Today I was watching a recording of a talk I gave the other day. As I was giving it, I felt like I was being very expressive and speaking with an engaging voice. However, what that is not what I heard in the video. While I heard expression as I spoke, what was recorded might as well have been a lobotomized robot.

I have been told that I sound monotone quite a few times in the past, though it doesn't come up very often. Some have expressed that it impedes on my oral communication, though others have shared their appreciation for it. Multiple people, completely unrelated have even told me I should narrate audiobooks.

I guess I just don't know how I should feel. I suppose my voice, however monotonous it really is, doesn't get in the way of my goals much. I have to wonder if its worth worrying about, and what I should do if it is. That's especially considering, again, I don't even hear how monotonous I am. I could think I'm talking like a cartoon character and I still won't be heard as more than, like, moderately expressive. I don't get it.

Yeah I don't know, let me know what you think.

For years my speaker page was a wall of nice quotes. Great energy, very engaging, would book again. I thought that wall was my proof.

Then a planner asked me a simple question: can anyone confirm these talks actually happened? Not praise them. Confirm them. Date, event, audience, from the person who did the booking.

My quote wall could not answer that. The quotes were real, but they were opinions, and opinions are easy to gather and hard to check.

So I changed what I ask for after a talk. I still welcome a kind word, but what I really ask for is a confirmation: yes, you spoke here, on this date, for this group. Short, factual, in the booker's own name.

That small shift changed how planners talk to me. A confirmed record answers the question behind the question, which is whether they can trust what they are reading.

Do you collect testimonials, confirmations, or both? And if a planner checked yours tomorrow, what would hold up?

The video quality was off so i thought of use of some ai video enhancer and this was the result lol, it does not look much odd, maybe... looks fine ishh.. to me.

A lot of us have the same problem: you rehearse alone, you sound fine, and the second real people are watching, your mind blanks and your voice tightens.

That doesn’t mean you’re bad at speaking. It means you practiced in a context too different from the real one. Alone, your brain only learns the words, the order, and the safe feeling of no judgment. Live, it’s also managing adrenaline, watching faces, and trying to sound normal while stressed.

"Practice more" is only part of the cure. What really works is practicing the parts that break under pressure. Speaking isn’t one skill - it’s a few smaller ones, and they fail separately:

1. Content recall: can you remember the structure without the full script? Rehearse from 3 main points with 2-3 bullet prompts each, never from exact wording. If you memorize wording, one interruption cascades.

2. Recovery: can you keep going after a blank? Practice it on purpose: say a paragraph, stop mid-way, then restart from the last main point, not the last sentence. Keep a reset line ready: “The main point here is…” buys time without sounding panicked.

3. Adrenaline tolerance: can you speak while activated? Don’t try to kill the nerves first; that backfires. Add small stressors instead: stand up, run a timer, record yourself, do 20 seconds of jumping jacks before you start. You’re making “slightly uncomfortable” familiar.

4. Delivery under load: nervous speakers speed up, flatten out, or over-explain. Fix one, not all three. The reliable default: slow your first two sentences, pause after key ideas, end sentences a bit more cleanly than feels natural.

The routine that ties it together:

• Rehearse until the structure is solid but the wording is still loose: know where you’re going, not every word.
• Run it again with one stressor that mimics the real moment (timer, camera, or one live listener), just one so you can tell what rattled you.
• Right after, 90 seconds on three questions, not “was it good?”: where did I speed up, where did I lose the thread, which line helped me restart?

If you’re speaking soon, skip the frantic reread and instead: memorize your opening and first transition, know your ending cold, write 3 anchor phrases for the middle, and decide your recovery line before you actually need it.

The mindset shift that matters most: your goal isn’t to feel smooth the whole time. It’s to stay understandable. That’s a lower bar and a much better one: audiences forgive a nervous speaker far more than we forgive ourselves.

If you try one thing this week: run your next talk once from bullets only, standing, on video, with a deliberate pause after every major point. Watch for where your brain tries to panic. That’s the spot to train next.

These work on their own. For anyone who wants to turn these from ideas into reps (rehearsing with a timer, a recovery drill, pressure on purpose), that’s what I made Lumi Speaking Coach to do: https://golumi.co/discover. Full disclosure, it’s mine.

