Providers in speaker training

Who are all those people who would like to train your skills for the speakers stage? It’s remarkable to see the major differences in the strategy behind their programs. First of all: public speaking is about three elements: the speaker, the message and the audience. All coaches agree on that. And they all start their training with one of these three elements as a starting point. The specific element you choose has a lot of influence on the result.

zaal met 400 mensen

1. If you focus on the speaker

Most trainers start from “the speaker”. After all, he or she dropped the complaint: ‘I am not satisfied with my speaking skills.’ And if you pose the question like this, the answer is: ‘then we will improve your skills as a speaking person.’ And so you end up with actors, presenters or directors. They demonstrate skills from their expertise that should help you on a stage. They share how to control your voice, smile, breathe and where to hold your hands. And don’t forget the psychologists. Their program includes a mix of stage capabilities and personal awareness. That leads usually to in-depth sessions, to shake up your confidence and to make you more assertive. Very interesting to experience those workshops, but does that all work?

Universiteit van Nederland Bart Knols

Uncomfortable magnification

Where does all that stress come from? The moment you mount a large stage, everything changes. Your entire being is enlarged in all dimensions. A thousand people sit in the dark, except you… standing in the light. Your head is projected on a huge screen. If you swallow, the audience will hear that on every seat in the room. And your body feels packed in a diving suit of lead. A voice buzzes in your head: ‘don’t forget to smile.’ But that won’t work without trembling. And if something in special is magnified on that stage, it’s primarily your own doubt: ‘is my story good enough?’

There is no assertiveness training, no acting class, and no therapy that can protect you against this fear and doubt. Because public performances are not relaxed at all. Presenting feels always intense. But a speaker without a good story is like a soldier in swimsuit with a water gun: he feels highly uncomfortable. Making that nervous and anxious speaker self-confident and comfortable on a stage is an illusion. Unless the speaker has something significant to share. A story with relevance that is memorable. That’s where the grip must be found. And then still, it remains an exciting experience. An experience that becomes easily addictive.

slide presentatie podium

2. If you focus on the public

There are trainers who focus on the “public” element. They offer for example their experience with the populist citizen. Or the unsatisfied employee, the victimized customer. So they mainly coach politicians, managers or administrators who want to gain the sympathy of the public. This is a logical choice because such social target groups are very important in some sectors. In addition to stage performances, these workshops are also about TV-, radio performances and other presentations. Their most frequent customers are political parties. But the average stage speaker does not belong there.

Aachen Maastricht Pecha Kucha

3. If you focus on the message

Most coaches do not focus on “the message”. Because the message is a replaceable element. Nevertheless, your story is the center of your entire presentation. Therefor I offer a universal content strategy. During my training I will show you how you can optimally prepare your story for a stage presentation. And once you’ve done that thoroughly, you can do it yourself in the future. With every subject.

And now imagine: if you go on stage with the best possible plan, the chance of success is paramount. With a well-prepared successful subject, you will feel far more relaxed. From there you develop in the right direction. And what about breathing, your voice, etc.? If you know how to breathe in daily life, you can do that on stage as well. Let’s waste no time on that.

pechakucha Maastricht

What will the audience remember?

The audience only remembers your story. Not your hand movements or your breathing. And so the content is our starting point. And once on stage, that content is all you have to think about. Every detail of your behavior is naturally linked to your topic. And if we make the content super-convincing, your story is a gift for every spectator. Presenting becomes fun. Addictive fun.

Yes, I’m a speaker coach for positive stages. Places where you will amaze people. Where you will excite the audience and make them smile. I’ll explain to you how you can prepare your subject to content entertainment. Suitable for conferences, congresses and speeches. And once you have mastered my method, you will also apply it to job applications, TV interviews and love letters. How nice is that..?

pechakucha maastricht 2009

Stress free

The strategy that I have developed is understandable, stress-free and useful for everyone. I can explain this approach in about five hours via Skype or in a few personal conversations. And I’m available to help you with the implementation on stage. My training is set up in such a way that you can prepare each new presentation in the future on your own. Then I will continue to follow your speaker career via YouTube and TV. That’s a promise. ☺