Q&A for How to Become a Motivational Speaker

You don’t need any particular qualifications. However, it does help to be very knowledgeable or passionate about the topic you want to speak about. You might also find it helpful to take classes or get special training in public speaking or communication so that you can make powerful speeches that are easy for your audience to understand.

Like the name suggests, motivational speakers give talks that are meant to inspire or motivate their audience. They might suggest new ways of thinking about things or offer practical advice about changing your behavior in ways that help you to be more successful. They are often hired to speak at events like graduations and commencements.

It’s highly variable. Top-earning motivational speakers can earn upwards of $300,000 per year, but this is not a typical salary. You might make $10,000 or less when you’re starting out. The current average salary in the U.S. is about $67,000 per year.

You don't have to be a perfect age to be a motivational speaker. It just takes lots of practice. Maybe you could be great at it.

Having a degree in Communications, Psychology or Education could be useful. However, an unofficial degree in "the hard-knocks of life" is just as credible when you motivate and inspire others through your passion for your message. Some of the best and wealthiest motivational speakers of our time (Les Brown, Bob Proctor and Tony Robbins, to name a few) do not have college degrees! If your listeners can connect with you, your message, your personal experiences and success stories, you will motive and inspire them to transform their lives.

A good place to start would be to understand what the message is that you want to convey to your audience. Who is your audience? What is it you have to share that no one else does? Once you know this, create a presence on social media. Practice in front of mirrors, and record yourself and play it back. Repetition is key to get on the right track.

Start working on your communication skills so you can convey your message.

From other people's experiences as well as your own. Read, read, read.

Be able to motivate others and show others that things are possible by painting a picture with your words and by helping them to have a vision of their direction. Show that you believe in yourself and your abilities, as that is what people are hoping will become their mindset too, and you are modeling this in action. Have good energy, bounce in your step, empathy and a can-do attitude.

Bring out your message clearly, let the your message flow and make it unique and relevant to the audience.

Find an audience! Start with family and friends by setting a special night for them to listen to your talk and offer feedback to you. Then set up a community meeting, offering a free motivational talk with people in your local area. After doing this a few times, you should be able to feel more confident and spread your knowledge around.

Start by recording a motivational speech. Then listen to it and try to make it better. Do this several times, till you're happy with the result. Once confident, give the speech to your family members and friends and consider their feedback.

Writing a book does not require being a motivational speaker. However, being a motivational speaker creates an additional platform to promote the book and your message. Being a writer and motivational speaker can add to your credibility and influence.

Yes. It all depends on your experiences and what you have to offer as motivation and success.

It does not matter where ever you live, you can be a great motivational speaker. Try practicing with friends and family, listen to what they've got to say and make adjustments to improve.Then try bigger audiences, rent a venue in your town so the larger community can hear you. You can always go bigger by traveling to different places and speaking to different and larger groups.

First, start small: try your family and friends at your next get together. Listen to their feedback and improve on your weak spots. Carry on doing this and you will become more confident at public speaking. Then you can hire venues, try parties, or advertise your speeches around town.

Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that operates clubs worldwide for the purpose of helping members improve their communication, public speaking, and leadership skills.

Think about what motivates you and write about it! You can get started for free on a site like Blogger.

Older teens, yes, because they are at an age in their development when they can handle more mature discussions. It's important that we teach them about social problems.

First, build your courage. Practice speaking in front of a mirror. When speaking in front of people, imagine that you are alone. Be clear in your mind about what you want to say, and keep index cards with short notes on your topics in case you get nervous and forget what you were going to say.

No. You just need to find a way to motivate and inspire your audience with your message.

Check out online courses offered for FREE or a small fee at Coursera.com. They also offer scholarships.

Take A levels, preferably in sociology, psychology and/or social science. This will help you understand people better, so you will be able to address the audience better. Also, create a Tumblr account, or start a small blog. Post positive things, and gather an online audience. As you grow older, go to a university, or practice in debating, before following the advice on this site for becoming a motivational speaker.

A degree in Communications, Psychology or Education could be useful.

The knowledge is good enough if people are already searching for it. Search on YouTube and Google for your topic and see how many results it yields. More results mean it does have a demand. Then add your unique factor to your speech and writings and just don't copy other established speakers.

A degree in communications or psychology would work perfectly! You can do one or both of these.

Yes, you can. However, be aware that it will take lots of work and possibly years of strict dedication to reach your peak.

No. It will be difficult for a timid person to be a motivational speaker, you need to be bold and eloquent.

Absolutely. Age doesn't matter, just what you have to say. Everything begins with an idea, and some of the best ideas are old wisdom updated.

Share personal experiences, that way the audience will feel really connected to you. Share stories about struggles you've been through. Tell them your hopes and dreams, and what you're doing to achieve them. It's always about perspective. Get personal.