The Speaking Club: Mastering the Art of Public Speaking

One of my previous guests said that dull people should try something other than public speaking, and I have a slightly different view. I believe that being dull doesn’t have to be a permanent thing, I believe that you can learn and do things that will make you more engaging, entertaining and interesting as a speaker, and in life.   One of the things that plays a big part in achieving that is how you use your voice when you are speaking…and the tools that you can use to make you sound better are pitch, pace, tone and volume. That being said, I thought I would do an episode on what those things actually are and how you can use them, not just to become less boring, but to make you a high impact speaker that gets results.   I hope you enjoy the show!   What you’ll discover: How you can tell if you’re a dull speaker. What your options are if you are a dull speaker. How you can influence the emotional state of your audience Why pitch is important The impact of a high pitch or low pitch voice Things that can affect the pitch of your voice as a public speaker Tips for getting more pitch variation Why varying your pace is so powerful What normal conversational speed is Suggestions for varying your pace The importance of congruence in body, message and tone What our tone tells the audience Things that can negatively impact our tone How you can positively impact your tone The magic of silence When to use silence in your public speaking Why energy is critical in your presentations The Q&A conundrum The influence of language in better voice work How it all comes together in one of the greatest speeches of all time!   Thanks for listening! Resources:   Leaving a review: http://www.saraharcher.co.uk/itunes http://www.saraharcher.co.uk/stitcher https://www.imore.com/how-rate-or-review-podcast-your-iphone-or-ipad   The consonant scale warm up: Ba ba ba bee, ba ba ba baa, ba ba ba, bee, bee, bee, baa, baa, baa, boo, boo, boo Ca ca ca cee, ca ca ca caa, ca ca ca cee, cee, cee caa, caa, caa, coo, coo, coo And so on!   To share your thoughts: leave a comment below. Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.   To help the show out: Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and review really help get the word out and I read each one. Subscribe on iTunes.   See you next time.

Simon Fanshawe is funny, authentic and passionate about making the world a better place. He trained as a lawyer and promptly abandoned a career in law and became a comedian. Simon was doing stand-up comedy from 1982 to 1992, when it began to transition from safe jokes about your mother-in-law performed in men’s clubs to the diverse, political, anything goes stand-up that gets performed in stadiums today. He won the Perrier Award for comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe in 1989, but comedy wasn’t to be where he made his mark.   From 1992, Simon focused on writing and broadcasting, alongside a growing involvement in charity work and advocacy. He was a founding member of Stonewall and one of the architects of bringing equal rights to the forefront of the diversity debate. Today, Simon has an OBE and is in demand as a speaker on diversity, and as a consultant helping businesses use inclusion and diversity as tools to create business advantage.   There are some massive value bombs in this show, particularly around the importance of persona and the relationship with your audience, as well as tactics for making your talk relevant and engaging to increase your impact and bookings.   Enjoy!   What you’ll learn What it was like to be a stand-up comic at the birth of alternative comedy in the UK. How important it is to find your persona and understand your relationship with audience. Why advocacy and public speaking need similar skills and objectives. How you can adapt your talk at short notice. Why passion can be your worst enemy in speaking. How diversity can help meet so many business challenges Why good design is more important for achieving equality than good intentions. The cardinal rule of public speaking. Why having a story is so critical to speaking success.   Resources*   All things Simon: http:/www.diversitybydesign.co.uk simon@diversitybydesign.co.uk @Simonfanshawe   Books mentioned in the Show with Amazon Link: What Works – Gender Equality by Design by Iris Bohnet Germinal by Emile Zola   Thanks for listening! To share your thoughts:                                                  leave a comment below. Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.   To help the show out: Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and review really help get the word out and I read each one. Subscribe on iTunes.   *(please note if you use my link I get a small commission, but this does not affect your payment)  

