Put Me In, Coach: Professional Guidance Can Help Nervous Speakers Improve

Five years ago, after a pitiful 10-second TV spot for her organization in which she practically froze in front of the camera, Melany Brown hired a speaking coach.

“Even friends couldn’t believe it was me on that TV spot,” says Ms. Brown, president of the Alliance of Nonprofits, an umbrella group in Seattle.

Her coach filmed her giving a speech and they analyzed it together. Her performance improved almost immediately after that one-on-one feedback. She now uses her hands and expressions more naturally, she says, and she has added a little humor to her presentations.

As public speaking becomes a bigger part of the job for nonprofit leaders, more are paying greater attention to not only the content of their messages but how it they are conveyed.

“Nonprofit leaders are passionate about their missions, but they really need to be able to speak well about them,” notes Ms. Brown, who gives up to 15 speeches a year.

Outside Help

Private coaches can help awkward public speakers polish their style. But Ms. Brown and other public-speaking experts say help also may be available though community-college courses or an affiliate of the group Toastmasters International.

Some coaches may offer training to the entire staff of an organization, to raise the communication skills of everyone and help find the stories that can convey the charity’s mission to potential supporters.

The fees that speech coaches charge range widely. Most trainers offer retainer packages, providing help to a client throughout a year, according to Carmie McCook, a public-speaking trainer and coach in Washington. Annual retainers may cost roughly from $4,500 to $7,000; shorter-term arrangements could cost $1,000 to $7,500 a day for one-on-one training, say some speech coaches. Some instructors will give discounts to nonprofits clients if asked, says Ms. McCook.

A minimum of three coaching sessions is usually necessary, says Pamela Ziemann, author of Giving Voice to Your Cause: Speaking Tips for Nonprofit Professionals. (She charges $150 an hour for spot coaching, but also offers additional training on retainer for up to $600 a month.)

Joining Toastmasters and attending its weekly or biweekly meetings may be the affordable alternative for many. Membership costs under $100 a year, says Katie De Boer, public relations specialist for Toastmasters International, in Orange County, Calif.

“It’s a good starting place for improving public speaking,” she says.

Several large nonprofit organizations sponsor Toastmasters club meetings at their headquarters.

Self-Recording

Those who want to polish their speaking style without the benefit of a coach should start by recording themselves, Ms. Ziemann suggests.

Just listen to the recording, she advises, and think about how to be more engaging. For inspiration, she suggests checking out speeches on YouTube or elsewhere online. She especially recommends listening to some of the mesmerizing talksfrom the annual TED conferences, at which speakers from a variety of fields discuss creative ideas in technology, science, and other areas.