The Speaking Club: Mastering the Art of Public Speaking

Today it feels that stress, anxiety and depression are reaching epidemic levels, and for many people who slip into that black hole, it can take years to scramble out and get life back on track...if they manage it at all. For public speakers there are many potential triggers for stress and anxiety… the actual act of speaking can be terrifying for some, then there's the rejection to deal with, and perhaps one of the biggest ones we face…the old imposter syndrome. That's why I decided to invite Linda Clarke on the show.

I have been working with Linda to develop her new workshop and I've been so impressed by her story, her knowledge and experience and the results she gets people. So, for me it was a no brainer to ask if she would come onto The Speaking Club to share her wisdom with you.

A Master Hypnotherapist, with many other qualifications to her name, Linda has been in practice since 2006. She was based in South Africa for most of that time, with a thriving business, even treating Nelson Mandela's Granddaughter as part of a documentary at one point. But her life changed dramatically in 2017 and what would have sent most people over the edge, gave Linda the perfect opportunity to take her own medicine.

I am sure you will enjoy this show!

What we talk about:

• What Hypnotherapy is and how it works.
• How your thoughts can help or hinder your situation when you're going through a difficult time/transition.
• The top 3 things you can do to cope in a high-stress situation.
• The two different ways of being mindful and how they can help you perform better.
• Specific tips for managing anxiety and stress around public speaking.
• The importance of building the right neural pathways.
• Primal needs – what they are and why they matter.
• Why your talk doesn't need to be perfect to be effective.
• Why you should speak to the audience you've got not the one you want.
• The importance of trusting your instincts in business.

Resources*

All things Linda:

https://www.lindaclarke.co.uk

email:[email protected]

Other Resources:

The Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton

The Molecules of Emotion by Candice Pert

Full Catastrophe Living by John Kabat-Zinn

https://www.storyledspeaking.com

https://www.standoutpitch.com

https://www.saraharcher.co.uk

https://www.thespeakingclub.com/speakingcourse

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 for the books, I get a small commission, but this does not affect your payment)

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I believe your goal as a speaker is to make your talk believable, interesting and thrilling. That's because if your audience can relate to and is captivated by your message, then they will be more likely to remember it, and be moved enough to take the action you want.

To achieve this goal, you need to recognise that whilst every second of your talk counts, there are some moments that are critical for achieving that goal and successfully building the narrative of the journey you are taking your audience on.

In this podcast I'm going to give you tips on identifying those big moments and making them count.

Enjoy!

What you'll discover:

• What 'big moments' are
• How you can find them
• The questions you need to ask when you find them
• A reminder of the performance tools you can use to help you bring these moments to life

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.

Resources:

https://www.storyledspeaking.com

https://wwwstandoutpitch.com

https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/media/2019/09/watch-nigel-farage-falls-perfect-phone-prank

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I love stories, but I love stories with humour more! So does your audience, and in fact the majority of the population. Humour brings people together, builds a connection between you and your audience and is more likely to get your message shared. The trouble is that it can seem scary and hard to do in public speaking, and that is where this episode comes in.

For most of my life I've worked in the corporate world by day, alongside doing stand-up comedy and theatre by night! During that time, I realised that the humour I used in the comedy clubs, was not going to be appropriate when speaking to audiences in my corporate job. The principles behind creating the humour were exactly the same but my brand and my audience were not. I know the power of comedy in both contexts and that's why I'm so passionate about helping you use it in the right way to get results in your speaking generally, and your stories especially.

So, in this show I'm focusing exclusively on adding humour to stories rather than writing jokes for jokes sake. I'm going to be giving you five simple tips that you can use to make your stories funnier in a low risk way.

Have fun and let me know how you get on!!

What you'll discover:

• Why people laugh
• Why it always comes back to your audience
• How to get laughs from small details
• Why you need to channel your inner magician
• What you can learn from the film Evolution about making things funny
• The golden comedy formula
• A variation on the rule of three
• Things to be mindful of when using comedy

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.

Resources:

TED Talk – I Got 99 Problems…Palsy is Just One – Maysoon Zayid

Evolution Scene

Episode 19 – Humour 101 for Public Speaking

Episode 28 – How to Make Your Content Funny Without Forcing the Gag

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Last week I was in Boise, Idaho attending a conference called 'Offermind'. It was primarily about marketing and how to create an irresistible offer, but there were lots of golden nuggets that applied to speaking too!

As you may know I coach and consult on marketing and speaking with a specific focus on storytelling and humour. That's because I believe that the two are so closely linked AND as well as educating and motivating your audience speaking is also one of the best ways to market and sell your products and services.