Paul Coleman is a down to earth guy that spends lots of time taking a helicopter view of business and entertainment. He helps big companies come up with new ideas for products from washing powder to snack foods. With a career that has spanned the different disciplines of marketing, innovation, broadcasting and writing, he has a rich vein of experience to tap into whilst working with some of the biggest household brands today.   Paul also writes comedy and you will have seen his work on Channel 4, BBC, and Comic Relief, amongst others. He has also created some of the funniest and most watched shows for years, including ‘Britain’s Got the Pop Factor… and Possibly a New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly on Ice’, which was the highest rated show on Channel 4 in 2008, and more recently, the BAFTA winning ‘Car Share’, which he wrote, and which starred Peter Kay.   This show contains some marketing gold around product development, it also has tips for unlocking creativity, alongside speaking and writing nuggets, which will help you continue on your journey to speaking and business success.   Enjoy!   What you’ll learn How important feedback loops are to show people the value they’ve added and to keep them motivated and engaged. The Key things to consider when you want to launch a product that consumers will love. Why your neighbour may be better than a social media ‘Influence’ for selling your product or service. Why curiosity is an important quality to develop for innovation and success. Top tips for unlocking creativity for business and writing. How there are certain words and phrases that you can use in your speaking and content generation that can instantly transport people to a place you want them to go. Why conflict is an essential ingredient of storytelling. Why it is important to keep your content fresh. Why you should ditch the artificial speaker persona to reveal the authentic you.   All things Paul: http://www.humanisehq.com @PColemanchester   Books mentioned in the Show with Amazon Link: New Power – How it’s Changing the 21stCentury and Why You Need to Know  by Jeremy Jeimanns and Henry Timms   By Jack Rosenthal – An Autobiography in Six Acts   Resources* Jack Rosenthal at the BBC Collection - DVD Three Salons at the Seaside - YouTube   Thanks for listening! To share your thoughts:                                                  leave a comment below. Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.   To help the show out: Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and review really help get the word out and I read each one. Subscribe on iTunes.   *(please note if you use my link I get a small commission, but this does not affect your payment

This month has been loosely themed around performance, and I’ve had an idea for months of doing an episode on ‘Framing’. This concept is used in many art forms, and is basically another story, situation or structure that allows the original story to be told, or better understood by the audience. You will have come across ‘framing’ in various forms within the arts, from Shakespeare plays to Hamilton the musical, from the movie Forrest Gump to the book 1001 Nights.   It’s so important to be able to keep your content fresh, engaging and relevant, and ‘framing’ is a tool that I use in my own talks and one that I teach when I’m coaching clients to achieve this. It allows you to keep your core content but frame it in a way that makes your presentation more accessible and relatable for different groups of people.   I hope you enjoy the show!   What you’ll discover: Why speakers should use framing. What ‘framing’ is and where it is most commonly used. Examples of framing across theatre, TV, film and literature. How you can use framing in your talks without starting from scratch. Examples of different frames you could apply using one of my talks as an example.   Thanks for listening! Resources: Storytelling Template for Success    To share your thoughts: leave a comment below. Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.   To help the show out: Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and review really help get the word out and I read each one. Subscribe on iTunes. See you next time.

Steve Cross began his career as a scientist, but soon left the lab to pursue his calling of making science more engaging. He shifted into communications, which led him to start the Bright Club, a project to make scientists funny. Today, alongside his more serious work with Universities and other institutions, who he helps with communication and engagement policy, he is also regarded as a Prince amongst Nerds! He has created a geeky comedy empire teaching all sorts of clever people how to make themselves and their content more engaging.   In this show Steve gives us some brilliant tips for making our content funny, whether we’re a speaker looking to up our audience engagement, or a business owner looking for ways to build our brand and business. Steve is also keen to share why we should let go of the concept of a ‘great speaker’ and follow our own path in business.   Enjoy!   What you’ll learn Why learning comedy is one of the quickest things to learn to make your content more engaging. The power of comedy and humour in improving your public speaking, raising your confidence, and growing your career. How to moderate your style for your audience. What an ethnographer is. How emotionally engaging with your own work makes it funnier. Why being funny is a learned, rather than natural skill. How comedy comes from detail and specificity. Ways in which you can make your content engaging across various communication channels. Why the tools and techniques of comedy are effective in building your social media profile and following. The importance of designing your own visual identity as a speaker. Why we should let go of the concept of a ‘great speaker’ How critical it is to adapt your style for the audience you’re speaking to and what they need. Why doing stand-up comedy is the most effective tool for teaching you to read an audience. The benefits of trying new things rather than sticking with the same talk. How to handle difficult questions. Why it’s important to choose the way you run your own business, rather than trying to keep up with the latest trends.   All things Steve: Clever Make Funny Website – https://clevermakefunny.com Chaotic Adequate Podcast - https://chaoticadequate.wordpress.com Steve’s Own Website - https://drstevecross.wordpress.com Steve’s FB Page - https://www.facebook.com/SteveCrossComedy Science Showoff – http://www.scienceshowoff.org   Books mentioned in the Show with Amazon Link: Impro by Keith Johnstone Teach Yourself Stand Up Comedy by Logan Murray     Resources* The Museum of Rural Life in Reading Twitter Account   Titter Comedy Course - Online: Sarah has been running comedy courses for a number of years, and she is now taking her flagship live course ‘Titter’ online. If you would be interested in learning how to make your presentations or content Funnier – then you join the Titter online waiting list here.   Thanks for listening! To share your thoughts:                                                  leave a comment below. Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.   To help the show out: Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and review really help get the word out and I read each one. Subscribe on iTunes.   *(please note if you use my link I get a small commission, but this does not affect your payment)  

I’ve done hour long stand-up comedy shows, acted in plays, and spoken in front of big audiences, but despite all that, I’ve been avoiding doing Facebook Live. I recognise that getting comfortable with doing live video is important for my brand and growing my business. So, I decided to ask Brooke Hender, a cognitive hypnotherapist, to take a look at this issue with me, and I’m sharing what happened in this episode.   I need to let you know that some unexpected things came up for me as we worked through what I thought was the fairly superficial issue of finding Facebook Live a challenge. There were deeper, more significant issues that I hadn’t been aware were driving my feelings, thoughts and behaviour in this area, and I want to say that although I believe that you will find what comes out of this positive, at times it gets quite emotional, and you may find listening to parts of the episode a challenge if you have recently experienced a loss.   I did struggle as to whether to share this episode, both from the perspective of whether it would be useful and interesting to you, but also from the perspective of the personal things that surfaced, and how much of myself I was sharing. In the end I felt it was important to put it out there because I know I’m not alone in struggling with this stuff, and if one person gets some reassurance or insight into their own challenges around public speaking or other areas of their business or life, then it will have been worth it.   What you’ll discover: That many people have doubts and challenges around public speaking and other areas of business, even if they don’t show it. When you use the word ‘should’ in relation to something that you are doing, it’s worth taking a deeper look at what is motivating you in this area. How we can tie up our self-worth with the baggage of others. That we sometimes need to examine whether the things that drive us, and the goals we are aiming for, are actually going to make us happy. How we need to look at what success really means for us, rather than adopting other people’s definitions of success. Why 90% of our behaviour is unconscious, and it’s not necessarily driven by what we think, but more by what we feel and believe. How intellectualising problems is a great defence mechanism.   Thanks for listening! Resources: Brooke Hender Website – http://www.brookehender.com   To share your thoughts: leave a comment below. Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.   To help the show out: Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and review really help get the word out and I read each one. Subscribe on iTunes.   See you next time.

Jay Miller dreamed of and trained to be a classical singer, and though his original dream drifted away from him, his love and passion of voice stayed. He has spent the last 20 years training speakers, actors and business people how to develop a great voice, as well as overcome anxiety around public speaking. He is now one of Canada’s finest voice and speech coaches, appearing across the Canadian media, and his work has had a profound effect, not only on building compelling and engaging voices, but also on the lives of those people that work with him. Jay is of the firm belief, that you cannot work on the voice, without affecting the emotional and mental aspects of human beings at the same time.   In this show Jay is sharing so much insight about a critical tool that we use every day but that we never give the attention and care that we should. This show will open up your eyes and ears to the power of the voice, and what you should be doing to cultivate it to fulfil its potential. We learn some critical distinctions and some great tips for increasing the power and impact of our message.   Enjoy!   What you’ll learn Why voice training is about more than just about how you sound and how it can transform your life. Why you can’t separate the physical, emotional and mental aspects in voice work. How voice work develops tangible, physical skills that have far reaching effects on your performance. Why you need to get out of your head and into your body to have a great voice. The impact of ignoring the importance of voice in your speaking and communication. That everyone with a healthy voice has the potential to develop a compelling and engaging voice. The barriers to having a compelling voice. The distinction between voice and speech work. Why relaxation is so important for a great voice. The distinction between projection and speaking louder. How you fill a space with your voice. Why cultivating a great voice is like raising a plant. A tip you can use to sound better tomorrow and develop vocal stamina. Why breathing is so important to becoming a great speaker and improving your health. How finding space in your body can make your voice richer, stronger and more engaging. Why voice training is a profound tool for managing stage fright and public speaking anxiety. How you can overcome an overly nasal sounding voice. How influential the sound of a person’s voice is. Typical problems that men and women have with their voice and why.     All things Jay: Jay’s Website –http://voiceandspeech.com Jay’s YouTube Channel - Visit Voice & Speech on YouTube Discounted video course   Books mentioned in the Show with Amazon Link: Trust Me by Nick Morgan The Actor Speaks by Patsy Rodenburg The Right to Speak by Patsy Rodenburg   Resources* The Back Exercise Video - https://youtu.be/_97RZ7uRuQs       If you are going to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2018 you can see Sarah in action as the infamous Lillie Langtry in a feisty comedy drama. Get your tickets via the link below: Tickets to See Sarah in the comedy, ‘The Amours of Lilie Langtry’, at Edinburgh Fringe – Aug 3 – 25 2018   Thanks for listening! To share your thoughts:                                                  leave a comment below. Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.   To help the show out: Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and review really help get the word out and I read each one. Subscribe on iTunes.   *(please note if you use my link I get a small commission, but this does not affect your payment)

