In most cases, people use the terms inspirational and motivational interchangeably, though it’s a mistake to do so because each has particular differences that should be addressed, especially when you’re considering a speaker with those terms included.
Motivation
Motivation works well when you’ve already got something planned, and you need to just get it done. You push and find the willpower to focus and get through it. Motivation is a useful tool, but it’s also short-lived and short-sighted. In effect, you’re looking for a feel-good moment to keep yourself going, and it can be a random act or something planned.
Inspiration
Inspiration, on the other hand, uses more subtle ways to get things across. You can use inspiration to give you a vision or an end result and how you want it to be. For example, you become inspired to lose weight because you want to look good in a bikini, be healthy or whatever other reason. You then use motivation along your path to stick to the workout or refuse that cupcake.
Why Combine Them For Your Speakers
When you hire a speaker for your event, it’s usually best to choose an inspirational and motivational one, for a variety of reasons. For one thing, they’ll be able to inspire others to get off their butts and do something. That may mean creating a new logo, changing the advertisements or something else, but it boils down to getting involved. It may also mean that they are inspired to do their job better or help others when needed.
The inspirational motivational speaker then uses motivation as a burst of goodwill. They use positive energy and boost self-esteem to say, “Yes, you can do this and there’s help available.” It allows them that little nudge to think about it and then act upon it.
