I have provided answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) below. If you have additional questions, please send them to info@soverex.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Will I have to speak at this seminar?

The purpose of the seminar is to learn effective speaking techniques and then practice them so you may become proficient in using them out in the real world. However, everything is taken in baby steps and no one is ever “forced” to speak. If you choose to skip an exercise, there will be no confrontation or pressure to do otherwise. I’ve been teaching techniques to overcome speaking anxiety for 10 years and even those with severe anxiety have not only been able to do all of the exercises, but actually wanted to do them. The supportive environment we create together and the gradual movement from simple, easy exercises into more complicated ones has resulted in VERY few requests to sit out over the years. In short…I promise you will not be thrown under the bus.

For those attendees with mild to no anxiety, you will find all of the techniques useful in making you a more interesting, profession, and engaging speaker.

• What do I have to do to prepare for the seminar?

Very little. All I ask attendees to do prior to the seminar is think about a childhood story that has been told over and over by either yourself, a parent, or another family member. The story should be very brief – around 30 seconds. This story will be shared well into the seminar, after 4 other exercises that will help you tell the story easily. By this point in the seminar, you will be able to share your story without a shaking voice or breathlessness and, for most attendees, no filler words such as “um” and “ah.”

For the full-day seminar, I offer students the opportunity to consider an upcoming speaking event they would like to “try out” at the end of the seminar (3 minutes of content). This is entirely optional.

• Do I need to bring anything to the seminar?

Just a pen. I will provide notebooks with all of the information we cover in the seminar. The notebooks have a “Notes” margin if you want to jot down additional ideas not in the text. The hotel will also offer pads of paper. Full-day seminar attendees may want to bring a lunch, unless they plan to eat at one of the nearby restaurants.

• Will coffee or snacks be provided?

Water will be in the room and coffee/snacks are available in the lobby. Coffee is not typically provided in the room because (as we will discuss in the seminar) coffee and speaking do not go well together. I can hear you sighing! I agree. I love my coffee. But facts are facts – I’ll give you those, and you can decide if you want the coffee anyway. No judgements.