All of the speakers who were on stage at the conference were amazing and I was particularly chuffed to be able to see one of my marketing heroes in action. This guy is also one of the highest paid speakers in the world, so when he talks, I listen. He gave away many value bombs during his keynote including the one I'm going to be sharing with you today!

Enjoy!

What this episode covers:

• Why frameworks are important
• How to make your audience engage with the framework before you even share it with them
• How the same teaching framework will enable you to flex your talk to fill five minutes or five hours!
• When you should stay at the strategy level and why.
• The one thing you should always do with your framework to get your audience motivated to implement what you're sharing.

Thanks for listening!

Resources:

https://www.storyledmarketing.co.uk/podcast

https://www.standoutpitch.com

https://www.thespeakingclub.com/speakingcourse

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

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.

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Over the years, I've noticed a disease that has infected many, many people…particularly those working in the corporate world. That disease is 'slide sickness'. The symptoms are nasty, and they result in the audiences for your talk slapping themselves in the face to stay awake.

I know that what to do with slides pre-occupies and perplexes many speakers and since I've only touched on the topic of slides once before in a guest show, I've decided to go a bit deeper in this episode. I'm going to give you my take on the seven deadly slide sins and how to avoid them, so that you are confident about using slides and they won't cause you problems again.

Enjoy!

What this episode covers:

• Where slide creation comes in the preparation process
• Slide design and what you need to think about
• Why you need to think about what your audience can see
• How you can avoid unnecessarily breaking the audience connection
• What your slides say about you and your business
• How to avoid falling into the fun trap
• How your slides can support your success

Thanks for listening!

Resources:

https://www.storyledmarketing.co.uk/podcast

https://www.standoutpitch.com

https://www.thespeakingclub.com/speakingcourse

Slide Clicker

Adapter for your Mac

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

To share your thoughts:

leave a comment below.

1. 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.

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When you ask the love of your life to marry you, your daughter tells you she's getting married, (to someone you approve of), or your friend asks you to be best man… after the initial joy, often comes dread. That's when you suddenly remember that you have to do a wedding speech. Now whether you're an experienced public speaker or not, the stakes always feel higher in these situations. It's their big day, you'll be speaking in front of some of the toughest critics going…family, friends and in-laws… and you feel obliged to try and get some laughs.

That's why I thought it was time to do another episode on this terrifying topic. I specifically invited my friend Chris Waddell to help me do this show for a number of reasons. He is a veteran wedding speech giver, and recently was best man for his brother, he is very funny, and…he had a lot to say about the last wedding speech episode I did on the show!

Alongside his speaking and comedy, Chris is a Graphic Designer, Photographer and pusher of peoples' buttons! The tips and hacks Chris and I cover in this show will help your public speaking generally, but if you do have a wedding speech coming up…don't miss this show!

What we talk about:

• How Chris decides on the approach to his speech.
• The tools and ingredients he uses to craft his talks.
• Adding humour to your speech without having to write a joke from scratch.
• The fine line of propriety and how to navigate it.
• Why you should avoid in-jokes, unless you can bring everyone in the audience in on it.
• Chris' process for putting his talk together.
• How you can engage your subconscious to find material for you 24/7.
• What a 'bonding gag' is and how to use it to get your audience onside.
• The importance of tightening your material.
• Rehearsal tips that will keep you on track on the big day.
• What you shouldn't do after cracking a joke!

Resources*

All things Chris:

Twitter & Instagram = @Count_Christoph

https://www.waddelldigital.co.uk

The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks

Other Resources:

https://www.storyledspeaking.com

https://www.standoutpitch.com

https://www.saraharcher.co.uk

https://www.thespeakingclub.com/speakingcourse

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 for the books, I get a small commission, but this does not affect your payment)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I have a weird background that mixes a long corporate career with speaking, stand-up comedy, theatre, content marketing and coaching. Over the past eight years I've been drawing on that unique blend of experience to teach and coach people to connect with and captivate audiences through storytelling and humour.

Throughout that time, I've learnt what works best to get results for people and now I've captured that success path in my 10-step Story Led Speaking system. In this show, not only am I going to share those 10 steps with you, but I'm also going to signpost you to previous podcast episodes that are relevant for each step.

This system includes the four core ingredients you need to become a sensational speaker and the six-stage process that you must go through every time to get consistent and powerful results with your public speaking. So, whether you're looking to motivate, educate, sell, pitch, or get stakeholders to buy in I promise this episode is going to be golden for you!

Enjoy!

What this episode covers:

• The secret to unlocking creativity even if you are a left-brainer.
• The four core ingredients you need to become a sensational public speaker.
• The 6-stage process for getting results in your speaking every time.
• Where to get the low down on the core four from previous episodes.

