Business testimonials

Having attended and organised numerous presentation training courses, the Vocal Confidence seminar is the best I have experienced after 10 years in PR.  In only four hours, delegates learnt practical skills to:

• -        engage the audience
• -        present clearly
• -        turn nerves to your advantage
• -        project your voice so you can be heard without a microphone, whatever the venue or audience size
• -        not strain your vocal cords

I would certainly recommend Vocal Confidence to all my clients, colleagues and friends.

Naomi Byrne - Director, Knowwhere Communications.

For the first time I now understand how to unlock my natural ability - to connect with my feeling when I communicate. After only a few hours of tuition I really began to notice a difference and within a few weeks of practice, I began to put the training to good use.
One of the most useful techniques taught by Alix Longman with VOCAL CONFIDENCE training is the instant feedback her technique provides. Having the knowledge that vocal feeling is being expressed in my voice is very important and this technique gives me inner confidence and allows me to get on with the message.
Public speaking or should I say performing is a great passion of mine, whether to a small or large audience. In recent weeks I put the vocal confidence training to the test. The business loved it!
After spending a lot of money and time reading books on vocal coaching, VOCAL CONFIDENCE training showed me in a few hours the SECRET of FABULOUS COMMUNICATION - how to engage the audience no matter the size, colour or gender!! INVALUABLE!

My projection is much stronger and longer lasting. It's great value and a great asset to everyone who needs to stand up and perform; whether speaking, reading, singing or just plain being heard at an important meeting. RECOMMENDED!

John L. Evans - Head of Change  / British Energy

"I’ve looked at vocal training in books and CD’s in the past, but none have given me the insight and readily executable quantum leap in understanding that Alix provided. She has an ear for smaller details and complications too - so if you already have some grounding in vocal technique or practice there’s the chance that she can fine-tune you with some priceless newfound information.  

At first, rather than addressing surface vocal stylings, Alix works your speech from the trunk of the body, rebuilding a lost connection to the core platform of the voice. From here we can command much greater prowess and sonority over the presence of what we say. More importantly her advice and techniques lead a return to the essential dynamics of the emotions in our day-to-day expressions. With this new understanding it is possible to re-connect to ourselves, and others, with an emotional honesty that has been hitherto repressed by overcautious social adjustments and a misplaced idea of where the voice is generated.

As a teacher Alix is a natural – warm, engaging, lighthearted and self-deprecating, she’s honest, efficient and gives time to all the members of the class.    

Since the class, at work and play, I’ve been relearning my voice. The confidence of a well-centered voice is marvelous for putting people at ease. This reassuring quality has been useful for:

*subduing and winning over aggressive customers

*engaging with strangers instantly

*making everyday banter more engaging... well-felt and worthwhile.

In short Alix and her course have worked a marvel on me. If you are looking to bring out the innate best in your voice and yourself - then this course will give you what you need.

Thank you Alix!"

Ian Fielding - Writer / Filmmaker

Made me think about projection and audience engagement in a different way. Very relaxed and interactive.

TRY IT! It is great for self-awareness and understanding the power of the voice in developing your personal impact!

Lynne Matthews - BEPET Training Manager /British Energy

"I would recommend Alix’s seminar wholeheartedly to anybody who has the slightest reservation. Individually Alix is incredibly likeable and engaging with a wealth of experience in both her own and parallel fields. This shines through the seminar with an array of relevant anecdotes and great tips. I cannot think of a person who opens their mouth to speak or sing in a morning who would not stand to benefit from this seminar. It explains and encapsulates many ideas you may have previously heard but not fully understood, while going on to link them together  with perfect clarity"

"The technique reinforces and explains anything you would have previously learnt that is right and very simply identifies what you are doing wrong."

"A refreshing approach to aid speaking before an audience"

"Enthusiastic and Interesting Trainer"

"Excellent course - ticked all the right boxes"

"Book this trainer again - she was fabulous, professional and a great
communicator"

"Thanks for a great day"

Training Co-ordinators/ Management Development – Group appraisal feedback from In-House Vocal Confidence Seminar

"Alix, I have just given a presentation to about 80 people at the Queens club in London. There was a problem with the microphone so I had to talk without it.(scary..) Well thanks to what I learned from you, everyone could hear me.. 15 rows back!!

I am so happy!! You have really helped solve a big problem for me.. I am so surprised that I could achieve the result I wanted so quickly!!!  Thanks!!

Nicki Western – Program Manager IT Business Partner Canon Europe

Your seminar was a Revelation! I will definitely recommend your seminar to others.

Madge Obaseki, Project Officer 

My presentation gained the highest marks from the field. Thank you so much for all of your help on Saturday, you were brilliant and helped me so much.”

 Terri MacDonald, Training & Development

My role at work normally involves trying to get key messages out during meetings - Already - I feel that I am making a better connection with the people in meetings and am at last able to get my messages heard and understood - a breakthrough for me! It was great fun and has given me a great new technique for getting my messages across at work. 

Excellent style of delivery - relaxed, entertaining, informative, friendly and great fun!  10 out of 10! If only all training classes were this much fun!!”

Phil Morgan, Project/Programme Manager

"Thank you for all that you shared this afternoon. You reversed my concept of when I was “myself” and when I was “acting” and I mistakenly thought that would be my most valuable lesson. But, you went on to teach me a new relaxed stability and better use of breath. A combination of techniques that has awesome value. The master classes also served to remind me that I must rewrite some of my presentation to include emoting. I am actually looking forward to that and to presenting – quite a shift from my feelings just this morning."

