Become A Motivational Speaker Archives - How To Become A Motivational Speaker

How to Charge More For Your Services

by Rene Godefroy | Jul 5, 2020 | Become A Motivational Speaker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXJPLdHNjrI&t=1s TRANSCRIPTION OF THE VIDEO How to charge more for your services. That’s the question I get asked a lot. The first answer is there’s no way I can tell you specifically how much you should charge for your services. But I can tell you this. You are not trudging enough right now. You are underselling yourself. You have employees that you have to pay. You will have online services you have to pay. You have bills you have to pay. Yet, you are not charging enough to make a great living in your business. If you double your fee, you are going to attract a totally different kind of client. You are not running a non-profit, are you? Are you a 501C3? I was coaching this young lady, and she said to me… the same question I get asked by a lot of entrepreneurs that I coach. She said, Rene, I feel like I’m not making the money I should be making. So, how much you think I should charge for my services. It’s the same answer. I don’t know! Because it’s different for different kinds of people. What I told her, is it something I said earlier? You need to double your fees. You are not charging enough. The reality is there are so many people doing exactly what you are doing. They’re providing the same kind of service you are providing. Let’s say you are charging five thousand dollars. They are charging a hundred thousand dollars. Does that mean they are 100 times better than you? No. Money is energy. If you want more money, you want to raise your energy. You want to attract different kinds of people. You want to raise your energy. Have you ever entered a room full of millionaires and billionaires? I have. You want me to tell you what’s the difference? The difference is huge. The energy level is way up are there. Let me give you an example of the energy level. You see, if you go to Wal-Mart right now, you take an item that is… I don’t know. Ten dollars. You take that same item. You go to Saks Fifth Avenue or one of the high-end boutiques. You put it there. You cannot ask for ten dollars. Why? People will not buy it because the people who go to Saks Fifth Avenue, they don’t pay ten dollars for this kind of item. If it’s 10 dollars, something is wrong. They will pay a hundred dollars or two hundred dollars for the same item that you have at Wal-Mart. What is the difference? The difference is the energy level. Saks Fifth Avenue, a high-end store, has a different kind of energy that attracts a different kind of person. And when they get there, they don’t argue with you. They don’t give you a hard time. They just buy it. When your price is low, people who have a lot of returns. If you go to Wal-Mart to see the lion when you try to return something. I mean, it’s a long line. And they have carts after carts after carts pile with stuff that people are returning. You don’t see that at Saks Fifth Avenue. Do you see my point now? If you raise your prices, you’re going to have less aggravation. You’re going to attract a different kind of people in your business. If you are still thinking about how to raise your prices for your services. I want to show five ways to do so. And once you start focusing on those five ways, you will double or even triple your prices instantly. Number one. Think of the law of association. If you associate yourself with people who have a high energy level, your energy level automatically is going to go up and you’re going to attract the right people in your business. You’re going to be able to double or even troupe all your fees. It’s that simple. I remember I was speaking at an event for Mark Victor Hansen. I don’t know if you remember Mark Victor Hansen. He is the guy who created Chicken Soup for the Soul. Remember those books? If you’re old enough. They were all over the bookstores, right? Him and Mark, Mark, Victor Hansen, and Jack Canfield. He invited me to keynote a conference for him in L.A. The name of it, I believe, was Maga speaking empire. And they told me to put a package together to sell at the event because back then it was like a big sales pitch. I put some packages together, about three packages. One of them was ten thousand dollars. I know I was not going to sell that many, but the five thousand dollars in the middle was very enticing. And I had one for twenty-five hundred dollars. Sure enough, I sold a bunch of packages for five thousand dollars and twenty-five hundred dollars. There was one lady who bought that ten thousand dollar package. Do you want to know why she bought it? She said to me, “Rene, I don’t need it. I already have the money. I’m doing extremely well. She said, you know, I buy it. I said no. She said, “I want you to take me to the green room and introduce me to some of the speakers in there. And you don’t have to worry about delivering anything.” I already gave your assistant a credit card. Let me give you another example. I had lunch with a guy who was pretty high up in the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce many years ago. About ten or fifteen years ago. He said to me, Rene, I’m going