• LAUNCH YOUR DREAM
  • BE A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER
  • STARTING OVER MIDLIFE
  • HAPPINESS THROUGH ACTIVISM
  • TRAVEL THE WORLD
  • GET HEALTHY & FIT
  • BUILD SELF-CONFIDENCE
  • BRAVE LIVING
  • WRITE WITH US

8WomenDream

Dream Big Stories

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • CONNECT
You Are Here Home » BE A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER » When Learning Becomes Loathing

in BE A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER

When Learning Becomes Loathing

motivationalspeakerssmallerbutt

What you want to give them is not always what they want.

I was sitting in on a conference call the other day between me, the client, and the bureau who brought us together. It was a normal pre-event call, where I was gathering information on what they need and how I could best fit their group as a funny motivational speaker.

The client had one major request – that I not, under absolutely any condition, break them down into small groups. “They hate it,” she said. “That was the biggest complaint from last year’s speaker.”

I was not surprised. I hate being gathered into small groups. The client said she hates it too. The bureau piped in and said she can’t stand it either. We all agreed we loathed being broken into small groups.

And all I could remember was the twenty-five speakers I’ve heard, this year alone, adamantly proclaim that audiences learn by doing – that just talking to them is not enough, you have to get them to work through it together for the real learning to take place.

While this may be true, and probably is true for many audiences, if your audience hates it, and your client hates it, you have a problem.  Your goal as a speaker is not to do what you want, it’s to give your audience what they want. And if you don’t do what they want, then you’re not selling to the right audience. Find the audience who loves to be broken into small groups.

Please don’t hear me say that small groups are bad. I have never been a fan of only one way to do this business. I believe that every speaker has his/her own way of getting their message across. It’s only bad if it doesn’t work. And sometimes your way is not your audience’s way.

So how do we know?

Ask your audience on evaluations. Ask your meeting planner. Ask your client on the pre-event questionnaire. If you’re lucky, you’ll find out in advance how to adjust your speech to meet the needs of the audience. Or maybe you figure it out there, and have time to fix it. And sometimes you don’t know until it’s over and you get the reviews back – or worse, you never find out that everybody complained about you. In your sales calls, be up front about your style and method of delivery. I’d rather lose the sale, than be in front of the wrong group that complains about me after I’m gone.

As speakers, you all have a valuable message to give to the world. And whatever way you choose to give it is okay. As long as it gets you booked.  There is no one right way to do this. So it’s not about finding the right way to deliver your message, but finding the right audience for your teaching style.

What you want to give them, is not always what they want.

 

 

Kelly Swanson
Kelly Swanson

Kelly Swanson is an award-winning storyteller, motivational speaker, published author and TV personality who is passionate about helping women harness the power of their stories to connect, influence, and get the results they dream of accomplishing. Laughing the whole way, Kelly teaches women how to master the art of connection through the power of strategic storytelling. You can find her on The Fashion Hero show airing Fall of 2017 on Amazon Prime or on her website MotivationalSpeakerKellySwanson.com.

Note: Articles by Kelly may contain affiliate links and may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on an affiliate link.

Related Stories:

  • Big Dream of Learning to Work with Glass in Seattle
    Big Dream of Learning to Work with Glass in Seattle
  • Learning How To Sell Handmade Items
    Learning How To Sell Handmade Items
  • Learning How To Launch The Hallmark Way
    Learning How To Launch The Hallmark Way
  • Learning to Say Yes to Your Big Dream
    Learning to Say Yes to Your Big Dream

Filed Under: BE A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER

Some of the posts on 8WD contain affiliate links or links to purchase products or programs from 8WD contributors. This means 8WD or the contributor may make a small commission if you make a purchase. The 8WD affiliate links help offset the cost of hosting this website and the contributor links help support the dreams of the contributor. Please check out the 8WD Legal Page for more details.

Thank you for your continued support!

« What Nobody Says About The Creative Process
How a Thing Called Achievement Goal Theory Impacts Your Success »

Check it out

  • LAUNCH YOUR DREAM
  • BE A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER
  • STARTING OVER MIDLIFE
  • HAPPINESS THROUGH ACTIVISM
  • TRAVEL THE WORLD
  • GET HEALTHY & FIT
  • BUILD SELF-CONFIDENCE
  • BRAVE LIVING
  • WRITE WITH US


The 8WomenDream Dream Tote Bag

About the 8WomenDream Tote Bag
US – 10oz Cotton
Dimensions (External Dimensions)
• Height – 18″ (45.72cm or 457.2mm)
• Width – 15″ (38.1cm or 381mm)
Handle Dimensions (Internal Dimensions)
• Length – 29″ (73.7cm or 736.6mm)

Recent Dream Stories

  • Live Your Wildest Dreams Masterclass
  • Winter Solstice Celebrations: What to Do With 1 Minute More?
  • Starting Over as a Single Mom Wasn’t My Big Dream
  • Warning: Big Dream to Be a Motivational Speaker Won’t Always Obey Your Plans
  • Dance to Relieve Stress to Focus on Your Big Dream
  • 6 Tips to Avoid Get Rich Quick Scams as a Public Speaker
  • A Dream to Spread MLK’s Message of Love
  • Best Goal Setting Advice that Actually Works
Catherine Hughes on Dealspotr
Catherine Hughes
@8WomenDream
Let’s collaborate
Powered by Dealspotr

Inspiration

More About 8WD

WE BELIEVE EVERYONE HAS THE POWER TO ACHIEVE BIG DREAMS.
 
IT IS OUR SINCEREST WISH THROUGH THE SHARING OF PERSONAL STORIES ABOUT WHAT IT’S LIKE TO TRY TO ACHIEVE A BIG DREAM THAT WE WILL INSPIRE YOU GO AFTER A BIG DREAM TOO.
 
YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT 8WOMENDREAM, HERE.

8 WOMEN DREAM | COPYRIGHT All RIGHTS RESERVED © 2023 ·

Welcome to 8WomenDream Where Big Dreams Are Shared
The 8WomenDream website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're OK with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. ACCEPT REJECT READ MORE
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT