Some of my competitors in new home sales training accuse me of being a “motivational speaker.” That doesn’t sound like a bad thing, does it? However, the inference is that I’m not a teacher — that I do encourage people, but I don’t educate them.
To that I say, “Rubbish!” Teaching is more than imparting knowledge; it’s also inspiring change.
The biological processes within the human brain function on many levels. Simultaneously, they are gathering information, creating images that induce action, and generating feelings.
Poet Fernando Pessoa explained it this way: “I do not know what instruments grind and play away inside of me — strings and harps, timbales and drums. I can only recognize myself as a symphony.”
All the salespeople I teach individually and in seminars … all the sales managers who request a consultation … all the owners of businesses who have sought my counsel … all of them have these silent symphonies inside their heads. It’s my job to help them orchestrate the noise so they stay in tune with the times without missing a beat.
I’ve found the best way to do this is to engage as much of the brain’s processes as possible. So, I share information. That’s called education. I introduce mental images that induce action. That’s motivation. And I create an awareness of emotions and desires. That is inspiration.
To quote William Arthur Ward, “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”
To my critics, I would say that I’m guilty as charged. I am a motivational speaker who aspires to be a great teacher … one who teaches from the heart, not just a book.
