The Alexander Technique and Presentation Skills

“All the world´s a stage” (William Shakespeare)
“All the world´s a stage – and most of us are unrehearsed” (Sean O´Casey)

Presentation SkillsI offer you coaching in presentation skills against a background of the Alexander Technique in individual coaching sessions and occasionally small group workshops.
I also run bespoke workshops and seminars.

As we are all performers, anyone can benefit, but in particular teachers, preachers, politicians, business people, researchers, lecturers, and others in speaking professions.
The larger part of our impact is made up of non-verbal elements: how we stand, move, and how we sound. The Alexander Technique helps us to gain more control over those non-verbal elements, so that we can present in whatever area we choose with ease and authenticity.

I particularly focus on presentation skills in English. I am a British English native speaker and from 2003-2011 taught courses in Speaking and Presentation Skills at the English and American Studies Department of the University of Vienna. In addition, I have run seminars for institutions, including OPEC, British Council Vienna, Central Bank of Malta.

“Working with Harriet Anderson enabled me to significantly expand my vocal range and presentation skills …I credit her with the dramatic improvement in my public speaking performance which was apparent to my colleagues but, more importantly, to myself.” (Michael Payne, researcher for the United Nations)

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In coaching sessions we will have a look at:

Vocal elements

  • volume
  • resonance
  • pitch
  • intonation
  • pacing
  • pause
  • phrasing

(Voice Coaching)

Physical elements

  • dealing with performance nerves
  • poise and posture
  • use of space
  • gesture
  • facial expression

Verbal elements

  • making an impact
  • strong beginnings and endings
  • structure
  • clarifying the message
  • audience outcomes
  • use of sensory language, metaphors, images
  • building rapport

If you are not a native speaker of English and would like to give presentations in English we can, in addition, have a look at:

  • pronunciation
  • rhythm and modulation
  • useful phrases
  • cultural differences in presentations