to share a secret with you and don’t tell anybody. He said, if you joined the chamber at the 500 or a hundred dollar level, it’s not a good thing. Because you will get invited to meetings where a bunch of people who are struggling, they have business cards. They are asking each other business, but they have they don’t have much to offer you. That’s the kind of people you’re going to vibrate with. That’s the kind of energy level. There’s nothing wrong with that. If you’re talking about those big fees that you are in the speaker range, I would suggest you join the five thousand dollar level. That is the ambassador level. You probably will get a call from somebody to invite you for a barbecue on a weekend at the in the backyard of the CEO of IBM, of Microsoft, of U.P.S., of Federal Express or whatever big company. That’s the kind of invitation you will get. Why? Because you are an ambassador and you join the five thousand dollar level. That’s the law of association. That’s what you have to associate yourself with those kinds of people to raise your energy level. Number two, you need to raise your confidence level. You have to be confident when you ask for your fee. I remember when I went to ten thousand dollars for a keynote, the first call I got was from a place in Canada called Fort McMurray. And if you’re from Canada, you know, they have a lot of money because they have a lot of oil. It’s a huge oil industry. They are close to Alberta, I believe. When they asked me for my fee, I said ten thousand dollars. And immediately I said, is that within your budget? And I was ready to make some concessions or to negotiate my fee because I didn’t have that level of confidence to ask for ten thousand dollars. And I remember the lady said, oh, sure, no problem. She said, just bill us… bill us separately for your expenses. Because at ten thousand dollars, when you leave your house, you start charging the client for everything. The limousine, the parking at the airport, or whatever it is. If your confidence level is low, you will not have the courage to double your fee or to triple your fee. It’s going to be very hard for you. Number three, create the illusion of everywhere. Here’s what I mean by that. Let’s say, I go to Facebook right now and I see you; your video. You are talking about whatever service you provide or you are giving people a behind the scenes look at how you do what you do. And I switch to go to Microsoft and I see you again. I go to YouTube and I see you again. I go to CNN dot com. I see you again. I’m thinking like, wow, you are everywhere. But the reality is, you are not everywhere for everybody. You are everywhere for me. You are targeting me. You know what that’s that’s called that’s called retargeting. Have you ever heard of something called behavioral response marketing? Well, it’s the same thing. It’s the illusion of everywhere. What that is, is I can put a video on this video. I can Market or promote it on the Internet or Facebook or YouTube. I put something in it and I say, hey, when people reach twenty-five percent of this video, I want you to create a separate audience for me right there. That’s on Facebook. Same thing for everywhere. I want you to… when somebody watches the video for 10 percent, create an audience for me or 50 percent create an audience for me at this point based on this behavior. You watch my video for twenty twenty-five percent of my video. I have another video that I want to show you because. Hey, you. Some kind of interest. Number four. That’s a quick one. You need to work on your brand, your personal brand at the end of the day, people will buy from people. They will buy from you based on your brand. They will want to vibrate at your energy level because of your personal brand. That’s what I’m saying. Who you are as a person. They want to connect with you. So that’s why you have to work on your personal brand as the person who is out there speaking on behalf of your company. That’s why they need a face to communicate with. They are not communicating with your product. They are not communicating with your services. They just want a person to connect with. That’s called personal branding. Who you are as a person. Finally, number five, be the definitive expert in your field, as the definitive expert in your field. You want to start teaching. You want to start teaching little known facts that the market doesn’t know about your industry. You start taking people behind the scene and show them how you do what you do. Your process. And then suddenly they start seeing you as THE go-to person. The definitive expert. Another way to do so is to really attack the gurus. Yes, expose them. A lot of gurus out there. They all sort of like false gurus. And when I say false gurus, you’ve seen them. You’ve seen people say a bunch of nonsense in your industry. And, you know, they don’t make sense. They are misleading people. Be the one to take charge, to disseminate that kind of information. How the gurus are misleading them. The moment you start showing people how the gurus are doing it wrong, immediately they see you as the expert. Your trust and credibility go way up there. This is how you get to charge more for your services. It’s not that complicated.

