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feedback

Just wanted to thank you again for Fri's session which was a very powerful way to spend a day. You are a very effective 'facilitator' and what you facilitate is, as far as I got towards understanding it, more than effective - it seems fairly fundamental to all human exchange. Bit difficult not to sound pompous! But you managed it.
Mark

John has a very calming and welcoming presence. He’s a very engaging speaker and practices what he preaches. The course helped me to get to the root of the issue.
Sophie

Very good, met my expectations. Enjoyed it very much.
Laura

I’m so glad I made myself do this! Its taken a lot for me to come and I’m so glad I have.
Felt like I was believed in.
Gemma

Excellent process, sensitively managed and unfolded.
Michael

A completely different approach to public speaking - teaching you to be yourself as opposed to being a “presenter”.
Mike

John was excellent, brilliant coaching
Helen

John embodies what he teaches, which acts as an inspiration and as a model and gives a wonderfully safe place for people to learn how to be themselves.
Lena

Very simple yet effective means of talking to audiences. Wish I’d known about this when I was younger.
Chris

I think you do an excellent job of putting people at ease, walking your talk and making it feel like fun. I think you should charge more!
Philip

The “back-to-basics” unpressured approach was great. Took a while to learn what there was to learn - that its about taking stuff away - rather than adding stuff. A hard thing to “teach” but it worked well.
Steve

Very useful course. I think it will help me a lot in the future. I recognise that something has changed on a fundamental level.
Nick

It felt safe and supportive. The delivery was excellent and sensitive. Thank you.
Di

Very human and real, affirming, good boundaries with time and people, felt safe.
Diana

Clear, contained, encouraging welcoming, warm expansive and heartfelt.
Clare

Wonderful course, helped me be more aware of my stuff which stops me connecting with people
Phil

A fabulous workshop. I didn’t think I would feel this good at the end.
Kate

A great day - thank you. Helped me face my fears.
Rachel

You made me feel very at ease, nurtured and individual and gave me the confidence to grow.
Libby

I am proud I forced myself to come, I will definitely recommend it, I have increased my confidence in and out of work.
John

It was an excellent course. It was very gentle and it was amazing how such a safe space was created so quickly. I thought this would be a harrowing experience but I really enjoyed it and would readily do it again.
Vanessa,

I like the willingness/ability to encompass everyone’s needs yet boundaries were held respectfully too. Just wanted to say thank you so much. I have waited a long time for such an opportunity.
Kim

I recommend this course to anyone who is fearful of public speaking as it has enabled and empowered me.
Lavinia

in more depth

feedback from participants

Feedback from a participant in July

What did you want from the course?
To be able to feel grounded and present when I speak to an audience. To be able to speak with competency, with a voice that can be heard and impacts.
 
Did you get it?
I did. To be able to claim my space, have permission to connect in silence initially without words, and then to connect with each person in the audience was a very empowering experience. To hear the resonance in my own voice when I spoke and to grow in confidence throughout the day was a real joy to experience.
 
What did you like about the course/facilitation?
Great venue and acoustics. Good pace. John, you are a warm, engaging and enabling man. Your passion and commitment to enabling people to claim their space and speak confidently, with presence and impact is very apparent. I applaud you. Your ease and belief that we all could was very present.

written by Sally

Letters July 2010

Hi John,
just a quick update to say that I have got into yet another job which involves me delivering training to customers and it has been a pleasure to do as I feel very comfortable up front and talking to the attendees.  I know from previous experience it wouldn't be like that if I hadn't been on your courses so I just wanted to send a quick note of thanks, and hopefully i'll be along for a 'top-up' some time!
Best wishes
Ed

Dear John,
I wrote these notes immediately after the day I spent with you on 30th April, since then lots has happened and just trying to catch up now. Since that day I think I have been a bit more relaxed and not worrying too much about what I will say to people either in person or on the phone. I think this idea of "Assuming Suport" for what ever you might be doing or proposing to do has been tremendously important to me and I think it has made a big difference and given me a lot more confidence in my role in my church re getting things done on environmental matters and at last things seem to be moving. Assuming people will like an idea before you propose it makes a huge difference to the way you then talk about it or present it you can be naturally more enthusiastic if you assume people are going to like your suggestions.  It has also helped in other aspects of my personal life.
A big thank you John for this brilliant day.
Geoff

ps. My 22 year old son has today commented that since the Speaking Day I seemed to have a lot more confident..

