When it comes to motivational speakers, Allianz Insurance always looks out for a good story, says Stephen Flynn, corporate events manager: “The ones that work the best are those that are unusual enough to grab the imagination but generic enough that you can relate to them.” Mr Flynn says notable hits have been business coach and author Geoff Burch and rugby player Brian Moore – the latter’s tales of grit and determination even had some of the audience “in tears by the end”.

The use of speakers to fire staff up, especially at corporate events, is common. But anyone who has sat through a motivational speech that failed to motivate may agree that finding a speaker with the best combination of attributes so that they genuinely move staff and provide lasting value appears difficult to pull off.