public speaking · workshop for attendees

Speak with
Confidence

A hands-on training deck for attendees — structure, delivery, storytelling & calm under pressure.

~60 min 5 modules press S for coach notes

Coach John · ← → navigate · T theme · S presenter view

agenda

Today's 5 Modules

01Audience & Objective — know who you're speaking to~8min

02Structure — the 10/20/30 rule & Rule of Three~14min

03Storytelling — make them feel it (Hero's Journey)~12min

04Delivery — body language, voice & managing nerves~14min

05Visuals & Practice — slides, drills & your action plan~12min

Let's walk through the agenda.

Module 1: Audience & Objective. Before a single slide, you need to answer one question: what do you want the audience to do, feel, or remember? Everything else follows.

Module 2: Structure. I'll share the 10/20/30 rule and the Rule of Three — quick frameworks that instantly make any talk more memorable.

Module 3: Storytelling. Facts inform, but stories move. We'll use the Hero's Journey — where the audience is the hero, not you.

Module 4: Delivery & nerves. Body language, voice, pacing, and the techniques to turn that 75% fear into energy.

Module 5: Visuals & practice. Killer slides, quick drills, and you'll leave with a personal action plan.

Every module has a tiny exercise — so grab a pen. Let's start with Module 1.

// module 01 · audience

Start with the audience, not the slides

🎯 Outcome

What do you want them to do afterward? Name one action.

❤️ Feel

What do you want them to feel? Inspired, reassured, convinced, energized?

🧠 Remember

If they forget everything, what's the one idea that must stick?

"You only understand information relative to what you already understand." — Richard Saul Wurman, founder of TED

Here's the most underrated rule in all of public speaking: never start with the slides — start with the audience.

Answer three questions before you open a deck. First, Outcome: what do you want them to do when you're done? Not "listen politely" — a real action, like sign up, approve the budget, or change a habit.

Second, Feel: what emotional state? People make decisions with emotion and justify with logic. If you want buy-in, they need to feel it first.

Third, Remember: if they forget 90% of it — and they will — what one idea must survive?

This quote from the founder of TED nails it — you only understand information relative to what you already understand. So anchor your talk to THEIR world, not yours.

Quick exercise: for your next talk, write one sentence each for outcome, feel, remember. That's your North Star.

// module 02 · structure

The 10 / 20 / 30 Rule (Guy Kawasaki)

10

slides max

Force clarity. Every slide earns its place or it goes.

20

minutes max

More time = more fluff. Respect your audience.

30

pt font min

If it needs small font, it doesn't belong on the slide.

Source: Guy Kawasaki — guykawasaki.com/the_102030_rule/

Let's talk structure, and I'll start with one of the most famous rules in the game: Guy Kawasaki's 10 / 20 / 30 rule.

10 — no more than ten slides. Why? Because ten slides forces you to distill. If a slide doesn't earn its place, kill it.

20 — speak for no more than twenty minutes. Length is not a virtue. Twenty crisp minutes beats a rambling hour every time, and your audience will thank you.

30 — no font smaller than 30 points. Here's the hidden gem: if you need a tiny font to fit everything, you're not cutting content — you're hiding it. Big font forces you to keep only the essentials.

It's a simple mental model, but it hard-wires scarcity into your deck. When you can only have ten slides and thirty-point type, clarity is not optional — it's forced.

// module 02 · structure

The Rule of Three

People remember things that come in threes. Give your talk a 3-part backbone.

01

Tell them what you'll say

The opening — hook, context, and the road map.

02

Say it

Three powerful main points supporting one central message.

03

Tell them what you said

The close — recap, memorable line, call to action.

Source: Presentation Magazine — Rule of Three

// module 03 · storytelling

Make them feel it — the Hero's Journey

①

The Hero is the AUDIENCE

They face a challenge (setup). You're the guide, not the hero.

②

Confrontation

Introduce the obstacle — the struggle they recognize.

③

Resolution

The transformation — how they can overcome it.

Why stories work

Facts are remembered as data; stories are remembered as experience. A narrative arc creates emotional investment that makes your message stick long after the room empties.

Source: Duarte — Your audience is the hero

Structure gives your talk bones; storytelling gives it a heartbeat.

The single biggest mental shift: make the audience the hero, not you. Duarte, the team behind TED talks, preaches exactly this.

In the Hero's Journey, there are three beats. Setup: paint the world the audience lives in — their challenge, their pain. Confrontation: the obstacle they recognize, the struggle they've felt. Resolution: the transformation — how they get through it, with you as their guide.

Why does this work? Because when the audience sees themselves in the story, they stop being passive listeners and become emotionally invested. They feel the stakes.

Here's your takeaway: don't open with your achievements. Open with their problem. You're not the hero of your talk — they are. You're just the map.

