First up, let’s talk about what a public speaking coach does. In the simplest of terms, these professionals provide public speaking training to people who need support. You may be helping people give motivational keynote speeches, presentations, or seminars. 

Chances are, you will work one-on-one with professionals with a fear of public speaking. The core idea is to help people develop presentation skills that they can take forward into the working world. That may mean exploring their existing communication skills, teaching them about positive body language, how to make eye contact, and how to be confident. 

Aside from working closely with clients, you will also need to promote your services. Outreach is a major part of this particular job. You may want to advertise your coaching services on social media platforms, such as Facebook and LinkedIn. You can also gain new clients via networking and telling professionals about your unique coaching style.

Ready to start your public speaking coach career? The first step here is to gain the right qualifications. Which certification programs are available? You don’t need to undertake an entire degree to get this right. To give yourself some clout, you can do some online courses in public speaking training. Fortunately, there are plenty of options out there from which to choose. Figuring out what works for you and your schedule is the first step here.

Looking at online public speaking courses may be your first port of call. For example, you may do a course in presentation skills, PR in a changing digital landscape, or business communication skills. Before you make your decision, it’s worth looking in-depth at each of the courses and the modules that you will undertake. That way, you can fully understand the lessons you will learn and public speaking skills that you will pick up along the way.

In addition, public speaking coaches need to have motivational skills. To bolster yours, you may consider taking a leadership online course. Gaining this extra qualification will help you learn how to manage people, inspire them to keep practising, and give advice. The more certificates you have under your belt, the better position you will be in to begin coaching.

What skill-set are you bringing to the table? Next up, let’s talk about the skills that you need to become a public speaking coach and how you can use them. If you think that you might have what it takes, check out the following core skills: 

Teaching someone to become a better public speaker is a real skill. You will need a well-rounded set of talents. Providing people with the skills that they need to speak in front of a crowd is the aim of the game. You need to do whatever you can to support that.

The short answer is no. You can become a public speaking coach without having a wealth of experience. However, if you want to be a speech coach, it is helpful to have some speaking experience. You may have worked in upper management, given presentations to groups, or even been a school teacher. Wherever your experience lies, you can make it work for you. Draw upon that and share it with your clients. 

Of course, if you have no experience at all, practice makes perfect. Before taking public speaking qualification, you should try giving speeches. You may want to practice in front of your friends and family members. You can also get them to give your testimonials. The more you give things a go, the better position you will be in when you launch your career.

Ready to dip your toes in the water? Before you make a decision, you should take a look at your career prospects. Once you have your accreditation, there are ways that you can expand on your speech coaching. One of the most obvious avenues to go down is self-employment. You can get your own clients and work for yourself. Keep in mind that you will need to do your own taxes every year with HMRC, should you go this way. 

However, that is not the only option. If you would rather be employed, you may want to work within a business as a speech coach. It is worth looking for openings in some large-scale companies. Working alongside business leaders can make a huge difference.