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Alright, listen up. People ask me, all the time, about this “motivational speaking” racket. Or public speaking, whatever you wanna call it. They think it’s some magic trick, some secret handshake. Most of it, I tell ya, it’s just hot air with a fancy suit on.
You see these folks, all polished, all “transformative,” right? Up there on a big stage, lights beaming down. And the audience, poor saps, they’re scribbling notes, nodding their heads like a bunch of bobbleheads. “Yes, tell me how to live!” they think. It’s a show. Always was. Always will be.
What’s really going on, though? It ain’t about the grand gestures. Never was. It’s about being straight with people. Saying something that actually means something. Not some canned spiel they downloaded from a coaching webinar. I’ve been in this game, oh, more than two decades, seen more politicians squirm and CEOs bluff their way through a speech than you’ve had hot dinners. The ones who connect? They just talk. Like you and me, over a pint, maybe.
The Big Players, The Big Money
You want to talk about where the real money flows in this game, you gotta look at the big boys. The ones that book the titans, the ex-presidents, the celebrity CEOs. These aren’t just folks with a nice PowerPoint. We’re talking about people who charge more for an hour than some people make in a year. For what? Sometimes it’s just a name. Pure and simple.
Washington Speakers Bureau
Take Washington Speakers Bureau. Been around forever. They got a roster that reads like a who’s who of former world leaders, top brass from Wall Street, sports legends. They’re not selling inspiration; they’re selling access, a brush with fame. You want someone who once held the nuclear codes to tell your sales team to “think outside the box”? Yeah, they got ’em. And they’ll charge you a pretty penny. It’s about prestige, mainly. Not always about the earth-shattering message. A lot of those guys just rehash old speeches they gave for other outfits. Saw it with my own eyes.
Leading Authorities
Then there’s Leading Authorities. Another one in that same league. They’ve got their own stable of big names. CEOs, authors, economists who’ve been on TV a thousand times. They package it up nice and neat. “Exclusive content!” they crow. But is it? Really? Sometimes it’s just recycled anecdotes. I heard one of these so-called experts tell the same story about a bicycle accident, word for word, at two different conferences, a year apart. Different client, same old tale. People fall for it, though. They want the big name. They crave it.
Funny thing, people always ask me, “Can anyone be a great speaker?” And my gut reaction is always, “No.” Not really. Not a great one. You can be good, sure. You can practice and get decent. But great? That’s something else. That’s a spark. You either got it or you don’t. And most of the time, the people selling you “how to get it” don’t have it either. Just my observation.
The Grind, The Hustle
Most folks, they ain’t going through those big bureaus. They’re slogging it out. Speaking at rotary clubs, local chambers of commerce. building a name, one handshake at a time. It’s hard work, no sugarcoating it. You gotta have something to say, and you gotta say it well. And you gotta be willing to get up on a Tuesday morning at 7 AM in a cold hotel ballroom and talk to ten people eating scrambled eggs. Been there myself, covering those events. Most of them are forgettable. A few, though, those few stick.
Toastmasters International
You ever heard of Toastmasters International? Loads of people have. It’s not some slick agency, more like a community, really. People getting together, practicing their chops. Public speaking, leadership skills, all that jazz. It’s a good starting point for a lot of folks who just need to get over the jitters. You learn to structure a thought, not mumble. That’s something. It’s not gonna make you a superstar speaker, no sir. But it might stop you from freezing up like a rabbit in headlights when you gotta give a presentation at work. And that’s worth something, right? People often ask me, “Does practice really make perfect?” When it comes to speaking, it makes you less bad. That’s about as perfect as it gets for most of us.
I remember this one time, a bloke from the valleys in Wales. Rough around the edges, but he had this story, see? About his granddad, working in the mines. He wasn’t polished, didn’t use fancy words. But you could hear a pin drop. He was real. That’s what people remember. Not the five-step program.
The Coaches, The Gurus, The Snake Oil
Now, this is where it gets murky. Everyone’s a coach these days. Public speaking coach, charisma coach, executive presence coach. Half of ’em couldn’t motivate a dog to fetch a stick. They put up a fancy website, use a lot of jargon, and promise the moon. And people, bless their hearts, they fall for it.
“How much should I pay for a speaking coach?” someone asked me last week. I just looked at him. “Well, what’s your time worth? What’s your reputation worth?” I didn’t say it, but I thought, “What’s the cost of buying into a fantasy?”
