Ask Rene
I’m Rene Godefroy. I’m a fulltime highly paid motivational speaker. I started with no connections and resources. I was a doorman at a hotel in Atlanta when I started.
Many people didn’t believe I could do it. I proved them wrong. Let me give you some pointers. Go ahead ask me your specific question. Scroll all the way down and type your question in the box.
Hello Rene,
I just returned from beautiful Haiti this afternoon. I was in Cap over the weekend where we have a chaplain ministry to the seafarers that sail into the port.
After many years of missionary service with Mission Aviation Fellowship in Indonesia, then in northern Canada, more recently with the JESUS Film Project (I produced the 2001 version of the JESUS Film in Haitian Creole and we recorded it at 4-VEH) and now with our own ministry to international seafarers, I would like to start doing motivational and inspirational speaking.
My biggest questions are: (1) I am 60 years young. What are my advantages and challenges. (2) Most of my speaking has been church related and I need to know how to not be ‘preachy’ (although I’m a pretty good story teller), and (3) what should a starting speaker without demo tapes, etc., charge for engagements?
Thank you for your consideration.
Most sincerely yours,
Phil DuFrene
Hi Phil,
First of all, let me say thanks for making a difference.
Answers to your questions:
1) Your age is definitely an advantage. You automatically appear to be credible unless you prove otherwise. I don’t really see a disadvantage except the fact that you don’t have too much time to think about it. You gotta take action now.
2) In order not to be preachy, you have to talk to one person in your audience instead of a crowd. Audiences want to be treated as individuals; not a crowd. Have a conversation.
Ask rhetorical questions. Turn your solutions to rhetorical (don’t require an answer) questions to the audience, pause to let the question settle than answer it.
3) You do need a demo video. Imagine a singer without a demo. Now the next piece of advice I’m about to give you totally depends on your circumstances. You see, I don’t know much about what you bring to the table starting out.
But my guess is, given your age, backgrounds and experiences, you should start charging $2,500 for a keynote. You may be able to charge a lot more depending on your particular approach.
Hello,
i am just 18 years old and i decided to start ’speaking for a livin’. presently, i belong to an NGO and we are on a mission - to speak to high school seniors and i was made the key-note speaker. please tell me, how do i talk to this set of young people besides i am afraid, some of them are my age mates and they know me well.
i don’t want to miss the opportuinity now that i am still young
thanks
Val
how do i be a better mother for teenagers,pay my debts and be happy once in my life.
Dene Rene,
You have been an inspiration to me with all your articles that have constantly been sent to my box.
I belong to a society or continent where indeed motivation is vital ( Nigeria)
1) Rene, i know that i have a gift for speaking as evidenced by the way i have been a motivation to many people who had challenges that overwhelmed. Kindly tell me how i can harness this gift of mine with a sense of direction and purpose to impact and benefit my world?
2) How do you pursue a career in Motivational Speaking? do you have to attend trainings, conferences, read books and things like that?
Thanks
Ogudo Ayemere O
Lagos, Nigeria
how can i become a motivator speaker?
Take time to read the posts on this blog, you will find answers to your questions.
To become a motivational speaker you must first have a passion for the field. Don’t just jump in because of the money and glamor. Also, you must have something to say.
At first, you will not know what to talk about. But once you start, that which you are supposed to talk about will reveal itself to you. The key is to start. Stop thinking about it. Do something–anything–to get you going.
After all no one is going to take you serious if the idea is just in your head.