Jeannette Kavanagh
Throughout the past two decades I've gained a reputation as an entertaining and informative public speaker. I have spoken in every sort of setting, from keynote addresses at international academic conferences, to addressing Parliamentary committees, and making countless toasts at birthday parties and weddings.
Conquer Your Fear of Public Speaking: Presenting Your Best evolved over the past twenty years from my own public presentation experience, and from the many public speaking seminars I designed and ran. Almost from the first seminar, I realised that most participants were actually nervous or even terrified about public speaking, regardless of whether their talk was to a small group of friends, or to thousands of people. I also learned that even the most experienced performers often spent hours in a total panic before their talk, or musical recital.
I firmly believe that everyone can learn the techniques of great public speaking and that we can all speak in public without fear.
Improve your public speaking skills
Stand and deliver at the Mt Erica in Prahran
I offer interactive seminars in public presentation skills at the centrally located Mt Erica Hotel Function room at 420 High Street Prahran. In those seminars, you’ll learn by doing, not just listening to me telling you how it’s done. Past participants have told me that they're fun to attend. I'm not sure about the fun, but I can guarantee that you'll improve the great skills you have already, or start on your lifelong journey to great public speaking.
You have two options from which to choose. You can attend on three consecutive Wednesday evenings, or you can do the whole course by attending for a full day on Saturday.
1. Saturday Public Presentation Package at Mt Erica Hotel Function Room. Located at 420 High Street, Prahran the function room at the Mt Erica Hotel is close to lots of public transport and with ample parking. Offered from 9.30am to 5pm, your public presentation package is delivered in one seven-hour session. There’s a break for a delicious lunch, the cost of which is included in your investment of only $250. Given my background, it goes without saying that a set of detailed notes is also part of your package. The group is limited to a maximum of 25 participants, so that each person can be given individualised tuition.
Fear of public speaking is the world’s #1 fear. Some suggest it’s greater than our fear of death. Eliminating that fear is my specialty. In these small groups, I estimate that at least 70% of the group will share your fear. So you’ll be in good and empathic company. I offer one free follow-up coaching session to either de-brief after you’ve delivered the public presentation you were a bit tentative about, or after you’ve finished the course with me.
2. Dinner plus public presentation package. Located in the Mt Erica Hotel function room, Dr Kavanagh’s public presentation package is offered from 6.30pm to 9.30pm over three consecutive Wednesday evenings. We take a thirty minute break for dinner the cost of which is included in the investment of $250 for the total course. Ask around, that’s eight hours of top quality training for around the same cost of a one hour coaching session. Once again, the numbers are limited.
This week night timeframe suits people who like to have time to practise their new skills in between sessions.
Public Presentation Package - course content
In the beginning, and the end, the three aims of making any public presentation are to
- Transfer knowledge and/or skills to your listeners in a dynamic, engaging way, or
- Entertain them and/or to
- Move them to action. Whether you’re informing or entertaining, and hopefully you’re doing both, you must convince your listeners to follow a course of action – eg vote for you, buy your product, donate to your organisation.
In my seminars you’ll learn how to:
- Conquer your fear of public speaking using my guaranteed strategies.
- Establish and maintain the appropriate level of eye contact, as well as how to manage hand gestures.
- Structure your preparation so it fits into the time you have.
- Use the three important ‘p’s of using your voice: pitch, pace, phrasing,
- Create visual aids which have optimum impact.
Presentation skills one-to-one coaching
I’m a certified Coach with training in solution-oriented coaching and counselling.
I offer one-to-one public presentation skills coaching sessions. The sessions are for one hour followed by structured exercises for you to practise between coaching sessions. Those exercises are tailored to maximise your strengths and eliminate your weaknesses. Many people prefer that individualised approach. Unlike many coaching services, I do not set up a contract with a minimum number of sessions. Some people get all they need in an hour, many take three, or even twenty sessions to reach their goal.
Your first 30 minute coaching consultation is FREE
In the first session, you set up your public presentation skills coaching goals. I make that free of charge because you need to have the opportunity to decide if we’d work well as a team.
