Public speaking is a critical skill in every policy professional’s life. It can mean the difference between coming up with great ideas that wither away for lack of support vs. pitching a proposal that generates excitement among funders, and may even land that sought-after promotion. There are also many types of speaking skills: delivering a prepared speech in front of a live audience, pitching a proposal to a venture capital firm, sitting on stage for an “interview conversation”, televised and radio interviews, organizing and delivering a press conference, working with consecutive and simultaneous interpreters, professional conference presentations, award ceremonies, diplomatic introductions, etc.

This course is designed to introduce you to all of these different skills and/or refine those skills. You will also learn “tricks” of the trade, do’s & don’t’s, how to “connect” with your audience, how to become a better listener (the secret to great speaking!), how to use body language to greatest effect, advanced vocal techniques, handling Q&A (especially in a press conference format), how to properly introduce someone (and be introduced), which is much harder than it seems, and how to wow an audience in both a live and pre-recorded media interview.

In addition to learning these specific skills, there are three other secrets to becoming a great speaker. 1) Practice, 2) Practice, and 3) Practice. After taking this workshop, you are encouraged to seek out as many opportunities as you can to practice what you have learned. All of you have the capacity to become successful public speakers provided you apply yourself to implementing the skills you will learn in this course.