Public Speaking Classes DC - Improve Your Speaking Skills

Since 2004, Throughline has helped thousands of clients in the Washington, D.C. metro area become more engaging and effective public speakers.

CLASSES TO IMPROVE PUBLIC SPEAKING Our Promise To You Watch Video (1 Min)

Public Speaking Classes in Washington, D.C.

Our Commitment to Your Public Speaking Success

Our industry-leading trainers are continuing to provide all of our public speaking classes virtually – live online – rather than in person, to keep everyone safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Many companies offer public speaking classes in DC. But when their classes end, so does your training. The “one and done” syndrome that plagues our industry leads to limited growth.

How do we separate ourselves from the pack? Throughline focuses on your long-term growth rather than a standalone one-time experience. We’re committed to delivering the best public speaking classes, not just in Washington, D.C., but in the industry.

We provide targeted advice and recommendations that lead to measurable improvement. We have seen that happen time and again during our work with our clients, including:

  • Government agencies
  • Trade associations
  • Research foundations
  • Nonprofit organizations
  • Cultural institutions
  • Members of Congress
  • A presidential candidate
  • Industry leaders

Our public speaking classes in Washington, D.C. are held at 1025 Connecticut Ave. If you’re coming from out of town, the closest transit points are:

  • Union Station (Amtrak): (2.1 miles) 10 minutes by Metro
  • Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA): (5 miles) 24-minute taxi ride, 30 minutes by Metro
  • Dulles International Airport: (27 miles) About an hour by car, taxi, or Metro
  • BWI Marshall Airport: (35 miles) About 60 to 90 minutes rides via bus, rail, taxi or app-based ride services

We know that mastering anything – particularly something as vital to professional success as good public speaking skills – takes time.

We focus on building relationships. Our public speaking classes are just the beginning. As part of your registration, you’ll receive:

  • 10 free in-depth clients-only special reports
  • A free one-on-one follow-up trainer consultation before your next presentation
  • Free annual refresher webinars on how to improve public speaking

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REGISTER FOR A WASHINGTON, D.C. CLASS ONLINE

Discounts for three or more. Contact us for corporate discounts available to groups of three or more or for ongoing training needs.

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WHAT WILL I GET IN MY PUBLIC SPEAKING CLASS

  • Smaller Classes to Improve Your Public Speaking

    Other companies pack as many as 18 people into each session. We restrict our public speaking classes to 10 participants, ensuring more individualized attention for each attendee.

  • Deeper curriculum

    You’ll learn the most essential public speaking skills—but you’ll go deeper than the basics. We’ll teach you the subtle points that often get overlooked—but can make a huge difference.

  • Greater focus on your message

    Many group classes emphasize body language and delivery. While those skills are vitally important, they rely upon the quality of your ideas and messages. We’ll give you detailed feedback on both.

  • More Customization

    Rather than cookie-cutter classes that use generic improvised exercises, you can work on your real presentations, which you can send to us prior to the training day. And don’t worry if you don’t have a “real” talk to work with—we can provide you with an easy-to-use template.

  • Extensive practice and practical feedback

    You’ll have the opportunity to practice, experiment, expand your range and receive personalized feedback. There’s no delayed gratification here—you’ll be able to implement the feedback you receive immediately and watch your confidence soar as your skills grow in real time. We’ll give you the direct feedback you need to grow, but in the warm and encouraging environment you deserve.

  • Highly experienced trainers

    Since 2004, our trainers have helped speakers prepare for the world’s biggest stages, including TED, the World Economic Forum, and a presidential announcement speech. We’ve also worked on many smaller but vitally important “stages,” including one-on-one client meetings, staff presentations, and industry events. Whatever your speaking situation, we have the experience to help.

Public Speaking Two-Day Class Agenda

Day One

  • Segment One Your Throughline

    • Identify Your Main Points and Key Message
    • Structure and Outline Your Talk
    • Get Inside Your Audience’s Head
    • EXERCISE: Make Your Audience’s Acquaintance
    • EXERCISE: Find Your Key Message or “ABSO”

  • Segment Two Your Open

    • Win the Opening Minutes with a Triple Open
    • Select an Open That Grabs Your Audience from the Start
    • PRACTICE TALK: Deliver Your Open

  • Segment Three Your Supporting Story

    • Bring Your Stories and Statistics to Life
    • Use Proven Story Plots to Quickly Connect with Your Audience
    • PRACTICE TALK: What’s Your Story?