Letter June 2010

I definitely feel liberated from my fear which is a fantastic feeling and one I quite honestly never felt I would experience in this way.  I always felt I would have to struggle on with it and probably never enjoy teaching again.  But, now I feel that I have been given a secret and that although I will probably feel nervous, I don't think I will ever again feel totally mortified and want to run away.
I feel liberated not only in relation to public speaking and teaching but also in relation to being with people in general; I feel more relaxed and the need to try so hard has vanished
with very kind regards
Gerry

 

Letters April 2010

Hello John,
I had my "conversation" with 20 people at a local Chamber of Trade & Commerce meeting a week ago which seemed to go down well and would not have been possible at all without your valuable help and encouragement. At the meeting, as a result of my talk they decided to write to the local council urging them to take a more active role in promoting renewable energy technologies. This was a very nice and completely unexpected bonus.
The Bournemouth Echo have heard of my talk and interviewed me. They are writing an article about the likely future shortfall in electricity generation over the next few years, I look forward to seeing it.
I hope all is going well for you. Thank you again for all your help, it really has changed my life.
Very best wishes,
Kevin.

____________

I loved the (two-day) course you taught in London and have actually being using the skills taught on it and have seen some internal shifts in myself. Have also passed on your details to many people since I think what you are doing is profound and goes far beyond the normal 'public speaking' course.
F.

 Letter March 2010

Having worked with both individuals and groups as an HR professional, teacher in a tertiary college, chair of governors, voluntary tutor for an advisory body  among other things, I was truly inspired by the course (2 day course).  The ability to release inhibiting and paralysing fears and anxieties and talk about them freely through being 'held' securely by yourself and a diverse group of unknown individuals for a relatively short time, while progressing through the Speaking Circles model was utterly amazing.I  think yesterday's transformations speak for themselves.  As you said, it is a truly wonderful way to earn a living
Warm regards,
Dawn

 

 from Leora Sharp's blog http://freemyself.net/blog/ written in December.

I’ve just completed a 4 week course with John Dawson from Speaking Infront and I’ve really been WOWed!

I was raised by 2 very public figures. My Mom was a Speech and Drama teacher and was the Director for many a brilliant school play. My Dad was on a city councillor for many years which landed my parents as Mayor and Mayoress 5 times. So I really should have no problems speaking in public. But for some reason my flight/fight response really kicks in, my brain freezes up and I can’t recall what I want to deliver. I’m a pretty confident person so it’s been quite puzzeling to me why and what my hang ups are around public speaking.

Thanks to John and his course I know now what the issues are. I won’t give all his secrets away here but if you’re in the same boat, I highly recommend going on his course. Amongst other things we learned what’s actually going on in our heads when we get up there and that understanding certainly set me free.

I’m really excited now for a talk I’m doing in January when previously I would be dreading it!

Letter January 2010

Hi John
I’ve been meaning to write and say how good I found your course, really enjoyable and effective.
I have noticed that I am more confident and relaxed teaching my class, particularly with timing, a sense of giving myself time to be in the moment and therefore allow more spontaneity and interaction with the group.
Also especially in the week after the course, I found myself being able to look people I might be a bit shy with, in the eye more comfortably...so thank you very much
J.

Letter October 2009

Dear John,
I just thought I would share this with you, as I thank you again for the one to one session.
I have just won the short story slam at our local library. Seven people had five minutes to stand up and read a short story out. I entered it a few months ago but did not get placed. Tonight however, I was able to breathe, make eye contact, speak slowly, add facial expression and generally share my story in a much more relaxed and enjoyable manner. And I won! It’s the first competition I have won with my writing and the first cash prize so it is very exciting, and I really do thank you for the techniques you shared with me.
Kind regards
Karen

Letter September 2009
I attended your course in January and would just like to take this opportunity to thank you.
I was approached recently by a recruitment consultant with a particular London based role in mind, I applied for this and was required to prepare a 20 minute presentation as part of the interview process.
The experience from your workshops enabled me focus on my thoughts and deliver my ideas with confidence. They provided the feedback that it was the highest quality presentation of all the candidates. I was subsequently offered the job. I'm sure things would've been quite different without the training!
Regards
K

Letter July 2009


Dear John
A quick note to say thanks for the course you ran on Saturday, it was a great eye-opener and a great start for me to get working on some speaking skills.  I think your course demystifies the whole process rather than feeling like public speaking is something that "other people" do.  I think it was said during the course, but you have a very "authentic" presence which is a powerful asset. I will be recommending your course.
Alex


Letter June 2009
I would just like to thank you for the personal development I was able to achieve thanks to the course. I made my best man speech at my sister's wedding yesterday and despite a slight tweak of nerves a few minutes before doing it, I found the whole experience really enjoyable and natural and am grateful to you for showing me how important it is to mark the key moments in our lives.  Keep up the good work!
Clive

Letter May 2009

I recently completed your Wednesday evening public speaking class in Bristol. I wanted to write to say thank you as this course has been extremely helpful to me. Learning to 'be' in front of people sounds so simple and yet I don't think any one has ever taught me how to do it. I found that having the space to explore the reasons and beliefs behind the fear of public speaking, with guidance from yourself was a powerful exercise which complimented the practice. I feel that this was all possible because you were so honest and real with us as a group and you led by example. The experiences you talked about moved me. I appreciate what you do.
Thanks again John,
P

