The Secret Method Top Speakers Use to Win Over Any Audience – Glasgow & Edinburgh Public Speaking Insights

Glasgow and Edinburgh Public Speaking Lessons from a Coach Who’s Seen It All

By Mark Westbrook – Public Speaking Coach

An audience listening to someone public speaking

A few months ago, I was coaching a senior academic in Edinburgh. Intelligent, articulate, respected—but when it came to delivering her lecture live, she panicked. “I don’t know what happens,” she said. “I prepare thoroughly, but the moment I stand up, I lose the room.”

Just one week later, in a training room in Glasgow, a quiet graduate trainee took the floor during a leadership course. No flashy slides, no formal title—just a story about a mistake he made and what he learned from it. The room listened. They leaned in. He landed every word.

Same country. Same language. Entirely different impact.

What makes the difference?

It’s not about natural talent or nerves of steel. It’s about method. And in the world of

Glasgow public speaking and Edinburgh public speaking, I’ve found that speakers who follow this simple method outperform even the most experienced professionals—every time.

Let’s uncover that method and show you how to use it to transform your own communication, whether you're giving a wedding speech or pitching for investment.

Why So Many Speeches Miss the Mark

Public speaking is not a matter of charisma—it’s a matter of connection.

Over the years, coaching public speakers in both Glasgow and Edinburgh, I’ve seen brilliant minds deliver muddled messages. I’ve also seen first-time speakers bring entire rooms to stillness. The difference comes down to a few very common mistakes:

Speaking at an audience instead of with them.
Structuring a talk around content instead of audience experience.
Focusing on information rather than meaning.
Relying on slides instead of stories.
Ending without purpose.

If you’ve ever walked away from a presentation knowing it could have gone better—even if people politely clapped—this is for you.

Introducing the A.I.M.E. Method: The Formula Behind Powerful Public Speaking

I coach speakers using a framework I call A.I.M.E. It’s used widely in my Glasgow public speaking workshops and one-to-one coaching in Edinburgh public speaking sessions. It stands for:

Align
Invite
Move
Embed

Simple, but transformative.

Let’s explore how each step works—and how you can apply it immediately.

1. Align: Start Where Your Audience Is

Great speakers don’t begin by sharing what they know—they begin by showing that they understand you.

Example from Edinburgh Public Speaking: One client was preparing to speak at a funding pitch. We ditched the standard intro and instead began with:“You’ve seen a dozen of these today. I’d be exhausted too. So let’s keep this simple.”The investors smiled. And listened.

How to align with your audience:

Start with a shared experience, problem, or emotion.
Use plain language, not polished corporate speak.
Ask yourself: “What might they be thinking right now?”

Quick Exercise:Before your next talk, write down three things your audience might be worried, frustrated, or excited about. Open your talk by naming one.

2. Invite: Speak With Them, Not At Them

Public speaking is not performance. It’s a live conversation. Even if only one of you is talking.

In my Glasgow public speaking workshops, we often focus on this skill—especially for corporate clients who default to presentation mode. Real influence happens when you create collaborative energy.

Techniques to invite engagement:

Ask rhetorical questions: “Ever felt like your inbox controls your life?”
Use inclusive language: we, us, together.
Make eye contact in clusters—speak to someone, not everyone.

In practice: When I’m coaching Edinburgh speakers preparing for keynotes or conferences, we focus on shifting from “telling” to “inviting.” One phrase that works wonders:“Let’s explore this together.”

3. Move: Tap Into Emotion to Create Meaning

Information is forgettable. Emotion is sticky. The best talks don’t just explain—they move.

In one Glasgow coaching session, a client who’d struggled to hold attention gave a beautiful 3-minute talk about his grandmother teaching him resilience. Suddenly, he stopped being a manager and became a person. That’s when people listen.

Ways to move your audience:

Share a real story, with flaws and tension.
Speak with emotional range—don’t flatten your delivery.
Use metaphor or image: “It was like trying to sprint through fog.”

Tip for Edinburgh speakers:Use local references and emotion-rich moments from your own life. You’re not giving a TED Talk—you’re inviting people to trust your humanity.

4. Embed: Make the Message Stick

A good message is only useful if people remember it. Most speakers lose impact in the final stretch—rambling, apologising, or rushing to finish.

In Glasgow public speaking coaching, I focus on helping speakers close with precision.

How to embed your message:

Use repetition: reinforce one key phrase throughout.
Build to a single call to action or idea.
Loop back to the beginning of your talk to create closure.

Example:A coaching client in Edinburgh gave a talk on leadership that began with the story of her first failed job interview. She ended by saying,“That moment taught me that failing forward isn’t failure—it’s how leaders are made.”It brought the room full circle. Perfectly.

And What About Stage Fright?

You’re not alone. Public speaking anxiety is more common in Glasgow and Edinburgh professionals than most admit. Even seasoned performers experience it.

What causes fear:

Fear of judgement.
Fear of forgetting.
Fear of “not being good enough.”

How to overcome it:

Ground your body: Feel your feet. Breathe from your belly.
Redirect attention: Focus on what your audience needs to hear—not how you feel.
Normalise it: Nerves are energy. Channel it into intention.

Practical Exercise: Before any talk, do a “pre-performance ritual.” This could be 60 seconds of stillness, a short walk, or repeating your key message aloud. Make your body feel safe before your mind goes onstage.

Why Personal Coaching Accelerates Progress

You can read all the books. Watch TED Talks. Practise in the mirror.

But the fastest path to clarity, confidence, and control is coaching. Real-time feedback. Personalised strategies. And someone who sees the hidden habits that hold you back.

Whether you’re preparing for:

A professional keynote in Edinburgh,
A boardroom pitch in Glasgow,
A conference abroad,
Or simply want to own your voice…

…personal coaching gives you tools, accountability, and transformation.

Ready to Become a Speaker People Remember?

If you’re ready to communicate with clarity, authenticity, and impact—whether in Glasgow public speaking settingsor Edinburgh’s high-stakes stages—I’d love to help you unlock that potential.

👉 Get in touch today to book a no-pressure discovery call. We’ll explore your goals and create a tailored roadmap to get you speaking at your very best.