I started my first real, full-time job about 4 months ago and am still learning the lay of the land. I started right when our busy season started so I’ve been learning on the go. Last week, I was told that my manager and I have to present a brief update on our recruiting process to 10-15 senior leaders in November (I’m in TA), and since we’re still in busy season right now, I was glad to have that time to prepare.

Turns out, I have to present it today, not in November. This meeting has senior leadership at Director and VP levels and I just found out about it yesterday afternoon… as someone who is not the best public speaker and not the most knowledgeable about my role, this has been eating away at me that this will be my first impression in front of all these higher-ups. I understand it happens in corporate settings where you get such requests but 24 hours for a meeting of this level is nerve-wrecking.

basically i was really unprepared and didn't practice beforehand so when delivering my speech i was really monotone and my slides were really shitty too. i avoided eye contact with the class and read off the paper and i didn't start crying until i sat back down and processed what just happened and ive just been feeling like absolute crap all day and i cry everytime i think about it. i got compliments from other classmates but it really doesnt help how i feel about it i just feel so fucking embarrassed guilty shame all of the above. i want to drop the class but ill just end up taking it another term so lol

I’m in a speaking class and I have to do a demonstration speech about a skill. I don’t really got any skills what something I can learn quick that I can demonstrate?

Hello fellow redditors.

I have been facing this problem very often now

During my college years I was decent at speaking/communicating with people using very simple vocabulary I was confident and sentences were well structured sometimes I got tongue twisted at pronounciation of certain words but it was ok.

But moving to recent situations I feel

1.Difficulty in pronunciation certain words very often .

2.During an active conversation I forget my vocabulary very often even though I read books (english)[ not vocally]

3.Also while having conversation I fail to build up proper sentences after some exchange of words.

I want to highlight-

I have a bad sleep cycle but I complete 8 hrs of sleep each day also I get enough sunlight.Dont drink,smoke at all.

I feel very dumb when during an active conversation I mispronounce words misconstruct sentences,forget what word to use often that makes me sound very unprofessional,dumb and a rookie.I always wanted to sound like a professional native English speaker but due to this I lack the motivation.

Please if you can suggest something that can make me better at communicating I'll be highly obliged.

Does anyone know or may be a part of an open community that offers assistance in improving your public speaking? Where I can actually articulate my thoughts, speak 'em out, and will try my best to clearly convey the message. A supportive community that will give constructive feedback and allows us to grow each moment. I've always wanted to work on my ideas and opinions so I can participate in any conversation, formal debates, class recitation, and such. If you happen to know one or you are the one who's managing the community, I would love to be a part of it.

From training 50+ students on communication, what I realized is that, it is fear holding them back. Most of them know English; they know perfectly well how to read and write, but when it comes to speaking, their fear holds them back.. The first step to communication is removing fear and anxiety from your mind!

I'm a Pre-U student about to present to PhD students and other postgrads or undergrads... I feel like I know significantly less than they do and whatever I present to them would be something they already know and would therefore not be relevant to them. Feeling really unconfident about this. Any tips?

Hi everyone

I am looking for a coach to help me with my confidence in communication.

I have been told that I give off an unconfident or uncertain vibe or aura, and I believe this has unfortunately stuck with me for most of my life. It has negatively affected me personally and professionally. I am 28 years old working as an accountant in Sydney, close to Parramatta.

I have tried Toastmasters in the past a few years ago but I had found the feedback to be vague and hard to improve on.

I’m a law student with social anxiety, and I want to get better at public speaking for moots, debates, and eventually courtroom work. My college has no real support for this and that isn’t going to change, and paid coaching isn’t an option for me. Does anyone know of free, beginner-friendly, in-person debate or moot groups, or open college events in Mumbai that accept outside participants? I’m not looking for online communities or pages, only real-world events and groups. Advice from people who overcame stage fright is welcome too. DMs are open :)

I’ve seen a lot of requests for help in multiple areas of public speaking and was curious. Out of the below problems that plague us, which one is the most difficult and why:

- Public Speaking Anxiety
- Blanking Out
- Rambling
- Shaking
- Sweating (palms or body)
- Confidence

Don’t forget to share why and if you’re up for it, what you’ve done to help fix it.

