The 10 Best Motivational Speakers in the World

Motivational speakers have had an enormous impact on my life, and millions of others, no matter what their personal situation in life may be. Their words are so powerful and inspirational, you just have to listen to their stuff on a daily basis. So it brings me to this post.

I’ve been enjoying a lot of motivational videos recently, have been creating my own,  and have ended up listening to a lot of wonderful speeches.

But who are the best motivational speakers in the world? Here’s my list of the top 10 motivational speakers in the world. These are the people you need to be following, listening to and watching on YouTube. They have transformed many people’s lives including mine.

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1) Eric Thomas

Eric Thomas, born on September 11th 1965 in Tuscan, Arizona, was homeless at the age of 16 years old. But Eric decided that he wanted to make a better life for himself, to become someone with a life he could be proud of.

E.T did just that, and you can now check out powerful advice from Eric Thomas on YouTube, including his “Thank God It’s Monday” series.

He also managed to get the education he missed out on whilst he was homeless, and pushed himself further to achieve all the qualifications he dreamed of being able to achieve.

Eric Thomas has become one of the best motivational speakers in the world. His YouTube videos are legendary and his best selling books have taken in millions of dollars in revenue.

E.T’s speeches are so popular, that you’ll find he’s featured in roughly 90% of the motivational videos that others create and upload to YouTube, using compilations of clips, speeches and music.

“When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful.” – Eric Thomas

2) Tony Robbins

Tony Robbins was born on February 29th, 1960 in Los Angeles. His life at home when he was young was described by him as abusive and chaotic, and it was because of this that he left home at the age of 17.

Originally when starting out in the world of motivational speaking, Robbins was promoting seminars for Jim Rohn. He later decided to begin his own journey hosting his own seminars.

Tony has affected and changed so many people’s lives in a positive way through his seminars, motivational speeches, inspirational quotes and best selling books. If you search for him on YouTube several videos will pop up in which he’s changed someone’s life within the time space of the recording.

The favorites of mine that I’ve watched, are where he cures a young man’s stutter in 7 minutes and saves another guys marriage in 8.

“One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular.” – Tony Robbins

3) Les Brown

Les Brown was born on February 17th 1945 in Miami, Florida. Les was adopted by Mamie Brown, and whilst in grade school, was declared “educably mentally retarded”.

Despite this and emotional issues it brought upon him, he was encourage by others to continue to learn and be the best he could be, leading him to unlock his full potential.

Les is another motivational speaker who is incredibly popular among the motivational video compilations that others create, because his speeches are so deep and meaningful that they really get through to people.

His top selling books: ‘It’s Not over until You Win!’ and ‘Live Your Dreams’ are truly inspirational, and well worth the read.

“When life knocks you down, try to land on your back. Because if you can look up, you can get up. Let your reason get you back up.” – Les Brown

4) Jim Rohn

Jim Rohn was born September 17th 1930 in Yakima, Washington, and passed away on December 5th 2009. Jim was a very successful entrepreneur, at one time being a Vice President of a very successful sales company, Nutri-Bio.

However, after the company eventually went out of business, he was invited to speak at a meeting of one of his clubs.

After this meeting, he was invited to speak at many other events and began making a name for himself. Jim Rohn was a wise businessman and managed to impart much of this wisdom into others.

He’s definitely earned the right to be on this list of the best motivational speakers in the world.

“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.” – Jim Rohn

5) Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger was born on July 30th 1947, in Austria. We all know him as the world famous professional bodybuilding champion, and there’s a very inspirational story behind Arnie’s bodybuilding success.

Schwarzenegger served in the Austrian army at the age of 18 years old for 1 year, which at the time was compulsory for all 18 year old males.

During this time, he would still manage to fit in his workouts between all the training and drills, whilst most people were resting. He snuck out of camp to compete in the Junior Mr. Europe contest, which he ended up winning.

Arnold’s discipline towards his training was incredible, and the fact that he was willing to disobey the rules of the army and sneak out of camp to compete in the contest, just goes to show how badly he wanted it. Nowadays, he’s an inspiration to many bodybuilders and a great source of motivation for anyone wanting to be successful.

