Be motivated to speak well

Sports has dominated the headlines for the last week as Kenya literally ran away with medals in Delhi. Cue the obligatory dancing and the off-the-cuff interviews outside the arrivals lounge at JKIA. Kenyan athletes dedicate months of training to get to the top of their careers but how much time is spent on improving their communication skills?

After running round the tartan track 24 times it might be difficult to marshal your thoughts but when the eyes of the entire commonwealth (not to mention the marketing managers of any number of products) are on you, you might want to sound somewhat articulate. Mind you some of the questions the reporters ask are mind numbingly inane resulting in mind numbingly inane answers. Regardless, successful sport celebrities have mastered the art of communication skills and they know that coming across during an interview as articulate, inspirational and persuasive will distinguish you as media savvy and give you a powerful personal brand.

Organizations are always looking for speakers to come in and motivate and inspire staff. On the speaking circuit in many countries amoung the most wanted speakers next to retired Presidents and Five Star generals are former great sportsmen and athletes. Sports appeals to almost everyone because we can all relate to beating the odds or overcoming hurdles. Legendary sports figures make great motivators because of sharing their secrets to success and how they overcame the odds to succeed. It saddens me in Kenya to see our former great athletes eking out an existence after successful careers when they should be amoungst the most sought after speakers by corporates. But it does boil down to communication skills or lack thereof.

Speaking of motivational speakers, before the big Harambee Stars game last week, I watched the boys on TV being given haircuts and head massages ostensibly to ‘motivate’ the lads before the game. As an image strategist, I’m all for looking dapper in public but it struck me that given our recent less than stellar performances, a real motivational speaker might be brought in next time to inspire the players and mentally give them an advantage – nothing against the girl clipping their toenails.