By the Seat of Your Pants 

Event Overview 

This session is a practical and interactive course that teaches people how to speak confidently and skillfully off the cuff. The course is designed for people who: Have difficulty with impromptu communication, ae afraid of speaking without preparation, and are terrified of losing control. 

ALTERNATE SUMMARY: 

In this highly interactive and practical session, Jayne will offer you all that she’s learned in 25 years on live television and radio, and on live events. She will gently expand your comfort zone, lead you to the edge of it and support you while you grow in confidence and skill. Through a combination of theory, examples and exercises (and laughter along the way too), you will transform into a swan (serene on the surface, paddling beneath). 

This training is highly bespoke. Jayne will tailor the exercises and content to each attendee’s needs and objectives but topics are likely to include: 

• Mindset – moving to a more positive and less ‘catastrophic’ perception of ad libbing 

• ‘It’s not about you’ – moving the spotlight from you to them 

• Planning for the unpredictable (the ‘what if’) – finding your inner control freak 

• Rehearsal – what and why? 

• Vocal strength – getting comfortable with the sound of your voice 

• Desensitising you to the feeling of speaking spontaneously 

• QVC – a masterclass in ad libbing 

• Small talk and networking skills – starting and sustaining impromptu conversations 

• Dealing with challenge 

• The art of bridging (from a difficult question) 

• Structure – sounding organised and logical 

• The power of storytelling on the hoof 

• Delivery – looking and sounding confident (pace, pause, eye contact, body language) 

• Managing nerves 

• Recovering from a ‘patch of ice’ (in the moment and afterwards) 

• The value of the post-match analysis 

• Growing your confidence muscle – how to ad lib every day. 

Post course support  

Jayne offers a unique programme of post course support – a series of emails over the course of 6 months, to check in on attendees’ progress and to encourage the sharing of experiences. Thus, the learning continues beyond the training room. 

Testimonials 

“Jayne’s course provided some really helpful insights on how to ‘ad-lib’ effectively, from avoiding filler words to vocal exercise. She included activities which gave everyone an opportunity to get involved and have some valuable practice, and also made the session fun. Jayne was an enthusiastic, experienced teacher, and I would certainly recommend the course to anyone wanting to build their off-the-cuff speaking skills.” 

– Olivia Neave, lexington 

“As someone in the early stages of my career, I have always feared being put on the spot and having to speak off the cuff. Jayne’s session was masterfully tailored to each of our individual fears and struggles with this topic and has really helped to engender self-belief in me. I no longer look at confident communication as a mystical, innate ability that people either do or don’t have, but instead a project – a muscle that I’ll look forward to growing in the years ahead.” 

– Joe Thomson, lexington