How to Prepare a Motivational Seminar

Deliver a compelling and powerful motivational seminar with these preparation tips.

When you stand in front of an audience as a motivational speaker, you're basically responsible for the energy of the entire room. It's your job to guide not just the education of everyone there, but their emotional states as well. Being a great motivational speaker usually involves solving enough of people's problems that they'll be fired up to come back again, while simultaneously keeping them engaged and entertained. To prepare for such a seminar, you'll need to prepare both the educational material and your own emotional state.

Instructions

1. Make a rough outline of all the topics you want to cover during the seminar. You should include main points for each topic you'll be covering in your notes. Weave different kinds of activities into the day, such as demonstrations and exercises to keep the energy up. If you plan on selling at your seminar, plan that into your day as well. Usually the close works best toward the end of the day.

2. Practice your entire seminar with a non-paying audience. This is especially crucial if your paid seminar is a large seminar or an important one. It's often difficult to gauge how long a speech really is without actually running through it. Do this at least once, ideally multiple times, to get everything down perfectly.

3. Double-check all the technical aspects of the seminar. Have extra bulbs for projectors. Make sure you have extra microphones and batteries in case one dies. Sound systems should always be completely set up by no later than 90 minutes before a seminar, as things can often go wrong. Have someone in charge of food and making sure food gets there on time. Make a checklist of everything that needs to get done, and delegate clearly.

4. Get a good night's sleep before the seminar. The weeks before a motivational seminar should be filled with preparation, but the actual night before should be relaxed. Do your best not to think about the seminar. Recharge your batteries.

5. Get yourself emotionally fired up before stepping on stage. Do something physical, like weightlifting or running early to get the adrenaline flowing. Mentally run through why you're doing what you're doing: Are you here to help people? To make a specific impact? Make sure you step on stage motivated and charged. People will feel it.

References

• Six Minutes: How to Prepare a Presentation
• Hawaii.edu: Preparing Speeches