Professional Speaker
In his Motivational Speaking career, Jim, always dreamed of speaking to large corporate audiences.
He always dreamed and hoped to be an author and to own his own company. He has accomplished both of those lofty goals. I recently sat down to interview James, at a recent speaking event at the Point Clear Resort outside of Mobile, Alabama. I asked him what public speaking opportunities would be next and about some goals he had for 2009, he said, “My immediate goal is to launch my new book, which I’m very excited about, in the 1st quarter of 2009″. With a gleam in his eye he spoke with passion about the content of his new book, he said: “The title of this book is ‘Life’s 3 Burning Questions’ that is, if the publisher doesn’t change it” he said with a chuckle. “This will also be my newest professional speech next year that I can’t wait to deliver.” He would not let me in on the secret 3 questions but I’m guessing this will be a deeply reflective kind of speech.
I’ve had the opportunity to hear James as professional speaker on several occasions and I have to say he has a rare and gifted way of connected with every person in the audience. I often hear people say “I felt like this professional speaker was talking directly to me” after he delivers his signature riveting professional keynote speeches. The people who were sitting near me jumped out of their seats to give him a standing ovation not unlike what you’d see after and NFL touchdown. That is what audiences all over the world have come to expect from motivational speaker - James Lloyd.
By: Ron Clendenin
Professional Public Speaking and Humor
One key in becoming a Professional Speaker is being able to make audiences laugh. If you are funny speaker then you are a money speaker! The last time I worked internationally in my professional speaking job was in Amsterdam and I spoke in english with an interpreter. You guessed it…. I used humor in my speech and got a roar of laughter even through an intepreter who translated my keynote into Dutch. You may not be a naturally funny or humorous personality. But this is the entertainment business and you can be trained to deliver great humor each time you speak. One solution is to find a successful motivational speaker and study how they use humor in their speaking.
Here are 5 Reasons why you need to make your audience laugh as professional speaker.
1) Laughter relaxes us and chases away depression.
“Laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects.”
– Arnold Glasow
2) Laughter enhances creativity.
“At the height of laughter, the universe is flung
into a kaleidoscope of new possibilities.”
– Jean Houston
3) Laughter is the ultimate escape.
“Laughter is an instant vacation.”
– Milton Berle
4) Laughter gives purpose and meaning to life.
“The most wasted day is one in which we have not laughed.”
– Sebastian Chamfort
5) Laughter is spiritual.
“Laughter is the closest thing to the grace of God.”
– Carl Barth
Don’t miss the opportunity to get professional speaker training that will take your speaking career to the next level of being a great professional speaker.
Authentic Professional Speaker Training
If you were to ask me what is one of the most important keys to success in a motivational speaking career this would at the top of the list. This is one of the first topics I address at my motivational speaker training course. This point is very dear to my heart as a professional speaker. I don’t even like the word “conformity.” In fact, I despise it. And yet it’s rampant. I think it starts in our school systems. We seem to have it on straight at the Preschool and Kindergarten levels. Children come in, they have fun. They eat snacks. You get to sit wherever you want on the floor. Little bit tired after lunch? That’s fine! Lie down, take a nap. Listen to stories? Play time? What fun! It was in such a flexible, dynamic environment that some
of the most eager learning of my life occurred. Hmmm… When we get to First Grade, the change begins.
“Enough individualism,” I believe they’re saying.“It’s time to conform!”
We now must sit in our chairs. The chairs are in rows…and every room looks the same.The conformity has begun. A child laments, “No nap time now?”“No, just pay attention and sit up straight in your chair!”
“No, you may not go to the bathroom without a lavatory pass!”It goes on.“Did I hear someone speaking or whispering? You don’t speak in this class without permission.”“Who brought these crayons? This is no place for crayons. You should have outgrown them by now. And by the way, the
only pencils you’ll use are #2 pencils!”(I don’t even see #1 pencils in the stores – I think they’ve actually been discontinued due to all this conformity!) We’re not all #2 pencils. No wonder Neil Poston wrote: “Children enter school as question marks, and exit as periods.”
In his motivational book The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz concludes: “All our normal tendencies are lost in the process… We create an image of how we should be in order to be ac- cepted by everybody.”
In becoming a professional speaker you must-Be yourself. Be your authentic self as motivational speaker. Here is my shameless plug. Attend my Motivational Speakers Training school and I promise you it will be the most authentic and real training course you’ve every been apart of.
“A man must consider what a rich realm he abdicates
when he becomes a conformist.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
Grateful Professional Speaker
As a motivational speaker trainer I spend a lot of time on the road. Being away from home and family is the most challenging part of my motivational speaking career as a professional speaker. However, gratefulness is like a spiritual Prozac for me. I mean, I think it’s nearly impossible to be depressed when we’re busy being grateful. What is depression if not repressed anger? Gratitude extinguishes anger…and fuels the fire in that torch we all have inside. Gratefulness has been a key element I teach in all my speaker training classes for various companies. When professionally speaking to employees and managers I like to ask them to think about being grateful for where they live, what they
do, and who they serve. Yes, who they serve! In all my professional speaking jobs it is important to remind myself who I serve each time a step to the microphone as a motivational speaker.
I now live in Southern California, and if you’ve known me for more than five minutes or so, you will have heard me rave about how beautiful it is here. I always say, “Los Angeles is the best place I’ve ever lived!” One time my wife reminded me that I’ve said that about all the places we’ve lived…Boston, London, Phoenix, and Atlanta. I guess I’ve been purposely looking for the positives, no matter where I am. It is important to be grateful for your family and friends, for your job and co-workers, and for where you live. Thank people who have helped you, and give credit to others when it’s appropriate
(and, by the way, it’s always appropriate). Be grateful for your pets! Be grateful for a good movie on a rainy day. Be grateful for a good roof on a rainy day. Be grateful for rain……be grateful.
“What a wonderful life I’ve had!
I only wish I’d realized it sooner.”
—Colette