Musings on My Typical Client
They’re pretty normal people—probably like you.
When I look around at the public speaking coaching landscape, the problems described and the solutions offered often feel rather ... dramatic to me. Much of the marketing seems to promise that you’ll ✨Find your inner voice! Learn to tell your story! Motivate—nay, captivate any audience! Turn speaking opportunities from petrifying near-death experiences into ecstatic triumphs, every time! ✨
These are good goals! & I’m sure many people have them. But they seem pretty far removed from my (adult)* students’ struggles & speaking objectives, which are more grounded & practical. In consultations, people say things like, “I’m speaking more often at work these days, and I don’t think I’m as effective a communicator as I could be. Plus, sometimes I get kinna nervous, & I want to sound (and be) confident.”
But Steve, all we wanted was the quarterly sales outlook.
For these folks, recounting scintillating sagas or delivering impassioned calls to action aren’t part of their professional day-to-day. They’re more focused on straightforward Corporate America speaking challenges: contributing to some meetings, leading others, and giving the occasional presentation. Standing ovations aren’t needed, just getting points across in a clear & compelling way.
So, majestic “Friends! Romans! Countrymen! Lend me your ears” rhetorical stylings would just be weird in those settings, as would poignant personal stories that tug at hearers’ heartstrings. This is the office, not the stage—and my coaching approach reflects that. It prioritizes practical, straightforward suggestions & exercises for normal business communication.
Now, I have plenty of other types of students too, with unorthodox speaking needs & settings.** & I’m delighted to coach all of them! But if you feel like you’ve got Normal Worker Speaking Problems & want a coach with clear, actionable strategies to tackle them, perhaps we should talk. 🙂
*I also coach children/teens, but this article isn’t about them. This one is.
**We’re talking emcees, DJs, grad students, educators, CEOs, wedding toasters, Tedtalkers & conference speakers, and folks who just want to be better conversationalists.
