Public Speaking Coaching
Individuals and Groups
Initial Consultation: I generally spend a little time up front on the phone (or if in the Bay Area, sometimes in person), to understand my potential clients' needs and how to proceed.
Initial Critique/Assessment
- Live
- Video
For the assessment, I look for:
Going blank
Stumbling over your words
Showing your nerves/nervousness
Sweating (again, nerves)
Knees knocking (nerves)
Throat closing (which can lead to swallowing)
Filler words (um, ah)
Repetitive words (like, you know) or phrases
Filler/repetitive movements (hand gestures, pacing, nervous ticks)
Vocal monotony/vocal variety*** (one of the most important)
Personality and how it matches how you present it in other situations **** (the other most important thing)
Results will be presented in a written report and then discussed in a coaching session
Individual Coaching & Critique: Using the initial assessment and consultation as guidance, we will work on specific weak areas and shore up the strong. Coaching can be conducted in person or via phone or Skype, though ongoing coaching and critique should be based on in person or Skype sessions to best bring about progress and reach goals. Clients can also video-record practice sessions and we can work over the phone if more convenient.
Groups: You and colleagues
Group seminars (learning focused/lecture)
Group workshops (exercise focused)
Teaching group members how to observe, assess and critique as they practice with each other (without me)
Practice sessions: Clients should schedule practice sessions to be conducted as part of the coaching (in person or via Skype).
Video-recording, critique and coaching (including Skype): To reiterate, I can work with clients in a variety of formats, with a focus on live coaching, of course. When clients are not geographically accessible in person, a combination of Skype, video-recording and phone sessions does the trick. I am also available to travel to client-sites.
Q&A Skills: Important to the audience is how a speaker listens and understands an audience member's question and responds to it. How one responds in an interview situation--great speakers are often interviewed by reporters and other writers, radio/podcast hosts, and TV personalities--is part of this. Consequently, we will work on the art of answering questions, without dodging them!
Presentation Skills: The Art of Creating Good Presentations: Besides your actual speaking skills and persona, there is the presentation itself. Is your content appropriate for your message and the audience you're addressing? We'll take a deep look at the actual content of your presentations, work through it for maximum impact (and credibility), and be sure that there's at least a little (if not more) entertainment value. We'll look at the visuals you're using to make sure they support what you're saying rather than detract or distract--or we'll create them.
If you're interested, we'll also consider (and I'll coach you on) other visuals (besides in PowerPoint) you might use to either illustrate points or simply entertain, including simple yet visual/effective magic tricks.
Audience & Venue: Part of preparation for any presentation is being aware of the demographics and size of the audiences you'll be addressing as well as the setup of the venue, including sound and lighting and audio/visual needs. Presenters need to have clear who they're speaking to, and where they're speaking, as well as whether the hosts of the event (even if that's you) makes the setting as positive as possible for both speaker and audience.
Adaptability: We'll also go through a process to make sure you and your presentation are adaptable to just about any circumstance should there be any technical, audience or venue issues. The best speakers are not thrown off track if the audience turns out to be different than expected, or if there are issues with projector or sound system. The best speakers adapt to the circumstances as best as is humanly possible without making a fuss! In fact, the best speakers gain credibility when they can adapt to technical difficulties on the fly in front of the audience and at the same time laugh them off!
In my experience as a corporate trainer for LexisNexis--presenting an online information & research system--I've had just about every technical problem you can name, and still been able to present effectively. As a college circuit speaker, I've run into all sorts of issues with sound systems and lighting and projectors or computers not working. I've ended up with audiences that were completely different than expected, and even had to switch topics due to a mix-up by the people who booked me. Adaptability is the key!!
Humor: Speaking of laughing, one of the most important issues we'll cover in coaching is including some Humor in your presentation and your personality. We'll look at why humor can be such an important thing in a presentation, how it can help you connect to an audience, hold their attention and aid in their comprehension. I'll coach you on how to choose a humorous approach that best suits your personality, and discuss simple ways for even the “humor-challenged” to enhance any presentation.
Speak As Yourself: Underscoring all of my coaching is the concept of coaching you to be yourself when speaking in any circumstance or venue. After all, if you're going to have any business or other relationship with members of the audience separate from your speaking, you need to have the same level of credibility and essentially be the same person they saw (or will see) in front of a group.