How To Crush It In 2018

by Rene Godefroy | Jan 1, 2018 | Career in Public Speaking, Become A Motivational Speaker

First, let me say thank you to you for filling out the quick little survey. Really awesome! I’m so glad to have you in my community. If you didn’t take the 2 minutes survey (4 simple questions), go here:

Click here to take the quick survey

It will give you an idea of whether you are ready to change lives or not. Second, I will share with you the #1 secret to become famous and get booked to speak. it’s going to be a HUGE aha for you! However, I will share that in a video. So, make sure to check your inbox in a couple of days. Now, let me tell you how to crush it in 2018. It’s no-brainer tip. Here’s it is… Decide what you are MUST stop doing and start doing. Yep! It’s that easy. Simply put, get rid of some destructive habits and form new ones. Take a good look at your finances, job, relationships, and spiritual life. If you don’t like what you see, it’s time to start and stop doing some things. We cannot have your cake and eat it too. We must be willing to give up something to get something else. Oh, I know you are a motivational speaker. This may sound cliche to you. But, don’t let the simplicity fool you, my friend. I’m serious. Maybe it’s time to start focusing more on the vital few versus chasing the many. Maybe it’s time to stop some destructive habits like eating or drinking the wrong stuff. Maybe it’s time to start exercising. I don’t know what is it for you. As far as I know, you may have it all together. Your life may be perfect. If that’s the case, more power to you. Well, not me. I definitely continue to add many things that I need to start and stop doing. For example, I need to fully recover from perfectionism. I need to stop giving free advice to those who don’t follow through and appreciate it. By the way, you need to do so as well. I have so much to say about this. It’s a whole new conversation. Very interesting, I might say. Alright, please share with me what will you stop doing and start doing to get better results. Make a public declaration and commitment so our community can hold you accountable. No pressure. Only if you want to. I look forward to reading your comments. Take care.

Click here to take the quick survey

Your Gifts Will Make Room For You

by Rene Godefroy | Aug 15, 2016 | Motivational Speaking Career, Become A Motivational Speaker

Your Gifts Will Make Room For You

“A man’s gift makes room for him And brings him before great men.” -Poverb 18:16

I woke up this morning thinking about you… Well, not just you. I was thinking everyone on my list. If you just happen to stumble upon this post, I was thinking about as well.

Have you heard the saying coincidence is God’s way of staying anonymous? That’s what I mean. There’s a reason why you landed here on this page.

Here’s what I was thinking:

When will you finally muster the courage to start sharing your gifts with the world? When will you say enough is enough; I want to start living my dreams?

Seriously!

How long have you been postponing or procrastinating on taking action? What’s stopping you? What are you waiting for? What are your fears?

I want you to serious start pondering those questions. You see, the moment you ask yourself those questions and answer them, you are well on your way.

You already know there is a calling on you. It’s a Divine calling. Your friends have been telling you about your gifts. They have been telling you can motivate and inspire.

People have been coming to you for advice. Your friends and family members come to you when they feel discouraged and uninspired.

Here’s what you need to keep in mind:

The more you procrastinate on using your gifts, the more you are causing suffering in the world.

Here’s what I mean:

Somewhere in the world, some people are emotionally hurting. They are depressed. Your words could be the medicine to ease their pains.

The reality is, it doesnt matter if your current situation is not what it should be. It doesn’t matter if you are broke. It doesn’t matter if you are struggling. None of that matter. Why?

Well, people by enlarge don’t care about your and your situation. All they care about is that you can heal them with your words. The best part is, while you are healing them, you are healing yourself.

I just had lunch with a lady who contacted me. She wanted to share with me the impact my message have had on her. She heard me speak twelve years ago.

When she started sharing with me, I was blown away!

I had no idea someone in that audience was on her last luck, crying every night, was there listening to me. I uttered the exact words she needed to hear.

I’m sure to some people I was speaking rubish or nonsense. But, to that lady, it was a Divine intervention! Are you getting it?

Today, she is doing exceptionally well as a successful business owner. Guess what?

She is a blue eyed blonde. I’m a Haitian from a poor village in Haiti. I have an accent. Our culture is very different. She graduated from a top university in the US. I have no degree.

It appears that we have nothing in common. Yet, we have everything in common. After all, we are a human race. One race. We are human beings! The only difference is that we wear a different garment or skin.

I was just a conduit. Those words she heard from my mouth didn’t just come to me out of nowhere. They came through me.

By the way, I have had the same impact on poor kids in my village in Haiti and other villages from around the world.

