The Speaking Club: Mastering the Art of Public Speaking

Great speakers don't just rehearse what they're going to say. They rehearse how they want their audience to experience it.

Yet mention choreography to many speakers and you'll often hear the same concern...

"I don't want to look rehearsed."

In this episode, I explain why that's one of the biggest myths in public speaking, and how thinking more like an actor or performer can dramatically increase your impact without making you sound scripted.

I'll share the four principles I use with my coaching clients to choreograph talks, show you why every movement either strengthens or weakens your message, and explain how to identify the moments in your talk that deserve intentional delivery.

Whether you're preparing a keynote, TEDx talk or presentation, this episode will help you create a talk that doesn't just sound better... it feels better to your audience.

What you'll discover:

• Why performers embrace choreography but speakers often resist it.

• The biggest myth about authenticity and rehearsal.

• The four principles of choreographing your talk.

• How movement, stillness and silence all shape your audience's experience.

• Why your audience follows your attention.

• The movement addition that turned a story from interesting to mesmerising.

• How to identify the three to five moments in your talk that deserve intentional choreography.

• The six performance levers you can use to increase impact.

• Why rehearsal should be your sandpit of success.

Enjoy!

If you'd like to watch the video of the episode, you can do that here>>

Speaking Resources:

Grab Your From Blank Page to Stage Guide and Nail the Topic for a Client Winning Talk: https://saraharcher.co.uk/newguide-tsc

Want to get better at finding and sharing your stories then check out our FREE Five Day Snackable Story Challenge: https://www.saraharcher.co.uk/challenge

To share your thoughts:

· leave a comment below.

· Share this show on X, Facebook or LinkedIn.

To help the show out:

· Leave an honest review at https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc. Your ratings and reviews really help get the word out and I read each one.

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Let's be honest...

Most of us think moderating a panel is just introducing the speakers, asking a few questions and making sure nobody waffles on for too long.

Turns out... it's a little more complicated than that.

Xenia Wickett has moderated conversations with some of the most influential people in the world, CEOs and senior policymakers including people like Elon Musk and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Xenia has spent her career working at the highest levels of international affairs, advising governments and businesses, and moderating conversations.

In this episode she shares what she's learned about guiding discussions, managing disagreement, reading an audience and asking the kinds of questions that unlock genuinely interesting conversations.

Whether you ever plan to chair a panel or not, you'll come away with ideas that will make you a better speaker, interviewer and communicator.

What you'll discover: • How Xenia found herself moderating some of the world's biggest conversations • Why moderation is far more than asking questions and keeping time • What interviewing CEOs and world leaders taught her about communication • How to challenge influential people without becoming confrontational • The subtle signs a conversation is losing the audience • How to keep discussions productive when opinions collide • The mistake many speakers make that frustrates moderators • Why listening is often a communicator's greatest superpower • Practical advice if you'd like to moderate panels yourself • The communication habits every speaker can borrow from great moderators

Enjoy!

If you'd like to watch the video of the episode, you can do that on our YouTube Channel shortly.

Guest Information: Website: www.wickettadvisory.com Xenia's Blog: https://www.wickettadvisory.com/blog LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xenia-wickett-2686b0

Books & Resources*: Winnie the Pooh by A.A.Milne

TEDx | 5 Tips for Asking Better Questions, Xenia Wickett: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IuyCJUJgDk

You can find Xenia's interview with Elon Musk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWCfqBb0YTE

Blog: How to Moderate Powerful Conversations: https://www.wickettadvisory.com/post/how-to-moderate-powerful-conversations

[Quick Tip] Talk Flow Tips: Create Seamless Transitions Like a Pro, Episode 326

Speaking Resources: Grab Your From Blank Page to Stage Guide and Nail the Topic for a Client Winning Talk: https://saraharcher.co.uk/newguide-tsc

Want to get better at finding and sharing your stories then check out our FREE Five Day Snackable Story Challenge: https://www.saraharcher.co.uk/challenge

To share your thoughts: · leave a comment below. · Share this show on Facebook or LinkedIn.

To help the show out: · Leave an honest review at https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc. Your ratings and reviews really help get the word out and I read each one.

*(please note if you use my link 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.

Many speakers think that the sexiest part of their story for the audience is the before and after.

They're wrong.

The most valuable bit is often missed entirely or not given the space it deserves in your talk.

In this episode, I'm covering what that missing part is, what leaving it out is costing you and why you might feel resistance to including it in your signature story.

If you've ever felt your story isn't quite landing with your audience, or not getting you the results you want when you speak this episode might explain why ... and completely change the way you tell it.

What you'll discover: • The storytelling mistake Sarah spotted happening judging this year's Speaker Awards • What The Odyssey can teach you about telling a memorable signature story • Why audiences care less about your success than you might think • The missing piece of your story that undermines trust • Why sharing your failures can make you more credible, not less • The reason audiences often admire your transformation but don't believe they can achieve it themselves • How expert blindness can sabotage your story • The simple questions that help you uncover the lessons hidden inside your story • How to include the struggle, even if you've only got a short speaking slot • Why the decisions you made matter more than the destination you reached • What caterpillars, butterflies and chicken recipes have to do with great storytelling

Enjoy!

