Frequently asked questions
Introduction
What do you do?
I teach people and teams how to become proficient at public speaking. I introduce them to the techniques used for writing and delivering pitches, presentations, sales reports, technical updates, wedding speeches, eulogies, as well as preparing for job interviews, compensation reviews, difficult meetings of any kind, and so on.
My method helps clients focus and distill their message for maximum relevancy. It guides them to write, develop, and organize the words and visual material they need to effectively express their thoughts and ideas. It helps them practice and say what they want to say clearly, effectively, and persuasively, without wasting time or being miserable with anxiety.
Who are you—and what makes you an expert?
I’m a former journalist, author of several books, and formerly terrible public speaker who discovered the (somewhat) lost art of speech training and fell in love with it. The ancient Greeks and Romans taught speech as an integral part of higher education; they felt that educated people and citizens in democracies need to be able share ideas and make group decisions. I loved their way of teaching because it’s so practical and easy, yet transformative. I’ve seen it many times: a few hours of speech training gets every client over the hump of feeling like they’ll never be any good at public speaking. Once they know they can do it on their own, they become happier.
I didn’t invent anything, I simply spent a few years figuring out how to explain the teachings of Aristotle and Cicero (the two greatest speech teachers in history) for modern people. When I realized the degree to which modern people needlessly suffer from anxiety about public speaking (because they’ve never been taught how to do it) I decided to become the world’s best teacher, using these ancient techniques.
How can I know if you’re a fit for me or my team? Can we talk first to discuss a plan?
Yes. Send me an email or use my calendar to schedule a free 20-minute Zoom meeting to discuss your team or personal goals. If you have an upcoming challenge or deadline, like a meeting, pitch, IPO, conference, annual meeting, speech, presentation, or important meeting you need to prepare for, that’s perfect. I’ll get you or your team ready and confident. You’ll walk away proud, but you’ll also have a template for speech preparation that you can use forever.
If we agree to work together, you will pay me a deposit up front. We’ll schedule our initial sessions. You’ll give me an NDA to sign, if you like, then share any materials pertaining to your project. I’ll review your material and make notes.
How much time does it take to become a good speaker?
This depends on the length of your presentation; the degree of writing (or rewriting) it requires; the amount of work you’re willing to put in (with me and on your own).
I find that virtually no teams and very few people seek to become wildly eloquent orators (with the exception of TED talkers-in-training). They simply want to become competent and comfortable expressing their thoughts. Most clients preparing for 15- to 30- minute presentations get pretty decent with 4-5 hours of training. But that TED speaker-in-training? We worked for over 80 hours in a month……and they got a standing ovation.
Services
Can you create a custom public speaking workshop for my company or team? How does it work?
Yes. This is a great —and common — form of engagement. Once you tell my how your learning objectives and schedule, I’ll start by interviewing members of your team to get a sense of their challenges. I design my workshops to focus on solving their particular, real, upcoming problems, rather than introducing new exercises that create additional work for them. By using your company presentations (all-hands meetings, for example, or any other kind of routine meetings), you’ll gain institutional knowledge for how to carry the training forward after our work is finished.
Do you work with clients remotely?
Yes. I do lotsof remote one-on-one coaching, and team educational talks. Team training, however, tends to work better in-person.
Where are you located?
I’m based in New York City, but I’m happy to travel for work, when needed.
What’s the best time of day to work together?
I usually work “normal” hours, from 8:00am-6:00pm EST. If deadlines (or time zones) makes that impossible, I will sometimes schedule sessions on weekends.
Clients
Do you work with beginners?
Gladly. I work with speakers at all levels. Nothing that I teach is difficult to understand. Whether you’re new to public speaking, or you’re highly accomplished but need to polish an upcoming project, my classical approach to public speaking will radically improve your ability to connect with any audience.
Do you work with children or teens?
I love working with children and teens. Learning to speak up and explain yourself at a young age is the most useful, empowering, emotionally and professionally enriching skill of all. The life-long multiplier effect of learning it when you’re young is incalculable.
English is my second language. Is that a problem?
No. My training works the same for everybody; effective public speaking is much more about knowing what to say and how to say it than it is about say, pronunciation. I’ve also worked with people on accent remediation with great results. My deep belief is that if you distill and organize your content well, your accent will not deter you from being an effective and powerful public speaker.
Process
I’ve always been terrified of public speaking. It provokes sleeplessness, sweaty hands, anguish and panic attacks. How can I overcome such a deep psychological roadblock?
Many, many people are convinced that good public speaking requires lessening anxiety and gaining confidence. If this were true, cocaine and Xanax would solve the problem, and you’d never need to learn anything. But of course, neither of those things has the ability to organize your ideas in a way that connects with people. The goal of expressing your thoughts and ideas well is ultimately unrelated to your emotions.
Public speaking is awkward for one reason only: you’ve never been taught how to do it. When you do it poorly and represent yourself to people in an awkward manner, yes, it feels emotional. But the fix isn’t emotional. The fix is well, it’s intellectual. You have to learn the trick of organizing your thoughts properly for public consumption. And that trick begins with learning how people listen to you; it builds from there.
The principles I’ll teach you are very simple. Anyone can learn them, no matter how anxious they are. You’ll practice using my techniques. You’ll see how much easier it becomes to speak in public. You’ll probably still be anxious, but you’ll notice yourself speaking more clearly, explaining yourself more effectively, and “being yourself” in a way you never would have imagined. In the end, yes, you’ll eventually feel more confident.
Is this at all like therapy?
No (see above). My approach to speech training is based on simple ideas rooted in the Ancient Greek and Roman art of rhetoric—about the nature of speech and how people listen. Approaching speech from this perspective (thinking about others, instead of thinking about yourself) reduces the cognitive noise in your head by narrowing down your focus. What I will teach you has everything to do with thinking about your audience and nothing to do with your childhood, brain chemicals, or emotional state.
Is our work confidential?
Any information you share with me stays between us. I’m also happy to sign an NDA.
Are you available for fine-tuning and questions in between sessions?
Yes, always. After two (or so) initial sessions—much of our work can be done during short sessions, emails, and so on.
Rates
How much does it cost?
Schedule a chat to discuss. Every client’s needs are so varied, there’s never a one-size-fits-all solution or price.
Do you ever reduce your fee? Or: Can I make a group with some friends or co-workers together and split your fee?
I’m always eager to help students, nonprofits, activists, or anyone working for a good cause. Tell me about your goals, and we’ll work something out.
What happens if I have to cancel our session?
There’s no charge for cancellations more than 48 hours in advance. Cancellations between 24 and 48 hours in advance will result in a 50% refund. If you cancel within 24 hours of a session, you’ll have to pay the full rate.
What happens if our session runs longer or shorter than our scheduled time?
Sessions often run longer or shorter than our scheduled time. When this happens, we’ll make a note and prorate the minutes accordingly.
If you need more convincing
What can I expect from working with you? What’s my ROI (return on investment)?
My experience is that after 4-6 hours of work, my clients no longer dread public speaking. They no longer suffer the painful regret that follows a bad presentation. Founders report getting a second meeting and/or funding from investors. Job candidates report getting the job. At a minimum, they learn to speak more convincingly and engagingly in pitches, presentations, and meetings. They walk away with a method for speech prep that saves time and stress. Once you know what it feels like to speak well, you don’t go backwards. My method isn’t something you forget.
I’m interested in working with you. Can I check out your references?
Of course—depending on their availability.