"Sean's expertise is without question. He understands your needs and he's very attentive to details. He makes it his own point to constantly innovate. That's what I like about him."
 | Francis Kong |
Motivational Speaker |
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SEO Professional
Search Strategist
Successful Blogger
Motivational Speaker
Marketing Consultant
CEO of 2 Companies
Sean blogs about entrepreneurship, leadership, management, and personal growth. His insights about leading a team and efficiency is sought after by companies here and abroad.
As CEO of one of the fastest growing SEO companies in the Philippines, he has experienced a slew of risks, challenges, failures and successes that he shares to the world.
If you want to know how Sean thinks and speaks before getting him to speak at your event, try reading one or two of his entries in this personal blog.
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Sean's workshop on SEO was a fun, enlightening experience. The Rising Tide team learned a lot about Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing from Sean. The workshop is perfect for beginners and Sean was able to explain the basic concepts thoroughly even in a short span of time.
Arn Reodique
Managing Director, Rising Tide
A motivational speaker is only as good as his success. If you hire someone who speaks well but has their finances, personal life and their company in a bad state, you’re setting up your audience for a bad example.
So I went ahead and listed down the things you need to check before finally deciding to take on a motivational speaker for your event.
Important things that a good motivational speaker possess:
You don’t want your audience to fall asleep during the talk. One obvious clue that the speaker cares about his presentation is his Powerpoint deck. If the Powerpoint deck is well designed, there’s a high probability that the speaker takes the stage seriously. Motivational speaking is a privilege, not a career.
At the end of the day, it’s not about money. It’s about passion and it’s about the mission to inspire people.
That’s arguably why the best motivational speakers are those who have jobs or businesses to support their main livelihood.
A good motivational speaker has a story to tell. Motivating and inspiring people is not all about teaching, rather it’s about empathizing and understanding. People fail and the best motivational speakers out there have known how it really is to be at the end of the rope.
This makes up an enjoyable and realistic case study for the audience. Listening to the speaker’s personal story on failure, getting back up, grinding and succeeding is the meat of what would get them going where they are in life.
There is no real reason to speak in front of a crowd hungry to be inspired when you are down in the mud – struggling or even failing in your family, career or business. Someone who is in trouble shouldn’t be on the stage.
“Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.” – Proverbs 24:27
A good motivational speaker is someone who is successful in all aspects of his life and so he has the energy, wisdom and ability to bring others there.
I believe that Francis Kong, who, if we are to admit, is one of the most prominent and successful motivational speakers out there embodies this perfectly.
If everything ends on the day we die, then all that there is in life is to eat, drink and be merry. In short, life will be all about money, fame and success. A motivational speaker who has that kind of a worldview will speak in terms of those things. And that’s a very dangerous and materialistic worldview to behold.
A motivational speaker who has a mission that is bigger than himself doesn’t see things that way. And if we’re going to be honest, the one main mission that a motivational speaker must have is to make a positive change in an individual’s life.
I’ve seen Francis Kong do it in his own personal time. He meets up with people who are having problems the size of suicidal tendencies and spends time with them. Motivating people doesn’t always have to be on stage. It is a lifestyle.
There’s no better way to verify a motivational speaker than testimonials from other people. Whether it is in the person’s website or otherwise. I posted a video that outlines some of the most influential speakers and authors in our time – I believe they already speak for me in my time and expertise as a motivational speaker.
I’ve seen a motivational speaker before who influenced the crowd to cheat. That’s just horrifying. I wanted to go on stage and point out that the speaker is not fit to be a motivational speaker and perhaps next time I would. As of that time, I was a co-speaker and I wanted to be respectful of the stage and the organizers.
The point is, if the speaker’s central point of morality is unfounded, it could be dangerous for the audience. First check what the speaker really believes in and if your values coincide. Shared values are very important. It could be the dividing line between a motivated, inspired crowd who will wake up the next day and decide to do what’s right – and a confused crowd whose morals have been shaken.
In all, these are points that are easily missed by event organizers and HR personnel who are tasked to onboard a motivational speaker for their event. I hope that this provides a definite guide in how to choose a motivational speaker who will best fit your audience.
As a public speaker and internet marketing and copy-blogging coach, Sean has given talks, training and consultation sessions and seminars on career and business inspiration, social network and internet marketing, blogging success, SEO and reputation management.
Sean is a problogger. He owns several blogs and has sponsored several others such as Actlikeaman, God and You, TeachwithJoy, Anthony Pangilinan, Chinkee Tan, Jayson Lo and Francis Kong in trying to achieve a personal vision for the Philippine internet and blogging community.
