This is a question that I get asked at least once a week: an aspiring motivational speaker would call me up and ask me to teach them how to be a motivational speaker because they want to get serious about it and go out there and start speaking to people.
My advice is that if you want to speak, the best way to start is by not speaking. Do not bang your hand on doors all over town begging to speak to the different rotaries and clubs. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with these organisations but what I am saying is that it is not the way you work your way up the public speaking food chain anymore.
My advice is that if you want to be a motivational speaker you have to find an audience that actually finds you motivating. If you are unknown or not famous, for example you have not found a billion-dollar company or been to the moon and back or taken your team to the Superbowl, then chances are that people are not going to hire you to be their keynote speaker, especially if it is your first speech or even your first 100 speeches.
So you have to get in front of an audience and start building a following. The simplest way to do it is to go online. A lot of aspiring motivational speakers are turning to Facebook as it is the number one social media site in the world. You can even use other platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat if you are shooting for a younger audience such as teenagers. The key is to find an audience that is willing to listen to you.
My recommendation is for you to start speaking online in your own videos on any online platform and promote them to reach your audience. Soon enough, you will be able to build a considerable following.