There’s always a LOT going on behind the scenes here!   So, what does a funny guy like me have to do in order to keep it all together?   Here’s a Bright Idea:   hire a Virtual Assistant.   So that’s just what I did – I reached out into the “V.A.” world and found a great one.

Introducing Renee Blanchard!  Renee is the newest member of my team and will head up my office without even working there.  (Though we both live in Colorado.)  We work in perfect harmony from miles apart by using internet-based tools and the phone to keep the business running smoothly.

So far our favorite tools are DropBox, GoogleDocs and Filemaker Pro & FreshBooks (free).

Renee brings her experience from the corporate world — including her last stint at Hewlett Packard — as well as her business ownership experience to the table.  She will assist current clients, and manage those all-important, behind-the-scenes details that make everything run smoothly.   In other words, she’ll help organize the office to free me up to do the motivational speaker thing — writing, researching, and dare I say…. thinking.

She will also act as Chief of Overall Brad-Management, that includes reminding herself and me that it is possible to have fun while getting it all done.

Welcome aboard, Renee!  It’s a win-win situation for Brad, Renee, and their clients!

Looking for a Colorado motivational speaker?   Contact us here — and you’ll get a chance to meet Renee!

Do YOU work with a virtual assistant?  Or are YOU a virtual assistant?  What are YOUR best tips about working virtually?  Leave a comment below.

If you want funny motivational speaker Brad Montgomery to speak free for one of your charity organizations it’s easy—  just book Brad at full fee for your organization,  then Brad will work with one of your favorite charitable or pet organizations for free.    Maybe your kid goes to school that needs Brad’s special blend of motivation and comedy?  Or maybe you’re affiliated with a survivors group?  The local food bank?  Or a  home for special needs kids? A support group?  Or your church, synagogue or mosque?   No sweat.. Brad will work with that organization for free.

Here’s how it works. Brad will speak for your organization as usual.  Then, during that same trip, Brad will speak to your charitable organization. If  you’re looking for a top notch funny motivational speaker for your Rotary event, the staff at your local school, or any special group or organization  that deserves something special but doesn’t have the budget for it, here’s your chance to make a splash.

It’s Brad — two for one!   Book Brad now at regular price and get another Brad for free.

As you might guess, some restrictions apply.   All we ask is that you help fit the bonus program within Brad’s travel, and schedule the bonus program in tightly with the regularly scheduled event.     Second, the bonus program or speech must be for a charitable organization;   this deal does not mean Brad will speak twice for your group at one fee.  The free bonus motivational speech has to be for charity.   (Non-profit organizations are great…. but they are not always charitable organizations.)

The bottom line is that Brad loves to work and share his message of humor and motivation with groups of all types, but he has a special place in his heart for charitable groups.   This “Two For One” concept is is a way for Brad to help fulfill his goal of spreading his word to people who need it.

But best of all, it’s good for you.  It’s YOUR chance  at a cool brand of philanthropy.  You’ll be responsible for getting Brad into your special organization,  your pet charity your favorite charity for free!

As you might guess, each event is wildly different.   So to figure out how we can make this work for you and your charitable organization, just call our office and will work to find a way to make this great deal to work for you.

Brad will speak for free?!  You bet. Call us today and let’s get started making this special deal work for you!

Contact Brad Now.  Or just pick up the phone:  303.691.0726

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Emily:   you’re  a rock star!  Keep it up girl and let me know if I may be of further service.

Here’s her email

Dear Brad,

I am writing to you both, as you requested, to let you know about the outcome of my senior project about motivational speaking.  I wrote and presented a speech about technology to a retired men’s group, which went really well.  I wrote a paper about my research, and I mentioned both of you.  An attachment of the paper is included in this email.

The most nerve-wracking part of this entire experience was presenting my topic to my panel of judges.  I had to speak to them about more than the material included in my research paper, because they read my paper prior to my presentation.  After a recap of what I learned in my research for my paper, I talked to them about why motivational speaking is effective.  An audience may or may not leave a presentation feeling inspired, but most leave feeling happier.  That’s the key.  Happiness has medical and health benefits, but it improves a person’s general daily outlook.  

