Conquer the Fear of Public Speaking
Designed for the person whose main obstacle is fear or anxiety. It addresses the mental and practical preparation needed to stand up, begin and continue speaking without being overwhelmed by nerves.
Speaking, presentation skills and coaching
Public Speaking with Barrie Segal
Barrie's approach to public speaking grew from personal failure, professional necessity and more than four decades of practice—not from the idea that confident speakers are simply born that way.
It Started with a Speech That Went Wrong
On his Zero to Hero site, Barrie describes being asked to give a wedding speech and finding the experience disastrous: the speech rambled, he lost his place and wanted the ordeal to end. That experience became a turning point.
Rather than concluding that he was “not a public speaker,” he studied how good speakers prepare, structure and deliver material. Later professional life gave him constant opportunities to practise: lectures on international tax, business presentations, talks to law firms, after-dinner engagements, radio phone-ins and television interviews.
That history explains the central idea behind Barrie's training: public speaking is an art and a skill that can be learned.
The Three-Part Online Programme
Barrie's long-running course is organised as a progression. The exact prices and discounts change, so this page links to Thinkific for current enrolment information rather than reproducing temporary offers.
Fantastic Public Speaking
Moves beyond fear into technique: structure, voice projection, visual aids, audience engagement and the practical mechanics of delivering a presentation effectively.
Ultimate Public Speaking Secrets
Builds on the earlier parts with more advanced techniques and Barrie's own methods developed through long experience of live presentations and broadcasting.
What the Training Is Designed to Teach
Control fear rather than wait for it to vanish
Nervousness is treated as something that can be managed through preparation, familiarity and technique. The objective is not a magical absence of adrenaline but the ability to speak effectively despite it.
Build a clear structure
A strong presentation needs a beginning that earns attention, a middle that develops a limited number of ideas in a logical order and an ending that feels intentional rather than simply stopping.
Use notes intelligently
Barrie has developed methods intended to prevent the speaker becoming trapped behind pages of script. Notes should support the speaker, not become the speech itself.
Adapt to the audience
A technical seminar, wedding speech, sales presentation and after-dinner talk are not the same task. The material, language, examples and pacing need to fit the people in the room.
Use the voice and body
Projection, pace, pauses, eye contact, posture and movement affect whether the audience can follow and trust a speaker. These are practical skills that improve with rehearsal.
Prepare for things going wrong
Slides fail, questions interrupt and speakers occasionally forget a point. Good preparation includes knowing how to recover without allowing a small problem to derail the whole presentation.
One-to-One and Group Coaching
Barrie's public-speaking sites also describe individual and group coaching by video call. This format is useful when the problem is specific: an important business presentation, a wedding speech, an interview, a conference talk or a recurring fear that is difficult to address in a general course.
A coaching session can focus on the actual speech rather than speaking in the abstract: what the audience needs to know, whether the structure works, where the speaker is likely to lose confidence and which parts need rehearsal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be naturally confident?
No. Barrie's course is built around the opposite proposition: speaking ability can be learned. Confidence normally grows as the speaker gains a repeatable method for preparation and delivery.
What if I know my subject but still become nervous?
Subject knowledge and speaking skill are different. Knowing the material helps, but anxiety can still interfere with delivery. Preparation needs to cover the act of speaking as well as the content.
Should I memorise every word?
Barrie's teaching generally favours mastering the structure and key points rather than depending on perfect word-for-word recall. A memorised script can become fragile if the speaker loses one line.
Is the course only for business speakers?
No. Barrie's course material explicitly covers both business and personal situations, including family events and speeches to social groups.
Where can I see current prices?
Use the Thinkific link on this page. The old BarrieSegal.com pages contained temporary discount codes that may no longer be current, so this rebuild deliberately does not repeat them.