Speaking in front of a group is the number one fear among Americans today.

Writing a few sentences and showing them to someone is not far behind.

Why should this be? Nobody to my knowledge has ever died from stage fright or been attacked while speaking.

Yet somehow people think they will look like idiots if they make a mistake on stage or on paper. Somehow they see this as worse than getting fired from a job or going bankrupt or even in some cases being homeless. The fright is enough to incapacitate the most outgoing leader as well as the first time novice asked to say a few words at a wedding or funeral.

Its hard to get over this alone. That's why having a coach is so valuable.

In fact almost everyone has spoken in public to a group of two or more and survived. Not only survived but prospered. None of the bad things they expected ever happened. But one thing is true. They did feel like a bit of an amateur and resented that.

The truth is, speaking and writing are professions, just like being a doctor, accountant, architect, or lawyer. They do require education and practice before you can do them well. So, yes, you do feel like an amateur the first few times out.

Fear of speaking arises from lack of experience.

New speakers don't know what the expect. They have no idea how an audience perceives them, how to get the audience's attention, how to feed them information, how to make an impression that will last.

They don't know that nervousness is natural, even among professionals. It is just handled in a different way.

They don't know that audiences want them to succeed, not fail.

The bad news is: Yes you need training to get good.

The good news is: It doesn't have to take years.

Of course you could go back to school, take speech classes in college, go to seminars that teach you to speak, do all of that, do it over and over again, and still find out you don't know how to do it.

Or you could get a coach

What better way to learn how to speak than from someone who is already doing it?

You get several advantages. You learn from experience, you find out the pitfalls to avoid, the errors new speakers make, the assumptions you have that are incorrect. In short, you get personalized instruction concentrating on exactly what you need to learn, not what someone else thinks you need to learn.

With speakers, coaching is a one-on-one experience. To attempt to do otherwise is foolish because your needs are unique, your style is unique and your subject is unique to you. Your coach will want to listen to you, watch your moves, see how you tell stories, and how you present yourself to an audience before giving any feedback.

Expect to work with your coach for several months. You will not learn all you need to know in a day or two. After all, no other professional picks up the details of his or her job in a few days or in one afternoon seminar.

I want you to succeed.

This is crucial. With coaching you will have a far greater chance of success than without it. I will even recommend other organizations, seminars, and learning experiences that may help you become better at speaking.

Now I mentioned writing earlier on this page. That's because a speech, while spoken to an audience, is also written, whether in your mind or on paper. Your stories are almost always written down, practiced, them committed to memory before being delivered from the stage. As part of your speaker coaching, you will receive specific training on creating and using stores in speeches, perhaps the most critical skill you can master as a speaker.

Speaking creates an emotional experience, not an intellectual one.

This is so important that I will say it again. Speaking creates an emotional experience.

Therefore you must learn how to create an emotional experience. That's why, in addition to coaching, I recommend that you take my Story Magic Intensive. To learn the basic skills you need to construct a story and speech that creates an emotional experience.

Now if all of this sounds a bit complicated, you're right. It is. All professions worth doing well are complicated.

When I coach you, yes, you will get more than just critiques. You will discover new directions you never considered before. You will find within you resources you never knew you had. You will see speaking from a new perspective. In short, you will start to think like a professional, not an amateur.

Now, let’s be clear on one critical point before we go further. 

I do most of my teaching to groups. That's because there's only so much time available and I want to reach as many people as possible. I will not waste my time on clients who are not serious. If you are willing to invest the time and money and effort needed to succeed, read further.

Here’s how it works. For your monthly fee you will receive: 

• Three 45-minute  in person sessions per month
• Answers to specific questions by e-mail or by phone
• One copy of my book, “Fifty-seven Steps to Better Writing” and my two novels as concrete examples of how to write stories
• A reduced rate ticket to the Story Magic Intensive after one month of coaching.

This is a serious investment of your time and a serious investment of my time. My sole concern is that you speed your goals to completion, that you become a better speaker in as short a time as possible, and that you give your audiences the best experience possible.

If you are serious about speaking, you cannot afford to wait. Your career deserves the investment. 

Call 949-246-8580 now to set up an initial consultation.