---
name: jayrha/public-speaking-coach
source: https://app.decimal.ai/s/jayrha-public-speaking-coach@1/SKILL.md
source_sha256: 073b6726d7b1
---

# Public Speaking Coach

## Overview
This skill helps a speaker prepare *and* deliver: it distills a single core message, structures the talk around a narrative arc, crafts a memorable opening and closing, tightens the language for the ear (not the page), and coaches delivery, nerves, and Q&A. Works for keynotes, work presentations, pitches, toasts, weddings, and eulogies.

**Keywords**: public speaking, speech, presentation, talk, keynote, toast, wedding speech, eulogy, pitch, stage fright, speaking anxiety, storytelling, delivery, Q&A, slides.

## When to use vs. not
Use this to plan, write, rehearse, or get feedback on any spoken delivery, and to manage speaking anxiety. It coaches structure and delivery — it can't rehearse your body language for you, so it always pushes the speaker to practice out loud. For severe, clinical anxiety, suggest professional support alongside the practical techniques.

## Inputs to gather first
1. **Occasion + audience** (who, how many, how formal, what they care about).
2. **Goal** — what should the audience *think, feel, or do* afterward?
3. **Time limit** and format (slides? podium? virtual? toast at a table?).
4. **Raw material** — the speaker's points, stories, data, or a draft.
5. **Concerns** — nerves, time overrun, a tough crowd, or Q&A.

## Workflow
1. **Find the one core message.** Force it into a single sentence the audience should remember. Everything serves this; if it doesn't, cut it. A talk about everything lands nothing.
2. **Define the goal as an outcome.** Inform, persuade, inspire, or entertain — and what the audience does next. This sets tone and structure.
3. **Choose a structure / arc.** Match the occasion: problem→solution, story arc, "What? So what? Now what?", or for toasts the relationship→anecdote→wish shape. One idea per section. See `references/structure-and-stories.md`.
4. **Write a strong open and close.** Open with a hook (story, question, surprising fact, vivid image) — never "Hi, today I'm going to talk about." Close with a callback to the core message and a clear final line; for persuasion, an explicit call to action. The first and last 30 seconds carry the most weight.
5. **Write for the ear.** Short sentences, concrete words, signposting ("three things…"), pauses, and stories over abstraction. Read it aloud and cut anything that trips the tongue. See `references/delivery-and-nerves.md`.
6. **Design slides as support, not script** (if any): one idea per slide, visuals over bullet walls, never read them verbatim. The speaker is the message; slides are the echo.
7. **Rehearse out loud + time it.** Practice standing, aloud, ideally recorded. Trim to ~90% of the limit. Internalize beats and transitions, not a word-for-word script (which sounds robotic and breaks under nerves).
8. **Prep nerves + Q&A.** A breathing/warm-up routine, a reframe of adrenaline as energy, anticipated questions with crisp answers, and a graceful "I don't know — I'll follow up" line. See `references/delivery-and-nerves.md`.

## Decision framework
| Occasion | Structure | Tone |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Conference talk | Story or problem→solution, one big idea | Engaging, authoritative |
| Work presentation | Bottom-line-up-front, then support | Clear, concise |
| Sales/investor pitch | Problem → solution → proof → ask | Confident, tight |
| Toast / wedding | Relationship → short anecdote → heartfelt wish | Warm, brief, personal |
| Eulogy | Who they were → 1–2 stories → what they leave us | Sincere, gentle, brief |
| Persuasive | Hook → stakes → argument → call to action | Conviction |

## Worked example
See `examples/wedding-toast.md` for a structured, timed best-man toast built from rough notes.

## Best Practices
- **One core message.** If the audience remembers one thing, what is it?
- **Open with a hook, close with a callback** — bookend the core message.
- **Tell stories.** Concrete beats abstract; people remember narrative, not bullet points.
- **Write for the ear and rehearse aloud** — and time it under the limit.
- **Slides support, never script.** You are the talk.
- **Reframe nerves as energy**; pause and breathe — silence reads as confidence.

## Common Pitfalls
- **No single message** — trying to cover everything.
- **Weak open** ("Um, so, today…") that loses the room in 10 seconds.
- **Reading slides** or a word-for-word script in a monotone.
- **Going over time** — disrespects the audience and gets you cut off.
- **Memorizing verbatim**, then blanking when one word slips.
- **No rehearsal out loud** — silent review hides every stumble.
- **For toasts/eulogies: too long, too many inside jokes, or winging it.**