“Yes! At last someone is talking about this”, some people are bound to say. I have no doubts as well that this might offend some people – usually the people prospering from this scam and the people who are planning to go into it! I have no apologies for my point of view, if you read with an open conscience and do your due research, you will find out that what I’m communicating here is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Two interesting discoveries struck me today! I decided to spend some time listening to a personal development audio this morning ahead of going to work. Sometimes we don’t know why we do what we do, but we have confidence that there is always a higher power at work, working in us to will and to do according to divine pleasure. This morning was no exception. For the first time, I decided to pay attention to the biography of Brian Tracy, what I heard created loads of questions in my mind, that today was going to be spent answering… little did I know!
Brian Tracy is a motivational speaker, no doubt, he’s authored books, audios, trained and spoken in over 500 companies and speaks really well. What I did not know till today, was that Brian wasn’t just a speaker, he had grown from rags to riches, not speaking, but doing all sorts of funny menial jobs and businesses. He is not talking about what he knows nothing about, his work experience and profile, from washing dishes, to digging ditches, stacking lumber working on farms, to working menial jobs in manufacturing, construction, factories even in a ship and finally in SALES from which he moved to Business Management! 20yrs after this experience he has built, managed or turned around 22 businesses. When he speaks, he’s not scamming anybody, he knows what he’s talking about.
To my utter surprise, I got into my office this morning and met a motivational speaker in my office. He lamented bitterly about how he felt that what many of them in the industry were doing was a scam. He opined that while he had all the certifications in the world, they were not really producing results. He was following his mentors and he has people following him, and he knows that it’s all just a game of deceit. After all, even Jesus was recorded to have done and taught! The reality is there are many motivational speakers and motivational speakers wannabe out there, that can’t point at anything they have done. Please tell me what are they really teaching people?
To almost crown it all up, I got into my car after 8pm to go home, and had the urge to listen to a DVD a friend shared with me earlier today. To my utter shock and disbelief, the first 5 mins of the audio were used to read the profile of the speaker. The summary of the profile was, he’s authored and sold over 50 million copies of his books, but he’s built and led over 60 businesses into worldwide growth. Again it struck me, this guy is not just speaking, he’s done, and therefore earned the right to speak. Even though I eventually researched the man and could fault his speech, he still had a lot ahead of most motivational speakers I know of. He had good and bad experience. He had a track record of sufficient experience to share with others.
Out of curiosity before I decided to lay down for the night, I decided to do a little research on one of America’s premier and most influential motivational speakers and authors- Jim Rohn( 1930–2009 ), an American motivational speaker and writer whose work helped launch or further the career of many others in the personal development industry, including Anthony Robbins, Mark Victor Hansen, Brian Tracy, and Jack Canfield. Jim Rohn was also mentored by Mr. Shoaff who also had direct influence on the early lives of Zig Ziglar and Mary Kay Ash. At the age of 25, Rohn heard a “laws of success” lecture given by Shoaff and went to work for him. I did a little research on Jim Rohn and what I discovered amazed me. Jim Rohn was broke and struggling through life, until he met with John Earl Shoaff, who decided to mentor him and introduce him to a Network Marketing Company – AbundaVita. At the age of 25, Jim Rohn began to apply the laws of success into his business and made his first million dollars 6yrs later at the age of 31! It was only after Jim had become an authority in selling that he ventured 2yrs later into responding to a request to speak, and began to speak. He shared with people what he believed were the philosophies and principles that made him successful. He didn’t speak his way to wealth.
I went further to check out great authors and highly priced speakers like Robert Kiyosaki and also discovered that the bedrock of their proclamations is the backing of quality sales experience that the first succeeded in before they began to speak. Kiyosaki learnt selling in Xerox, but opines that the best place to get this skill is by getting on board a Network Marketing company with a good development system. When you see someone who speaks for a living and not much he has done with his life before then, I can guarantee you one thing – All you are likely to get from the program is excitement. It will not translate into anything in your life, because you can’t give what you don’t have. You can talk about what you have not experienced, and fake the good successful life, but you cannot transfer what you don’t own! It’s really a case of “teacher, don’t teach me nonsense!”. Or how do you reckon that a man who teaches financial freedom does not really know what it truly means in an experiential way? How do you learn leadership from someone whose only real contact with leadership is questionable at best, minimal at most. How do you learn effectiveness from someone who is in the real sense far from effective? How do you learn life skills from someone who didn’t use any of it? How sustainable is the model of your teacher? Can you be like him? How?
