Speak with confidence

Q: What stops us from being visible when it might be good for us? 

A: Fear: we can’t access our courage and confidence. We’re worried about what will happen (worst case scenarios) and the big barrier, what others will think. 

We know that public speaking at work – let’s face it, anywhere –  is a big deal for most of us, yet we often leave it to chance or in the worst case scenario, just leave it. Sometimes the most creative solutions are not acted upon, because we have such anxiety, it is impossible find the courage to speak up. And speaking in public tops the list of things people fear: rest assured, you are not alone. If we could find the confidence, we would.

Book a call to see how this might help you and your team.

Maggie has facilitated workshops for us with volunteers and both health and social care professionals since 2012, with consistently impressive results and superb evaluation feedback. She has the extraordinary ability to take a room full of hesitant and often reluctant people to point where by the end of the day their self-confidence has grown and they achieve more than they could ever have imagined.For an organisation such as ours to equip people with the knowledge, skills and attitude to enable them to listen and communicate their message effectively is an important asset in our work to influence and inspire others to get involved. I would not hesitate to recommend Maggie as a facilitator.” MJ Holmes, Macmillan Cancer Support.

Book a call: Everybody has amazing stuff to say… 

How it works: By the end of a day on a speaking confidence workshop, everyone will find they CAN speak for 3-5 minutes, without notes. The day leads them gently to the point where this IS possible. All participants grow in skill and courage and learn through practice and observation of each other. Each person will come away with:

  • Insight: what’s already working and what needs work, in order to be an even better speaker? Consolidate your current strengths; drop any distracting habits; re-frame the fear into excitement!
  • Come away feeling renewed confidence in and enjoyment of your ability to get your message across. Knowing that you can trust yourself is at the core of speaking confidence.
  • Some very gentle coaching can bring even the most reluctant speaker out of their fear-induced shell… I know, I’m one of them.

Leaving it to the most vocal (seemingly confident) colleagues to hog the airtime, means that our good ideas get lost. We decide it is impossible, thereby denying ourselves the chance to be seen and heard for who we truly are. We may also regret it for ever!

Avoiding public speaking can have far reaching consequences: we may miss out on promotion, an increase in income or giving a presentation that would help people or help you! I recently trained a charity CEO and her team: their work depends on getting their message across. We need to be able to convey what is important to us.

Book a call to see how this might help you and your team.

Why speaker confidence coaching works…

  1. Kind, supportive and objective feedback re your strengths and steps for public speaking improvement. Achieve instant refinements and positive changes.
  2. Explore the key ingredients for successful speaking – and what turns us off!
  3. Confidential learning environment in which to test our comfort zones and take risks.
  4. Become your own coach: observe your own and others’ strengths, challenges and natural confidence; help ourselves by helping each other.
  5. How getting personal helps you stand out: speaking from the heart and how to connect your audience most successfully, to your key message.
  6. Shifting your focus from anxiety re  ‘what are they thinking?’ to connection with your listeners

Working with Maggie really helped boost my confidence to speak at a conference… I found her very warm and encouraging to work with. I would highly recommend Maggie to anyone who wants to improve their skills and understanding of speaking in public. I came away feeling I had what it takes, that it was not about doing it perfectly, more about capitalising on my strengths and building confidence through practice.” Rebecca M., Consultant in Gender and Development. Rebecca on LinkedIn. 

A bit about me and public speaking…

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The common thread in my coaching work is developing trust in ourselves as communicators – and the positive effect this has on both speaker and audience. There has been no public speaking syllabus for most of us, yet there are wonderful tools that make a huge difference to how we sound, how we feel when speaking and how well we come across. I discovered for myself that being a teacher is one thing: speaking for oneself, quite another.

I have worked with a diverse clientele in my career from the most senior in public life to school students. The unifying feature is the common dread that people of all ages, in all walks of life, have about public speaking.

I understand first-hand the challenges and rewards of finding the confidence to speak in public, and to speak up when things need to be said. These tools are simple, but not necessarily easy. I bring empathy, experience and my enthusiasm for small changes making a big difference. I will be a warm, honest and encouraging trainer in order that you gain skills, capitalise on your strengths and feel more confidence and trust in your ability to speak in public and achieving the changes you desire.

Since learning these skills myself, I have been MC and Host at several large speaking events (one covered by the TES in January 2011) including presentations on the value of mediation, to Met Police HR leads and the Crown Prosecution Service Staff Network. I appeared on the BBC Breakfast sofa – talking about how more brides are speaking at weddings and the ways people could shine on such an important day. (August 2013)

I’ve been on the Competent Communicator and Competent Leader programme with Toastmasters International, attended a wide range of courses for my own development including Counselling Skills and Coaching for Business, both at City University.

“The service users that I saw today were buzzing about the training…” Hestia.org

‘Maggie’s MC-ing I thought was exemplary, just the right pace, balance and content – could be used in a ‘how to’ training exercise.’  Michael Ronayne, College of Public Speaking

As a speaking coach, I have worked with a diverse clientele in my career from the most senior in public life to school students. The unifying feature is the common fear, dread or terror, that people of all ages, in all walks of life, have about public speaking.

I understand first-hand the challenges and rewards of finding the confidence to speak in public, and to speak up when things need to be said. These tools are simple, but not necessarily easy. I bring empathy, experience and my enthusiasm for small changes making a big difference. I will be a warm, honest and encouraging trainer in order that you gain skills, capitalise on your strengths and feel more confidence and trust in your ability to speak in public and achieving the changes you desire.

Since learning these skills myself, I have been MC and Host at several large speaking events (one covered by the TES in January 2011) including presentations on the value of mediation, to Met Police HR leads and the Crown Prosecution Service Staff Network. I appeared on the BBC Breakfast sofa – talking about how more brides are speaking at weddings and the ways people could shine on such an important day. (August 2013)

I’ve been on the Competent Communicator and Competent Leader programme with Toastmasters International, attended a wide range of courses for my own development including Counselling Skills and Coaching for Business, both at City University.

“The service users that I saw today were buzzing about the training…” Hestia.org

 

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