“For me life is continuously being hungry. The meaning of life is not simply to exist, to survive, but to move ahead, to go up, to achieve, to conquer.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

6) Zig Ziglar

Zig Ziglar was born on November 6th, 1926 in Alabama, and passed away on November 28th in 2012. Ziglar has 11 siblings, and at the age of five years old, his father died of a stroke, and his sister passed away two days later. Zig actually served in the army from 1935 – 1946 during World War II.

Ziglar met his wife Jean when he was just 17 years old, and after the war began to work as a salesman for many different companies, eventually becoming the vice president for theAutomotive Performance company.

He started taking part in motivational seminars, and also wrote his first book in 1975 titled: ‘See You at the Top’. This was the first of at least 15 books he’d written during the period of 1975 and 2012.

A lot of wisdom has come from Zig Ziglar over the years and he is definitely one of the best motivational speakers in the world.

“You were designed for accomplishment, engineered for success, and endowed with the seeds of greatness.” – Zig Ziglar

7) Wayne Dyer

Dr. Wayne Dyer was born on May 10th 1940 in Detroit, and spent the majority of his childhood in an orphanage. Dyer was in the U.S Navy after graduating high school, from 1958 to 1962. He then received his degree in counselling, a profession that he chose to work in for a while before taking it one step further.

Dyer left his teaching job and started pursuing a career in motivational speaking, holding various lectures across the states and becoming an incredibly popular author.

The first book that Dyer ever wrote has now had over 35 million copies sold and he’s proceeded to continue with his lecture tours, release various audio tapes and publish a regular stream of books.

“Passion is a feeling that tells you: this is the right thing to do. Nothing can stand in my way. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says. This feeling is so good that it cannot be ignored. I’m going to follow my bliss and act upon this glorious sensation of joy.” – Wayne Dyer

8) Robin Sharma

Robin Sharma was born in 1964 in Nepal, and straight out of the Dalhousie University School of Law, became a professional lawyer. But he went much further in his career than being a fully qualified and successful lawyer.

Sharma has written a total of 15 published books, from 1995 – 2011, on the subjects of self-help and leadership. One of his most popular books written; ‘The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari‘, has sold over 5 million copies worldwide.

The book is all about a character called Julian, who decides to sell his home and Ferrari to go on a spiritual journey, after being the victim to a sudden heart attack.

Some may say that Robin Sharma’s more of a motivational author rather than speaker, but he deserves to be on this list. He’s written 12 global best sellers, and is an expert author in the world of leadership and self development.

“Dreamers are mocked as impractical. The truth is they are the most practical, as their innovations lead to progress and a better way of life for all of us.” – Robin S. Sharma

9) Brian Tracy

Brian Tracy was born on January 5th 1944 in Vancouver, Canada, and is the CEO of Brian Tracy International, a company that specifically sets out to help individuals and organizations develop, train and grow.

Brian’s ultimate goal is to help other people achieve their goals more efficiently and be able to achieve their full potential.

That definitely sets the foundation for a world class motivational speaker. His lifetime achievements are phenomenal, consulting huge numbers of businesses, hosting huge numbers of seminars and conducting  years and years of research in Business, Economics, Psychology and Philosophy.

There’s no more to say other than the title given on his website: Professional Speaker, Best Selling Author, Entrepreneur and Success Expert. Check out some of the best Brian Tracy quotes.

“No one lives long enough to learn everything they need to learn starting from scratch. To be successful, we absolutely, positively have to find people who have already paid the price to learn the things that we need to learn to achieve our goals.” – Brian Tracy

10) Nick Vujicic

Nick Vujicic was born on December 4th 1982 in Melbourne, Australia. Nick was born with Tetra-Amelia syndrome, a very rare disorder whereby someone is born with an absence of all four limbs.

This no doubt ably, made things incredibly tough for Nick growing up, as he struggled both mentally and physically.

It led to him founding his very own non-profit organization called ‘Life Without Limbs’. Nick Vujicic is a true inspiration to us all, and if you’ve watched some of his motivational speeches on YouTube, you’ll realize just how much he’s been able to adapt to a life without limbs.

