Mastering public speaking focus of latest book by Edinburgh business self-help author Derek Borthwick

An Edinburgh-based author and business coach is launching his fifth book, which aims to help people get to grips with public speaking.

Derek Borthwick says this comes as tens of thousands of people around the world have read his self-help business books since the first debuted in September 2020, and focused on how the mind functions in sales situations. This was followed by works looking at body language, verbal communication, and how to eliminate negative thinking. He says the latest – titled Public Speaking: How to Speak Effectively Without Fear – “demystifies how to master this skill that many struggle with using an easy step-by-step method” and will help readers influence an audience, closing more deals for example.

The author is the founder of Power2Mind, which he says focuses on training people on business communications and selling, and he has provided training programmes for companies including Jupiter Asset Management and LV.

As for how the latest book came about, he said public speaking is one of the greatest fears affecting people professionally and personally, adding: “I was receiving more requests from clients who either were terrified by the prospect of speaking in public or who knew that they didn’t do it very well and that it was costing them lost sales and lost opportunities. And yet it is an easy skill to learn once you know how. I felt compelled and simply had to write about it.

The author says he was inspired to tackle the topic after increasingly receiving requests from clients 'terrified by the prospect of speaking in public or who knew that they didn’t do it very well'. Picture: contributed.

“I’m looking forward to helping more people in business to understand how to master this important skill without fear or anxiety and to help them persuade and influence others when speaking both in their business and personal lives.”