  • Segment Four Your Pattern Break

    • Discover How to Retain and Regain Your Audience’s Attention
    • Use Pattern Breaks to Keep Your Audience Focused on Your Message
    • EXERCISE: Break the Pattern Race

  • Segment Five Your Close and Call to Action

    • Wrap Up with Two Closes that Leave the Audience Humming Your Tune
    • Issue a Call to Action That Leads to Meaningful Change
    • PRACTICE TALK: Your Close and Call to Action

  • Segment Six Your Visuals

    • Learn to Use (Not Abuse) PowerPoint
    • Design Slides That Complement and Reinforce Your Words
    • Insert a Generous Heaping of Metaphor to Turn Ordinary into Sticky
    • Stay a Step Ahead of Your Slides
    • EXERCISE: Picture Your Best Visuals

Day Two

  • Segment Seven Your Voice

    • Use Projection, Pace, Pitch, and Tone to Get Your Key Points to Land
    • Explore Your Range as You Expand Your Vocal Palette
    • Discover the Fix that Helps to Eliminate Filler Words
    • EXERCISE: Find Your Voice

  • Segment Eight Your Body Language

    • Create the Right Feedback Loops
    • Use Nonverbal Communication to Connect with Your Audience
    • Set the Tone with Your Gestures, Movement, Eye Contact, Posture, and More
    • Internalize the Tools to Reduce Speaking Anxiety and Manage Your Fear
    • EXERCISE: Know What Your Body Language Is Saying

  • Segment Nine Your Q&A Session

    • Be the Conductor: Draw Out Your Audience and Run the Floor
    • Align Your Response to the Heart of the Question
    • Respond to Challenging Questions with Poise and Confidence
    • Discover the Techniques to Keep Your Answers Moving
    • EXERCISE: Answer Your Most Challenging Questions

  • Segment Ten Your Throughline Talk

    • FINAL PRACTICE TALK: Putting It All Together: Your Grand Finale

Download Your FREE Presentation Guide

11 Easy Steps to Ace Your Next Presentation

From finding your message and opening your talk to choosing the right visuals and managing fear, our free e-book will take you through 11 key steps to delivering a successful presentation.

11 Easy Steps to Ace Your Next Presentation

WHAT CLIENTS ARE SAYING

"Meaningful interactions and insights that transform organizations"

Throughline has a unique ability to understand ASN’s concerns, focus our training on the issues that matter most, and help the society’s leadership and staff improve in astonishing ways. More important, they’re committed to lasting relationships, resulting in meaningful interactions and insights that transform organizations.

Tod Ibrahim, Executive Vice President, American Society of Nephrology See More Reviews

DURING THE CLASS

Our proven teaching methodology, which has been delivered successfully hundreds of times since 2004, features a diverse mix of relevant activities designed to help participants grow their skill set meaningfully—often dramatically—right away. During the class, you will learn through:

  • Practice presentations

    You’ll deliver several practice presentations during the class. After each round, you’ll receive specific feedback on your message, delivery, and audience interaction. We’ll videotape your practice talks and review key excerpts with you—and you’ll get to take your videos with you.

  • Breakout exercises

    Peer-to-peer learning and practice with trainer observation and feedback.

  • Two-way feedback

    Giving feedback to other participants helps you develop a critical lens for what works well and what could be even better. Receiving feedback from other participants and the trainer helps you understand what’s resonating best and distracting most about your performance.

  • Interactive lectures

    Our fast-moving lectures are packed with real-life examples and opportunities to practice new skills, and are led by dynamic trainers who know how to keep your attention.

  • Group discussion

    We’ll learn what matters to each individual in the room and modify the agenda in real time in small but meaningful ways to make your class experience as relevant to your real-life experience as possible.

  • Video examples

    We’ll show several curated clips of presenters demonstrating public speaking best practices, often in unexpected and highly effective ways.

AFTER THE CLASS

No other national company offers such personalized end-to-end service for their group public speaking class participants. If you invest in us, we’ll invest in you. Because we know “one and done” doesn’t work, our relationship extends long past the training day. After you leave our class, you’ll continue your learning through:

  • Sharp takeaway materials

    You’ll receive our proprietary 90-page presentation training binder and videos of your practice talks.

  • Ten in-depth clients-only reports

    You’ll receive in-depth articles once a month for ten months following your training. These reports will go deeper into areas that will help you learn, practice, and refine new skills throughout the year. Sample topics might include delivering better panel presentations, overcoming speaking fear, and speaking from a script.

