Public Speaking and Presentation Skills
Teaching the art of public speaking for 25 years
Check out our Next Club Meeting - Learn to speak in public... in a relaxed and supportive environment.
A welcome from the Club President
“ Hello - my name is Janet Wakeman and since June 2011 I've been the President of Sans Souci Speakers Club. Thanks for visiting our site...... take your time and have a good look round.
So what do we do? Good question.
Sans Souci Speakers Club teaches public speaking….. but it does much more than that: it provides a safe environment and a friendly atmosphere where members can fulfil their potential. It’s a social club, it’s a hobby, it’s a testing ground for the young professional and yes…… we do teach public speaking and presentation skills.
Founded and developed in Solihull, we provide a service for the Solihull, Coventry, Birmingham and West Midlands area.
Our club evenings cover all forms of presentation skills. These include prepared speeches, impromptu speeches and the little understood art of chairmanship.
As a new member you will slowly add the skills you need, always at your own pace and always with support and encouragement from other members.
Simply put..... our aim is to enable you to speak in public, with confidence. If you want to improve your public speaking and presentation skills then email us or come along to one of our regular meetings.
If you want to conquer those fears - come and join us. ”
Janet Wakeman - Club President
P.S.
There's a lot of useful info about Sans Souci Speakers Club further down this page ...Read more...
We've also tried to answer some of your concerns ...Read more...
If you don't live in the Solihull or West Midlands area, but need to improve your public speaking and presentation skills then why not take a look at some of our other pages:
If you're looking for books or internet resources, try our public speaking books, websites and blogs page.
If you'd like to find another public speaking club, try our public speaking clubs page.
Or if you want to find a public speaking course, try our public speaking courses page.
Public Speaking Tip
Use humour to grab and hold the attention of the audience.
A speaker gave a speech to 2,000 prison inmates. He began........
“ Now, gentlemen, there's one big difference between all of you and me.....you got caught..... ”
About Sans Souci Speakers Club
At Sans Souci Speakers Club you will learn the A to Z of effective communications. You can also use us as a sounding board for your business presentations, best man speech or any other aspect of public speaking and presentation skills that you would like to master.
If you would like a quick overview of who we are and what we do, please download our flyer, which is in PDF format.
The PDF is best printed double sided.
You will need a PDF reader to view this file, but If you don't have a PDF reader you can download a free one from the link below.
The who of public speaking
Sans Souci Speakers Club is a local club, based in Solihull with most of our members coming from the Solihull and surrounding area.
We are a mixed club with an approximate split of 50/50 male/female, all ages and all professions.
We are a member of The Association of Speakers Clubs and have been teaching presentation skills and public speaking for twentyfive years.
We are a well established club, but we keep totally up to date with the changing world of public speaking and presentation skills.
We don’t work miracles but we do take ordinary people like you and me, and turn them into extraordinary public speakers.
The why of public speaking
Why would anyone willingly practise public speaking? We all know about the fear of public speaking, the shyness, the nerves, the absolute terror. But at Sans Souci we concentrate on the power of public speaking.
Imagine giving that presentation at work, delivering that best man speech or chairing that meeting at the golf club. Imagine simply feeling more confident and self-assured in everything you do.
Like we say, give yourself an unfair advantage, learn to speak in public...with confidence.
The how of public speaking
First of all we provide a safe supportive and friendly environment, an environment conducive to mastering the art of public speaking. Then we give you the skills.
Through a structured programme you will master all aspects of public speaking:
- How to organise a speech for maximum impact.
- How to speak with emotion and passion.
- How to use humour to soften a serious point.
- How to add richness and interest to your voice.
- How to forge a link with the audience.
You will concentrate on three areas:
Prepared speeches
A good speech should contain emotion, it should contain humour and most importantly it should contain a message. We'll show you how to plan a speech, how to lay it out in a logical manner with an introduction, a development and a conclusion and how to prepare a script that doesn't sound like a school essay. And we'll even show you how to deliver it in a relaxed style.
Impromptu speeches
We all give impromptu speeches every day of our lives. People ask about your holiday, what you do for a living or how to get to the local supermarket..... and you deliver a short impromptu speech giving all the information they need in a relaxed, friendly and animated manner. Once we have to give an impromptu speech in front of an audience..... we can't think what to say or in what order to say it.
Don't worry we'll show you how to think on your feet and marshall your thoughts. You'll never be lost for words again!
Chairmanship skills
How do you introduce a guest? How do you propose a vote of thanks? How do you thank a speaker and make a link to the next speaker. We're beginning to delve into the black art of chairmanship skills..... a vital skill for any public speaker.
By watching more experienced club members you'll learn how to do all of the above and get lots and lots of practice.
