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Essential Speaker Skills:

Transform Your Presentations

Develop the skills and confidence to tackle your next presentation like a seasoned professional!

About this course

Offered by Annette Burke Lyttle, CG and Cathie Sherwood, the Essential Speaker Skills Workshop is a comprehensive and interactive course designed to take your speaking abilities to the next level. Across six focused modules, you’ll learn everything from crafting proposals that get noticed to designing visually striking slides, creating impactful handouts, and delivering presentations with confidence. This isn’t just about theory—this course offers hands-on activities, practical tools, and expert-led guidance to ensure you can immediately apply what you’ve learned. You’ll also gain insights into growing your speaking career, with strategies for building your brand, managing the business side of presenting, and expanding your opportunities. By the final module, you’ll put your skills to the test in a supportive environment, receiving valuable feedback to refine and elevate your presentations.
Whether you’re preparing for conferences, webinars, or workshops, this course equips you with the tools to shine on any stage.

Who should attend?

This course is designed for anyone looking to elevate their speaking skills, whether you’re an experienced presenter aiming to fine-tune your delivery or a newcomer eager to build confidence and craft impactful presentations. Ideal for genealogists, educators, researchers, and professionals who present at conferences, webinars, or workshops, this course equips you with the tools to captivate your audience, stand out from the crowd, and leave a lasting impression. If you want to learn practical techniques for designing engaging slides, delivering with confidence, and growing your speaking opportunities, this course is for you!

  • Details

  • Topics

  • What You'll learn

Details

Workshop Cost: $365 (US dollars) for 12 hours (six sessions each of two hours)

When: Weekly sessions beginning 15 May to 19 June 2025 @ 7 PM Eastern US

Find your local time HERE.

Where: via ZOOM. All sessions are closed captioned, recorded and available for viewing for 14 days following each session. A comprehensive workbook is provided. Attendance is limited to 30 participants.

It has been a really excellent course full of practical information and so well presented! Thoroughly enjoyed it!

Ready to level up your speaking game?

Register today and take the first step toward becoming the speaker everyone remembers.

Modules

1

Module 1: Your Six-Pack: Crafting Compelling Proposals and Presentations
15 May 2025

Every memorable presentation begins with thoughtful planning. This module focuses on how to build a strong foundation that captures attention from the very start. Discover how to:

  • Choose topics that resonate with your audience and align with event goals.
  • Craft titles that spark curiosity and make your proposal stand out.
  • Find and respond to speaking opportunities with confidence and professionalism.
  • Use smart tools to brainstorm, organise ideas, and refine your proposal drafts, saving time without sacrificing creativity.

2

Module 2: Designing Presentations that Shine
22 May 2025

Don’t let your slides hold you back! Learn how to create visuals that complement your message, whether you’re presenting in person or online. Discover how to:

  • Choose typography, colour schemes, and layouts that ensure clarity and impact.
  • Move beyond bullet points by integrating images, animations, and multimedia—knowing when less is more.
  • Save time and streamline your design process with modern tools that suggest layouts, visuals, and formatting ideas.
  • Develop reusable templates that reflect your personal brand, ensuring consistency across all your presentations.


3

Module 3: Handouts: The Secret Weapon of Successful Speakers
29 May 2025

A well-crafted handout does more than support your presentation—it ensures your message lives on after the event. In this module, you’ll learn how to:

  • Choose the right type of handout, whether it’s an outline, resource guide, or additional study material.
  • Strike the perfect balance between content-heavy and resource-heavy handouts.
  • Use the process of designing a handout to clarify and strengthen your presentation.
  • Design handouts that double as powerful marketing tools, encouraging your audience to connect with you long after the session.
  • Save time by leveraging tools that streamline formatting and enhance your handouts with clean, professional designs.

4

Module 4: Presenting with Confidence—In-Person or Online
5 June 2025

Master the art of engaging delivery, no matter where you’re presenting. From calming those pre-presentation nerves to connecting with your audience, this module gives you practical tips and tech know-how to ensure a smooth performance every time. This module helps you:

  • Overcome common public speaking fears with proven techniques to calm nerves and boost confidence.
  • Understand your audience and adapt your style to meet their needs, ensuring a stronger connection.
  • Deliver your message with impact, mastering vocal variety, pacing, and body language.
  • Use technology effectively, from managing virtual platforms to troubleshooting in-person AV setups.
  • Rehearse smarter with tools that provide instant feedback on tone, pacing, and clarity, so you feel fully prepared.

5

Module 5: Growing Your Speaking Career
12 June 2025

Take your speaking career to the next level by building your brand, managing the business side, and exploring new opportunities. Learn how to:

  • Promote yourself effectively with social media, websites, and professional networking.
  • Showcase your expertise through videos, blogs, and articles to attract event organisers.
  • Set your fees, negotiate contracts, and track your engagements.
  • Expand your reach with workshops, webinars, and hybrid events.
  • Discover tools and strategies to save time, find speaking gigs, and maximise your impact.

6

Module 6: Showcase your Speaking Skills
19 June 2025

The best way to grow as a speaker is through practice and feedback. In this final module, you’ll:

  • Deliver a short presentation incorporating your speaking, slide design, and handout skills.
  • Receive constructive feedback from your peers and instructors, highlighting your strengths and areas for growth.
  • Reflect on your progress and identify ways to refine your delivery and materials.
  • Leave with actionable next steps and the confidence to apply your skills to real-world opportunities.

Essential Speaker Skills Educators

Annette Lyttle, CG®

Annette Burke Lyttle, CG®, owns Heritage Detective, LLC, providing professional genealogical services in research, education, and writing.  She speaks on a variety of genealogical topics at the international, national, state and local levels and loves helping people uncover and share their family stories.

Annette is a course coordinator for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy and the British Institute. She is a published writer whose research interests include Quaker ancestors and ancestral migrations in the US. She is past president of the Association of Professional Genealogists and editor of The Florida Genealogist.  

Cathie Sherwood

Passionate about history and dedicated to family history, Cathie transitioned from a 20-year career as a university academic to applying her expertise in education and technology to Irish, English, and Scottish research, as well as genetic genealogy.

As the founder of Family History Academy, she curates online courses, while her professional research service, Ancestor Discovery, solves complex genealogical puzzles. Cathie holds a master’s degree in education along with qualifications in teaching, history and computer education, as well as a Diploma in Family Historical Studies from the Society of Australian Genealogists. Cathie is an active international speaker and continues to seek innovation in family history education.

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