Helping professionals become more sought after public speakers with less fear and more fun.
In this guide, I’ll share with you the super simple outline I use for all my presentations.
Plus, I’ll reveal the only 3 elements of any talk that you ever need to memorize, whether you’re doing a 5-minute talk at your next team meeting or a 90-minute webinar.
No matter what the context, just follow this step-by-step process to feel twice as prepared in half the time!
Studies have shown that in ranking common phobias, most people list "public speaking" as a more pressing concern than "death."
So if you feel the impulse to hide behind the fake plant in the corner every time you get called on in the team meeting, don't be too hard on yourself. That's natural.
Getting up on a stage and feeling EXCITED to have a room full of eyes on you is not a natural reaction.
That, my friend, is an actor's reaction.
Speak Masterfully was founded on 3 simple principles, borrowed from the techniques of acting and improv.
What would happen if you could take those performance nerves and turn them into excitement? Learn the science behind "stage presence" so you can feel comfortable and confident in front of ANY audience.
When you take the stage, the last thing you want is to appear "fake" or "salesy." Speak Masterfully isn't looking to mold you into some speaker prototype. We're here to help you find and cultivate your authentic voice so that audiences can connect with YOU!
This is the part of speaking most coaches neglect. But coming from the world of improv we think it's CRUCIAL you learn how to process feedback from your audience in real-time. This is the quality that leaves audiences thinking, "Oh my god, it's like she's talking directly to ME!"
Want to find out if Speak Masterfully is right for you? Schedule your complimentary strategy session below and let's find out what's keeping you from taking center stage!
Sara Glancy, founder of Speak Masterfully, helps professionals present with ease and high engagement in front of audiences large and small, so they can get the promotion, become known as thought leaders in their field, become more effective team leaders, and make more sales.
With a background in both theatre and entrepreneurship, Sara has a unique perspective on what it takes to be an effective speaker in the professional sphere. Drawing on her acting training from NYU TISCH School for the Arts, as well as her years of experience building her own business, she has developed a methodology that is equal parts art and science, all with the goal of empowering her clients to step into the spotlight with less fear and more fun.
(Because you know I can't resist a good story)
Sara WILL help you improve. She understands the art of storytelling, the power of one’s voice and brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and insight to every lesson. In addition to being super talented, Sara is very accommodating, warm, and friendly. Highly recommend her!
-Lina Stillman, Labor and Employment Attorney
If you want audience members to lean forward when you're speaking, even when you're presenting on a technical subject like computer programming, you need to hire Sara.
Working with her one-on-one gave me the tools to walk into any speaking engagement feeling like I can own the room.
-Matthew Griffith, Senior Developer, Vendr
Thank you so much. Not only for refining my speaking skills and presentation, but also for giving me the push to actually schedule this event and take a chance. I feel like it’s the start of a new development path in my career and I am really looking forward to pursuing this more, learning, and having fun along the way!
-Jonathan Chu, Engineering Manager, Simple Health
Sara is now taking on private speaking clients!
She will work with you one-on-one to find your voice and feel confident standing in front of ANY room. Bring the stage presence of an actor with you wherever you go no matter the room or the audience.
Here's just a few places you could apply the Speak Masterfully Approach:
You have big ideas.
They deserve to be given voice.
To be able to communicate is to be able to connect.
And couldn't we all use a little more connection these days?
Speaking of...
To learn more about my coaching services and to learn if we might be a good fit...
Grab your complimentary Speak Masterfully Strategy Session here!
During this 30min conversation we'll discuss your speaking goals and current challenges and find out if we might be a good fit!
And look, I know a phone conversation may sound stressful, but I promise I'm easy to talk to ;)
(That's quite literally my job.)
Hope to talk soon!
Sara is so incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and she has a great ability to make everyone (even super-nervous beginners) feel comfortable. Highly recommended for ALL levels of speakers looking for help with ANY kind of speaking (speaking on stage in front of large audiences, presenting in a work meeting, communicating one-on-one, etc.). I've done other speaking trainings, and in her workshop, Sara covers material I haven't seen elsewhere AND brings an incredible ability to coach people.
-Cheryl Binnie, Founder/Copywriter/Writing Coach, Copy Luv
Sara was an invaluable resource for how to give a technical talk to a diverse audience. I was having a hard time putting together a dissertation defense that summarized my neuroscience research in enough depth for my thesis advisors while still remaining accessible to friends and family. Sara offered useful insights into how people process information and helped me weave a narrative that was clear and engaging.
-Brittany Mayweather, Harvard PhD 2020
While I have a fairly extroverted personality, for most of my life, I've grown to fear public speaking. This always frustrated me because it felt antithetical to who I was. So, I felt quite isolated and allowed my feelings to gnaw away at me. Sara helped me realize that I'm not alone. She inspired me to get to the root of this "fear" and once we we completed a few sessions, I no longer allowed this once traumatizing roadblock to have power over me. Even more refreshingly, I am working towards enjoying public speaking now and I attribute this to Sara's magic. Above all, she's kind, thoughtful, detail-oriented and resourceful. She can absolutely help you!
-Melissa Radzimski, Senior Producer, Great Big Story
See Sara put the Speak Masterfully approach into action!
As someone who tends to be under-expressive, Sara gave me the coaching, self-awareness, and skills necessary to think critically about how I was telling a story and how to own my voice without being someone I wasn't. Whether you're new to public speaking or looking for ways to hone what you already know, I can't recommend Sara enough!
-Caroline Deng, Advertising Strategy Manager
Her warmth, humility, and razor sharp skills all come through, and managed to overcome the Zoom fatigue that many of us are feeling in the virtual world.
-Catherine Hall, Assistant Dir. Alumni Programs, NYU
I knew something had to change. My fear of public speaking was debilitating and hindering my professional growth. I thought I would get some assistance and tips on how to present well, but I got so much more! I identified my limiting beliefs, learned how to find evidence to the contrary, and how to block my inner critic for effective presentations.
-Dalsie Andrade, Director of Employer Engagement and Partnerships, NYC Department of Youth & Community Development
(That's one of our specialties!)
One of the reasons I love working with programmers and other technical clients is they understand the concept of backend work.
They’re well acquainted with the hours of highly nuanced tweaking behind the scenes that allows users to have a seamless experience online.
This work, largely invisible to the consumer, makes their very web experience possible.
Delivering a technical talk is no different.
On first glance, it may appear that a talk on code architecture wouldn’t require the same amount of performance attention as a best man speech.
In fact, the opposite is true.
When delivering a technical talk, the importance of communicating in a way that is clear and digestible is key.
In order to land your points, you need to pay special attention to pacing, emphasis, and vocal clarity.
And here’s the good news: This is all learnable.
AND, once you learn the methodology of how to mark up your talk for all those elements, you can use that analytical brain to apply it to all your future technical talks!
(This is why we love systems.)
This past year, I've had the pleasure of working with technical clients from across the globe preparing for conferences such as elm Europe and elm-conf.
Ready to speak masterfully at your next tech talk?
Public speaking advice for the savvy speaker.
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Apply this basic outline to any speaking engagement to feel twice as prepared in half the time
(without hours of pointless memorization!)