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Many groups, organizations, and companies are turning to motivational speakers to increase work productivity. Motivational speaking has become a very lucrative and rewarding career. There are many kinds of motivational speakers available for every type of event. One popular motivational speaker is the business speaker.
Business speakers stand apart from other speakers because they apply their own business experience to the particular business environment that they are speaking about. For those interested in a career as a business speaker, the following tips will serve as a helpful guide to a satisfying career:
Personal Qualities: To be a business speaker, you must have the necessary personal skills that will hold an audiences attention. You have to be passionate about your business experience and the topic you are discussing. You should also be energetic and professional, compassionate, ethical, and have a lot of common sense. A speaker should be charismatic, personable, positive, happy, and have a captivating presence. As a speaker, you should be confident about what are saying and have excellent communication and listening skills. You should also have a sense of humor and know how to make a speaking engagement fun for the audience.
Experience: You do not need to have experience with a particular business company, but you must be able to apply your own experience to the particular business situation. A background in the business field is essential. Many speakers craft their teaching to accommodate many business environments. This can include: team work, team building, organisation, problem solving skills, employee and employer interaction, developing ways to boost creativity, how to deal with clients and customers,etc.
Education: Having a business education is an asset. This can be a business degree from a reputable college or university. Teaching at a business school or appearing as a guest speaker is also very valuable.
Proof of Success: Quality business speakers will usually have proof of their expertise. They may have published articles, books, or been featured in magazines and newspapers. They may also have been published in business journals and have their own online website full of facts about themselves and their career. All of their information will be current. They may also have published business motivational books, and audio tapes or CDs. Making television and radio guest appearances is also an asset.
There are a number of methods you can utilize to promote you business speaker services:
Word of Mouth: This method is a great form of advertising. It is also free. Try to speak to as many businesses as possible and explain you qualifications and experience. Make sure you leave a business card and information pamphlet.
Join a Professional Speakers Bureau: You will be kept up-to-date about events about where you can use your speaking skills. More contacts means more chances of securing work. They can also help you promote your services. Many businesses will seek a speaker through a bureau.
Create a Website: Having a website is a great marketing tool. You can list your experience, qualifications, former clients, references, responses from former clients, and your biography.
Certified Speaking Professional: Earn a certification as a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) The certification signifies three years membership in a qualified professional organization that included a thorough study and certification process. A certification lets employers know that you are qualified.
Business speaker services are wide-ranging and diverse. The best business speakers know that hard work and enhancing and improving their skills, style, and delivery will keep them ahead in the game. Incorporating your qualifications within a variety of business fields will improve your chances of having a successful and rewarding speaking career.
For professionals today, long gone are the days of gold watches and lifetime employment. The employment market will remain highly competitive and professionals will migrate between businesses at regular intervals. In such an environment, professionals have to be equipped to advance their broad personal goals by being proactive, adaptive and agile in their career management. They have to be equipped with career strategies that they can execute for success.
Today's professional is in the “services” business – providing services to many businesses over their career lifetime. Every successful business needs a business plan and an executable strategy.
Your Career is Your Own Personal Business
As baby boomers retire, clearly we have leaders leaving traditional leadership roles. Now that we are living longer, many of these executives are wondering what they are going to do…they still have something to give. This group is going to introduce options of hiring proven talent for less money and time without having to pay benefits. These trends are changing the landscape of traditional search firms and showing great popularity in companies that house “consultants” for client needs. Regardless of the professional's discipline, these folks have to learn how to sell themselves like never before. They need to practice personal business development and ride the rollercoaster of BD while producing for client(s). This, coupled with already fierce competition for good jobs, shows even more need for all employees to position themselves with a career strategy that separates from the competition! A strategy that communicates the value differentiator against a diverse pool of talent.
Customer Service
Sometimes it is hard to locate your value differentiators. Those traits and skills that make you different and stand out in the minds of others. It does not matter what you do for a living, customer service is always a way to get noticed. Sounds easy enough! But, perception of your customer service is more important than what you think is being provided. Your customer service and that of your business MUST be sincere. Do you really care about the experience of those around you? What about during challenges as apposed to when everything is great?
The presence of customer service must be everywhere, all the time - part of your culture. Customer service goes beyond your customers and clients. How are you servicing your co-workers and partners? Customer service goes way further than smiling and acting pleasant - although that is super important too! Is it easy to do business with you? To communicate with you? How do you deal with problems - do you make it right? Do you do what you say you are going to do? Customer service goes further than listening well. Those practicing great customer service give more than expected. They know the environment and are proactive on your behalf.
The service you provide extends past the final products or results. The process getting there is the feeling people remember and the story they tell.