Coaching for Your Next Public Speech

Think back to the last time that you spoke in front of a crowd.  

Maybe you were in the conference room in front of all your coworkers, your boss, and your boss's boss, delivering a crucial presentation at the end of a months-long project.  Or you were giving the Best Man speech at your brother's wedding, with all your childhood friends and family hanging on your every word.  Or you were impromptu pitching your passion project to a group of would-be investors over drinks at happy hour.

How did you feel?  Heart racing, sweaty palms, short of breath?  Or calm, cool, and collected, working the crowd with ease and - dare I say - enjoying yourself?

If you're like most people, it was probably not fun. 

If you're like most people, you don't look forward to the next time you get to -- let's be real, have to -- get on stage and engage in public speaking.  You spend hours, weeks, even months stressing over your time in the spotlight, not to mention the pain of actually standing up and delivering your speech, exposing yourself to the scrutinizing gaze of your peers, heckles from the back row, or even worse, the deafening silence of a joke that doesn't land.     

And like most people, you won't spend as much of your life on stage as actors do.  But all the world's a stage, and at some point, you will be called upon to trod the boards, whether it's a professional or personal performance.  When that time comes, it'll be mission critical that you perform at your best. 

​What's riding on your next public speech?  The sale that clinches your promotion.  The opportunity to live your dream.  The memory that defines your family's next milestone moment.  

In short, a lot - so you need to ask yourself, honestly, "Am I going to nail this?"  If the answer is anything but a resounding "HELL YES" then I can help.  

The difference between a standing ovation and getting boo'd off the stage usually comes down to one thing - practice.

And that does not mean standing in front of the mirror talking into your shampoo bottle under your breath.  Sorry, doesn't count.  I've tried it and it never works.  I, like you, want to avoid the discomfort and embarrassment of just...you know...doing it in front of people and letting it suck a few times before it gets better.  But it's unavoidable.  You gotta rehearse like you're going to perform, and that means with an audience.  Now, do you want to force your husband, roommate, or dogs to sit through your speech and give you less-than-helpful feedback?

That's where I come in.  I've been directing actors for over a decade and I would sum up my role in three words: "your first audience."

​I will coach you on your speech using the same performance techniques that I use with professional actors - concrete, action-based, and tailored to your natural strengths - and provide exercises to help you build the skills to nail it when the curtain goes up.  We'll get clear on the emotional story that you're telling - because no matter why you're speaking, you need to connect with your audience emotionally - and I'll guide you in creating a simple structure to keep that story clear and keep the audience caring. 

And most importantly, you'll get to practice your speech in a private, supportive and judgment-free zone where you can receive concise and constructive feedback, grow, and practice again.  And again.  And again.  And--you get the idea.