Many people with this disorder might not be willing to work hard in order to truly push their abilities.

Nick can type 43 words a minute on a computer. That’s right, you heard me correctly. This is a guy who has an absence of all four limbs, but can type 43 words per minute on a computer. I encourage you to watch some of his videos on YouTube, and see exactly what I’m talking about.

“It’s a lie to think you’re not good enough. It’s a lie to think you’re not worth anything.” – Nick Vujicic

Reference:  Dan Western

Do You Want to Learn the Five Key Characteristics of Millionaire Speakers?

My mission statement as a professional speaker, trainer, and coach consist of helping others learn how to become the best speaker they can be. The reason why I am passionate about being a speaker, trainer, and coach is because it gives me an opportunity to change lives.
I have been a professional speaker, trainer, and coach for over five years and in the process I have attended numerous programs pertaining to speaking, training, seminars, and workshops. Why is this important to you?
The tens of thousands of dollars I have invested in the speaking industry has resulted in me becoming an expert. The primary reason why I am writing about millionaire speakers is because I have been responsible for billions of dollars over the course of my professional career.
Today I am going to share with you the five (5) key characteristics of millionaire speakers. If you want to learn about these characteristics, read on.
The 5 key characteristics of "Millionaire Speakers" read as follows:
1.) Millionaire speakers have a burning desire to help other people.
I am not talking about a so, so commitment to helping other people, I am talking about a "Burning Desire" which consist of a full, uncompromising, decisive commitment to help make other people lives better.
2.) Millionaire speakers are very goal oriented, they set goals and show other people how they can become more successful by following their system for success.
For example, millionaire speakers know where they are going in life, they have a plan and take action to ensure their success. They can also help people set goals and achieve success.
3.) Millionaire speakers are decisive in nature and let audiences know what they should know.
In other words, the decisiveness of millionaire speakers set the tone for them teaching you what they know. If there is a training program or seminar that will help a millionaire speaker gain knowledge, they will not hesitate to enroll, attend and learn what they need to know because they know the long range benefits of acquiring information.
4.) Millionaire speakers surround themselves with positive thinking people. They are members of mastermind groups and partner with experts to continuously elevate their expertise.
You have heard the term, knowledge is power. No one understands this more than millionaire speakers. Joining mastermind groups with like minded people will skyrocket your speaking career and propel you to millionaire status quicker than anything else.
5.) One of the keys to becoming a millionaire speaker is to have specialized knowledge in a topic area. In other words they have something they are good at and are able to deliver it.
Knowing more than your audience will give you the key to success. Being able to answer audience member questions will reflect the depth of your knowledge, this is why knowledge is the key to millionaire success. Define what you are passionate about and build a program that will enrich the lives of people.
In a nutshell, if you want to become a millionaire speaker you must apply the five key characteristics outlined above. Learn and apply these five characteristics and you will become financially free.
Becoming financially independent is one of my goals and I am sure it is yours as well. You can become a millionaire speaker as long as you have a plan for success and are willing to embrace a system for success.

Reference: Paul Vann

How to Become a Paid Speaker

Do you want to become a paid speaker and teach lessons from the things you've learned throughout your life? Who doesn't?

Speaking gives you the opportunity to help and at the same time, earn yourself additional income. Each of us has had our own challenges and tribulations to contend with. Chances are, you have learned something valuable in life and it is worth sharing with other people.

Believe it or not, people will pay you to teach them the life lessons you've learned. The price tag will depend largely on your reputation, material, and promotional skills.

First of all, public speaking is a business. It involves lots of marketing and the product you're selling is your knowledge and skills. In other words, you are the merchandise! And you will promote yourself to the fullest.

A product is judged by its quality and a high-quality product will always be a commercial success. As a professional public speaker, you must strive to constantly improve your merchandise. Always look for ways to enhance your speaking skills and material. Eventually, the market will take notice of your excellence and your value will rise. Demand for your services will grow and your bank account will get fatter!

The most difficult part of being a professional public speaker is the start up. You will basically need to start from scratch. Nobody knows who you are or what you can do. It can be very demoralizing not knowing what steps to take. The key is to build up a portfolio and then, go out and network.

