Let’s start with the elephant in the (Zoom) room: most people are a little nervous about their first coaching session. It’s a bit ironic, actually, that they may be nervous about a session designed to help them with nerves!
If you’re wondering what you’re signing up for when you sign up for public speaking coaching, read on. Most of what makes a first session feel intimidating is fear of the unknown. So I want to remove the unknown.
What People Worry About Before Their First Session
Over the 9+ years I’ve been doing this, I’ve seen the full range of first-session feelings. Some students are apprehensive and unsure. Some are afraid I’ll be judging them. Others are excited to finally start tackling a problem they’ve been dealing with for years.
Mostly, I see uncertainty. Will this be a lecture? Will I be expected to speak right away? Will I get put on the spot?
One thing I can assure every prospective student is that there is absolutely no judgment. No two first lessons are the same, and I keep an open mind with every student. All I ask is that you do the same.
What the Session Actually Looks Like
A first session typically lasts an hour, and I do it over Zoom. It’s more of a conversation than a lesson. I don’t use prepared slides, and you won’t sit through a lecture. It does include hands-on elements, because the best way to improve at speaking is to practice speaking.
I take pride in being reactive and adaptive, so what we cover depends entirely on you. That’s why I can’t give you a single script of how a first session goes. What I can tell you is what it tends to look like depending on why you’re there.
If You Get Nervous About Speaking
We address the nerves up front. Before we focus on your speaking or interview skills, I make sure you leave with at least one technique you can use to control your nerves. We also take a look at the stories you are telling yourself; the mindset that may be feeding the nerves. It’s hard to work on anything else while your nervous system is running the show. (I’ve previously addressed whether presentation anxiety ever goes away.)
If You’re Preparing for an Interview
We jump right in. The focus is on building an excellent “Tell me about yourself” answer, structuring answers to behavioral questions, and learning how to create questions to ask your interviewer. I’ve gone deeper on a couple of these in my posts on telling your story without rambling and getting help with interview anxiety.
If You’re Here to Improve Your Communication Skills Long Term
For students who will be working with me over time, the first session includes an evaluation of your current skills and a couple quick activities that give me a peek into how your brain processes information. That gives me a clear picture of where you are and how best to work with you, so we can build a plan that fits you instead of a generic program.
We address nerves if they’re an issue, but where we go from there depends on your needs. However your session goes, we finish with at least one exercise, and often two, so you start practicing and improving before you even log off.
Your Homework Starts Before the First Lesson
Yes, I assign homework before we’ve even met. It’s short, and it helps both of us make the most of our time together.
If you’re preparing for an interview, I ask you to send me your resume and a description of the job you’re interviewing for (or hope to interview for). I also have a few questions for you to come prepared to discuss, which help create the content for your “Tell me about yourself.”
For everyone else, I ask you to write a description of how you want to be described as a speaker, and to think about what your authentic speaking style looks like. This is more useful than it sounds, because it gives us a target to aim at.
What Happens After the First Session
Occasionally someone comes to me for one-off support before a specific interview or speech, and we only do the one lesson. But most of my students are committed to long-term change, which typically means four to twelve one-hour lessons. I create a plan for you and assign homework each week. It may be 5-10 minutes of practice each day, or one longer assignment where I ask you to send me a video or audio file between lessons. Doing the homework speeds up your progress and helps make the changes permanent. I understand that not everyone will have time for homework, and I will still work with those that are unable to do homework between sessions.
How many sessions you need depends on where you’re starting and where you want to go and whether you have time for practice between lessons. For motivated students willing to commit to more homework between lessons, I sometimes run a faster-paced “crash course.” I’m usually good at estimating how long someone will need during our free initial consultation and can let you know what I’d recommend for you if you want to book a free consultation.
Not Sure Yet? You Can Try Before You Buy (a big package)
If you’d like to test the waters, you can book a single lesson at the pay-as-you-go rate. If you decide to move to a package, what you spent on that lesson is credited toward the remaining lessons in the package. Packages have a lower cost per hour, so you’re not penalized for starting small.
How to Get the Most Out of Your First Session
The best advice I can give is simple: go in with an open mind and be willing to try. You don’t have to be good at this yet. That’s the whole reason we’re meeting.
If you’re still deciding who to work with, here are some tips on how to find a good public speaking coach.
When you’re ready, explore my coaching programs or and we’ll figure out the best place to start.
Want to keep building these skills on your own in the meantime? Subscribe to my free Substack newsletter for a public speaking challenge delivered to your inbox every week.