How to tell the difference between a Yank salesman and a real motivational speaker

On Sunday there’s going to be an online event promoted by the irrepressible Max Markson involving two guys I’ve never heard of but according to Max, they’re legends!

And they could be but I’ve simply never hear of them. On that subject, I recently did a story on Zig Ziglar, who I think is a legend, but I guess many of you have never heard of him.

The stars of Max’s promoted show are Les Brown, who apparently is “the world’s #1 motivational speaker, a living legend who has overcome poverty, racism, setbacks, divorce, the loss of loved ones, family tragedies, terminal cancer, and even an opioid addiction.”

And then there’s Dr.Willie Jolley, the world’s #1 inspirational speaker, is the bestselling author of “A SETBACK IS A SETUP FOR A COMEBACK” and in 2006 to 2009 helped the Ford Motor Company go from the brink of bankruptcy to billion dollar profits. He is known as the “Comeback King”. 

As a one-time normal Australian, when I was younger, I was instantly suspicious of fast-talking Yanks passing themselves off as motivational or inspirational speakers/trainers/coaches or whatever they think will get people in. But since those days, I’ve become an abnormal Australian and it means I give these guys and gals the benefit of the doubt.

But others, such as academic, Dr Bobby Hoffman, who makes a bit of a career out of telling us that these talk-up merchants are “Dead wrong!”

This is how he opened his piece in Psychology Today: “I often bring a magic wand to my face-to-face seminars and university classes. The audience usually emits a loud chuckle when I ask for a volunteer and proceed to wave my magic wand over their head and declare them “motivated.”

That’s a great prop gag but what’s his argument for pooh-poohing people who think they motivate someone to lose weight, get fit, start being focused and generally turning something bad for you into something good?

The good doc scoffs at those books that virtually say: “…simply following the author’s guidance you will instantly become motivated.”

And I have to agree but I am curious about his reference to “motivational science”. This has to be the kind of stuff that psychologists would be fascinated about and it has got me intrigued.

Bobby tells the stories of gurus subject to abject misery and misadventure in their early lives and how they became winners, but he argues that these “do as I do and you too will succeed” stories have no real provable history.

He insists that “motivation cannot be mandated” in either spoken words or in a book or video. So, how does it work? Come on Bobby, give us the good oil for motivation transference.

Once again you can’t argue with him when he says their “one-size-fits-all” advice based on their experience has not been scientifically tested to work in a general way. He’s also right when he says it’s hard to debunk their claims because the teacher of motivation can argue the student didn’t follow the script to the letter. Finally, in Bobby’s book — there’s always a book for motivators and motivator doubters — he tells us “motivational solutions will change based on the person and problem.” Generalisations to change someone has to have a hit or miss aspect to it.

I can’t take issue with much of what Bobby puts up for a decent argument, but he has one problem and it’s linked to his failure to concede there is value in these motivational ‘snake oil’ merchants.

These people are wrong to have a message that goes like this:

• You’ve got failure and you want success
• Change this aspect of you, and
• You will succeed.

That’s too simplistic and anyone offering that advice knows that he or she is gilding the lily but it doesn’t mean they are valueless.

My life changed for the better in the early 1990s when I was offered the position of editor of Australian Small Business magazine by the management of Federal Publishing.

It forced me to interview the likes of Zig Ziglar, Tony Robbins, Tom Peters, Jay Abraham, Michael Gerber and Sir Richard Branson.

All of these were teachers of business actions that gave me skills I didn’t have before. They also, by virtually hanging out with them, gave me inspiration to be committed to a goal. And then taking the actions so goals become real success stories rather than exciting dreams.

They were inspirational and motivational in different doses of intensity but they all made it clear that if you wanted different output, you had to change the inputs. And the key input to change was you, your focus and your desire to really want change.

Not one of these guys, I can recall, promised that you’d win if you just did what they said but they did say that if you want to win and change, legends of business do leave clues and so their key inspirational/motivational message was to know what you want and go for it.

They goaded you to look for help to build up your competitive advantage or strength zone and use others to deal with your weakness zone activities, where you are never likely to make money/success out of.

Dr Bobby Hoffman makes some decent points about motivational speakers who over-promise and are destined to under-deliver but I suspect it’s an OK idea to read and listen to anyone who has kicked some big goals in their lives because, as I’ve said many times, legends leave clues.

But you will never see them and learn from them if you don’t get inspired and motivated to go looking for them.

Most things in life can be taught but the commitment and the desire of the student can have a big bearing on how good the teacher’s results end up looking. That’s why, as a teacher I used to work on making economics relevant and entertaining to build up the motivation for my students to be interested in all this gobblygook economics that had a big bearing on our lives and happiness.

I reckon you could have a lot worse use of your time than checking out the lessons of Les Brown and Dr Willie Jolley but don’t let them sell you anything you don’t want!

(During this time of economic recession, social unrest, high unemployment and Covid-19 two Australian event organisers decided they wanted to do something positive for the public so they’ve engaged Les Brown and Willie Jolley to deliver a free seminar online tomorrow June 28 www.getmotivatedgetwealthy.com.au)