Most of my comedy life consists of going on stage and telling jokes. Most of my professional life consists of putting myself in front of people as a teacher or keynote speaker. I live my whole life as a person who stutters. People who stutter (and even those who don’t stutter) are surprised that a person who stutters can dominate a room or have the “guts” to stand in front of people and speak. I enjoy it and, with the exception of neck, back and jaw pain on some days, my speech does not affect me. Of course, there was a day when I stuttered and a piece of my breakfast flew out of my mouth and landed on one of the participant’s fingers, but other than that the stutter doesn’t interfere with my stand-up or leading and training. groups.

People who stutter email and message me all the time on Facebook and ask me how I can get in front of people and speak and if I have any advice. I thought I’d offer some suggestions that would help my stuttering brothers and sisters, but might also help a wider audience.

1. “I stutter and you’re going to have to wait patiently for all my brilliant ideas.”

When do you tell a person that you stutter? Do you let it happen organically? Do you speak in the words you think you will stutter and strive for total fluency?

These are all questions I’ve asked myself. I remember being in high school public speaking class and building speeches where I pulled out every word I thought would stutter. I even did some horrible rap once (about Doxidan, a popular laxative at the time) because I knew I could speak fluently if I rapped or voiced. OMG, it was horrible! Another time I had to work with a partner to review a movie. We chose “Strange Brew” and I spent the whole time talking like Bob and Doug McKenzie with a Canadian accent (“take off, huh?) To achieve fluency.

Through the years I have embraced my speech. Being around other people who stutter has been helpful, so I highly recommend finding a chapter or conference from the National Stuttering Association or similar organizations. Seeing and experiencing people who speak like you is a validation and an important step in self-acceptance. With self-acceptance comes a comfort level with the way you speak and subsequently self-disclosure. I personally reveal my stuttering in stand-up comedy or when I perform as soon as possible. If I’m standing, I do the first part of my game by stuttering. If I’m doing introductions or even when I’m in a job interview, I say early “just so you know, I stutter so you’ll have to wait for all the brilliant things I have to say.” This usually breaks the ice and I told the people I am meeting with how I want them to respond to my speech and that I am a capable person. The reality is that most people don’t know how to respond to our speech, as we may be the first person they meet to stutter. If we can shape your response to us, it may save you some awkward moments later. If time permits in my presentations, I will dig deeper and share more tips and even talk about the cause of stuttering (current research indicates that it is neurologically based).

Everyone is going to reveal their stuttering differently. You need to develop a way that you are comfortable with and even try it out with different friends and family to see your response. Remember, it’s your stutter, your presentation, and your audience. Many times, as people who stutter, we feel like our speech is out of our control. When giving presentations, you may not have control of your stutter, but you do have control over your presentation because, you know, it’s yours! So sixteen!

One more thing. Don’t apologize for your speech. Your stutter is part of you. Why would I stand up in front of a group and apologize for having brown hair and my grandmother’s big butt that I inherited (in Italian they call her “ass”)? It is important that you stay in control of your speaking opportunities. This shows that you know what you’re talking about and that you have nothing to feel sorry for unless, of course, your breakfast flies out of your mouth and lands on someone in the front row.

2. Be passionate about what you are talking about!

You know what I’m not introducing or joking about? Things I don’t care about! As a person who stutters, I know that what I want to say is sacred. I have not always felt comfortable speaking and when I have chosen to intervene it is because it is something that I am so passionate about that I cannot remain silent. When presenting a topic, be passionate and knowledgeable about it. If what you love is the civil war and the means of transportation used during that time, make your presentation on that (although make sure you have the correct context to present). If you love what you are talking about, your audience will appreciate what you have to say and the excitement about the topic will be contagious. I always speak from my heart and try to relate to practical things in my own life. Over the years, I have developed an arsenal of stories that I use on different topics. These stories can be planned in a presentation or, better yet, they can arise in spontaneous moments, so it seems that you are speaking on the spur of the moment when, in fact, it was already planned.

Loving what you speak gives you context and experience. Participants will be impressed with your knowledge and feel like they are in a zone to be successful.

3. “I just said three P words in a row. Try saying that if you stutter!”

There may be times when stuttering gets in the way or comes to the fore in your presentations. For example, in my stand-up, when I am quoting someone who said something horrible about my stuttering and stuttering in what he says, I will add “but he did not stutter when he said it, that is probably a key point.” I recognize that my stutter is something out of context. I make fun of the process of speaking, but I don’t necessarily make fun of myself. Another example of my stand-up act is when I say three P words in a row (to keep this article classified as PG, I will leave the direct quote). After saying the sentence, I add “try saying that if you stutter, I had to practice that a lot in the car on the way here to say it fluently.”

The other day I was showing Google speech to text software where you can talk on your phone and it shows up in Google docs. One of the workshop participants said that she wanted to learn about “hieroglyphs”, a word that she would definitely stutter with, which I did when speaking on the phone for the demonstration. The software killed my word and went wrong. I said, “Google’s speech obviously doesn’t like people who stutter.” This showed that the software had some issues for people who might not have standard speech and that I could have a sense of humor about the speaking process, but I was still a good communicator.

4. Remember, a good presentation is not just about you.

Not everyone understands this, especially my college professors. When presenting, yes, you are the center of attention, but it’s not all about you. I think sometimes, as people who stutter, we feel like we have to dominate the room at all times and talk all the time. It is more helpful to think of yourself as a facilitator than as a speaker. Your goal is for your audience to take ownership of the topic you are presenting. Helping them develop what this means to them is a big part of that. Some ways to do this include:

-Pair and share: put people in pairs (sometimes I ask them to find someone with the same color of socks, eyes or hair) and direct them on what to discuss.

-Walking and talking activities: have participants walk around the building or block for a few minutes and discuss a topic you give them. This engages them on the subject and rejuvenates their brains so they can sit down to the next part of your presentation.

-Debate in small, medium and large groups. People need to build their own knowledge of a topic in order to accept it. Just sitting there listening to you is not going to do that.

5. People who stutter can be good communicators!

Many people who stutter have internalized the fallacy that we are poor communicators. One has nothing to do with the other. There are many fluent people who could improve their communication skills and many people who stutter and maintain strong communication skills. Strong communication skills for presentation, stuttering or not, include good eye contact, fluctuating tone of voice and / or body language, and using distance to emphasize talking points. Using these techniques in a way that is authentic to who you are is key. I tend to be a dumb and downright weird person at times and even in professional situations I try to be true to who I am. Using different voices, hand movements, walking around the room, and making eye contact with each person in the room helps convey my goals.

Using multiple modes of expression (visual, auditory, and practical) also helps communication. Using PowerPoint slides with pictures, videos, and music can also make your presentation easier. I even do an interpretive dance to describe the brain of someone with dyslexia. Using other presentation modes is just good teaching and presentation. You are more than a speaker, you are orchestrating your audience’s learning, and your mouth is just one of your instruments.