// module 04 · delivery

Let your body do the talking

✓

Grounded stance

Feet shoulder-width, weight balanced. No swaying — it reads as anxiety.

✓

Eye contact

Hold each person 2–3 seconds. Scan in a slow Z.

✓

Purposeful gestures

Hands at rest, then use them to punctuate key ideas.

✗

Monotone delivery

Vary pitch, pause, and pacing. Silence is power.

✗

Reading slides

The audience can read. Your voice should add, not repeat.

✗

Filler words

"Um", "like", "you know". Replace with a deliberate pause.

Now the delivery side — and your body is a tool, not something to hide.

Let's start with the do's. Grounded stance: feet under your hips, weight centered. The fastest tell of a nervous speaker is swaying — deliberate stillness reads as calm confidence.

Eye contact: don't sweep the room like a lighthouse. Hold one person for two to three seconds, then move — a slow Z pattern across the room. It builds connection and calms you too.

Gestures: keep hands resting, then use them to punch the important words. Energy in your hands frees your voice.

Now the don'ts. Monotone is the #1 boredom killer — vary your pitch, and learn to love the pause. Don't read your slides — your voice should add, not narrate. And cut the filler words; a silent pause is always stronger than "um".

Good news: body language is feedback-driven. The more boldly you gesture, the more confident your brain feels — it's a positive loop.

// module 04 · nerves

Everyone's nervous — including the pros

75%

of people fear public speaking

You're not broken — you're normal.

5–10%

have a severe, debilitating form

And they still learn to speak.

200M+

feel nervous daily (glossophobia)

The fear is real, and it's conquerable.

Normalize Reframe Breathe Practice

Sources: Cross River Therapy · Teleprompter Blog · Crown Counseling

Let's tackle the elephant in the room — nerves.

Here's the evidence that should set you free: about 75 percent of people fear public speaking. More than 200 million people feel nervous about it every single day. Roughly 5 to 10 percent have a severe, debilitating form.

So if your stomach is in knots, you are not defective — you are statistically normal. And even the people with the severe version learn to speak anyway.

The first strategy is normalize: name the fear, and it shrinks. Second, reframe: that "anxiety" you feel is adrenaline — the exact same chemical as excitement. Call it excitement, and your body buys it.

Third, breathe: before you start, a slow four-second inhale, four-second exhale, a couple of times. It switches your nervous system out of fight-or-flight.

Fourth, practice — because confidence is just competence you've rehearsed. Nerves never fully vanish; they just get quieter the more you show up.

// module 04 · voice

Your voice is an instrument

148–160
wpm

comfortable speaking pace — vary it

⏸ The power pause

Silence before a key point makes the audience lean in. Don't rush to fill it.

🔀 Vary pitch & pace

Speed up for energy, slow down for emphasis. Monotone is the enemy of memory.

"The pause is as important as the word. Often the more interesting thing is what you don't say."

Let's talk about voice — the instrument you already own but rarely tune.

A comfortable speaking rate is around 148 to 160 words per minute. But the real skill isn't the average — it's varying it. Speed up for energy, then slow down to land the big idea.

Here's the most underused tool: the power pause. When you pause just before a key point, the silence actually makes the audience lean in. Most people rush to fill the gap because silence feels awkward — but awkward on your end reads as confident on theirs.

Remember: monotone is the number one boredom creator. Pitch variety is what keeps the brain engaged.

Quick drill: pick one sentence from your talk and deliver it three ways — fast, slow, and with a dramatic pause before the last word. Feel the difference? That's control.

// module 05 · visuals

Slides: less is more

✓

One idea per slide

If a slide has 3 ideas, you have 3 slides.

✓

Visuals over text

Images, charts, one bold stat. Pictures > paragraphs.

✓

Big & bold

30pt minimum. Your font size is a commitment.

✗

Wall of text

If the audience reads, they're not listening to you.

✗

Reading the deck

Slides are your backup dancers, not the lead singer.

✗

Racing through

You know it; they don't. Slow down.

Finally, the visuals — and the rule is simple: less is more.

Do's: one idea per slide — if a slide holds three ideas, split it into three slides. Use visuals over text — an image or a single bold stat communicates faster than any paragraph. And go big — keep that thirty-point minimum as a commitment to clarity.

Don'ts: a wall of text is the fastest way to lose a room, because if people are reading, they are not listening to you. Don't read your deck — slides are your backup dancers, not the lead singer. And don't race — you know your content cold, but they're hearing it for the first time.

Here's the mindset: your slides should be a beautiful backdrop, and your voice, stories, and energy should be the show. The audience came to see you, not your font choices.

