In her book, “Sum It Up: A Thousand and Ninety-Eight Victories, a Couple of Irrelevant Losses, and a Life in Perspective,” legendary women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt said, 

“A great coach can lead you to places
you never thought you could reach.”

We couldn’t agree more. Just as a masterful sports coach can transform a good player into a star, an expert, inspiring speech coach can guide a presenter or keynote speaker to new heights.

Here are just a few of the benefits of 1:1 coaching:

🌱 It’s a safe environment in which to practice, make mistakes, and grow

🌟  It’s a confidence builder

🗣  The session is laser focused on your specific needs

🔍  You’ll likely learn about speaking/delivery habits you’re not aware of that don’t serve you well

👥   It’s a great way to build accountability into your learning journey

In a recent PowerSpeaking Live! panel discussion, CEO Carrie Beckstrom and Master Facilitators and Coaches Chris Brannen and Ralf Wolter took a deep dive into what you can do to make the most of 1:1 speaker coaching. 

In this blog, we’ve captured highlights of that discussion for you.

At the end of the blog you can access the entire Live! on YouTube or podcast for more anecdotes and advice, like pointers on how to manage nerves.

Don't have time to read the whole guide right now? 

Save the PDF version to your desktop and read when it's convenient for you.

  (Direct download. No form required)

 

How to Prepare for a Coaching Session

If you’re going to invest in a speech coach, it pays to make the most of the experience by preparing in advance. We suggest you:

📣  Say your talk out loud 5 times in advance. You’ll get more out of the session if you’ve committed your content/key messages to muscle memory

📱  Practice trimming and honing your key message and content by recording yourself, and test it in front of coworkers or friends

📝  Make note of feedback you’ve gotten from coworkers or audiences regarding your presentations and share that with your coach at the beginning of the session

How to Get the Most From the Session

A single coaching session is typically 1 to 2 hours, so it’s important to:

❓ Be open to feedback, take notes, and don’t hesitate to ask for clarification

💻  Become comfortable with video practice. It’s a powerful tool for improvement

🌟  Be open to exploring and owning your natural presenting style so you and
your coach can build on it

🎯  Make sure to have a concrete action plan before you leave a coaching session

Speaking of an action plan, let's look at . . .

How to Make What You’ve Learned Stick

Committing new communication skills to muscle memory takes ongoing effort. Strive to:

✅  Use your action-steps list as an invaluable tool for reflection, practice, and growth

⏰  Consider spending just 10 minutes a week on cementing what you’ve learned

✨  Find quick and easy ways to continue to learn from other speakers, like watching TED Talks and noticing what the best speakers do

We hope you found these practical tips valuable. If you’d like to dive a little deeper, you can enjoy the full “Make the Most of 1:1 Coaching” Live! recording on our YouTube channel or on podcast.