That is how this project has affected me.  Learning about making people feel better about themselves has made me feel better about who I am.  I find that I am more confident, friendly, and optimistic now, knowing that I decide to make each day a great day.  I think that next year when I attend college, I will be studying peace and conflict resolution. Even though motivational speaking may not be a future career for me, I think that on a smaller scale, I will be able to inspire and encourage those around me, knowing how little it takes to brighten someone’s day.

Thank you both so much for being so willing to help me this semester with my project.  I ended with a perfect score, but, more importantly, a better outlook.  I learned so much these last few months, largely in part from both of you.  I found that reading about my topic in books was okay, but learning about it from a personal standpoint was so much more rewarding.  

Thanks again for everything!,

Emily

Effective Motivational Speech Preparation
By Emily Livingston 

What People Think of Motivational Speakers

Most people have a stereotypical idea of motivational speakers.  Automatically, people think of individuals on early morning television programs.  Whether they speak on religion, finances, or healthy living, they are perceived as people who are obnoxiously quirky and reference little factual based information.  General attitudes towards motivational speaking are those of doubt; doubt that the audience leaves feeling empowered; doubt that the speaker is credible.  So many people think that motivational speech writing is easy.  Effective motivational speeches begin with a focus on the author, audience, and purpose before the presentation. 

Great speech writers from centuries passed knew that this was the secret to conveying a message.  On March 4, 1801, in his Inaugural address, Thomas Jefferson said:

…though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful will be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression.  Let us, then, fellow-citizens, unite with one heart and one mind.  Let us restore to social intercourse that harmony and affection without which liberty and even life itself are but dreary things (Montefiore 41).

This speech is one of the most well-known pieces in American history.  Thomas Jefferson used his own knowledge to relate to an audience about an important topic.  To feel passionate about a subject and to be able to make an audience feel that passion, too, is no easy task.  Over the last few months, the pleasure and challenge of writing a motivational speech has been the objective of the researcher.  Before diving in, learning about the foundational information necessary to write a well-developed speech was key.  

First, time must be spent examining the author.  To start, one professional suggests a brainstorm of the author’s knowledge is best (Duckworth 1).  What do they know of their own life?  What do they know of others’ lives?  What do they know that could serve as a strong topic for a speech?  What experiences have they had personally?  As one source read, “‘What shall I talk about?’ all of us have wide knowledge on lots of topics.  You can talk about anything from a hobby to a book, a foreign country to an experience at home.  Just use what you know” (Howard 13-15).  Of course, picking a topic with a particular audience in mind is important.  However, as the author, one must determine the benefits of speaking on certain topics.  Authors need to consider what their objective in giving a speech will be. 

The researcher, for example, had to examine his/her beneficial qualities, which could be utilized in a speech, as an author.  For the speech to be presented in the middle of November, the researcher knew that, being only 18 years old, life experiences were somewhat limited.  However, the author also knew that personal anecdotes and stories were always best when talking to groups.  Family, friends, high school, and life as an American teenager were probably the strongest topics the researcher could choose to speak about.  Maybe by talking on being a teenager from a teen’s point of view, the author would be able to give a speech illustrating how advances in technology have impacted daily teen life.

Next, the speech writer needs to consider the audience.  It is important to look at what a given audience knows and does not know.  Also, one must consider what the audience will want to take away from a speech (Cook 13).  It is wise to contemplate the types of experiences the audience has had.  What will a given group respond well to?  A group of kindergarten children would want to hear about different topics than a group of their parents.  The way that middle-class people view taxes would be different from the way that millionaires perceive them.  Authors need to be aware of their audience’s general attitudes towards certain areas of interest.  A nuclear physicist, for example, may know about kinetic energy, but an author speaking on wedding planning tips would need to be aware that the scientist would need to know the basics before anything else.  One source stresses that making sure not to grossly over or underestimate an audience is important (Duckworth 3).  Groups should be learning new information, but should not be treated as if they have no common sense.   