My point is, your gifts are not for you. They are for you to bless others. The Bible explains how your gifts will make room for you. They will allow you to meet great men and women.

Maybe you are praying for some doors to open for you. Well, using your gifts will swing open those doors faster than you might imagine. That’s the case for me.

I have met some fantastic and powerful people around the world on the speaking circuit.

My natural understanding would never allow me to imagine this. It takes an understanding that surpasses all worldly understanding. I’m talking about a supernatural understanding.

The thing is, most people think they are not good enough to start. They keep seeking more knowledge, approval, and acceptance.

No! You are more than ready. You have been pre-approved before you even came out of your mother’s womb.

When I coach others, I always start with mindset. You see, everything you see in existence came from the mind.

So, you and I cannot create anything without our inner game. Simply put, you have everything you need to achieve massive success. Your mind is your creation factory. Your sound mind is not for doubts, fears, and worries.

It is for you to create solutions to help and empower others to cope with their difficult times.

The Bible says your tongue has the power of life and death. First, you need to start speaking life on your life. Then you need to start speaking life on others.

When you utter some uplifting and encouraging words, you are speaking life.

Finally, stop doubting yourself. When you start thinking something negative, catch yourself. I know you have heard this before. But, it’s golden advice. Every negative word you use is another stumbling block you put on your way.

Let me know if you have any insights about this. What’s your feedback for me?

Keep pressing on!

5 Easy Ways to Launch Your Highly Paid Speaking Career In 2026

by Rene Godefroy | Jun 2, 2016 | Become A Motivational Speaker, How To Become A Motivational Speaker

Let’s face it. You have a message to share. The desire is burning deep inside of you because transforming lives is your calling. Friends and co-workers always tell you it is time to start sharing your wisdom with the world.

Sometimes you feel like you are working a thankless job. You are hoping one day you can tell your boss to kiss your rear end and walk away. You want your life to matter. You want to obey God and start reaching out.

But you feel trapped. You feel like the caterpillar that is stuck inside the pouch. You are struggling to break that silky cocoon without success. You feel like you are running out of time.

What is the problem? Why can’t you just push through? The answer is fear.

Stop Worshipping Your Fear

You cannot serve two masters. It is either you trust God or you trust your fear. Your reluctance to proceed is all because of those insecurities holding you back.

I heard mega celebrity Dustin Hoffman talking about times when he feels inadequate. Everyone in Hollywood experiences that same emotion. If you are waiting until you get rid of your insecurity before you start, you will never start.

The actions you take are the cure for your discouragement. Read that again. You already have the staff in your hand.

1. Choose a Topic That Solves a Specific Problem

It is not enough to get on stage and share feel-good words. You HAVE to solve a problem. Whether you are speaking at a corporation or a school, you must be the solution to a challenge.

Think about poor customer service, low morale, or change resistance. For example, I mention the title of my presentation: No condition is permanent! Then I ask the audience if they agree that rapid changes make it harder to have a joyful day in the workplace. I let them know exactly what to expect. People are willing to pay to get rid of problems. They are more interested in improving their condition than just hearing a story.

2. Come Up with a Solution Framework

You need to create a structure to position yourself as an authority. A framework is a blueprint. It is how you offer a step-by-step formula to achieve a result.

Come up with 3 to 7 steps. A great example is Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Do you see how simple that is? Companies all over the world use it to develop their teams. Your framework can serve as the basis for your book and your digital products too.

3. Choose a Hungry Audience

Make sure your target market has the money to pay you. You deserve adequate compensation for the transformation you provide. It is hard to make a significant impact without money.

For me, the insurance industry is my primary market. Aflac is a big client. I have spoken in 38 states for them.

You might think you need to speak to everyone. But you will get more gigs when you choose a primary target. That way your marketing materials will be more magnetic. You will stand out in a marketplace with a gazillion other speakers.

4. Create Your Marketing Tools

You need a piece of content that offers a sample of your solution. Make a list of 3 to 5 ways to solve a particular problem for your market.

Create a special report, a CD, or a DVD. It is easier than you think. You can create all three at once.

Create the video for your DVD.
Extract the audio from that video for the CD.
Have someone transcribe that audio for the special report.

If you love writing, do it in reverse. Write the report first and then read it in front of your camera.