// recap · put it together

Your one-talk blueprint

🧭 OPEN

Hook · Audience is hero
· 3-part road map

🗺️ BODY

3 main points · Stories
· Data supports emotion

🏁 CLOSE

Recap · Memorable line
· Clear call to action

Formula: Know your audience → 10/20/30 structure → Rule of Three → Hero's Journey story → Body language + voice → Nerves under control → One idea they remember.

Let's stitch everything into one blueprint you can reuse for any talk, forever.

OPEN — hook hard, position the audience as the hero, and give them a three-part road map. No disclaimers, no apologizing, no "so I'm not very good at this".

BODY — exactly three main points, each wrapped in a story. Let emotion lead and let a little data back it up. Remember: people fund feelings and justify them with facts.

CLOSE — recap in one breath, leave one memorable line on repeat, and end with a specific call to action. Tell them the next step.

Underneath it all: know your audience, respect the 10/20/30 structure, let your body and voice carry the delivery, breathe through the nerves, and make sure there's one idea they can't forget.

That's the whole game. Structure + story + delivery + calm. Now let's make it yours.

// module 05 · practice

Drills that build real reps

01

The 60-second elevator

Topic → audience → 3 points → CTA. Deliver it in under 60s with no filler.

02

Record & review

One take on your phone. Count the "ums". Listen for pace and filler.

03

The pause drill

Rehearse with a deliberate 2-second pause before every key point.

04

Stair-step practice

Present to a mirror, then one friend, then a small group, then the room.

Skills don't come from reading — they come from reps. Here are four drills you can start this week.

Drill one, the 60-second elevator: take any topic and compress it to topic, audience, three points, and a call to action — all in under a minute, zero filler words. This forces clarity.

Drill two, record and review: film yourself once on your phone. Count the "ums", listen for the pace. It's uncomfortable, but it's the fastest feedback loop there is.

Drill three, the pause drill: rehearse inserting a deliberate two-second pause before every key point. It'll feel awkward at first — that's exactly why it works.

Drill four, stair-step practice: don't jump straight to the big room. Mirror, then one friend, then a small group, then the real thing. Each step raises the stakes a little and lowers the fear.

Ten minutes a day of any of these beats a three-hour cram the night before.

// live demo · this deck

This deck is built on the advice

🎤 Press S

Opens the presenter view: current + next slide, my coach notes, and a timer, all on one screen.

← → navigate · T theme · R reset timer

📝 Every slide has coach notes

Each <aside class="notes"> holds 150–300 words of the actual script — bolded cues, no walls of text.

That's the 30pt-font principle applied to speaking.

"This deck is the lesson. Structure it, story it, and let your preparation do the talking."

// takeaways

The 5 things to remember

01

Audience first. Outcome, feeling, and one unforgettable idea.

02

Structure wins. 10/20/30 + the Rule of Three = instant clarity.

03

They're the hero. Tell a story where the audience sees themselves.

04

Body & voice carry it. Grounded, eye contact, pauses, no filler.

05

Nerves = normal. Reframe as excitement, breathe, and rehearse.

Before we close, let's lock in the five takeaways — write these down, because these are the ones that survive.

One: audience first. Know your outcome, the feeling you want, and the one idea they must keep.

Two: structure wins. Ten slides, twenty minutes, thirty-point font — and three main points. Instant clarity from a simple framework.

Three: they're the hero. Build your story around the audience, not around yourself. That's what makes it stick.

Four: body and voice carry it. Ground your stance, hold eye contact, love the pause, and cut the fillers.

Five: nerves are normal. Seventy-five percent of people feel it. Reframe it as excitement, breathe, and rehearse until confidence is just memory.

That's the whole toolkit. Now take it out the door with you.

// your next 7 days

Your 7-day action plan

D1Pick your talk. Write outcome / feel / remember.

D2Draft 10-slide, 3-point structure on paper.

D3Write the opening hook + closing call to action.

D4Record one run. Count "ums". Note pacing.

D5Pause drill + big-font your slides to 30pt.

D6Present to ONE friend. Get one piece of feedback.

D7Deliver it — and breathe. You've got this.

To make sure this sticks, let's turn it into a 7-day action plan — small steps, zero overwhelm.

Day one: pick a real talk you'll actually give, and write down your outcome, feeling, and one remembered idea.

Day two: sketch a ten-slide, three-point structure on paper. Paper first — it keeps you from hiding behind your deck.

Day three: write your opening hook and your closing call to action. Strong bookends hold everything together.

Day four: record one run and count the "ums" and note the pacing. Feedback from yourself is free.

Day five: do the pause drill and blow your slides up to thirty-point font.

Day six: present to one friend and collect a single piece of feedback — not ten, one.

Day seven: deliver it. And remember to breathe. Confidence is just rehearsed competence.

// q&a

You've got this

Thank you for showing up — now go speak. The room is waiting for the person who prepared.

Structure Story Delivery Calm

Questions?

Speak withConfidence