8 Ways A Motivational Speaker Can Help Engage Your Teams

CONFERENCE SPEAKER

“Who needs a motivational speaker when we can just amp up the incentives?”
“Why hire a speaker if we can give out bonuses instead?”
“What can this speaker do that our leaders can’t?”
“We know our people more, why ask an outsider to motivate them?”

Here are some common hesitations of companies whose desire is in place but is trying to find a more economical way to motivate employees without getting professional help from a motivational speaker. But you know, there is a reason why the concept has high value today and is worth investing in. SMEs find themselves struggling with either demotivation or burn out having either small teams functioning as a big entity or big teams falling short. Sometimes rewarding doesn’t fit as a solution or is simply not enough. And as there are many different types of motivational speakers, it simply means there is a need for a tailor-fit solution per company, per employee, per dilemma.

Before we go into how a motivational speaker for hire can impact your organisation, here are the TOP THREE signs that your employees, teams or leaders need motivation:

Tardiness

From clocking in late to submitting late, tardiness can manifest in a lot of things within an organisation. This is not an issue of respect, this is a serious sign of lacking the motivation to show up to work or submit on time. There are personal reasons that trigger this and most of the time its the small compounding office issues that a person allows to clash with their personal lives such as being required to work late, extra hours, too much workload, insufficient support, unpleasant office environment, office quarrel, and monetary or incentive-driven problems that result to this decision to short-change the company a little.

Absences

It is natural for employees to take their leaves, even up to 5-8 days more than the allowed free break. BUT if employees are increasingly taking leaves up to 10 or more than allowed, advises late, and are taking leaves before heavy deadlines or during hectic weeks, this is a serious manifestation of demotivation. An employee would usually have compassion over his or her role as an important part of the ecosystem and if they are increasingly taking a leave or being absent for no reason, especially if you see an upward trend of increasing absences within your organisation, your employees are in serious need of motivation!

Excuses

You hear A LOT of this on a daily basis. Before, its just one mistake, one missed deadline, one missed presentation. But now, the frequency has become almost delinquent, departments are pinning the fault at another and you catch employees making excuses either not to take on new work, why they can’t accommodate you, why they blame others or why they were not able to deliver.

Wait, don’t we need an inspirational speaker? NO.

The difference between motivational and inspirational speaker is that an inspirational speaker speaks about humanity in general, looking to INSPIRE an individual, a group or a team to stand up for their beliefs and become gamechangers of humanity in their own ways. Motivational keynote speakers can also be inspiring motivational speakers who work on developing and improving employee morale, confidence and drive and inspire them to look deeper and find out what drives them.

So, how can a motivational speaker help engage the teams? Here are 8 ways your brand can be transformed by the best business motivational speakers:

1. Introduce new ideas

Great ideas come only when you have cleared your mind’s “cache” so you can think and dig deeper into your thoughts and emotions. These new ideas being introduced by these trained speakers comes from two things- one, through a tactical activity that encourages the employees to think and speak about new ideas (solutions, concepts, gimmicks) or through a zen activity that relaxes the employees.

2. Show new perspective

You can never claim to have a new perspective if you are on the same boat, seeing the same view. An outsider who stands on the stage in front of the audience has a different perspective compared to the audience and its mostly more welcomed by the participants. Public speakers are quick to build trust, and trust is key if you want others to receive your take and solutions.

3. Impart confidence

To a speaker who speaks to a thousand audiences every year, confidence is a natural thing. Now, a confident speaker who connects well with its audiences is capable of imparting confidence. How? Simply by small activities leading to a bigger picture that encourages confidence building in order to serve their positions well.

4. Get your people to speak

While inside an organisation it is a common practice to be as honest and as open as we can, employees will choose to be quiet or may feel they are being silenced by authority. A session with an energetic motivational speaker should open opportunities to speak their mind, be honest with what they feel and be open to what others have to say. Speakers can gauge and set up opportunities to encourage this in their activities.

5. Rekindle purpose

An employee who has only been in an organisation for a few months will always be more interactive, participative, and enthusiastic. At some point, the light goes out as years add on and one may lose a sense of purpose. Today, I have been invited as a virtual motivational speaker / brand coach/ brand strategy trainer amidst the pandemic to help employees cope with the working conditions today and at the same time, to train them in branding topics such as internal branding, personal branding, brand strategy, and digital branding.

6. Effectively communicate message

One of the best things I have made sure I excel in is tailor-fitting programmes to my customers’ needs. While the whole point of sessions is at the tip- motivational- there is usually an underlying message a company or management wants to spell out to the employees. The creative way us speakers communicate such is tricky BUT more acceptable and gratefully received than getting signed mandates from management.

7. Share experiences, insights and opens eyes for new-world solutions

As an Asian motivational speaker in Singapore, I have come a long way from where I first started and that journey is what I use to connect with the audience. My insights and ideas from 24 years of experience in serving brands globally have been well-received and I am proud to say that I have helped open opportunities for SMEs and major brands through my signature programmes in brand strategy, sales and marketing, internal branding and personal branding.

8. UNIFY your employees towards a goal

While anyone is capable of unifying teams, departments and groups inside an organisation, it will take an exhausting turn when it clashes with one’s daily grind. A manager’s will always be that he/she is pro-management and intentions and steps taken to unify teams will always questioned. Unless a person or a group has done chivalrous acts or has had a breakthrough that makes them stand out, usually an outsider looking in is better than having internal managerial personnel trying to step back and sell the idea to employees in a big picture perspective.

Now these are just the some of the ways how a motivational speaker can help an organisation. Even better if a speaker is trained to coach brands, leaders and organisations about strategy, internal branding and other organisational development tactics to help improve productivity, lessen employee turn over and lower attrition rate.

FAQ

What does a motivational speaker do?

A motivational speaker brings together a group of people from organisations to boost their morale, offer insights and ideas, and help build the confidence of leaders, managers and employees. He or she is tasked to impart knowledge and help give a different perspective to current situations and challenges that an organisation faces.

How much does it cost to hire a motivational speaker?

There is no fixed cost to hire a motivational speaker but to give more value to sessions, it is highly recommended that you find a speaker who is atuned to your brand’s mission, vision and values and has the energy and capacity to capture and engage all kinds of audiences.

Who is the best motivational speaker in the world?

The best motivational speaker in the world could be someone who has led talks all around the world, has experience in transforming brands of of any orientation, category and size. A good motivational speaker is not just one that excels in a field, but someone who is at least 5 steps ahead of today’s market.

What are some characteristics of a motivational speaker?

The top 5 characteristics you should be looking for in a motivational speaker are:
1. Years of experience in multiple playing fields
2. Great personality
3. Delivery style
4. Can motivate but also train and coach employees on how they can help build their brand
5. A GLOBAL experience is a GREAT plus!

How much does a motivational speaker make?

A motivational speaker salary is not usually readily available as motivational speakers also have add ons to their portfolio such as training and coaching.