When seeking a motivational speaker for your upcoming commencement ceremony, there are several key qualities to look for. The following are four of the most important qualities to look for in a motivational commencement.
- Charisma
Of course, first and foremost, you want a motivational commencement speaker who can speak well. Whether they utilize storytelling skills or presentation tools, motivational speakers need to be able to captivate an audience’s attention and hold its interest.
- Style
Closely related to charisma is a speaker’s style. While charisma points to a speaker’s overall ability to capture and retain an audience’s interest, style speaks to how, exactly, he or she goes about it. A speaker may have a humorous and informal style or a serious and moving one. He or she may stick to a carefully-crafted script or improvise on a few key points. The best speakers are those who can adapt their style to the particular audience and setting.
- Versatility
You don’t want a speaker who will simply deliver a generic, preconceived script that could apply to any audience. You want a speaker who can address your audience specifically, who understands their struggles, accomplishments and goals. The right motivational speaker will ask about your objectives for the speech and custom-tailor the speech to meet those objectives.
- Credentials
The right motivational speaker for a commencement will have more accomplishments to his or her credit than simply experience in motivational speaking. He or she should also have credentials relevant to your specific industry or audience.