Ken Hansen, IT and Management Consultant

"Some really practical tips and techniques that I can use tomorrow....minimal theory and maximum impact. 

Your style is brilliant! You are an entertainer as well as an excellent coach. You get stuck in and you make it happen for people. No pussyfooting - and a ton of support going hand in hand with your challenge.

You make it easy to feel safe and to give things a go. Actually, you make us WANT to give it a go!

I'm going to weave your methods into my 'day job' in front of people - especially when I am trying to model confidence. A simple goal for me is around continuous self-development and love of learning. This workshop did that for me.

Real practical stuff that will make an immediate difference. People will 'get it' . The style you have is very clear and is delivered from a start point of integrity and a will to help others. You are there for others and you clearly enjoy sharing your expertise. Have passed your number on to a colleague who is very interested!

You are an impactful and dynamic teacher and have boosted my awareness of when I am using the small voice I don't think is me and so I do it less and less, I thank you for that."

Sally Booth, Training Consultant

Alix, you were an absolute inspiration to work with and I definitely have benefited form the session - I've been exercising my solar plexus on a daily basis ever since!! Thanks for presenting the technique it was so simple and effective.

Synthia Griffin, Assistant Curator: Community Programmes Tate Modern, Bankside 

"I have never really done any formal vocal training before so it was a complete eye-opener to me and just what I was looking for at my stage of development as an actor. I've always been a softly spoken person but it opened my eyes and ears to exactly how powerful my voice can be with the right kind of direction and training.

It was really the focus on the muscles and organs that produce the voice, how to breath properly when performing, and how to locate your emotional base at the solar plexus to give maximum 'reach' to an audience, or rather maximum 'pull' , that was so interesting and helpful in a really practical way.

I am looking forward to my next management presentation to see how I perform. I also have more confidence in my voice as an acting and singing tool, for both auditions and performances. 

The course is an excellent and in-depth introduction to professional voice production, relevant to public speakers and performers who wish to improve their control, timbre, emotional reach and pull to an audience."

Robert McIndoe, Management/Communications Consultant & Actor - Capita plc/The Marketing House Ltd.

"It was wonderful to share the teaching in a small group - I felt a great deal more confident and had an increased understanding of the technical and emotional issues around vocal impact. 

Alix's method will prove enormously useful in every day / telephone/ and presentation situations. Alix is an inspiring coach who displays an amazingly high level of skill in her teaching." 

Michele Abdou,  Freelance/coach/consultant HR communications.  

"All I want to say is I really enjoyed your seminar and certainly found it useful - I've been practicing your fabulous breathing yechnique all weekend and feel great!"

Robin Rowe, Tax Mitigation Specialist

"Thank you very much for a very interesting vocal confidence seminar - you really made it enjoyable.  I feel I really learnt a lot. I now feel more confident about speaking in public and feel able to control my nerves a lot better. 

I particularly enjoyed the breathing technique and gave a vote of thanks 3 days later when I put it into practice along with using my posture more effectively and felt my voice was much stronger and couldn't hear a 'wobble'

You need to experience the experience to see it work!"

Joan Brown, Arts Administrator

I felt really invigorated by attending the course. I learnt how to project my voice clearly and authoritatively. The afternoon session was crammed with useful tips and hints - and succinctly encapsulated how individuals can build their vocal confidence.  I am delighted I attended the course.”

Rosemary Canning, Marketing Consultant

Thank you for a wonderful day on Saturday, it was great to learn such a simple technique which could make such a huge difference.

The technique has given me the tools to feel confident about giving presentations. I know how to make myself heard and how to draw the audience in - I have seen big improvements in my presentation skills.”

Mandy Holland, Director Inter-Action MK

So I’ve been on another course... This time it was a course in ‘Voice Confidence’ run by the extremely talented Alix Longman and it was very good indeed.

I underwent voice coaching several years ago as part of my interpreting training and thoroughly enjoyed it, but today’s course was quite different. Both were excellent in different ways.

Today’s course was much more focused than previous courses I have been on – not surprising as it was only four hours long. Alix (who is also wonderfully entertaining) paid a lot of attention to breathing and (not unrelated as it turns out) authenticity.

I signed up at the last minute because, although I know I used to have a pleasant, authoritative-sounding voice, I recently became conscious that I’d lost it. Worse, in a few meetings over the past year or so, it dawned on me that I was sounding hesitant and unconfident when the reality was that I knew my stuff and should have impressed my audience. I’m not being too navel-gazey here, because I recently pushed my boss into a corner and asked him about my performance in a meeting where I felt I’d not done too well. He confirmed that I seemed to “lack confidence” when he knew that I should have sounded like an expert.

Well, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, but I can say that right now I feel a lot more confident about speaking in public.

One of Alix’ devices is to have her students speak (or sing) in ‘the old way’ and compare it to ‘the new way’ ie to compare the results of the course with how one spoke (or sang) beforehand. The difference was tangible – there were three singers on today’s course and each of them sounded richer and more powerful when they applied Alix’s technique. The ‘speakers’ among us sounded more genuine and immeasurably more compelling to the listener. Personally, when I tried speaking in ‘the old way’ I could hear myself as I was in a recent meeting – not nice… not nice at all.

I have a hunch that my performances in meetings will be massively improved thanks to Alix’ seminar. If you want to know more, don't ask me, sign up to one of her courses; it's worth every penny!

Dom Pannell, Analyst Relations Consultant