Contact me for more information
Initial Critique/Assessment
- Live
- Video
For the assessment, I look for:
Going blank
Stumbling over your words
Showing your nerves/nervousness
Sweating (again, nerves)
Knees knocking (nerves)
Throat closing (which can lead to swallowing)
Filler words (um, ah)
Repetitive words (like, you know) or phrases
Filler/repetitive movements (hand gestures, pacing, nervous ticks)
Vocal monotony/vocal variety*** (one of the most important)
Personality and how it matches how you present it in other situations **** (the other most important thing)
Results will be presented in a written report and then discussed in a coaching session
Individual Coaching & Critique: Using the initial assessment and consultation as guidance, we will work on specific weak areas and shore up the strong. Coaching can be conducted in person or via phone or Skype, though ongoing coaching and critique should be based on in person or Skype sessions to best bring about progress and reach goals. Clients can also video-record practice sessions and we can work over the phone if more convenient.
Groups: You and colleagues
Group seminars (learning focused/lecture)
Group workshops (exercise focused)
Teaching group members how to observe, assess and critique as they practice with each other (without me)
Practice sessions: Clients should schedule practice sessions to be conducted as part of the coaching (in person or via Skype).
Video-recording, critique and coaching (including Skype): To reiterate, I can work with clients in a variety of formats, with a focus on live coaching, of course. When clients are not geographically accessible in person, a combination of Skype, video-recording and phone sessions does the trick. I am also available to travel to client-sites.
Q&A Skills: Important to the audience is how a speaker listens and understands an audience member's question and responds to it. How one responds in an interview situation--great speakers are often interviewed by reporters and other writers, radio/podcast hosts, and TV personalities--is part of this. Consequently, we will work on the art of answering questions, without dodging them!
Presentation Skills: The Art of Creating Good Presentations: Besides your actual speaking skills and persona, there is the presentation itself. Is your content appropriate for your message and the audience you're addressing? We'll take a deep look at the actual content of your presentations, work through it for maximum impact (and credibility), and be sure that there's at least a little (if not more) entertainment value. We'll look at the visuals you're using to make sure they support what you're saying rather than detract or distract--or we'll create them.
If you're interested, we'll also consider (and I'll coach you on) other visuals (besides in PowerPoint) you might use to either illustrate points or simply entertain, including simple yet visual/effective magic tricks.
Audience & Venue: Part of preparation for any presentation is being aware of the demographics and size of the audiences you'll be addressing as well as the setup of the venue, including sound and lighting and audio/visual needs. Presenters need to have clear who they're speaking to, and where they're speaking, as well as whether the hosts of the event (even if that's you) makes the setting as positive as possible for both speaker and audience.
Adaptability: We'll also go through a process to make sure you and your presentation are adaptable to just about any circumstance should there be any technical, audience or venue issues. The best speakers are not thrown off track if the audience turns out to be different than expected, or if there are issues with projector or sound system. The best speakers adapt to the circumstances as best as is humanly possible without making a fuss! In fact, the best speakers gain credibility when they can adapt to technical difficulties on the fly in front of the audience and at the same time laugh them off!
In my experience as a corporate trainer for LexisNexis--presenting an online information & research system--I've had just about every technical problem you can name, and still been able to present effectively. As a college circuit speaker, I've run into all sorts of issues with sound systems and lighting and projectors or computers not working. I've ended up with audiences that were completely different than expected, and even had to switch topics due to a mix-up by the people who booked me. Adaptability is the key!!
Humor: Speaking of laughing, one of the most important issues we'll cover in coaching is including some Humor in your presentation and your personality. We'll look at why humor can be such an important thing in a presentation, how it can help you connect to an audience, hold their attention and aid in their comprehension. I'll coach you on how to choose a humorous approach that best suits your personality, and discuss simple ways for even the “humor-challenged” to enhance any presentation.
Speak As Yourself: Underscoring all of my coaching is the concept of coaching you to be yourself when speaking in any circumstance or venue. After all, if you're going to have any business or other relationship with members of the audience separate from your speaking, you need to have the same level of credibility and essentially be the same person they saw (or will see) in front of a group.
Contact me for more information
