Voice Coaching

Vocal confidence at interviews and meetings

Welcome, I am dedicated to people creating a powerful, authentic connection and contribution to the world. As part of that vision I am here to facilitate anyone who is passionate about exploring ways to transform their self expression in the world. In particular I can offer voice and presentation skills coaching so that you can confidently express your ideas and talk engagingly with anyone you meet . So if you suspect that you lack confidence in how to express and deliver your opinions one on one at appraisals, at interviews, or how to contribute at meetings I can coach you to 'find your voice.' By that I mean addressing the ways to develop rapport and grounding, empowering and projecting your voice appropriately. We will explore the power of intention, the development of natural body language and gestures, vocal tonality and pace so that your body is congruent with what you want to say. Also we will develop a framework so that you feel confident and clear about how to present what you want to say in any situation and practise the best ways of thinking on your feet.

Vocal fluency for presentations

Alternatively you may recognise that your career opportunities are being compromised because you're terrified of having to present in front of small or large audiences, in which case I can offer valuable assistance. You will learn how to develop rapport through eye contact and congruent body language and the power of defined movement around the stage to change your own emotional state and those listening to you. You will discover the keys to writing, framing and delivering material so that it engages, enthuses and inspires your audience. You will explore the power of breath, pause and poise in vocal delivery. Lastly, I will be teaching you how to get the most from your voice so that you're confident that it's natural and varied tonality makes it an absolute pleasure to listen to.

Vocal authority for audio and video products

The voice is a powerful, emotive vehicle for communicating our ideas, services and products in a competitive market place. With the advent of cheaper 'quality' technologies for recording the voice, many people are additionally looking to use this exciting medium as a way to connect and market their services. Current web research for instance, shows that three times as many people will actively respond to information presented on a website when the spoken voice welcomes us. Immediately we feel more familiar, trusting and intimate with a person/company when there is a voice behind the brochure interface. However, to develop a confident, clear speaking voice that reflects your knowledge and enthusiasm for your business often requires practise and knowledgeable, supportive feedback and tuition. So many of my clients have attempted to inject power and confidence into their audio presentations, to find that it sounds too fast or slow, flat and unpursuasive, hesitant or forced. As your voice coach with six years of both public speaking and audio presentation experience, I can help you develop the colour and vibrancy, the vocal variety and pace that you undoubtedly need to bring to convincing self expression.

With a background in drama, public speaking, singing and yoga I can offer you an exciting, creative journey of self discovery where you can locate the true passion and depth of your public speaking voice. To speak with authority requires a combination of speaking calmly from the heart, supported by the fire, will and belief that what you have to say is going to make a significant contribution to people's lives.

Public Speaking is one of our greatest fears

Speaking to a public which is bombarded by the media and the sophistication of highly trained orators, presenters and actors in the political, business and entertainment arenas, can be intensely nerve racking. Public speaking is recognised as one of the greatest and deepest fears for most people and it is easy to see why.

When you stand up to express yourself, you are choosing consciously to stand apart from the crowd. You are placing yourself in a potentially vulnerable position where people can single you out and show their disapproval. Not only that but I believe that it taps into an ancient primal fear that if we speak out we may get excluded from the tribe and therefore have to fend for ourselves or perish. It takes courage and a budding self belief to take a stand, to reach out and connect, to pursuade and inspire. It takes courage to offer an opinion and contribute when we fear we may be ridiculed or dismissed.

Ultimately what you discover though, in being more self-expressed, is a phenomenal sense of aliveness, joy and accomplishment. It is incredibly exciting to develop a 'voice' in the world and discover that you have much passion and wisdom to contribute to others. By being proactive, by risking rather than sitting on the fence, we grow and cross the abyss, expanding our comfort zones and realising more of our potential. As the saying goes - when you sit on the fence the only thing you get, is splinters up your bottom.

So with appropriate guidance you can master the power of your voice and use it to increase your self-expression in the world. You will make a huge leap in confidence and discover a totally new level of 'performance' at interviews, meetings, networking events, product/service demonstrations, workshop seminars and any other opportunity where you are gathered together with people. Using a combination of simple breathing, mind and vocal techniques you will at last be able to stand up and stand out, a vibrant communicator of your own story.

" There is the risk you cannot afford to take, [and] there is the risk you cannot afford not to take." Peter Drucker

“Without trust, words become the hollow sound of a wooden gong, with trust, words become life itself. " Oliver Wendell Holmes

“Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with shades of deeper meaning." Maya Angelou

The Process

* I will coach you to examine and release all those beliefs that currently interfere and hold you back from really expressing yourself with ease in the world.

* You will learn powerful techniques to connect with and expand your breath, giving more energy, support and flexiblity to your speaking voice.

* I will teach you how to overcome your nerves by using directive, spontaneous movement and gestures of your body, transforming and appropriately focusing that nervous energy.

* We will explore pacing, the use of humour and the power of pause to build tension, audience expectation and enjoyment.

* We will examine your intentions for speaking and craft a clear vision of what it is you want to achieve.

* You will discover how best to structure your message with a striking opening and memorable closing or conclusion.

* You will investigate how to make your message meaningful, personal and believable by using your own hidden talents of storytelling.

* You will stretch your speaking muscles by practising - the art of inspiring an audience is feeling well-prepared.

