Speech Coaching

Speech coaching

Does the thought of giving a speech make you 'uncomfortable' . . . or worse?
It's people's number one fear.

I can help!

You can, of course, learn by trial-and-error. But why would you want to do that when you can cut years off your path to becoming a great speaker by learning from my experience? I think I've made every mistake possible. I've found that, as with most areas of expertise, there are 10 basic skills: if you learn them well, you're 75% of the way there. It's like that with speaking.

I recommend toastmasters

Before we go any further, let me be clear: I recommend Toastmasters. You'll learn more and spend less if you join Toastmasters. Plus you'll meet some really terrific people. Visit the Toastmasters website to learn more.

But if toastmasters isn't for you . . .

Time is a real issue for many people and sometimes committing to a weekly meeting for several months or years isn't practical. That's why I offer speech coaching. Here’s the experience that I can put to work to help you reach your speaking goals:

Award-winning professional speaker for 25 years. This includes hundreds of speeches, presentations, keynotes, workshops, seminars and classes.
Member of Toastmasters for more than 20 years.
A career in television, where I regularly host shows and conducted interviews.
I do voice work for all media: narrations, audio books, commercials, telephone etc.

As you can imagine, I've had every kind of 'distraction' thrown at me during the last 25 years. Here are just a few examples: power outages, dropped tray of dishes, fire alarm, NBA playoffs in the next room, drunks, bad microphones, an audience member getting sick, and falling lights. But I’ve learned to handle these distractions – and so can you. Dealing with the unexpected is one of the things we practice.

Here's how it works

I’ve found that half hour sessions seem to work best. The fee for a half hour is $25. A full hour is $40. I'll come to your home or office* or we can 'meet' using Skype.
Here’s how a typical coaching session works. First, we meet to go over your wants and needs. Then I usually give you a project to work on. Next, we meet to go over the project and I offer my "Great Wisdom." We continue coaching sessions until you feel you're ready. I tailor the scheduling and content of the sessions to your needs. My goal is to help you meet your speaking goals.
Do you have questions? Are you ready to get started? Call or email me. I'm ready to guide you on your path to becoming a great speaker!

I can help with . . .

Avoiding rookie mistakes
How to write a speech
How to deliver a speech
Notes or no notes?
How to practice
How to use microphones and sound systems
How to create a PowerPoint that works
How to use humor
How to use props
How to handle distractions or a difficult audience
Questions to ask the organizer (the person 'booking' you)
How to set up the room