Models, actors, photographers and public speakers are all the same. To launch your career, you need to build a portfolio of your accomplishments and credentials.

Now, you wonder, 'I still don't have any relevant accomplishments to display and my credentials are not that great either. So, what will I put in my portfolio?'

Learn, join classes and seminars, get certificates, work for free, and get referrals. These are great start-up marketing strategies to enhance credentials and expand your connections. Apparently, you will have to sacrifice a relative amount of time and money but that will be just fine and it will all be worth it in the end..

If you already have done a few engagements and granted you will be surprised with the consequential referrals. Your career will launch, your worth will steadily grow, and by then, you can charge for your services without guilt. Your work's value will only rise as your reputation strengthens.

As you grow professionally, it is natural to specialize your skills and find your niche. Specialization is a spontaneous evolution of your public speaking skills. Typically, you won't really have to think about it - it just happens. You may become an accomplished keynote speaker, a celebrated motivational expert, or an all-knowing guru.

As a result, your market may narrow but your price tag will increase. The demands for your services will not falter but your workload will pleasantly diminish. You can afford to turn down negotiations and assert your own demands because in a sense, you are now comparable to a celebrity.

Professional public speaking is an honorable occupation and if you have the aptitude, it can be a very worthwhile and gratifying pursuit.



Reference:James_R._Malinchak

From Free to Fee: How Experts Get Paid to Speak

You're already on the speaker's circuit, using concurrent session programs at industry events as marketing opportunities. Each year, you get return invitations, rave reviews, and high evaluations. Perhaps it's time to quit giving away your expertise and get paid. Makes sense doesn't it?
The transition from speaking for visibility to paid speaking is like jumping off a cliff: if you survive that first leap, the rest will seem easy. Here are four big changes you must make if you want to succeed.

1. Go Where the Gigs Are

The first change you have to make is where you speak. The easiest way to get paid is not with associations; there are too many speakers in those venues willing to speak for free. Instead, you need to compete in another arena - corporate special events.

The good news is that many professional services firms already have established relationships with corporate decision makers, so you have the ear (and respect) of the buyers. You don't have to go through the usual gatekeepers. But familiarity can also be an obstacle if your clients see you as a teacher or trainer.

What they want: These buyers are looking for something more than their association colleagues. Corporate folks want to know the outcomes of your presentation. They are looking to change current behavior. So, have a compelling answer at the ready.

What to do next: To prevent being pigeonholed, invite the prospect to preview your speaking outside of the consulting environment. Show your client that you are the riveting speaker they need to rally their troops.

If you still want association gigs, ditch the concurrent sessions and go for the keynote slots with state and regional associations. National associations with bigger budgets usually use more high-profile personality keynoters, so pitch for the general session, where lesser-known experts are used. More motivational topics are usually given in the wind-down speaker slot.

Another way to work with associations is to participate in pre- and post-convention workshops. Associations are also open to creating new venues for speakers who will provide a draw (and high registration fees). Experts can get paid for these presentations if they are willing to take a percentage of the fees.

2. Ditch the Data, Add Stories

Buyers and audiences alike have very different expectations of keynoters. If you want to get paid $4,500 or more, it is assumed that you have more than just great presentation skills. Audiences at that level have been exposed to masterful speakers, so make sure your skills can compare favorably.

The flow of your speaking must be very smooth and transitions seamless. Storytelling takes the place of diagrams. Humor takes the place of case study exercises.

What they want: Keynoter programs also require major content changes. National associations request general topics that discuss trends or allow their members to feel good about their roles. Remember, technical content is more appropriate for the concurrent sessions.

What to do next: Go through your programs with a fine-tooth comb. Take out all the exercises and replace them with compelling stories. No more data dumping and PowerPoint slides with 10 lines of text.

3. Expand Your Media Campaign

Established committees that focus on expertise and content usually choose free speakers for concurrent sessions. Selecting paid speakers is made at the very top levels, and the decision is far more subjective. These buyers are more concerned with the speakers' brand and how their message fits the strategic objectives of the meeting than with the PowerPoint presentation.

