Today I ran on online coaching session for a client I absolutely love working with. She’s preparing for a big public event and wanted one-on-one online coaching to refine her performance, stage presence, crowd engagement, storytelling, and skills for interviewing guests live on stage.
We structured the training into three focused sessions:
Session 1: Preparation We brainstormed creative ideas to engage the audience and broke up her event role into manageable sections. This allowed us to focus on impactful openings and closings for each segment. We refined guest introductions (including her own) by continually asking ‘why do I care?’ We found stories that would land with this audience and practiced ways to tell them. We talked about how to craft strong, purposeful questions. (Pro tip: Prepare the answers you want from your guests, let the questions come naturally.)
Session 2: Practice We did a run-through of the event focusing on constructive, but very honest, feedback. Refining and improving the content and the delivery.
Session 3: Rehearsal and Refinement Using a hairbrush as a stand-in microphone, we polished every element—first impressions, storytelling, audience engagement, introductions, interviews—ensuring every moment shone.
In total, we spent about five hours together over a week. But the real magic happened in the preparation and practice she put in between our sessions—her ‘homework.’ This dream client took every piece of advice on board and absolutely nailed it. Her event is set to be a massive success because she’s worked so hard for it.
My 3 Tips for Owning the Stage
- Make It About the Audience: Audience engagement is your greatest asset. Even when sharing personal stories, focus on why they matter to your audience. Relate your experiences, involve them, and make them feel something.
- Prepare Smart Questions, Not Just a List: Start with an attention-grabbing question to set the tone, and finish with a high-impact question. For the middle, focus on key points you want guests to address. Knowing the answers you’re aiming for, allows you to listen better and ask more natural questions.
- Introduce with Impact. Whether it’s your own introduction, introduction of a guest, a business, an idea, an event you must ask yourself: “Why does the audience care?” A weak introduction might give an audience member a perfect opportunity for a bathroom break. A strong one will make them lean in, eager to listen.
Preparation and practice make all the difference. Watching my client’s progress reminded me why I love what I do—helping people step into the spotlight and absolutely own it.
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