Have you ever thought you could make a good motivational keynote speaker? Have you ever watched someone like Brene Brown, Mel Robbins, or Tony Robbins and thought: I could do that? Or did you ever attend a keynote delivered by Robyn Benincasa, Daymond John, or Magic Johnson and thought you would like to do the same?

If you ever had the dream of inspiring millions, the journey to the podium can be a long one. So here are five questions to ask yourself before you take that first step to become a motivational keynote speaker.

1.Do you have a successful story to tell?

Motivational keynote speakers all have an inspiring story—challenges overcome to reach success in life. The challenges are all different but follow similar themes. Some keynote speakers were athletes who overcame the odds like “Iron Cowboy” James Lawrence, people who suffered personal tragedies such as Bethany Hamilton, or a business person who had a great idea no one believed in and started a successful business like Marc Randolph (see Netflix). 

We all have challenging times in life. But have you ever had something challenging happen to you and were able to implement a system for success you can share with others?

2.Do you have experience speaking?

Before you can fill up auditoriums, you have to fill up small rooms. Most keynote speakers started speaking for free at local events before they booked their first paid speaking gig like Vernice Flygirl Armour. Or if they were paid first, they were already famous before they became a motivational speaker like Molly Bloom. 

If you haven’t done much public speaking, start by offering your services for free—wherever you can. Speak at the local Boys or Girls Club, the Lions Club, or your church. Don’t worry that you aren’t getting paid—you’re getting experience. Once you’ve got enough practice, the paid gigs will come. Also look into developing your story into a TEDx talk to reach a wider audience. TEDx helped people like Jia Jiang and Jade Simmons reach the next level.

3.Do you have a web presence?

Word-of-mouth can propel your career to great heights. However, before you become a household name, you need to have great marketing. What’s great marketing? Answer: An online presence. You need a website, marketing materials (a one-page speaker bio, speaking requirements, talk descriptions, headshots), social media posts sharing your ideas, blogs on inspirational topics, and videos of you in front of an audience on free platforms like YouTube or Vimeo. 

Habits expert James Clear grew a huge audience through blog posts on Medium. The more professional you treat your online presence, the more people will treat you as a professional motivational speaker.

4.Are you willing to learn?

Great motivational keynote speakers aren’t born with the ability to move people, they learn it from practice. Just like any other profession, you need to hone your craft. You have to speak as much as possible to get experience; then you have to learn from that experience. Solicit feedback from friends, family, and the audience. Watch your talks to improve your delivery, so you can avoid common speaking goofs and end your talk with a bang. 

Many professional keynote speakers work with a professional speaking coach or voice coach at some point. Getting selected for a TEDx talk can also get you valuable feedback from the TED producers.

5.Are you willing to take it to the next level?

You may have noticed that most top motivational keynote speakers have a New York Times bestselling book. Robyn Benincasa has How Winning Works, Daymond John has The Power of Broke, Mel Robbins has The 5 Second Rule, and Tony Robbins has Awaken The Giant Within. 

If you want to take your keynote speaking to the next level, you need to have something an audience can take away with them—physically. Books are great ways to build your audience and keep them coming back. Don’t worry. You don’t have to be a great writer to write a great book. Many top speakers work with professional writers to produce a great story. It’s long, hard work, but worth it if you want to take it to the next level.

The power to move people can be learned. If you have a great success story to tell and a desire to become a motivational keynote speaker, then you need to answer these five questions. If you answered yes to them, then you might one day be that person on stage who inspires the masses.

Whether you’re looking to do an online conference, virtual keynote, online function, or Zoom meeting, motivational keynote speakers have the skills to deliver an exciting and motivational experience. 

BigSpeak motivational speakers bureau works with the top motivational keynote speakers, top inspirational speakers, and top virtual motivational speakers. If you’re looking for one of the best motivational speakers for your conference, event, or online event, BigSpeak can connect you with the perfect motivational keynote speakers who can inspire your business to reach new heights.