Thanks for listening!

Resources:

To find out more about my Story Led Speaking Program click the link below.

https://www.thespeakingclub.com/speakingcourse

https://www.storyledmarketing.co.uk/podcast

https://www.standoutpitch.com

Mindset Mastery:

https://www.saraharcher.co.uk/thespeakingclub/001

Story Mastery:

https://www.saraharcher.co.uk/thespeakingclub/005

https://www.saraharcher.co.uk/thespeakingclub/007

https://www.saraharcher.co.uk/thespeakingclub/009

Performance Tools:

https://www.saraharcher.co.uk/thespeakingclub/038

https://www.saraharcher.co.uk/thespeakingclub/047

Humour 101:

https://www.saraharcher.co.uk/thespeakingclub/019

https://www.saraharcher.co.uk/thespeakingclub/028

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

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.

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Katherine Brooke-Mackenzie helps people feel well again using alternative therapies, but particularly colon-hydrotherapy. She has spent a large part of the last 15 years happily taking people's crap. Based on what she has seen she believes that many of us are living with discomfort, pain and shame because we don't feel like we can talk about what's wrong…and she is on a mission to change that.

In this episode we discover the personal challenges and epiphanies that led Katherine to what she does today. She explains why we need to be paying attention to the connection between our minds and our bodies and she shares some great tips for improving our gut health.

We are also talking about Katherine's public speaking, and how after years of trying she has finally overcome the fear and found her voice. She is sharing about what she does to engage people in a topic that is not normally discussed in polite society.

What we talk about:

• The connection between our mental welfare, realising our potential and the crap we carry around with us.
• Myths about poo
• The factors that influence a healthy gut
• 3 top tips for a healthy poo
• The anxiety Katherine had around public speaking and how she overcame it
• The importance of having a structure, frameworks and stories
• How important it is to value your experience
• Why it's so important to trust yourself and the preparation you've done.
• How humour can help with taboo topics.
• Why you need the loo before a big talk.
• The impact of getting the confidence to speak publicly in other areas of Katherine's life
• How our thoughts influence our world.

Resources*

All things Katherine:

https://www.thehealthygutclinic.co.uk

https://www.talkingaboutthebrownstuff.com

https://www.facebook.com/talkingaboutthebrownstuff/

LinkedIN

Other Resources:

The Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton

https://www.standoutpitch.com

https://www.saraharcher.co.uk

https://www.thespeakingclub.com/speakingcourse

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 for the books, I get a small commission, but this does not affect your payment)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Most of us that speak in public have a relatively high level of expertise in the topic we're presenting on…and that is how it should be. But therein lies a risk and an issue that has turned many potentially scintillating talks into snooze fests.

Depending on our experience as a speaker, the context in which we're speaking and our own level of insecurities, there is sometimes an overwhelming desire to 'prove' ourselves and show how much we know. (Trust me I've been there before!) The trouble is that this is often at the expense of engaging our audience and getting our message across.

Here I'm going to share my three top tips to help you avoid the 'expert' trap, so that you land your message and create light bulb moments for your audience.

Enjoy!

What this episode covers:

• The shift in thinking that will transform your speaking
• Why common sense is ignored and what to use instead
• How to keep your audience attentive all the way through
• How to simplify your message and create light bulb moments
• The antidote to boring big data

Thanks for listening!

Resources:

Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath

https://www.storyledmarketing.co.uk/podcast

https://www.standoutpitch.com

https://www.thespeakingclub.com/speakingcourse

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

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.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It has taken Anthony Taylor a number of years and false starts to find his path and purpose. Like many of us he was lost for decades looking for fulfillment in status and financial reward, until he discovered contentment for him was helping people develop the mental toughness and resilience to achieve their goals.

In this show he is sharing his journey, alongside his suggestions for building resilience and developing the personal tools to cope with whatever life throws at us.

He is also sharing his experience of stepping up to the next level in public speaking and how he changed his game in order to serve his audience better and increase the impact of his message. If you want to become a better public speaker this show has lots to offer you.

What we talk about:

• Why building resilience has never been more important
• Emotional snapping, what's causing it and how to avoid it.
• The power of knowing your worth and your values
• The difference between role performance and identity
• What 'self-mastery' is and why you should work towards it
• Anthony's top three tips for building resilience
• The difference between delivering workshops and delivering keynotes
• How digging deeper into your target audience beliefs can magnetise your talk
• How to focus and captivate your audience at the start of your talk
• The power of picking a niche for your speaking and business

Resources*

All things Anthony:

https://www.threefifty9.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonytaylor2

Other Resources:

Maverick by Ricardo Semler

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 for the books I get a small commission, but this does not affect your payment)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.