The basics would need to be addressed for the audience when talking about technology.  Once the researcher decided to speak on teenagers and modern devices, the audience came to mind.  The group hearing the presentation would be a retired men’s group.  These men would probably know little about modern technology and may even be afraid to use some of today’s newest appliances.  Perhaps these men would want to know how technology could benefit them.  The researcher could talk to this group about ways they could try to work with technology in inexpensive ways, since this audience would probably be concerned about finances.  This group would need to feel comfortable and relaxed to be open to these new ideas, so elements of humor may be an asset to the author.  Also, to pique interest in this somewhat foreign topic, some hands-on activities may also help the men to respond well to the spoken material. 

Lastly, the presenter needs to think about the purpose for his/her speech (Roman 20).  One book said, “You must think out clearly and put into words the objective which you hope to accomplish by the talk.  This can be one of the hardest, yet most rewarding steps in preparation.  Don’t be fuzzy about it” (Cook 17).  Authors need to keep in mind that they are not just speaking to a group, they want the group to feel motivated, but motivated for what? Brad Montgomery, a motivational speaker who primarily speaks with large businesses said, “You can’t just speak to motivate someone, because that will never work.  Keep in mind that you are motivating them for a reason.  Ask yourself, ‘What specifically do I want these people to take away from our time together?’”.   Trying to be too broad in purpose can lead to a disjointed and confusing speech.  Distinctively identifying a clear intent for a speech is necessary for success.

A definitive purpose was established in this case when the researcher chose to make a comparison -technology used by teens today compared to technology a few decades ago.  Then, the author could encourage use of this new technology and be prepared with inexpensive and easy way to do so.  Talking about trying new things and not being afraid to give technology a chance would be the main purpose of the speech.  Establishing this before even beginning to write is important so that the author can remained focused on the task at hand.  Too much variation straying away from this one idea can lead to chaos.  

Practice Makes Perfect

Once the researcher writes the speech, practice is, perhaps, the most important step.  Revising and editing the speech is always a good idea, though reading the speech aloud to make sure that ideas are clear is critical.  Memorizing a speech is a good idea so that speakers do not seem more interested in their notes than their audience.  Speakers should remember that the audience is the most important element to focus on during a presentation.  Marsha Egan, a fulltime motivational speaker said, “Remember that what you say is not as important as what the audience takes from what you say.  Keep it simple, but hammer it home”.  Reciting a speech in front of family members, friends, or a mirror is recommended for practice.  Also, if a speaker is relaxed when giving a presentation, the audience will be at ease, too. 

An important question to ask, however, is how does a speaker capture and hold an audience’s attention?  Of all communications, 75% is verbal and 25% is written.  Of this, 15% is retained, and 85% of what listeners remember comes from what they see with their eyes, not hear with their ears.  To give a good speech, one must override what one author calls “psychological earmuffs”.  Unconsciously, people develop ways to block out things deemed boring, trivial, or useless.  Speakers themselves have to first learn to listen and then find ways to make their speaking easy to listen to (Cook 5).  Knowing that distractions do occur, speakers have to be ready with a funny story or a thought-provoking question to counteract these instances. 

Once again, by considering these distractions ahead of time, when examining the author, audience, and purpose, many diversions can be avoided.  By remembering to motivate someone to believe in or do something, interest can be sparked. Continue, then, by identifying the benefits of this.  Audiences want to know what they will receive by doing what a speaker encourages them to do. Research suggests that talking about daily activities and personal experiences makes audiences feel comfortable and allows speakers to connect to groups emotionally. This, ultimately, helps the presenter to convince groups that ideas are realistic and important (McKinney).  Ideas should progress in an orderly and practical way. 

When writing a motivational speech, organization is not enough.  Having something interesting and worthwhile to say is essential.  One source said to “analyze the situation” (Roman and Tepper 19).  Topics should be aimed at a specific goal.  Speakers should decide to persuade, entertain, or inform, but not all three.  Audiences should not feel overwhelmed.  Locating facts and figures may be useful, but firsthand accounts will be more convincing and interesting.   Be upfront with the audience.  The speaker should tell groups what he/she is going to talk about, give them some background information, and tell them why this is important. 

