How to Practice Your Speech In Public

Hi friend,

I love helping people get a structured plan for their speech like in my stop stuttering workshop. 

Unlike all the tips and tricks online, this plan actually gives them the belief and the tools to see incredible change in their speech and in their lives overall. 

But sometimes, they realize they have a problem: they don’t have enough real-world practice opportunities. 

This lack was a key reason why it took me years instead of months to rise above stuttering in my own life. 

Young & naive little me not realizing how much faster I could be overcoming my stutter if I only practiced more in public.

If you’re pushing toward (and hoping for) a life of fluency, and you keep hitting a “ceiling” – then it’s likely that a key thing you’re missing is real-world practice. 

Now, let me clarify: practicing your speech by yourself is a very important part of the process, however, you will be very limited in your growth if you never apply what you’re learning when speaking to other people. 

And this is why it’s best to have a plan that runs deep. 

Think of it like a tree: a tree grows HIGH only if its roots also grow DEEP. 

Your speech is like a tree. If you want lots of growth, you need the the roots of your plan to run deep. A shallow plan will usually yield shallow results.

Here’s the truth: being stuck in the loop of always being fluent when you’re alone, but then losing it the second you step outside your home – that’s a deeply frustrating and annoying place to be. 

So this shows us that we need to create more depth in our plans! We have to work WITH our brain, not against it.

One of the ways we do this is by creating positive fluency experiences out in public. 

So, what are some examples of practicing in public?

You could try:

- Starting 1 or 2 conversations per day with your co-workers. (if you tend to avoid people at work, this is especially relevant to you). 

- Calling one family member or friend on the phone every day.

- Ordering takeout & coffee over the phone – or in person – instead of ordering on apps. (Every time you order Starbucks or Chipotle using an app instead of ordering in-person, you miss out on a great practice opportunity.)

These are just a few examples. You know more about your day-to-day life than anyone else, so use your own creativity and look for opportunities to practice speaking everywhere you can.  

Imagine being totally relaxed, calm, and cheerful when ordering at drive-thrus.

Now, here’s an important point: in order to avoid falling back on the old stuttering habits, you want to keep one core thought in your mind to help keep you on track. 

This one thing on your mind could be something like a technique, a trick, a mindset, or a breathing pattern that relaxes you. 

Of course, you can’t remember everything in the moment, so just focus on using one technique at a time. 

Experiment and play with the techniques and approaches from my programs like my free workshop.

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So, in closing, here's my challenge for you today 

Take out a pen and paper (or open your notes app on your phone) and write down three ways you will start adding new practice opportunities throughout your day.

Write them down on a paper (or your notes app), then go check out the free Stop Stuttering Workshop.

Thanks for reading!

Your coach,
Marcus Lapp