  • A free one-hour phone or Skype call

    You can schedule a free one-hour call with one of our trainers within one year of your training, during which you can discuss an upcoming interview, ask us to review a video of an interview you recently delivered, or anything else that would help you advance your learning.

  • An annual invitation to our live clients-only webinar

    Once a year, you’ll be invited to a live clients-only webinar, during which we will offer you a refresher, introduce advanced techniques, and answer your questions. We’ll send you the video if you miss the call.

  • A 20% discount

    A 20 percent discount on our standard hourly consulting fee for two years following your training.

WHO SHOULD REGISTER FOR THIS PUBLIC TRAINING CLASS?

Who can benefit from our classes?

Public speakers of all levels.

Throughline’s public speaking class was designed for anyone whose role requires them to engage in or prepare others for public speaking engagements, including:

  1. Staff meetings
  2. Client meetings
  3. Board presentations
  4. Community meetings
  5. Investor pitches
  6. Industry events
  7. Conferences
  8. Legislative testimony
  9. …and many more

Our classes are perfect for public speakers of all levels. Beginners will get a framework they can apply to their future talks, and more experienced speakers will learn new techniques to help them refine their existing presentations. Whatever your starting point, the feedback you receive will help you improve upon your existing skill set.

Representatives from companies, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, individuals, and other groups will benefit from these sessions.

This class is not recommended for clients who require confidentiality. Please click here for more information about our private workshops, which include a non-disclosure agreement. Please note: we do not currently offer train-the-trainer sessions and reserve the right to turn down registrations intended for that purpose.

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Any Questions?

Reach out to us at info@throughline.com
or head over to our Frequently Asked Questions.

Benefits of Public Speaking Training

Speaking Skills You Will Learn

Our public speaking classes not only focus on the fundamentals, but also on your unique presentation style. We want to provide you with a solid foundation upon which to expand your talents and skills in a way that results in immediate results and long-term transformation.

We are all about public speaking training that is not overly prescriptive, but rather a framework. Such an approach allows each of our clients to build upon that foundation with the skills and techniques best suited to their personalities, public speaking style, and presentation material. We work to strengthen and magnify those areas that already work and reduce the obstacles or challenges that may be getting in the way of your success.

You will learn how to improve public speaking skills by:

1. Finding Your Path

Where is it that you want to go? Are you looking for small or transformational changes? Are you hoping to elevate your delivery for a high-stakes presentation? Are you seeking guidance on how best to structure your presentation? Are you thwarted in your efforts to move from concept to completion? Are you trying to better manage anxiety?

In our classes, we take you from the beginning to the end of your presentation – from your first words to your final thoughts – and share with you the proven methods that improve speaking skills and help you to accomplish your goals. This approach works whether you are advocating for change, selling a concept or product, sharing important information, or hoping to inspire others to improve their lives.

2. Minding Your Message

What is it you want the audience to do, think, believe, or become well after your presentation is over? That’s your key message, and we’ll work with you to find the words that will resonate with your audience from the very start of your presentation. We give you the critical feedback you need to create memorable and inspiring messages that lead to meaningful change.

3. Maximizing Your Visuals

The slides you choose, the materials you distribute, the demonstrations you conduct … all those visual elements help your key message to dive deeper into the minds of your audience – that is, if they are used effectively and memorably. We will work with you to strengthen your visuals so your messages and concepts are not lost in ineffective design.

4. Cultivating Confidence

Good public speaking skills reflect a confidence that is both felt and projected. In our classes, you will learn the techniques that lead to successful presentations – a knowledge that nearly always leads to a decrease in the speaking anxiety that so many of our clients say is a major obstacle in their progress as a speaker.

We will help you to address the root causes of your fear and offer specific strategies and techniques that will help you better manage your anxiety, put that stress into its proper context, and develop healthier thoughts for your next presentation.

5. Being Ready for the Future

Each year, the Graduate Management Admission Council asks employers which traits they require of candidates being considered for a mid-level position. They ask employers to rank the importance of 25 skills. One stands above the rest: oral communication. Presentation skills also made the top five, as did listening skills.

When you attend one of our public speaking classes in Washington, D.C., you leave with skills that transcend any lecture hall. Effective public speaking skills are increasingly regarded as necessary to obtain a job, advance in an organization, and become successful in a leadership role.

Our classes are just the start. Our tips and techniques are applicable to the presentation you are giving today, tomorrow, or into the future. The commonsense approaches you learn, based on scientific research, will stand the test of time.

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