 Having learned these three steps, the researcher has transformed into an author, and will soon turn into a speaker.  The speech to be presented to the men’s group will include a personal story about the author’s grandfather.  Also, there will be hands-on activities and audience involvement to engage the listeners.  The author plans to have pictures of technological devices for easy comparison, for example, an ipod next to a radio.  The author will continue to research suggestions for ways to try technology and will be sure to include benefits of doing so.  Once the speech is written and revisited and revised, practice will be key to a smooth presentation.  The author knows that the speech should be more a conversation than a performance.  After the speech is given, the audience will be asked to complete a brief survey for critiques and suggestions for the speaker, so that the researcher may continue to learn about preparing and presenting a successful motivational speech.

The researcher’s audience will, hopefully, have a positive opinion of motivational speakers after this presentation.  Society may feel that motivational speakers are fakes or phonies, but a lot of time and preparation goes into giving a good motivational speech.  If a presenter fails to consider the author, audience, or purpose, the speech will lack the conviction needed to catch and keep a group’s attention.  Regardless of how others see motivational speakers, most will undeniably remember words like:

“Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money, it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort” (Montefiore 101), or

“For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish al forms o human poverty and all forms of human life” (Montefiore 142).  The line,

“Women need no protection that men do not need,” will not be forgotten (Montefiore161). 

Prominent figures such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Shirley Chisem, respectively, knew that speaking to inspire others was no easy undertaking.  They were successful, and their words have lived for years after they were first spoken.

Works Cited

Cook, Glenn J. The Art of Making People Listen to You. West Nyack, NY: Parker Publishing Company, Inc., 1977.

Duckworth, George E. “Rhetoric.” Microsoft Encarta. CD-ROM.  Limited edition ed. Microsoft, 2001.

Egan, Marsha. Personal interview. 19 Sep 2008.

Howard, Vernon. Talking to an Audience. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 1983.

McKinney, C. “Public Speaking Tips.  Public Speaking.  2007.  Advanced Public Speaking Institute.  <http://www.public-speaking.org/>.  02 Aug 2008.

Montefiore, Simon.  Speeches that Changed the World.  London:  Smith-Davies, 2005.

Montgomery, Brad.  Telephone interview.  25 Aug 2008.

Roman, Paul A. and Albert Tepper. The Oral Communicator: His Role and Function. Kansas City: Peterson and Son Publishing Co., Inc., 1989.

Politicians Know Speeches

If you listen to the main political keynote speeches, you will hear two techniques being utilized extensively: The Phrase That Pays and Theme Weaving. A Phrase That Pays is a short phrase such as Walk Your Talk or Cast Your Ballot that calls the listener to action. It is short and sweet, musical and rhythmic and generally begins with a verb or action word. There is generally one predominant Phrase That Pays in an important speech. Theme Weaving is the repetition of a theme that is woven throughout the speech to emphasize the theme or core message of the speech. When the stakes are high, a speaker needs to ensure that his or her audience takes home the message that they intend to convey. Branding an idea, concept or phrase into the listener’s mind is accomplished by using a Phrase That Pays and then weaving it throughout the speech. Right now, both political parties are staking their future on their ability to weave a theme better than the other guy. The best speechwriters in the country are teaching valuable lessons in message branding by using theme weaving with a Phrase That Pays. Watch, listen and learn. Theme Weaving with a Phrase That Pays works for the big dogs in politics and it works for you and me, as well. It doesn’t matter to whom you are speaking or what topic you are speaking about, theme weaving using a Phrase That Pays is advanced adult learning technology at work. (See Never Be Boring Again, Chapter 12)

