We believe that a motivational speaker always has the ultimate goal of motivating his audience to do something that he himself has done and succeeded in before. However, a great motivational speaker does not motivate alone—he does more than that because he gives more than what is expected.

1. Persuade

The speaker shares his or her own opinions and seeks acceptance for it from the audience. The primary point of delivering a persuasive motivational speech is to convince the audience to believe an idea that is usually considered to be contrary to reality. The facts given may be debatable and moot, but the acceptance of opinion—no matter how difficult it seems—should remain the sole consideration to be given attention.

The best example of this is a speech encouraging cancer patients to stay strong and believe in miracles. Motivational speakers in the marketing/sales niche are also good examples.

To become an effective persuasive motivational speaker, he or she needs to have an infallible stand and should be a real expert. Persuasive motivational speeches are almost always open to argumentations and rebuttals, so it is important to have an incorruptible stance.

There are no specific representation of rules for persuasive motivational speeches with regard to presentation materials, outfit and stage set-up, tone, and spiel. Many public speaking experts call it a “real-time speech” as its whole flow (not content) depends on the reception of the audience.

For instance, speakers in the marketing/sales niche often use Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) to hit their audience’s “soft spots” and to convince them successfully. NLP has entered mainstream public speaking just in recent years, but this system has actually been around for 30 years since it was developed by John Grinder.

2. Inform

With the goal to inform, the speaker shares new facts that are used to encourage the audience to do something. Motivational speakers in the business niche are the best examples. They present trends, new findings, news, and statistics to motivate people while educating them at the same time. Usually, motivational speaking with the intention to inform is straightforward and formal to maintain the credibility and the integrity of the information.

3. Enlighten

The speaker presents a new perspective about a particular topic, with reference to the relationships of facts to provide further elucidation and prevent confusion among the audience. Here, the speaker does not merely inform; he or she clarifies and responds to whatever inquiry is thrown at him/her. The speaker is not merely a speaker but an excellent listener. There is reciprocation of attention between the speaker and audience. The presentation, representation, and delivery vary depending on the circumstances involved.

4. Entertain

Stand-up comedians and improve artists are practically giving speeches to entertain in the form of monologues and improvisations. Contrary to common belief though,motivational speakers that primarily aim to entertain do not always try to imply and elicit hilarity. An after-dinner speech with a tinge of persuasionin the business niche is an excellent example.

The effect of the speech may be short-term and fleeting, but the important thing is that it is delivered at the right time, at the right venue. The content and type of delivery of the speech depend on the audience and event. Identifying the audience if they are classified as “low brow” or “high brow” cinches success.

Entertaining motivational speeches may not have other specific goals aside from entertain the audience. A motivational speaker who wants to instill optimism and happiness is a good example, as he or she motivates the audience to adopt values and emotions rather than to do an action.

5. Impress

Technically, whatever goal the speaker has, it always includes the intention to impress to a certain degree. Don’t all speakers innately want to do that?

However, a speech with the primary intention to impress will do exactly just that—impress. Here, the speaker asserts his knowledge about a certain topic, usually involving facts that are nothing new but are presented in a different perspective. The speaker might also talk about the extent of his or her experience or credentials, just like in the case of a commencement speaker trying to motivate newly graduates.

A speaker with the intention to impress has to stay formal to remain believable and relevant to the event and the audience. The speech is usually not open to arguments. Whenever arguments are raised, rebuttals are not always needed to prove anything (remember that the speech is about old and accepted facts).Sometimes, there is really no direct intention to impress, but because the body of the speech revolves around attention, appeal, and sympathy, the natural reaction of the audience is to be impressed first and be motivated last.

You are probably thinking that the goal to impress is very superficial. We agree that it actually is, but only up to a certain point. Some people cannot be motivated with facts, new perspectives, and arguments alone. They need a role model, which the motivational speaker gladly plays.