There are many things that make a successful speaker.

At The Speaker's Friend we aim to help every speaker, whatever your level of experience and expertise.

The key to our success, and therefore your success, is to make it personal.  We go beyond books, we achieve better results than videos and DVDs and our services are more powerful than traditional "sheep-dip" training courses. 

Why?

Because what we do is all about you. 

We start from where you are, what you already know, where you want to end up and the particular presentations or speeches you have to make.  You choose what you need as and when you need it.

Visit our downloads page to get a copy of our public speaking Top 10 Tips.

Read on for more details of our coaching services for presenters...

Presentation Rescue!

Someone once said “To our members we are the fourth rescue service”. At The Speaker's Friend we offer a presentation rescue service for those who find themselves, for whatever reason, in a crisis with a presentation; something that might lead them to think of us as the first rescue service!

This premium service rapidly assesses the situation being faced, identifies the prioritised requirements for success and swings into immediate action and stays fully engaged until the crisis is over.

Contact us without delay if you need your presentation rescuing

Visioning

Without a clear idea of what the presentation will be when it is finished, many people become “stuck” and suffer from a form of writer’s block. They procrastinate and time ticks by without any progress being made. This can lead to increased stress and may cause the presentation to be rushed when it does eventually get started.

The Speaker's Friend is able to help break through this barrier, generating exciting ideas and allowing creative juices to flow; just the start every successful presentation needs.

back to top

Mini-project Management

Although speakers will usually be experts in their own fields, it does not necessarily follow that they are good at time management or planning mini-projects such as preparing a presentation.

The Speaker's Friend will offer a helping hand in estimating both the time available and the time required to complete the mini-project. We will then set about designing an appropriate project plan with deliverables, milestones, critical path analysis and appropriate steps to handle any associated risks, without going over the top.

back to top

Content Generation & Marshalling

Even with a clear big picture in mind, speakers can often find detailed content a challenge. There are two extremes:

• Too many ideas to include and a sense of being overwhelmed by the subject

• Too few ideas and a crisis of confidence in the original idea

The Speaker's Friend has a range of proven techniques to deal with either end of this spectrum and all points in between. We are even able to help define research requirements, handle its execution, collate the results, and transform this into germane and powerful content.

back to top

Presentation Structuring

It is well said that “it’s not what you say, it’s the way that you say it!” We believe that the first manifestation of this is in the structure and order of a presentation. Do you start with a conclusion and then justify it or develop an argument that leads to the conclusion? Do you present a number of alternatives and lead the audience to an agreed choice or perhaps a chronological structure is required to achieve the objectives of both speaker and listeners.

The Speaker's Friend’s experience and unique insights make sure that each presentation is structured in exactly the right way to accomplish its objectives.

back to top

Visual Aid Selection & Use

Visual aids should be just that; aids. They must add to the presentation if they are to be of any value. Whilst PowerPoint is the most popular visual aid, it is by no means the only one.

At The Speaker's Friend we are both experts in the use of PowerPoint and masters in the selection and use of other visual aids. With our visual aid selection and use services you can be sure of not only grabbing the audience’s attention but holding it for as long as you need to.

back to top

Rehearsal & Delivery Fine Tuning

The second manifestation of “it’s not what you say, it’s the way that you say it!” is in the actual delivery of the presentation. Factors such as pace, tone of voice, body language, movement and gestures can be more important than the words that are being said; they all either add to or detract from the message being delivered.

Working with each speaker’s own personality and style and using the latest digital video technology in support, The Speaker's Friend provides the 20% that can make the 80% of difference between success and failure.

back to top

Final Preparation & Room Layout

As the “moment of truth” approaches, it is vital that all the work that has gone in to planning and preparing doesn’t go to waste through nerves. Of course, there are relaxation and visualisation methods that can be used to help with this, and at The Speaker's Friend we are practiced in their use.

However, there are also some very practical steps that can be taken to make sure that everything is just right; from making sure that you can be seen and heard, that there are enough seats and that there is water on hand should it be needed, through to heat and light management, distribution of handouts and dealing with audience interaction. The Speaker's Friend has pre-prepared checklists for its customers to use and on-the-day support to make sure that the speaker really does feel as though he/she has a friend who is right there just for them.

back to top

Debriefing & Lessons Learned

Using this element of our coaching service is what separates professionals from the also-rans. When the presentation is over and the dust has settled, that is the time for reflection and taking stock; questions should be asked and truthful answers given.

What worked well? What could have been better? What should be avoided next time? These are just a few of the vital questions that the speaker and friend will explore together so that the successful experience can be repeated and surpassed time and time again in the future.

The Speaker's Friend can also provide objective and detailed feedback with the help of the latest digital video technology, so that some of the lessons being learned can be seen first hand from the audiences’ point of view and not just from the unrepresentative position of the speaker.

back to top