What Makes A Great Speaker? 5 Qualities That Can Land You A Speaking Gig On The Mindvalley Stage

One of the most important criteria of an event worth remembering is the quality of the speakers who take the stage.

The way they deliver massive value, the way they move the audience, and the way they lead by example.

When outstanding speakers engage the audience, it completely changes the energy in the room. They don’t just teach, they transform people with their sole presence.

Those are the people Mindvalley is constantly looking for.

We had around 90 speakers at our last event alone including Dr. Shefali Tsabary, Jim Kwik, and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

At our last A-Fest, Jay Shetty got the highest rating of all people who took the stage — and for good reason.

Here’s a picture of Miriam Gubovic, our Director of Programming who chooses our speakers.

After 8 years of selecting world-class speakers for Mindvalley’s events, this is what Miriam observed about the ones who got the highest rating from our audience.

These are the five qualities of a speaker that set the best apart from the rest.

1. Talk TO The Audience Rather Than Talk AT The Audience

A great speaker creates a connection with the audience. This can come from the speaker’s humbleness, authenticity, and compassion and love for the people they are speaking to.

There’s no better example I can think of than Jay Shetty.

With more than 15 million followers on Facebook alone, he didn’t need to be introduced at Mindvalley’s A-Fest. But it wasn’t the reason he was rated as the #1 speaker.

It was because he spoke from his heart and from his mission to help people live a more fulfilled life.

2. Your Content Has To Be Unique, Daring & Edgy

Your content must be something more than what we can read in your book. A great speaker brings in passion, authenticity and emotion into the talk.

There is a difference between learning and transformation. You can learn something and forget about it tomorrow. But a great speaker causes a permanent shift in your worldview – this is TRANSFORMATION.

They expand your mind in such a way that your mind can never again shrink back to its original form. 

Shefali Tsabary is a great example of questioning the status quo. Her daring statements never fail to make the room go silent and provoke thoughts that transform.

Because she dares to be herself.

3. Be Bold

Be real. Be vulnerable. Bring in emotions. And dare to be controversial if you need to be.

Your point does not have to be popular — remember that all ideas that change the world were once considered ‘crazy’.

Who would think that science can be bold and exciting? But when Nassim Haramein takes the stage, it actually is.

His remarkable discoveries in quantum physics make a lot of what we’ve been taught to be true in school obsolete. (Time travel and flying cars are not just cool movie themes anymore.)

He definitely stirs up some emotions in sceptics.

But no matter how controversial his findings are, he’s never afraid to challenge our minds about what could be possible for humanity in the very near future.

4. Push Humanity Forward

We care about real entrepreneurs. And real teachers.

Are you doing what you’re doing to change the world for the better?

We want speakers who express the values of unity, oneness, diversity and sustainability. What do you stand for?

 Sri Sri Ravi Shankar stands for spreading compassion one person at a time to stop wars and transform the world. He doesn’t use the top speaking techniques to get his message through.

He simply speaks from the heart.

5. Walk The Talk

Whatever you teach, be practicing it. Our health teachers are the embodiment of health. Our entrepreneurial teachers run their businesses based on deep values. They are consciously competent at what they do.

 Eric Edmeades climbed Kilimanjaro in a fasted state in 3 days. He lived with African bushmen and studied how they lived their life every day.

When he talks about the evolution of the human diet, he doesn’t just pull out studies from a book — his stories are based on real-life experiences.

And that’s why his speeches receive a standing ovation.

What else would you say makes the best speakers?