qualities, it is the manner in which they give their speech that will separate them from being motivational or inspirational.
Knowledge
A good speaker will have a good level of knowledge regarding your industry. This will ensure that all members of your staff can relate to them and believe that they know what they are talking about. This is essential to build confidence and trust, without which it is impossible to motivate or inspire.
Experience
As well as knowledge it is preferably if your speaker has first-hand experience of your industry and can establish a bond with the audience to show that they have been where they are sitting. Not only does this inspire trust and create a bond it will ensure the audience can relate to the speaker and their words of wisdom and inspiration.
Perspective
Once a bond has been created the speaker will be able to show them that they have a different perspective of the issues at hand. This will be because they are looking at it as an outsider. This change of perspective will encourage your team to look at it differently and this can lead to a new approach or even a new solution to a problem.
Don’t judge, just listen
You should never underestimate the power of a new face. If the speaker is someone they have not seen before they will be eager to listen and establish whether they know what they are talking about or not. They may also be eager to impress the speaker with their own knowledge and intuition. Someone new on a project, even if it is only briefly, will inspire the team to lift their game and show just how good they are at their job; this may be to show the speaker up or because they feel more motivated than previously.
Appreciation
Being appreciated and feeling that your contribution is important is essential to most members of any team. Sometimes this expression of appreciation can carry more weight if it is acknowledged and expressed by an outsider instead if the boss or team manager. This may seem bizarre, but the process of being acknowledged by a stranger confirms they are appreciated and useful and that the comments are genuine.
A motivational or inspirational speaker does not have an ulterior motive to keep your team happy. This appreciation will ensure they feel valued and inspire them in a way that little else can do. Hire someone who knows what they’re talking about; someone experience, savvy, calm and devoted. This way you’ll keep your employees happy and the productivity of your company thriving.
By Denny Averill and LondonSpeakerBureau.com!
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