A 5 Step Self Coaching System To Level Up Your Speaking

Put In The Work: A 5 Step Self Coaching System To Level Up Your Speaking

Watch the original video here: YouTube - Put In The Work: 5 Step Speaking Improvement System

Public speaking anxiety is common, with research consistently showing that most people experience it to some degree. The polished talks you see on stage sit on top of hours of unseen practice, honest feedback, and steady refinement. If you want confident, impactful delivery, treat speaking like a skill you train. Your voice is a muscle, your delivery is a skill, your confidence is built through repetition and experience.

This post shares a practical, five step self coaching system you can run with just a phone or computer. Use it to build clarity, presence, and audience connection over time.

The iceberg of success

On social media we see the tip of the iceberg, the crisp talk, the confident speaker, the applause. What we do not see is the foundation under the surface, deliberate practice, voice work in the car, recorded run throughs, coaching sessions, even the frustrating takes. Like fitness or gardening, speaking improves with consistent work, attention, and pruning of bad habits.

The 5 step self coaching system

1. Record a 5 minute talk
   Pick a topic you care about. Do not script it. Think through your key ideas, then hit record and speak naturally. Authentic, unscripted delivery reveals your real habits.

2. Wait, then review
   Give yourself a day before reviewing. Distance reduces harsh self criticism and helps you notice what actually happened, not how you felt.

3. Listen only
   Turn your device over and focus on audio. Evaluate:

• Clarity and tone, rich and resonant, or airy and nasal

• Pace, too fast or comfortably measured

• Melody and variety, or monotone

• Endings, do statements rise like questions

• Fillers, um, ah, you know, just, actually

4. Watch on mute
   Now assess visuals without sound:

• Facial expression, open, warm, engaged

• Gestures and posture, supportive or distracting

• Body language, grounded and confident, or tense and closed

• Alignment, do visuals reinforce the message

5. Transcribe and annotate
   Create a transcript, then read it:

• Structure, clear flow and transitions

• Filler count, quantify to track progress

• Mishears, if words are transcribed incorrectly, your articulation may be unclear

• Edit targets, pick one or two priorities for the next recording

Commit to cycles of improvement. Each time, note what to change, practice those elements, then record again. Think like learning an instrument, fundamentals first, consistent reps, gradual gains.

Mindset and technique reminders

• Breathe low and steady, it calms your mind and stabilizes tone.

• Keep it simple, animated, and audience focused. You are telling a story to help them, not proving yourself.

• Break conformity, use vocal variety, clear examples, and purposeful pauses to keep attention.

• When stuck, get guidance. A coach can help tune your ear, connect your voice to your message, and accelerate progress.

The payoff

Impactful speakers are made, not born. When you put in the work, your clarity improves, your presence grows, and your ideas land. Record, review, refine, repeat.

Watch the original video for the full walkthrough: