Have you ever thought of using a coach to help you with your presentation skills?
Public speaking isn't just about the words you say – it’s about grabbing and keeping attention, inspiring people to take action and making a lasting impact. But even the most experienced presenters have blind spots.
So here are 10 ways that working with a public speaking coach can help to transform your delivery and presence:
❤️ Boost your confidence – Confidence is about feeling good, as well as looking and sounding the part. With expert guidance, you’ll exude self-assurance even if you don’t feel it (yet!)
❤️ Shatter limiting beliefs – We often tell ourselves we’re “not natural speakers” or “not interesting enough.” A coach helps reframe these thoughts and build a confident mindset.
❤️ Manage nerves – Sweaty palms? Racing heart? A coach provides practical techniques to help you stay calm and in control.
❤️ Structure your content – Rambling speeches lose attention fast. A coach helps you organise your message for clarity and impact.
❤️ Storytelling – Stories are what make presentations memorable. A coach helps you find and craft your most compelling narratives.
❤️ Bring your speech to life – It’s not just what you say, but how you say it. A coach helps you add depth, variety and emotion to your words.
❤️ Improve your vocal delivery – Your voice is your most powerful tool. You can learn how to prepare and use various vocal techniques to keep your audience engaged.
❤️ Enhance your body language – Strong posture, gestures and facial expressions reinforce your message and boost credibility; having someone observe and provide feedback is invaluable.
❤️ Utilise engagement techniques – A coach will show you how to keep your audience involved with strategic pauses, rhetorical devices and dynamic interactions.
❤️ Ensure your presentation makes an impact – It might be a boardroom pitch, a keynote speech or a presentation to your team, a coach helps you review and refine every element to leave a lasting impression.
We’re not born being great a public speaking – it’s a skill, not an innate talent, and thankfully it can be learned. Like any skill, it improves with expert guidance and practice.
If you’ve used a public speaking coach before, what was your biggest learning? If you haven't, what has stopped you? Let me know in the comments.
And if you’re considering a coach, do get in touch at mel@melsherwood.com - I’d love to have a chat to see it we’re a good fit to work together!
Mel Sherwood is a Presentation Skills and Personal Impact Speaker, Founder of The RED Effect™ and Author of ‘The Authority Guide to Pitching Your Business: How to make an impact and be remembered - in under a minute!’ She works with ambitious business leaders, teams and individuals who want to express themselves with confidence, credibility and charisma. An Australian based in Scotland, Mel is an award-winning speaker, author and coach and combines over 25 years’ experience in business with a background as an actor, presenter and singer.