Speaking with Confidence
Quick reference
The essentials on one page
| Area | Rule of thumb | Lesson |
|---|---|---|
| Where you speak | Meetings, calls and conversations count as much as talks | 1 |
| Nerves | Expected, and less visible than they feel. Say “I’m excited”, breathe out slowly, know your first sentence | 2 |
| Breath | Breathe low; take a breath at the start of each new idea | 3 |
| Volume | Speak to the furthest person; keep energy to the last word | 3 |
| Pace | Slower than feels natural, especially for numbers, names and your main point | 3 |
| Pauses | Pause before and after key points; swap some “ums” for silence | 3 |
| Choir | Weekly group singing trains breath, projection, range and posture; many choirs don’t audition | 3 |
| Voice coaching | Speech pathologist for voice problems and accent work; voice coach for delivery | 3 |
| Body | Feet planted, hands visible and free to gesture | 4 |
| Eye contact | One person, one thought, then move on | 4 |
| Off the cuff | Pause, rephrase the question, use PREP: point, reason, example, point | 5 |
| Table Topics | Two minutes on a surprise question, often: the cheapest impromptu practice there is | 5 |
| Finishing | Know your last sentence, say it, stop | 5 |
| Structure | One-sentence message, said in the first 30 seconds; two or three points; close with the message and a next step | 6 |
| Stories | Situation, problem, what happened, point; start in the action; one vivid detail | 7 |
| Meetings | Speak in the first ten minutes; 30 to 60 seconds per contribution; drop the apologies | 8 |
| Updates | Done, next, need | 8 |
| Facilitating | Purpose as an outcome; agenda as questions with times; rounds; write before talking; close with decisions and actions | 9 |
| Leading | Say where you’re heading in one sentence, often; calm, slow voice in a crisis; ask “What am I missing?” | 10 |
| Hard conversations | First sentence prepared; describe, don’t diagnose; agree a next step | 10 |
| Evaluation | Speaker sets the goal; commend, recommend, commend; one or two recommendations; “I found…” | 11 |
| Feedback at work | Situation, behaviour, impact; about the task, not the person | 11 |
| Receiving feedback | Thank them, don’t argue, pick one thing to work on | 11 |
| Listening | Let them finish, check you’ve understood, ask “What else?” | 11 |
| Online | Headset first, camera at eye level, light in front, more energy than feels natural | 12 |
| Hybrid | Remote people first, by name | 12 |
| Prepared talks | Notes not a script; opening and close by heart; about 130 to 150 words a minute; finish early | 13 |
| Slides | Don’t read them; one idea each; under about 20 words | 13 |
| Rehearsal | Three times out loud: alone, recorded, standing | 13 |
| Questions | Listen, rephrase, answer briefly, check, move on; end on your message | 14 |
| Going blank | Pause, check notes, repeat the last line, summarise | 14 |
| Practice | Five minutes a day, a speaking log, specific feedback | 15 |
| Clubs | Visit two or three as a guest; every meeting role is speaking or leading practice | 16 |
| Mentors | Get one with one clear goal; then mentor someone else | 16 |
| Contests and the circuit | A contest speech teaches craft; paid speaking starts with speaking free and often | 16 |
Off-the-cuff shapes
| Shape | Use it for |
|---|---|
| PREP: point, reason, example, point | Opinions, answers, recommendations |
| Past, present, future | Updates, introductions, “tell us about…” |
| What, so what, now what | Reporting a fact or result and its meaning |
| Problem, solution, benefit | Proposals and suggestions |
| Situation, problem, what happened, point | Stories and “tell me about a time when” |
Meeting opener and closer
Open: “Thanks for coming. We’ve got [time], and by the end I’d like us to have [outcome]. We’ll cover [items].”
Close: “So we’ve decided [decisions]. Actions: [who] does [what] by [when]. Anything I’ve missed?”
Clubs and help
- Toastmasters International: speaking clubs in most Australian suburbs and towns, plus online clubs
- Rostrum Australia: Australian public speaking clubs
- Vocal Impact: Kirsten Geraghty, speech pathologist: voice therapy, vocal training and accent reduction
- Sally Prosser: voice and public speaking coach, former TV news journalist; free tips on Instagram and TikTok
- Vocal Waves: non-auditioned community choir on the Gold Coast (or search for a community choir near you)
- World Championship of Public Speaking: past winners’ speeches, worth watching for craft
- healthdirect: social anxiety disorder, MindSpot and THIS WAY UP: if fear of speaking is holding you back
- Your GP: for hoarseness lasting more than three weeks, or a voice that changes for no clear reason
Watch, listen and read
- Sally Prosser, Voiceprint: how to leave a lasting impression every time you speak (book and audiobook)
- Julian Treasure, How to speak so that people want to listen (TED, 10 minutes)
- Chris Anderson, TED’s secret to great public speaking (TED, 8 minutes)
- Al Barnett, Legendary Lectures (podcast of conversations with everyday people; see the Listen sections in Lessons 2, 7, 10 and 11)
- Matt Abrahams, Think Fast, Talk Smart: Communication Techniques (Stanford GSB, about an hour) and his podcast
About this course
This is an independent course. It is not a Toastmasters course and is not endorsed by, sponsored by or affiliated with Toastmasters International. Toastmasters International, Toastmasters and Table Topics are trademarks of Toastmasters International.