Press coverage
The Source Magazine Winter 2008/9
Can you imagine what it’s like to be at ease when you’re the centre of attention? Nope – neither could I, which is why I said ‘yes please’ to a sampler session with public-speaking facilitator (and ex-Editor of the fabulous Spark magazine) John Dawson. I’ve been hearing on the grapevine for years that his six hour workshop called ‘Speaking Circles’ has really changed people’s lives and I thought I’d give it a go with mine. Speaking Circles is a way of dealing with stage-fright – not only in work presentations and meetings, but also when you’re in social groups and one to one. John is the only facilitator in this country. “There are lots of courses and books out there on public speaking” he says, “but not many of them deal with the scary issue of stage fright. If they do, the usual kind of advice you get is to breathe deeply, run up and down on the spot, or imagine the audience is naked. Here in ‘Speaking Circles’ we look more at the head stuff about why we get scared in the first place, and how it relates to everyday issues to do with our self-esteem”.
To John, stage fright boils down to something he calls ‘The Theory of the Wobbly Tray’. There are eight of us on the day I turn up for my session and it quickly becomes clear (and I won’t tell you how or it’ll spoil the fun) that most of us there are carrying the big wobbly tray he describes. Wobbly trays are where we put the bad stuff we’re thinking about ourselves when we get up in front of an audience: ‘Do I look OK? Am I boring?? Are They Going to Like Me??? (My wobbly tray is the size of a double-seater shopping trolley). As we speak, we’re struggling to balance our trays and at the same time scanning the audience for clues that our worst fears are correct. Blank faces and … (heaven forbid) a yawn, is all the confirmation we need to prove that we’re boring and awful. That’s when we fall apart.
Does this sound familiar? According to John there are lots of us wandering around with these thoughts every day, some of us worse than others. “I have had people that couldn’t be in their own wedding photos” he says, “or couldn’t bring themselves to speak at their parent’s funeral. These issues can really stop us all from being able to take part fully in our own lives”. For the remainder of the afternoon, John teaches us clever ways to become more relaxed, confident and connected with an audience or group and how to protect ourselves from the self-sabotage that always gets between us and our full glory. In the end all eight of are comfortable with standing at the front and full of plans for how to take the lessons home.
I can’t say I’m going to relish public-speaking from now because, as John says: “We’re not trying to do Martin Luther King stuff, we’re just trying to be ourselves”. But I’ll definitely try to do things he suggests, like become an inverse paranoid (which is when you assume support unless proved otherwise, rather than the other way around). “I’ve been doing this for eight years” says John “and I’ve decided to spend more time at it because it’s about helping people to take part in their own lives and on their own terms. Apart from anything it’s fantastic to work on the stuff that reminds me of what I need as well”. Thanks John - it’s a relief to know we’re all in the same boat.
 

Letter December 2008
Dear John,
Anyway I wanted to let you know that at our recent Ruby wedding celebration I stood up in front of 120ish of our friends and relations and did a speech and actually enjoyed it and made lots of people laugh, it was quite heady and I don't think I will ever be as nervous if there is a next time. Of course it was down to the course I did with you in the summer, my main reminders to myself were "assume support", "make eye contact", and "let your words land". So many people came up to me after and couldn't believe I had ever had a problem with public speaking, and revealed that they had the same problem, it really was a revelation! I made a point of telling them about Speaking Circles.
So thank you John, I can truthfully say you've changed my life, how glad I am that I did your course.
Hope you are thriving in your new role!
Love Sue

Course Feedback

I had been doing public presentations in a safe way for about 4 years, but I had a subject in me that I was passionate to talk about and I knew it would help others, if I spoke out about it. What I needed was a way to express the message, from the heart, so people felt moved by it and could understand it emotionally. A short course with John helped me gain this capability. A while after his course I delivered a presentation to 200 of the toughest people in the country. I made them laugh, brought tears to their eyes and had them nodding their heads in agreement. This ability to express ourselves - fully - is one of the most amazing feelings available to us. Don't pass up the opportunity.
Neil Fellowes
Director
www.CommunitySoul.co.uk

 Speaking Circles reviewed by a member of the Association of Speakers' Clubs
"I thought I was quite an experienced speaker since joining ASC (Association of Speaking Clubs) I have learned a lot about speaking technique. This has definitely helped but I was unprepared for this day with John Dawson and his Speaking Circles course in Bristol. The emphasis was to let you develop from a base that is natural to you. Some attendees were there for their second time. The safe and supportive environment coupled with the exercises help you grow. This course speaks to the mind but it also helps a person develop at the visceral level. I expect that John has someone repeating at every course. It was a long journey from Glasgow. However I think I see myself on another more advanced course sometime in the future. If fear is a major barrier for you, this course has a lot to offer"