If you'd like to watch the video of the episode, you can do that here>>

Speaking Resources: Grab Your From Blank Page to Stage Guide and Nail the Topic for a Client Winning Talk: https://saraharcher.co.uk/newguide-tsc

Episode 194, Storytelling. The Long and Short of It: https://thespeakingclub.com/episodes/tsc/194

Want to get better at finding and sharing your stories then check out our FREE Five Day Snackable Story Challenge: https://www.saraharcher.co.uk/challenge

To share your thoughts: · leave a comment below. · Share this show on Facebook or LinkedIn.

To help the show out: · Leave an honest review at https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc Your ratings and reviews really help get the word out and I read each one.

*(please note if you use my link 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 speakers spend years learning strategies.

How to find speaking gigs. How to craft a keynote. How to market themselves. How to build a speaking business.

But what if one of the most important strategies isn't something anyone can teach you?

In this episode, I'm joined by intuition coach Jenny Carrell to explore the role intuition plays in making better decisions, recognising the right opportunities and understanding the beliefs that quietly shape the speaking career you create.

Whether you're naturally sceptical or already curious about intuition and manifestation, this conversation goes beyond the clichés to explore why success isn't always about doing more ... it can start with seeing yourself, your opportunities and your potential differently.

Enjoy!

What you'll discover: • Why Jenny believes intuition is far more practical than most people realise • The life-changing experience that took her from sceptic to intuition coach • How to tell the difference between intuition, fear and wishful thinking • What manifestation really means, and why it's often misunderstood • The manifestation story that even surprised Jenny • Why some speakers seem to attract opportunities while others unknowingly block them • How your self-perception shapes the opportunities that come your way • The subtle difference between pursuing speaking opportunities from scarcity versus alignment • Where intuition should play a role in choosing your message, niche and speaking gigs • Whether it's possible to manifest opportunities before you're truly ready for them • The limiting beliefs that keep many speakers stuck at free or low fee • Whether intuition is something you're born with, or a skill you can develop • Why your external success often starts with internal change • How to know whether your goal is coming from purpose… or ego • Three simple ways you can start attracting your dream speaking gigs

Enjoy!

If you'd like to watch the video of the episode, you can do that on my YouTube channel soon...

Guest Information: Website: https://www.theintuitivepath.co.uk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_intuitive_path/

Books & Resources*: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill Becoming Supernatural by Dr Joe Dispenza The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins

Speaking Resources: Grab Your From Blank Page to Stage Guide and Nail the Topic for a Client Winning Talk: https://saraharcher.co.uk/newguide-tsc

Want to get better at finding and sharing your stories then check out our FREE Five Day Snackable Story Challenge: https://www.saraharcher.co.uk/challenge

To share your thoughts: · leave a comment below. · Share this show on Facebook or LinkedIn.

To help the show out: · Leave an honest review at https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc Your ratings and reviews really help get the word out and I read each one.

*(please note if you use my link 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.

Have you ever listened to a speaker share a deeply personal story ... and instead of feeling moved, you felt worried about them, a bit awkward and like the life had been sucked out of you?

On the other side of the coin, you might have been in the room with a speaker who share the most harrowing story and yet when they've finished you feel moved, uplifted and energised.

So what's the difference?

In this episode, I explore what I believe is the secret to sharing emotional stories that create connection rather than discomfort, and why the most moving speakers aren't always the most emotional.

If you've ever worried about sharing a personal story, or wondered why yours don't always land in the way you'd hoped, then this episode is for you.

What you'll discover: • Why some emotional stories move an audience… while others leave them feeling awkward • The biggest mistake speakers make when sharing personal stories • Why speaking isn't acting ... and why that distinction matters • Why audiences don't need you to tell them how you felt • The hidden emotional layers inside every story • The simple questions that uncover the moments your audience will connect with most • Why behaviour is often more powerful than emotion words • How tiny details can create huge emotional impact • The storytelling principle comedians use that speakers can borrow • What an orchestra conductor can teach you about leading an audience's emotions • Why giving your audience space to make the connection themselves creates deeper engagement • Two brilliant examples of speakers who evoke emotion without becoming melodramatic • How to share deeply personal stories without overwhelming yourself, or your audience

Enjoy!

If you'd like to watch the video of the episode here>

Links to the Clips mentioned in the podcast episode:

John Peters on CBC News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iBBEANwDSY&feature=youtu.be Andrew Garfield on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u_TswLQ4ws

Speaking Resources: Grab Your From Blank Page to Stage Guide and Nail the Topic for a Client Winning Talk: https://saraharcher.co.uk/newguide-tsc

Want to get better at finding and sharing your stories then check out our FREE Five Day Snackable Story Challenge: https://www.saraharcher.co.uk/challenge

To share your thoughts: · leave a comment below. · Share this show on Facebook or LinkedIn.

To help the show out: · Leave an honest review at https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc Your ratings and reviews really help get the word out and I read each one.

*(please note if you use my link 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.