Brooke Hender has had quite a journey, from project manager to actor to therapist. Although he found he had patterns of behavior that were negatively impacting his ability to live a happy and fulfilled life, he initially resisted getting help. He felt that this was just the way things were. Eventually, he gave therapy a chance but was amused when his own therapist suggested he would make a good therapist himself. Even though he dismissed the notion and fought against it for some time, after working on himself and transforming his life, he felt drawn to helping others get the same results and trained to become the Cognitive Hypnotherapist he is today.   In this show Brooke and I explore some of the thinking and behaviours that hold us back from achieving the success we want, in life, in speaking and in business. We cover off phobias, anxiety and the limiting beliefs that live in the shadows of our mind. There are some great strategies and tips for identifying and managing the thoughts that might be holding us back without us even being aware of them. If you know you’re not fully realizing your potential, then this show might help you to start removing the blocks that are in your way.   Enjoy!   What you’ll learn Strategies for managing anxiety around public speaking and performance. Why it’s important to be visible and add value. Tips for managing imposter syndrome. How to keep a healthy separation between personal and professional success Why presenting and performing is an essential part of business today How to discover the things in your subconscious that might be holding you back. The impact of the assumptions we make as human beings. What cognitive hypnotherapy is and how it works. Two great questions to help develop your self-awareness. How limiting beliefs work and how they impact our lives. Why “it’s just the way I am” doesn’t have to be true.   All things Brooke: Brooke’s Website –http://www.brookehender.com The Chicken and the Mushroom blog   Books mentioned in the Show with Amazon Link*: The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday The Bone People by Keri Hulme   See Sarah Perform this August!   If you are going to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2018 you can see Sarah in action as the infamous Lillie Langtry in a feisty comedy drama. Get your tickets via the link below: Tickets to See Sarah in the comedy, ‘The Amours of Lilie Langtry’, at Edinburgh Fringe – Aug 3 – 25 2018   Thanks for listening! To share your thoughts:                                                  leave a comment below. Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.   To help the show out: Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and review really help get the word out and I read each one. Subscribe on iTunes.   *(please note if you use my link I get a small commission, but this does not affect your payment)

Explore the world of productivity hacks and morning routines that promise to transform your day. Discover the Miracle Morning and how structured habits can lead to greater efficiency. Learn about game-changing apps that offer quick workouts and streamline your social media presence. Dive into effective writing shortcuts and tools for precise messaging on the fly. Plus, get tips on enhancing your audio quality and staying focused amid distractions. It's all about working smarter, not harder!

Graham Allcott fell into productivity when he found his emails going into a big black hole. He shifted from leading a team to working on his own and found that while had great ideas and could delegate well… he was not actually very good at getting things done. He did loads of research, carried out many productivity experiments and began to find the principles and systems that worked. That’s when he decided that other people could benefit from this stuff too.   After founding his company Think Productive, Graham went on to write Productivity Ninja, which is a worldwide best seller. Today his team works with companies all over the world, he is a speaker, and is currently working on other productivity related projects that will broaden the Ninja brand and help us work smarter.   Enjoy!   What you’ll learn Why it’s good to teach what you struggle to learn yourself Why you should detach your ego from delegation How clarity can overcome procrastination Why it’s more interesting to not be the Guru. How to develop positive productivity habits How starting a business in a time of adversity can bring more opportunity Why good design is important for all sorts of businesses Why taking risks and having strong opinions can pay dividends The main struggles around productivity Why technological questions are always people problems The silver bullet of productivity The four steps to improve your productivity How constraint can 10x your productivity What attention management is and why it’s crucial for productivity Why your will power won’t beat silicon-valley Why you should get your inbox to zero Why you should eat the rainbow How getting mistaken for an employee as a speaker is a good thing How comedy can help your speaking   All things Graham: Graham’s Website –http://www.grahamallcott.com Think Productive - https://thinkproductive.co.uk Beyond Busy Podcast - http://getbeyondbusy.com   Graham’s Books: How to be a Productivity Ninja by Graham Allcott How to be a Study Ninja by Graham Allcott Get your In-Box to Zero   Books mentioned in the Show with Amazon Link: Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela Anyone Can Do It – My Story by Duncan Bannatyne   Resources* The Speaking Club Success Hub   If you are going to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2018 you can see Sarah in action as the infamous Lillie Langtry in a feisty comedy drama. Get your tickets via the link below: Tickets to See Sarah in the comedy, ‘The Amours of Lilie Langtry’, at Edinburgh Fringe – Aug 3 – 25 2018   Thanks for listening! To share your thoughts:                                                  leave a comment below. Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.   To help the show out: Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and review really help get the word out and I read each one. Subscribe on iTunes.   *(please note if you use my link I get a small commission, but this does not affect your payment)