I reiterate, that teaching what you have not learnt is a scam! I encourage you to challenge your speakers to share their experiences with you, what rights have they got to lead you? What do they want you to do to become as wealthy or wealthier than them? They can’t ask you to wait all your life for their kind of lucky break, what have they done with their hands? It’s important that we begin to ask these questions, or we may indeed be forced to fake it and not eventually make it. Every time I see a young man or woman that says what he wants to become is a public speaker, I feel for him. If he really wants to be a public speaker, he must first learn to be a private worker! The only thing revealed over time in the public, is the result of secret and hidden toils and travails. Our public speakers should stop deceiving our youth and start a company or become a part of one! Let them have track records littered with failure, and possibly garnished with success, let them make moves and make waves. Let them apply their skills, and prove them before serving them to unsuspecting people.
In my next article, I will share with you my further amazing discoveries about some of the most prolific and affluent public speakers in America and their views about an emerging industry. Till then, don’t learn nonsense!
29 thoughts on “The Motivational Speaking Scam!”
Wow! Teaching what you have not learnt is indeed a scam. Unfortunately, many motivational speakers only download textbooks and stuff they read. True enough, some of these things work. But you’ve got to earn the right to talk!
Thankfully, some of us are in the process of earning that right. With guidance from God and men (like you), we will get there!
Deolu, this is one of the best articles i have read in a long time,you have only shared the truth, i hear my juniors that have just finished serving (NYSC)telling me that they are now business consultants and i asked them that what business have you have done that you have now turned into a consultant, its all SCAM and only God will save us in this country.Thanks Deolu, a big bravo to you
Flame without Fire. You are very much on point Chairman, I had known this sometimes ago and it helped me shield myself away from these set of speakers. Too often, I’ve queried a host of people my age who are teaching how to be successful without having a track record of their own.
I have a pastor client who is trying to hold business summits, yet he does no business. Whatever anyone wants to teach, they must first imbibe the values.
Pastors are very guilty in this regard, what a host teach on the pulpit, they don’t and can’t do.
I once worked part time with a Leadership and Management Training company that has all the Nigerian Banks on their clientele, yet they can’t bring the principles they teach to bear on their own company. It’s amazing how we fool people around here.
Hmmn, indeed a lot of the motivational speaking going on today are scams. We however have to sieve and search for the right stuff.
I have discovered that I learn more from peoples’ experiences than from their speeches. More from their actions than from their talk.
I hope they are listening. It’s amazing how every tom, dick and harry now tag himself a motivational speaker. Motivational nonsense. By their fruits you shall no them.. What proofs have you? Thanks Deolu for this exposure. The scam is catching on like fire!
Nice One Deolu.
Deolu,
All ur write-ups inspired me always.
thanks
This is a master piece in reality. I must confess to you that the qualities of my speaking engagements has increased since I came into Avenues to Wealth. I have learned a thing or two in patience, perseverance, human relations etc. I have had reason to feel frustrated and reasons to feel really joyful. I am learning to build a B-quadrant business as well. I speak from the heart now and I know I still have a long way to go. Avenues to Wealth is a good ground for real life training.
http://www.avenuestowealth.com/netwealth
Although they have the right to teach, you have the right to discern what they teach. If its substandard then its good for he dustbin.
What a powerful piece. I think true motivational speakers are actually inspirational speakers.They talk from the heart to the heart of the people base on experience and reality of life.
“Teaching what you have not learnt is a scam”! Many speakers today, just read up things from books and download in speaking engagement. They speak things they have not learnt by practice.
I think this industry should be certified and regulated to stop scams
this is major and everybody out there MUST read this….
it has always been my way to know who im listening to
There is always the ‘other side’ to most good things, where man exploits the groundswell of goodwill garnered by honest pioneers, to meet his not so straight agenda. It takes a leader and role model, among others, to be a motivational speaker. Then again, some people will merely follow the bandwagon whether it is their calling or not. Of course they end up fouling up things for the genuine ones..