Repetition

We all know that repetition aids retention. Many of us know the Pledge of Allegiance simply because we repeated every day in school. Many of us learned the alphabet by singing it over and over again with a simple tune. To this day, you probably recite the alphabet using the tune you learned as a child. We seldom learn something the first time. It takes many impressions, experiences (or mistakes!) to fully integrate a lesson. As a speaker you will use thousands of words in the course of a speech. The challenge is to get your audience to remember something that you said. If they can’t remember and retain what you said, you were merely talking up wind in a hurricane to a deaf man walking the other direction. They heard it but they didn’t learn it. The solution, weave the theme with a Phrase That Pays. To brand your core message into your listener’s brain, you must start planning your speech with the core message in mind. Before you write a single word, answer this question, “What do I want my audience to think or do?” Don’t worry about coming up with the main thought, concept or action immediately. Brainstorm. Mind map. Write all of your ideas down and then rank them by priority from high to low. Do this alone or better yet, form a team. If you’re in politics, create a task force! Then get a committee to investigate the task force. Create a commission to review the results of the committee! Or, if you’re like me, run your ideas by your wife, your kids, or the dog!

Get the Phrase

Finally, choose one core message and transform it into a Phrase That Pays/call to action. Once you have your Phrase That Pays, build your speech making sure to lead all sub-points back to it. Weave the theme. As I listened to Bill Clinton’s speech on the opening night of the Democratic Convention, he wove the phrase, “send me,” throughout the speech. It was used to sell the idea that John Kerry has chosen, over the course of his life, to volunteer for the hard duty. “Send me,” represented an attitude of service. After he’d first introduced it, Mr. Clinton repeated this phrase approximately every 90 seconds. He’d describe a situation in which John Kerry had done something ethical, moral or brave. Then Mr. Clinton would end the example by saying something like, “When no one else was willing to step up to the plate, John Kerry said, “Send Me.” By the third time he said it, Mr. Clinton had created a cadence that orchestrated the audience into saying the phrase in unison with him.

By the time you read this, the Democratic Convention will be over. In August you will hear the same techniques repeated at the Republican Convention. Regardless of where you live on the planet, if you pay attention and study the best speakers, in and out of politics, you will begin to recognize theme weaving with a Phrase That Pays. You will hear it time and again because it works. Some listeners may feel as if they are being talked down to, but as a speaker you must understand the principle that is at work. Repetition aids retention. When you weave the theme, it clarifies and simplifies your message. It makes you focus on one clear point and allows your audience to focus as well. Bad speeches are notable for their lack of clarity and focus. The speaker rambles, leading their listener on a wild goose chase. The only problem is, there’s no goose. This makes audience members mad. They show their displeasure by tuning out. The speaker wastes everyone’s time and leaves the podium less credible than when they approached it. Are the stakes high when you give a speech or presentation? Is your credibility and professional image important to you? Would you like to blow people away when you speak rather than giving them another boring recitation of facts? Then take a hint from the professionals. Don’t give a speech. Craft a presentation. Don’t tell people what you want them to hear. Invite them into an experience. Don’t wait until the last minute. Begin preparation three weeks out.

Create a theme and then weave the theme. I was recently brought in to work with a corporate client on an important speech. They hired me to take the facts, data and information which needed to be included in the speech and weave them into a narrative, a story. There were eight people on the team and me. For three days, we sat around a huge conference table in the belly of a city-block-long building. Everyone brainstormed ideas. We scribbled on huge easel boards and drew diagrams on chalkboards. We wrestled with what needed to be in the speech and what had to be cut. It was fun. And productive. In the end, we created a magical script for a wonderful speech. The story that held it all together included their facts and data, but it also contained humanity and humor. We chose a phrase that pays and wove it into the speech. The phrase was repeated throughout. They realized up front that without a story, the speech would be boring. They also knew the stakes were too high to let that happen. The Fortune 100 corporation that hired me was willing to dedicate time, money and people to craft what they deemed to be a “turning point” speech. How about you? Are you ready to take speaking seriously and reap the harvest of your brilliance? Can you handle the adulation? Are you ready for a raise? Dedicate time. Find a Phrase That Pays. Weave the theme!

Copyright 2005 by Doug Stevenson. Reprinted with permission. Doug Stevenson is the creator of the Story Theater Method. He is an author, keynote speaker, and workshop leader. Reach Doug at www.storytheater.net or 800.573.6196