Public Speaking / Presentation Skills

Do you get nervous speaking in public?
Do you find it difficult to express yourself clearly, succinctly and effectively?
Do you wonder why you sometimes don't get the reaction you want after a speech or presentation?

If the answer to any (or all) of these questions is yes, help is at hand!

For instant advice, have look at the Public Speaking Skills website.

I provide personalised training for anyone preparing to make a speech or presentation. The course is tailored to meet the needs of the individual client, focusing on the stages of the process that you find particularly difficult or stressful: writing the speech, creating visual aids, standing naturally to deliver your talk, projecting your voice, interacting with the audience, dealing with questions and so on.

Whether you are making a speech after dinner or at a wedding, presenting your ideas to colleagues and/or bosses, or addressing a public meeting, the principles are the same. Once you've mastered these principles, you'll feel much more confident. When you feel more confident, you will speak better and then you're on the upward spiral that leads to your becoming an expert and really enjoying speaking in public.

Depending how experienced you are at public speaking and what your concerns are, you may want more or less training but most of my clients notice a significant improvement in their presentation skills after only one or two sessions.

If you would like me to help you to speak confidently and effectively in public, please contact me to discuss your requirements.

The secret to good presenting is very simple. It comes down to two words: preparation and practice.

Preparation is about writing out what you want to say and honing it until it has clear form and structure, conveys your meaning in as few words as possible and contains sufficient humour or sensation to ensure the audience listens all the way through. This is not easy but it is essential.

Preparation also involves:

• making sure you know exactly what is expected of you at the event and what you can expect
• creating and checking any handouts, visual aids or props you are going to use
• foreseeing any possible pitfalls and knowing how you are going to deal with them.

Practice is saying it out loud, in the way you are going to deliver it on the day. This familiarises you with the content of your speech - so you need to refer to your notes less and less - and allows you to assess how natural you sound and tweak your phraseology if necessary.

Practice helps you to perfect:

• the pacing of your presentation, so that you speak at the right speed, pause in the right places and adjust your tone and volume according to what you are saying
• your body language, so that you stand/move in a relaxed way and use gestures constructively
• your confidence and thus the rapport you are going to build with the audience.

During your training, I will give you honest, constructive feedback.

I know how difficult - and scary - it can be to make a speech or presentation when you have never done it before and/or have never learnt how to do it well. Everybody has to start somewhere.

For this reason, the training is conducted in a completely supportive atmosphere. I am absolutely committed to your success and am happy to hear the same talk a hundred times if that's what it takes for you to crack it. I will give you practical, useful advice, and demonstrate where necessary to illustrate a point.

This course is about you feeling good about yourself. You might be surprised what you can achieve.