How to distinguish a motivational speaker from an ordinary coach?

Although we can hear more and more often that a motivational speaker becomes a person performing a specific profession, his profession is so new in our country that many people have problems with distinguishing him from a classic coach. Fortunately, there are a set of criteria that should make this task easier for us. The number of clients comes to the fore, as the coach usually works with only one person. Slightly less frequently takes care of two people, and already exceptionally rarely - the whole team, although the team can count up to a dozen or so people.

Characteristics of the motivational speaker

Meanwhile, the motivational speaker expects the largest possible audience and sometimes it turns out that even the lecture hall is not able to meet his expectations in this respect. Another criterion distinguishing both professions is the so-called lyricism of return to the addressee, because the coach goes to "you" only when such arrangements are made between him and his client. The motivational speaker is not concerned about this kind of limitation and immediately takes this form. This does not happen by accident at all, because we are dealing with a proven way to create the appearance of closeness. Another criterion, which may sound quite mysterious at first, is the source of finding needs. A coach is a person who searches for these needs in the client. He asks what his expectations and goals are and then helps him achieve them.

The work of a motivational speaker is based on a different assumption, because the speaker already knows everything for the customer and tells the customer what solutions will be best for him/her. An interesting distinction also applies to books, so we can often hear that while the coach reads books, the motivational speaker is the person who is responsible for writing them. Of course, there is a certain simplification, as many Polish coaches have written a valuable book, and motivational speakers try to stay up to date with what is published on the publishing market.

The image of a motivational speaker and a coach

Perhaps the most important difference is related to the fact that motivational speakers try to sell a certain image. They talk about people who have managed to overcome the crisis and often do not shy away from providing information about their own experiences in this area. This can be extremely motivating, though be careful, as the effect is no longer noticeable when these stories reduce the listener's self-esteem. Motivational speakers are also often referred to as people who promote themselves first and foremost. Meanwhile, a coach, even a very good one, is usually not recognizable.