Review of the Best Public Speaking Courses

Skilled public speakers combine effective oral and nonverbal communication with an intuitive understanding of their audiences' needs and expectations, whether the audience is a potential employer in a job interview or a large group of colleagues gathered to hear a presentation. Effective public speaking doesn’t require that you have innate poise and a natural gift of gab. Learn the skills you need by taking a public speaking course. The best schools have long-standing reputations for excellence or have proven their muster more recently by earning the praises of some of the world’s largest corporations.

The Leaders Institute

Such companies as Johnson & Johnson, Starbucks, the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, CVS and Ikea look to The Leaders Institute for leadership training and team building. A substantial segment of the Institute’s offerings is training designed to help speakers overcome fear of public speaking while increasing confidence and communication skills. Course offerings range from a Fearless Presentations home study course to a live workshop to a four-day boot camp that combines the Fearless Presentations course with leadership training. Institute coaches work one-on-one with participants in the workshop and bootcamp.

Toastmasters International

Throughout its 85-plus year history, Toastmasters International has trained more than four million people worldwide to be more effective public speakers. The organization boasts over 260,000 current members across the globe. Toastmasters is unique in that it’s a membership-based club that encourages public speaking skill development through bi-weekly or monthly workshop meetings attended by local group members. Toastmasters has no instructors. Rather, members learn through a learn-by-doing process of practice followed by constructive criticism by fellow group members.

Dale Carnegie Training

Dale Carnegie founded his world-famous self-improvement training company in 1912. Carnegie’s original training program was geared toward sales professionals and focused on human relations and communication skills. After Dale Carnegie’s death in 1955, just a year after he founded Dale Carnegie & Associates, professional managers took over and expanded the business. The company now offers public speaking, presentation and leadership training through a network of more than 2700 professional trainers who teach in 80 nations and 25 languages. Students learn through Carnegie locations, through webinars or through onsite training. Course offerings include individual classes, multi-day workshops and webinars designed to reduce public speaking anxiety and enhance speech and presentation skills.

Simply Speaking

Simply Speaking boasts such corporate clients as American Express and Ritz Carlton in its public speaking and presentation training program. The company offers private speech coaching and group presentation workshops to help business professionals speak and present more effectively and confidently. Programs focus on learning by doing. Constructive assessment by peers and coaches, videotaped presentations, creation of personal action plans for ongoing improvement and planners and other tools help to ensure that students continue to improve their public speaking skills long after their courses end.