" Great one on one sessions! I feel supremely confident now about speaking up in front of colleagues at meetings and it has made a huge difference in my worklife. I only wish I had found such a brilliant coach sooner. "Tom Piper

" Esther's work with me has made a world of difference. Her knowledge, insight and sensitivity has really helped me to overcome my fears so that I can now speak with confidence and flair. "Aleisha B.

" I have travelled so far with esther's help. She's turned me from a quivering jelly into a smart, articulate orator which has without doubt given me a great new level of confidence in my job. At last I am able to fully contribute and let my talents shine. "Sandra Kinghorn

Fees

Voice and Presentation Skills - 1 hour sessions £85

Whether you want to dramatically improve your performance at interviews, meetings and appraisals or learn how to powerfully present live or pre-recorded material to an audience, these sessions will offer you an exciting, fun and structured approach to overcoming your nerves and developing powerful oratory skills. You will also have the opportunity to build upon your skills through assignments between sessions.

Public Speaking Confidence Breakthrough Session - 2 1/2 hours £195

This is a service that I offer to people who know they are going to have to speak in public but are extremely worried or even terrified. It may be that you are destined to give a best man's speech at a wedding, or perhaps you've recognised that in order to further progress your career you will have to learn to speak up and offer your ideas and leadership. A two and a half hour one-off session with me, will help you get to the root cause of this debilitating fear and heal it. I will use a combination of hypnotherapy and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) to release this overwhelming fear forever.

We will begin by examining the beliefs that you hold about speaking out and expressing yourself. Then using a combination of hypnotherapy and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) we will reprogram your unconscious to release those limiting, potentially overwhelming fears forever. We will then look at the context of your speech and focus on developing the breath, the aliveness and 'colour' of your voice so that you feel significantly greater confidence in the actual speech delivery. We will explore the power of body language and what techniques are available for you to fully engage your audience. You will also learn how best to structure your speech and powerfully illustrate your ideas by drawing from your own life experience. After some practise we will then 'anchor' positive feelings about you delivering your presentation or speech successfully, using the techniques of NLP. Finally we will use the power of hypnosis to consolidate your learning and affirm your new knowledge and confidence at being able to express yourself and make an impact at any speaking event.

" I never expected to feel this good about speaking up in public. All my life speaking in front of a group has filled me with dread and really held me back at work. At last I can find the courage to speak out and colleagues have been amazed at my transformation. It has been a truly wonderful and fascinating experience and thankyou esther for your passion and commitment to changing people's lives, especially mine. " Clarissa Templeton

My own vocal journey

I have always loved reading out aloud and from an early age experimented with accents, characters and the art of dressing up to create my own short plays. My first opportunity to speak publicly with any merit and influence was as Social Secretary and President of COMECON at Liverpool University while studying accountancy - it seems I had a natural talent for voicing my passions. More than twenty years on in my career capacity as facilitator and teacher I learnt to speak with dynamism and clarity to inform, educate and inspire large audiences. In the past six years I have stepped up my vocal and writing skills, challenging my abilitiy to entertain and use humour, while honing my messages to appeal to and convince a variety of sophisticated audiences. This exciting journey has led me to being a voice over artist for the highly acclaimed Money Shaman series and to the release of a selection of my own audio products.

Advanced speaker at Toastmasters

I chose to radically shift both my confidence and quality of speaking through the vehicle of public speaking club Toastmasters, where I am an Advanced Speaker and Mentor. My unstoppable energy for this new mode of self expression has attracted a wide range of clients who all have a desire in common; to learn to speak with authority and find their own style. Using a tantalising combination of creative and practical gifts I have taught many people in an atmosphere of fun and discovery to speak their truth; to speak pursuasively about topics they really believe in and frame it to both inspire and educate their audiences.

Actress and Sound facilitator

I trained as an actress at the Drama Studio, where I specialised and excelled in singing and physical theatre. I recieved my postgraduate diploma in Theatre in 1988 and then went on to establish an innovative career, twinning the creative and performing arts with personal empowerment. In addition I have a unique background in music, learning classical guitar from childhood and discovering a brilliant sense of rhythm, pitch and melody as an adult. I have been a Music Facilitator for twelve years, running monthly Soundcircles for adults, weekly drumming and percussive workshops for children and performing with my bands Waves of Rhythm and The Psychadelic Pimps. As a singer, my powerful, healing ethereal voice and improvised compositions have fascinated audiences particularly at festivals across the UK .

Seminar leader

My interest in personal development was birthed 21 years ago when I spent many years learning from master facilitators and assisting on such lifechanging programs such as Samurai, the Mastery and Insight. For the past 10 years I have devised and taught my own pioneering seminars in Catalysing Creativity, Work/Life Balance and Envisioning Dynamic Futures and have lectured at well known shows such as The Feel Good Show, The mbs Festival and Alternatives.

My excellent training and qualifications span the fields of motivational training, co-counselling, hypnotherapy, life coaching, NLP and other personal growth models. I hold a Certificate and a Diploma in Life Coaching and a Diploma in Performance Coaching from Newcastle College. More recently I have trained and developed my skills and knowledge with Michael Breen for a Masters in Busniness NLP and have begun a very relevant journey into the art of non-violent communication (NVC).

" It usually takes more than 3 weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech." Mark Twain

" Since light travels faster than sound, people appear bright until you hear them speak." Friedrick Nietzche

" Words are a form of action, capable of influencing change." Ingrid Bengis

" We learn to do something by doing it. There is no other way." John Holt

0207 433 1619 : txt : 07765 907 514