Grace Under Pressure

Simple, no-nonsense tools to improve your public speaking skills.

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According to most studies, public speaking is the number one fear among professionals. Most suffer from stage fright, lack of basic vocal training and/or lack of delivery technique. Such individuals seek tips and tricks in books, articles, and blogs, and assume that there's a fast and easy way for appearing eloquent and polished in front of an audience. However, these sources often fail to address the underlying issue of stage fright, and the same habitual responses to nervousness continue to plague the speaker. Grace Under Pressure solves this issue by unveiling three areas of training that great speakers use to develop their skills. In the first section, author Lisa Wentz shares techniques that she has developed to help anyone overcome inner obstacles so they can focus on developing their outward presence. The second section outlines how to best develop the physical aspects of speech, including posture, breathing, resonance, and articulation. And the third section centres on delivery: how to use pauses, word stress, and storytelling, among other techniques, to improve your performance from novice to master. This final section offers acting techniques and directorial advice that can be applied to speeches, pitches, presentations and meeting strategies.