As well as teaching public speaking, I practise what I preach and spend a good percentage of my time as a motivational speaker around the UK. I speak on various themes, which can all be customised for specific audiences. My talk about life lessons from public speaking, how the principles that underpin successful public speaking apply to life in general, is the most relevant to this website.
Along with How to Be Perfect… in your own way, this talk about what I’ve learnt over many years of doing and teaching public speaking is popular particularly with people who are interested in psychology and how to take control of their lives.
Public speaking is about so much more than simply saying stuff. It’s about knowing your audience and communicating with them, imparting a worthwhile message in a way they will listen to and remember. It’s about knowing who you are and being true to yourself, being genuine and sincere while also giving yourself the best chance of success by being well prepared. It’s about having confidence and the courage of your convictions, while not taking yourself too seriously. As in public speaking, so in life…
Life Lessons from Public Speaking
Over the decades that I’ve been a public speaker and a public speaking coach, I’ve realised more and more how much a successful approach to public speaking reflects (and can develop) a successful approach to life. The practical and psychological techniques and strategies that make for effective public speaking also make for an effective, fulfilling life.
What you’ll gain from this talk:
- the principles of successful public speaking and the benefits of applying them to wider life
- how to avoid the embarrassing mistakes I’ve made
- how to prepare for success (including the shift in thinking that transformed my audition for The Magic Circle and got me in)
- how to ensure people listen when you’ve got something to say
- the win-win nature of assertiveness, how to communicate so as to bring about success for both yourself and the other party
- confidence and the value of valuing yourself
- how to build a firm foundation for your confidence
- how to make an impact.
As a result, audience members begin to see themselves in a new light and to relate to the world in a more positive – and effective – way.
A Talk to Inspire, Motivate and Empower the Audience
Life Lessons from Public Speaking is a talk of particular use to those working in areas where communication is crucial to success. Mostly, organisations book me with this in mind, though some request this talk purely for interest and entertainment. Either way, everyone gets to take away some life-changing messages.
Conference/convention speech
Every conference or convention benefits from having a speaker from outside the world the participants inhabit, who takes a slightly oblique approach to the theme and brings a fresh perspective and energy to an event that’s focused, for example, on how to increase sales.
Life Lessons from Public Speaking is ideal for conferences of businesspeople, since the lessons I share are about self-confidence, personal effectiveness and raising aspirations – elements that boost our performance at work, as well as making us stronger, happier human beings. It’s also ideal for charities and other organisations whose outward communication involves a lot of public speaking by employees and volunteers.
Finale to a training course
If I’m providing a group training course in public speaking that lasts a day or more, sometimes companies ask me to finish with this talk. This works well on several levels: it’s a bit of light relief after a challenging course; it demonstrates the principles I’ve been teaching; and it puts public speaking in a larger context, which helps the participants to understand why the techniques and strategies I recommend are so effective.
Session at a corporate away day
The oblique approach is what corporate away days are all about: thinking out of the box and learning while – and through – having fun. Life Lessons from Public Speaking is a great way to shake up participants’ thinking, not only about presentations but also about how they see themselves and the people they communicate with.
Tailored to your requirements
Every time I deliver a talk, I get to know the context beforehand, so that I can customise what I’m saying to suit the particular audience I’m talking to. I’ll discuss with you in advance what your objectives are and how I can move the audience towards achieving them.
In its full form, this talk lasts 45 minutes, which makes a nice hour’s session with 15 minutes for Q&A.
For more information…
To discuss your requirements, how I can help and possibly booking me to speak at your event, please contact me and we’ll arrange to have a chat.