Of course there are lots of positives, but that's a subject for another article. Professional speakers provide a valuable service. They speak to people about stuff people should really be reading about. Contrary to popular belief, reading is good for you. It's a great way to find wisdom and feed the mind.
Most people feel reading takes too long and it's a lot easier to sit and listen to someone speak.
The Professional Speakers' challenge is to find and deliver the wisdom and deeper meaning people are seeking. Oddly enough, the source of much of the speakers wisdom comes from simple day to day experiences. These are the gems that ordinary people either miss or just simply choose to ignore. It is the speaker's job to find, assemble and deliver these gems to the audience. In many ways listening to a professional speaker is like listening to an audio book.