7 Hot Topics for Today’s Business and Sales Motivational Speakers

Business speakers, corporate keynote speakers, and sales motivational speakers can captivate and entertain crowds, and they also provide valuable data salespeople can use to increase their business and work more effectively. The speaking industry has grown dramatically thanks to YouTube and social media, which can turn a TED Talk into a viral sensation overnight. This means you have many choices when hiring a speaker and the subject matter addressed.

Options are good, so let’s explore some of the most in-demand topics being delivered to sales audiences by top business speakers today. I’ll also throw in a few tips for choosing speakers at the end.

1. Neuro-linguistic programming. NLP is the study of how language and neurological processes influence human behavior. While the subject is quite broad and can get technical, salespeople who practice NLP essentially focus on mirroring the speech patterns, body postures, gestures – even breathing patterns – of potential buyers. The point is to put prospects at ease and influence them positively towards a sale. Corporate keynote speakers who specialize in this topic can help salespeople build better connections – and therefore close more deals.

2. Emotional Intelligence. Emotional intelligence is a cousin of NLP, but is less technical and therefore more relatable to most audiences. Emotional intelligence for sales success involves understanding your own personality strengths and weaknesses and how that impacts relationships – including those with buyers. Sales motivational speakers who teach EQ help salespeople understand the triggers and biases people use to make decisions. Armed with this knowledge, they improve their closing ratios.

3. AI. Artificial intelligence has been a buzzword in sales and marketing circles for the past couple of years, with big names from Oracle to Adobe to Microsoft rolling out AI solutions for salespeople and marketers. Business speakers can speak on the latest developments and illuminate practical uses, such as choosing “next best actions” on accounts based on big data analysis.

4. Diversity. The business world is increasingly diverse, and corporate keynote speakers who provide best practices for relating to different groups are very relevant. This includes navigating differences in gender, ethnicity, country of origin, sexual orientation, and views on religion and politics. These issues are at the forefront of conversations in the media as well as social platforms, so rather than pretend they don’t exist, it is wiser to hire experts who can provide helpful insights.

5. Account-based marketing. ABM is a smart way to pursue new business for B2B salespeople because it focuses efforts on those companies likeliest to close. Experts on this subject can provide a wealth of information, from how to choose target accounts, to nurturing tips, to recommended ABM-focused software apps or add-ons to existing tools. As an example: are your salespeople aware of which specific companies are visiting your website, and what they are reading when they get there? There are several ABM platforms which deliver this data – wouldn’t your salespeople find these valuable? ABM pros can shed light on solutions like this.

6. Sales automation. Nothing fires up salespeople like getting leads. Business speakers who teach methods for driving more leads and automating the follow-up work are always well-received. They can inspire salespeople to finally update their Salesforce regularly! Seriously, there are many sales automation tools and tips which can make life easier, so consider hiring an expert to expound on them and increase productivity.

7. Traditional closing techniques. In business as in life, everything old eventually becomes new again. Classic techniques with such colorful names as The Ben Franklin Close, The Puppy Close, and The Columbo are back in style. Why? Because they work, even if they have to be slightly modified for the modern buyer. Sales motivational speakers who can teach these closes effectively can literally transform a struggling sales team into a crack team of closers.

Tips for choosing good business speakers

Once you have an idea of the subject matter you would like for your keynote or other speech requirements, here are a handful of pointers for selecting the actual speaker.

• Watch past speeches. These are usually available on the speaker’s website or YouTube. Do you like the energy? Can you see or hear the audience response?
• Make sure your corporate keynote speakers will work with you to tie their presentations into your meeting’s overall goals and the theme.
• Ask if there is follow-up material to reinforce the content, such as books, podcasts, videos, etc. These help salespeople better retain what they learn from a speech and you get a bigger bank for your buck as a result.
• You can find professional sales motivational speakers from a speaker’s bureau or ask your network for referral.