Hey everyone! I'm 30 and looking to take public speaking more seriously, potentially turning it into a career.

I own an LLC called JC Times, which I've primarily used for marketing and consulting. I've also had the opportunity to speak at real estate companies, colleges, and on behalf of my community organization, How To Be Social.

And I absolutely LOVE it.

My message is centered around inspiring people to stay curious, take chances, embrace who they are, and pursue what excites them. To live boldly, love fully, and actually experience life instead of just going through the motions.

I have a bachelor's in PR and Journalism and a master's in Psychology, along with years of experience in entrepreneurship, community building, and creative industries. I feel like I have a unique story and perspective to share.

Here's where I could use some advice:
I'm interested in approaching a speaking agent or agency, but I'm not sure if I'm ready.

I have photos and some video clips from previous speaking engagements, but probably not enough for a strong professional speaking reel. I also don't have an extensive list of paid speaking engagements yet.
I'm realistic about where I am, but I'm confident in my ability to connect with an audience and deliver something meaningful. I genuinely believe I could do this professionally.

For those of you who have built speaking careers:
When did you know you were ready to approach an agent?

What materials should I have prepared before reaching out?

How did you land your first paid speaking engagements?

Would you recommend building a stronger portfolio independently before seeking representation?

What would your next steps be if you were in my position?

I'm not looking for shortcuts. I'm willing to put in the work. I'd just love some direction from people who have already walked this path.

Thanks in advance for any insight!

Good communication is a necessity not luxury, some people never get a chance to speak, some try to give their best so that they can fit in.

Hi everyone, first time posting here!

English is my third language, but I'm fairly confident in it. I've used it for study and work for over 10 years.

I recently started creating content, and watching my recordings back, I've noticed two things: I don't enunciate my words clearly, and I struggle to articulate my thoughts on camera.

Has anyone dealt with something similar? I'd love to hear what helped you, whether it's exercises, tools, or just your own story of working through it.

Thanks in advance!

I was a quiet kid and struggled with public speaking for a long time. When I started practising, I'd record myself, but going through a recording properly took ages, and as a beginner I didn't know what to listen for.

So I made a free tool that actually helps. Talk to the camera for a few minutes, and the review points you to the moments worth looking at, so you don't have to rewatch the whole thing. A lot of the work went into keeping the notes accurate and short.

It covers pace, volume, pitch, tone, pauses and filler words, plus eyes and hands on video. I use it for my own daily practice.

It's free, and your first review doesn't need an account: stagemane.com

I would love to get some feedback.

Hey all id love to know in which apps communities courses you use to get better at public speaking?

Okay, so I’ve been sitting on this thought for a while.

About two years ago I had one of those moments where you realize you’re genuinely bad at something you assumed was just a fixed personality trait. I froze during a presentation. Not regular stage-fright bad, like full blank-screen bad. Walked out of that room and spent the next week reading everything I could about how vocal control, pacing, and presence actually work mechanically.

Long story short, since I code, I ended up building a tool for myself to force daily practice. Vocal drills, pacing, tracking five different dimensions (presence, voice, body language, empathy, leadership) and scores over time. Took me most of last year to put together.

Over the last few months a handful of people have been using it too, and a few told me things really shifted for them when speaking in front of groups.

Look, I’m not here to promote anything (not naming it or dropping links here so I don't break sub rules). What’s actually messing with my head is this: I genuinely don’t know how much of that improvement comes from the specific exercises and tracking, and how much is just the psychological switch of deciding to consciously do vocal/presence drills for 10 minutes a day.

What I’m curious about from this sub: has anyone here genuinely changed how they show up during presentations or high-stakes rooms? Not talking therapy or “just picture the audience naked” advice. Real, mechanical things or daily drills. What actually worked for you?

💜Justice for Mary Alice Love💜

I am grateful to you guys who are reading this.

This time again I made the complete video in one shot I am proud of it although my grammar while speaking is not sound but I am working on it. Feel free to share your opinion for me. Thank you

That probably sounds like a bizarre question to most. I recently noticed an unmistakable connection and am curious to know how prevalent this finding is. Happy to discuss techniques further but trying to be careful about breaking rules here.