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Communicate Effectively
Engage in specialised learning to develop your communication skills.
Public speaking coach, founder of the South Florida Speakers Bureau and creator of the SET Principle Program Marsha Freedman shares her 22 years of experience and insights to help professionals overcome fears, empowering them to become more confident, charismatic and convincing speakers.
"Changing the world one presentation at a time" is Marsha's ethos. Her educational background is in Mass Communication and Education, having served on several committees and associations within the public speaking space. We are delighted to engage in a conversation with the renowned communication expert.
Thanks Marsha for joining the All Things SPEECH! Q&A today. We are excited to learn from your wealth of knowledge and experience.
It all started with going through a surprise divorce! Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I decided to enroll in grad school and place my focus elsewhere. After graduating, I attended Toastmasters, a public speaking and leadership organization, and then joined. As I’m a very creative person and understood how to organize my thoughts, my speeches were highly rated. Within a year, one of the members offered me an adjunct position at a local university teaching public speaking. From there, I was hired to conduct full day workshops in public speaking for many organizations. The coaching developed as an offshoot of these workshops, as attendees often needed individualized assistance.
What are your focus areas as a public speaking coach?
I always start with introducing my trademarked program The SET Principle. It is an emotional intelligence/mental wellness program that helps my clients understand, in simple terms, how their brain works and how to manage emotions to get better results. Next, we dive into their past challenges and develop creative ways to move past them.
How can coachees set realistic goals on their public speaking growth journey?
My advice is to gradually improve your skills. Take advantage of as many speaking opportunities as possible, whether formal or informal. Every time you are in the audience, observe the speaker’s non-verbals, vocals, energy, creativity, and presence. Learn from everyone.
What advice would you give to those who feel deeply anxious speaking in public?
Working with a coach is the best way to overcome the fear. I have found that most of the fear comes from the fear of being judged by others, so get comfortable first with who you are and what you have to offer others. If you have an important message to share with the world, your focus should be on THEM, not you.
What have the outcomes been of some of your coaching clients?
They understand to start early planning their presentation, so they have more time to rehearse and make changes, resulting in the best possible final presentation. They enjoy the feeling of liberation, as they are finally able to move past their fears. Sales go up and promotions are secured once they can speak with confidence, conviction, and clarity.
Thank you for sharing your story, insights and recommendations with us.