Coaching for a big talk: planning sessions to the date
A keynote, a wedding speech, a pitch: how public speaking coaches can plan coaching sessions backwards from the talk date, with a final rehearsal close to it.
6 min read
Ask for the date and format of the talk in the booking note, use the first session to see where the client stands, then place the remaining sessions backwards from that date: content first, delivery next, and a full run-through a few days before. Book them all at the end of the first session, so the preparation is fixed in both diaries. Keep the final rehearsal close to the talk but not the day before, when there's no time left to change anything.
Start from the talk
A client preparing a conference keynote in six weeks doesn't need the same plan as someone giving a best man's speech on Saturday. The date, the audience and the format decide everything. In your first-session description, ask for:
- the date of the talk;
- the type: keynote, pitch, wedding speech, job interview presentation, team meeting;
- the length and whether there are slides;
- the audience size and the venue, if known;
- what worries them most, in a line.
The public booking form asks for first name, last name, email and phone, and has that optional note. You get it in your new-booking email and can prepare before you meet.
Services for the preparation
On Book, each service has a name, a price and an optional description shown on your public page, and each slot belongs to one service with its own start and end:
| Service | Example slot | Example price | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| First coaching session | 75 min | €90 | Where the client stands, the plan to the date |
| Content and structure session | 60 min | €75 | Message, opening, ending, slides |
| Delivery session | 60 min | €75 | Voice, body, pace, filmed practice |
| Full rehearsal | 90 min | €100 | Run-through in real conditions, questions |
| Express session before a talk | 45 min | €60 | For talks within a week |
Lengths and prices are examples: set your own. An express service helps clients with a talk in a few days: they see straight away that there's a format for them.
Placing sessions backwards
| When | Session (example) |
|---|---|
| As soon as possible | First coaching session |
| The following week or two | Content and structure |
| Two to three weeks before | Delivery, filmed practice |
| Three to five days before | Full rehearsal |
At the end of the first session, book the others from your calendar. First and last name are required, email and phone optional; add the client's email so they get a confirmation and a calendar file for each. Add a short note to each session, such as "rehearsal with slides and timer". A booked slot with one place is full and disappears from your public page.
Rehearsing in real conditions
If the talk is in a large room, try to rehearse standing, with a clicker and a timer, and film it. If you can rehearse at the venue, create a slot for that date and book it from your calendar, with the address in the note. For video pitches and online conferences, rehearse by video too, with the same camera and lighting the client will use.
When the date moves
Conferences get rescheduled and pitches get brought forward. Clients can't move bookings online: they contact you, and you move the sessions from your bookings list, keeping the same backwards logic from the new date. Book doesn't email clients about changes, so confirm the new times yourself.
Book doesn't take payments, so if you sell a preparation package, explain in the first-session description how it's paid. Book costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited services and bookings, no commission, no contract.
How many sessions does a client need before a talk?
When should the final rehearsal be?
Can I book all sessions at the first meeting?
What if the talk is next week?
Can clients pay for a package online?
- Online booking for public speaking coaches — €5/month | Book
- How many client sessions should a coach open per week?