5. Launch Your Campaign

Once you have your physical tools, you are ready to market. Send your DVD and report to 50 companies in your local area. I call this your “Target 50.”

The reason I say 50 and not 500 is to save you money. It is more inexpensive to mail to 50 people. Also, you need many touch points. You will get better results mailing to 50 people ten times than mailing to 500 people once.

Send your package via the post office one week apart. Your prospect arrives at work and finds a hand-addressed package with a blue pen. It is not competing with a hundred emails. They will not throw away a DVD that promises to solve their problem.

Do you see my point? It is a simple process. I challenge you not to complicate it. Your audience is waiting for your authentic self.I challenge you not to complicate it.

I’m not sure if you really get the steps I shared with you. Let me know if you have any questions.

The Shy Motivational Speaker Will Go Broke Soon Or Later

by Rene Godefroy | Mar 11, 2015 | Become A Motivational Speaker, Make Money Speaking

I just finished coaching a client, and I was shocked at a couple of things she said. I could not believe it!

She basically gave me all the excuses in the book in order to avoid drumming up some speaking engagements. She told me that she was too busy to go out and meet people. She also said that she is shy.

Really?

If you are a shy motivational speaker, you need to do something about it now or find another profession.

How in the world can someone be a motivational speaker and he or she is shy? I don’t get it.

Now, I am not saying you cannot be shy. After all, I was a very shy person. My first speaking engagement at a Toastmaster Club was a disaster. Yes, I bombed. I was extremely shy. My hands were shaking with the lectern.

Well, when I realized there’s no way I could become a highly paid keynote speaker by being a shy motivational speaker, I fixed that quick. I know what you are thinking.

“How did you get over you shyness, Rene?”

The answer is simple:

I nipped it in the bud by telling myself to cut that out
I put myself in situations to confront my shyness
I did what I was afraid of

I wish I had a real secret to share with you about being shy. But, I don’t. You simply have to confront your fears. Dare to do the things that scare the hell out of you in spite of your fear. Got it?

Look, you did not come out of your mother’s womb as a shy person. Something happened along the way when you were a kid. Perhaps you grew up with shy people. I don’t know. What you must keep in mind is this; you can go from shyness to courage if you want to.

Sorry. I digressed. Here’s the fundamental lesson I want to share with you here.

You cannot build a business incognito. Stop being invisible. You are not in the secret service. You are running a business. And it makes absolutely no difference what business you are in.

Meeting Planners Cannot Hire You To Speak If They Don’t Know You Exist.

They cannot buy your products or services if they don’t know about them. You have to be everywhere. People have to know and remember you.

Your calendar should never have a bunch of blank spots in it
Go where the people gather
Make sure every week that you, at least, attend three networking events

In the US and Canada, there are hundreds of networking events every day. If your country or city does not have those kinds of events, create yours. Bring some businesses together to share ideas and leads. Invite some people to come and discuss how to get ahead in life.

To this day, some of my best clients come from the networking events I attend. Sometimes, I make a connection with a person who is not in a position to hire me. But, guess what?

They know someone they can refer me to. At the very least, they can buy my book, CD, or DVD. In some cases, they have an idea I can use to build my business. Please do not prejudge anyone.

Do you see what I mean?

Oh, just for the records, my client gave me the permission to write this. She felt like my feedback was awesome. She wanted to make sure all of you learn about it.

Just like her, she wants you to pledge that you will never be a shy motivational speaker. Be visible! Go tell the world about what you do. Let others feel your passion and fire.

By the way, stop being invisible now and here. People need to know about you. Share your feedback with me.

Quit Your Job To Become A Motivational Speaker?

by Rene Godefroy | Jan 1, 2009 | Become A Motivational Speaker, How To Become A Motivational Speaker, Make Money Speaking, Speaking Career, Speaking Careers, speaking opportunities

Well, think before you leap and quit your job to become a motivational speaker. And I do mean think.

Although I didn’t have kids when I started, I still had to pay my bills and eat. I couldn’t quit my job cold turkey not knowing when and where the next paycheck would come from. You can call me coward or chicken if you want. But you are not going to call me stupid.

I never forgot this lady with a beaming smile on her face. She came to announce to me that she quit her job to pursue her speaking. I mean… She was so excited. She felt like it was the best decision (more…)

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