The where of public speaking
We are a local club and we meet locally at the Barn Premier Inn, Hockley Heath, Solihull. Take a look at the map on the Premier Inn website or use the one on our Venue page.
We meet in a modern air conditioned room and there is plenty of free car parking in a well lit area, which is covered by security cameras.
The when of public speaking
We meet alternate Wednesdays throughout the year, except August.
Meetings are 7 pm for 7.30 pm and finish around 10 pm.
For a full list of dates, visit our Dates page.
Public Speaking Tip
Create pictures in the mind of the audience using similes and metaphors.
“ Somewhere between the little town of reality in which we live and the great city of our dreams, is a little hamlet called compromise. Unfortunately, that is where many of us spend the rest of our lives. ”
Cavett Robert
Some of your concerns answered!
We all know that the hardest part of starting out in public speaking, is making that first contact - so we've answered some of your concerns below.
“I'm frightened to death of giving presentations and speaking in public”
We all were once, believe me, but we've had no fatalities yet! We can't emphasise enough that you will be supported at every stage by people who know how it feels and you will be allowed to progress at your own pace.
Sans Souci Speakers Club gives anyone from Solihull, Birmingham or the West Midlands the chance to make that progress.
“I just don't have the confidence”
Maybe..... maybe not, but we find that people somehow find their confidence after they've delivered a couple of speeches. Believe me, it's all about practice.
“I have a regional accent”
Great! So have most of our members. Everyone thinks of Solihull as posh, but not us! Forget the old image of public speaking being a form of elocution, that went out with flared trousers and hot pants .... my apologies if you still wear flared trousers and I wouldn't mind hot pants making a comeback.
You'd be pushed to find a regional accent not represented at Sans Souci Speakers Club. We've got members from Solihull, Birmingham, Coventry and others from as far afield as Wales and Scotland.
“I don't know how to put a speech or a presentation together”
None of us did when we started, but the ASC (Association of Speakers Clubs) provides a manual which sets it all out in easy steps - "The Speakers Guide". And anyway the more experienced members of the club are always there to give you advice.
Plus..... there is lots and lots of information available about public speaking, just take a look at our public speaking books, websites and blogs page.
"I don't have the time to attend regularly”
That's OK. Just come along when you have the time. Many members do exactly that.
For a full list of dates, take a look at our dates page.
“I don't know if I'll like it”
No problem! Come along to a couple of our meetings as a guest and get a feel for things.
It won't cost you a penny and it should give you time to make your mind up.
“Public Speaking courses are expensive”
Well yes..... and no. Public speaking courses can be expensive, but we are a non commercial non profit organisation and our membership fees are simply to cover the cost of room hire. For a full season, membership works out at about £5.00 a meeting!
Anything else?
I hope I've answered most of those niggling doubts, but if there is anything else that you would like to know, please contact us.
Why not join us?
If you really want to conquer your nerves and improve your public speaking and presentation skills..... why not sit down, take a deep breath ..... and contact us.
A few testimonials
Don't take our word for it..... this is what members old and new have said about Sans Souci Speakers Club
And we didn't have to twist any arms..... honest!
“I have the fondest memories of Sans Souci and will always be grateful for the warm friendship, structured programmes and objective evaluations.
My time as a member transformed me from being reluctant and reticent to confident and enthusiastic - in both professional and personal situations. Amazing!”
Siân Adams former Club President
“I stepped outside of my "comfort zone" in joining Sans Souci, but I am so glad I did. The fun and supportive environment of the club has helped me to develop valuable new skills and to grow in confidence. I have even felt able to accept offers to give presentations in my work as a Clinical Aromatherapist.”
Carol Bullimore former Club President
“I have always thought of myself as a person who could talk in company but it is totally different in front of an audience. Sans Souci has taught me to organise my thoughts logically and to present them in a concise manner without repeating myself and to deliver a speech in a clear and audible voice.”
Roy Gibson club member
“Becoming a member of Sans Souci Speakers Club has helped me enormously. I gained the confidence to stand up in front of an audience and give a presentation - something that I would not have dreamed of doing before! As a result I got a great new job and now do presentations regularly.
There is always a warm supportive atmosphere at Sans Souci and the social side is fun too!”
Julia Greensall former club member
What do people say when they visit us for the first time?
“ I decided it was time to improve my Presentation Skills, so I 'Googled' for a local public speaking club. Sans Souci was one of three that caught my eye.
I was going to visit all of them to make sure that I'd found the right club, but after visiting Sans Souci….. I knew that I need look no further.
The members were friendly and welcoming and although invited to speak at my first meeting, there was no pressure….. so I gave it a go, and guess what? I actually enjoyed it.”
Amanda Garner visitor and one of our most recent members