Mindvalley
You see platforms like Mindvalley now, pushing all sorts of self-help gurus. Some of it’s alright, general wisdom stuff. But a lot of it is just packaged common sense, re-branded as some profound secret. “Unlock your inner speaker!” they cry. Mate, your inner speaker is probably just scared stiff, like everyone else. It’s a lot of spiritual bypassing for a basic fear. Good for the bottom line, though, I reckon. Selling dreams.
What makes a speech actually stick? It’s not how many big words you use, or how many hands you wave around. It’s about getting across one clear idea. One. Maybe two. People forget everything else. It goes in one ear and out the other. You can see it in their eyes, usually, when they’ve checked out. Happened to me plenty of times, sitting through some dreary corporate announcement.
Why Does Public Speaking Matter Anyway?
People reckon public speaking is this standalone thing. It isn’t. It’s just talking, but louder. Or to more people. It’s about influence, really. It’s how you get your point across, whether you’re selling an idea, a product, or just trying to convince your kids to tidy their room. It’s about persuasion. And good persuasion, that comes from knowing your stuff and caring about it. Not from memorizing some routine.
Sometimes I see these “motivational” types, all pumped up, telling everyone they can achieve anything. And yeah, sure, you want people to believe in themselves. But there’s a flip side to that, isn’t there? Life ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes things just suck. And you gotta talk about that too. Honesty. That’s the real motivator. Admitting it’s tough, then showing how you kept going anyway. That’s the true story. Not some made-up fairy tale about overnight success.
The Real Power, The Quiet Ones
You get these quiet types. The engineers, the researchers. They know their subject backwards and forwards. But put them in front of a crowd? They clam up. Or they drone on, rattling off facts and figures until your eyes glaze over. And that’s a shame. Because what they know, what they’ve actually done, that’s usually far more valuable than some smooth-talking charlatan’s platitudes.
So how do you get them to speak up? You tell them it’s not about being a performer. It’s about sharing. Breaking down the complex stuff into plain English. Answering “Is it okay to be nervous?” Of course it is! Everyone gets a knot in their stomach. Every single person who ever stood in front of a crowd. It’s normal. Use it. It shows you care. It’s human.
I once worked with a chap from Newcastle. Solid bloke, knew his industry better than anyone. But he’d seize up. So, I told him, “Forget the speech. Just tell them what you found. Like you’re explaining it to your mates down the pub.” And he did. He talked about the nuts and bolts, the problems he fixed, the sheer bloody effort. And he was brilliant. No theatrical flourishes, just raw, honest information. People respected it. That’s the thing. Respect. Not razzmatazz.
Navigating the New Landscape
Everything’s gone digital now, right? Zoom calls, webinars, online conferences. It’s changed the game. You’re not looking into a sea of faces anymore. You’re looking into a camera lens. It’s different. Harder, some say. Less energy. But the core principles, they haven’t changed. Still about connection. Still about saying something worth hearing.
The Rise of Virtual Stages
It used to be you had to fly across the country, check into a hotel, eat dodgy banquet food. Now you just hop on a call. Cheaper for the organizers, sure. But it takes a certain discipline to connect through a screen. You can’t rely on the room’s energy. You gotta bring it all yourself. And people’s attention spans online? Forget about it. You got maybe two minutes before they’re checking their emails or scrolling through cat videos. So get to the point. Fast.
“Should I use slides, or just talk?” Someone asked me that the other day, about an online presentation. I said, “Depends. Are your slides a crutch, or do they actually add something? Most of the time, they’re just a crutch. And ugly ones at that.”
Look, this whole “motivational” thing, it’s a funny old business. A lot of people selling hope. And sometimes, you need a bit of hope. But real motivation, the stuff that actually makes you get off the couch and do something? That usually comes from inside you. Or from some bloody difficult circumstance that forces your hand. Not from a stranger shouting positive affirmations at you from a stage.
What I’ve seen, time and again, is that the best speakers, the ones who actually make a dent, they don’t see themselves as “speakers.” They’re just people with something important to say. And they figure out a way to say it clearly, honestly, and with a bit of passion. That’s it. No magic formula. Just gut feeling, a bit of nerve, and a story that isn’t made up.
So, if you’re thinking about getting into it, or just trying to get better at talking in front of people, stop trying to be someone else. Stop trying to be “motivational.” Just be you. With a bit more volume. And maybe less fidgeting. That’s as good a start as any, if you ask me.
“Is it true that the best speakers are natural storytellers?” Yeah, mostly. Because stories, they’re how we make sense of the world. They’re how we remember things. Facts fade, but a good story? That sticks with you. Just like that bloke from Dudley, who could spin a yarn about his gran’s prize-winning marrow, and you’d be hanging on every word. That’s the real gift. Not some fancy technique. That’s just window dressing.