Even among the Americans there just motivationan speakers without nothing to show for it, for me I have decided not to read any book or listen to any motivational speaker who does only speaking…antbody should be able to do that but 1st show us that those theories hac=ve work for you first…then …
Impact is when you take people through a path you have been through or are still on! I’v met people that download what they read and I feel empty after their well polished yet empty yearns. You cannot deliever that which you don’t have! I don’t listen to motivational speakers: I listen to men that have been through a path I intend to thred. Thanks Deolu for this piece.
I wish other motivational speakers can read this.
you can’t sure give what you don’t have
Good piece sir! This has always been my opinion about public speaking – private deeds before public speeches!
Motivation indeed!
Adeolu,many thanks to you for speaking the truth. Everywhere you turn to almost everyone is a public speaker and one wonders if they’ve got anything to show for it. Thanks again.
Deolu , thanks for this revelation. The sad part is that some of the “motivational speakers” even when they are reciting what they have crammed even do it so badly and you wonder if they can actually succeed at anything but fraud.
A Preacher once said, there are so many preachers traveling round the globe preaching the Christ they themselves have not met. It’s same here. O ga o.
Nice one Deolu. Thanks.
Thanks Deolu for this post. It’s nothing but the truth. You can’t give out what you don’t have.It’s out of what you have that you give out.Experiencing a success before sharing it is the best and effective teaching. Because in that sense, you’ll teach by a real example.Thanks
Your blog is very inspirational
The first time I read this piece, I felt this would bring QC (Quality Control) into the industry. However I think the best way to look at this is for everyone involved in one form of public speaking or the other to ask himself how does this affect me& what changes do I need to make?(I did that) instead of doing the usual “preach it!” “tell them” that we hear in churches. Personally this timely piece have placed me in check not to venture to talk/train in themes/areas that I have not gotten a practical experience yet. My personal resolve- IF YOU CANT USE YOUR PERSONAL EXAMPLE, THEN KEEP QUITE. Deolu, thanks a zillion for this
This is wonderful, many people should read this with understanding. Thinking is the root of planning; lack of thinking can lead to ruin. Many motivational speakers are not doing what they teach, but we can still learn from them. Errors of many is the solution for many. Big thanks to Adeeolu, keep on.
You can’t blame the fake for duping the unwary. Novice at times starts by buying fake products. Learning is occuring on both sides. Some of this fake motivational speakers may wither by the wayside, but a few of them will go ahead to build their own businesses, and become good motivational speakers. There are so many ways people start their businesses. Many successful business men will confess to you that their first attempt was terrible. Let the experienced ones assist the upcoming ones. The market is large enough to accommodate all. Thanks all the same for warning people to be cautious.
Bros, u don talk am finish, all this we motivational speckers for 9ja wen be say dem neva enter labor market go find work come dey tell dier senior wetin to do dey always confuse me, which day here i see wan small boy wey be Corper come dey tell me say im na motivatinal speaker, bros i jus tire!
You, Sir, have hit the nail right on the head. Keep up the good work.
Thanks sir for the eye opener. that is why people like that don’t last on stardom. they are only talking about the NOW that blossom without track record of failure in trials and success from not quitting and with no plan of what the future might bring in case the tied turn over against the blossom today.
Olasunkanmi Ayomide Fakeye
I remember vividly, about 9years when I attended a mitivators academy and the founder and organiser told us it’s better totake motivational speaking a career. Ie, without doing in other thing, stick to it and begin to earn money from it. However, I didn’tv buy that ideas because I have my plans.
I have known these and I live by the maxim that life is in phases and stages…it’s great and fun to authoritatively share what you have experienced. .I , for example, never wrote a book or speak in areas I cannot demonstrate my expertise in practice. When I had good grades in school, I wrote about that and was speaking to students on how to achieve good grades and self esteem related issues which I had dealt with. It will be foolish of me at the time to step out writing proposals to organisations to train them on work life balance. It’s over 10 years now from that experience, that I decided to work on my career and business and had a goal that when I am forty before I will appear to the public FULL TIME to share my experiences with them as a speaker and trainer.