Because the decision is more subjective, indirect marketing approaches work best. Focus on recommendations from advocates and showcasing. Leverage is king, and paid speaking engagements can beget more of the same.

While speaker bureaus play a bigger role, don't depend on them to be your marketing department. Speaker bureaus work with speakers like banks loan money: they only want those who get plenty of bookings on their own.

What they want: In the corporate markets, content is king. Your message has to be a conduit for attendees' strategic objectives. Again, what behavior will you change? What are the outcomes they can expect? In the association market, buyers want someone with enough visibility to create excitement for the conference.

What to do next: Pump up your prominence in the right places. Experts who have focused on building their business with trade journal articles will need to expand their media campaign. It's time to be quoted in widely read publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, etc. Make sure that book you've written will get you into these respected outlets.

4. Create Speaking-Specific Promotional Materials

Again, the decision is more subjective, so speaking-specific promotional materials take the place of requests for proposals. Professionalism is the key here -- good graphic design and copy are essential. The focus is on message and approach, not specific content. No one will read pages of topic descriptions.

Many buyers check out speakers online, so websites have become the centerpiece of a speaker's promotional materials. They won't search your site for your topics; have a designated section just for your speaking.

What they want: While many experts have a speaking section on their site that mentions key notes, these sections are not effective if the homepage focuses only on professional services. Buyers are looking for experts who both speak and provide related services, not advisors who speak as a sideline. This subtle difference is critical.

Another way to show your stuff is via video. Buyers not only preview footage for speaking skills, but they also use them to determine if the message is on target. They examine the audience as well to determine similarities between your previous engagements and their own.

What to do next: Smart experts refocus their site towards the positioning and expertise rather than the roles they play, such as speaker, consultant, author, etc. If that's not possible, consider a separate speaking website that touts your background, expertise, and approach. And get crackin' on that video footage. It should be less than a year old. The fancy graphics that many speakers include are not necessary; it's more important to be certain you are presenting your best speech material. Put it on the homepage as well as the speaking sections.

Written materials are still needed, especially when working with speaker bureaus. Plan on creating what speakers call "one-sheets" that feature your photo, list of speaking engagements, testimonials from speaking clients, your background/approach, and topics. Even beginning speakers have this material professionally produced.

A Different World

The transition into the world of professional speaking doesn't happen with your current tools and marketing efforts. Be prepared to revamp your positioning -- to brand your approach to different buyers with different expectations. Invest time, energy, and money just as you have in your professional service firm. And like any other business venture, professional help in speaking skills, marketing, and promotional material production can speed up the process.

Good luck, and I'll see you on the circuit!



Reference: Vickie K Sullivan

YOU WERE BORN WITH A SPEAKING VOICE

“You were born with potential. You were born with goodness and trust. You were born with ideals and dreams. You were born with greatness. You were born with wings. You are not meant for crawling, so don't. You have wings. Learn to use them and fly.” ― Rumi

We all have a voice and a message, we need to find it, hone it and fly with it! I love speaking! It has been a passion and my interest from an early age, it took me into the literary and deabting society in my school and made me participate in different extra-curricular activity such as debates, reccitiation of poems and memory verses as a young boy.I believe this was fueled mainly among others by the fact that I watched my erudite and amiable grandfather, now late hold audiences spell bound with his compelling and humorous speeches.

 Fast forward many years now, I am a young man, Engineer and Inspirational blogger blessed with a wonderful voice and a great love for speaking and I must have gotten close to hundreds of compliments from different spheres about my unique 'baritone' voice, I always give the glory to God, and I have always asked mentors and wondered more how to hone my speaking gifts and put my voice to its greatest use. This has led me on a journey and it gets promising and interesting by the day.

This blog is part of this journey. It is a journey to help answer questions as regards public speaking, going from FREE to FREE, Speaking etiquette,personal and professional speaking tips from around the web and also wealth of wisdom from highly paid speakers and a great networking opportunity for other speakers around the world.

Let's Rock It!

 Emmanuel Ayeni
Toastmaster,Lifecoach,Engineer and Entrepreneur