Toastmaster, Public Speaking Workshop & Online Course Reviews
Don’t just take my word for it…
Thomas Mace Archer-Mills – Event Organiser
Sonal was a magical component to the overwhelming event we hosted at the Intercontinental O2. This was a very interesting day and a very demanding event for all the VIP and VVIP guests. I was so thankful for the help provided by the Sonal and the Toastmasters and insisted that the event needed their special touch and expertise! I will not hold any events unless I have Sonal or one of her colleagues in scarlet! Thank you Sonal Dave!
Ethnicity Awards, Sarah Garrett
Sonal was an outstanding Lady Toastmaster at the #EthnicityAwards for the ceremony. She got the evening right and was compere with Marvin Humes. She went above and beyond her role of reading the names of those shortlisted, she bounced off our award presenters, helped the ceremony run smoothly as was well prepared, and really importantly got all the names right – not an easy task. She was the star of the show.
Great banter. Ethnicity Awards partner with HSBC and sponsors including Tesco, Natwest, Viacom, Lloyds Banking Group, Legal & General Investment Group and National Grid.
The awards celebrate business, public figures, politics, sports and so many other areas who all help the ethnicity and race agenda.
I would definitely use Sonal again without a doubt, she was great to work with and definitely added to the event.
Parent of Student – NB
My son was always an introvert, which I took to mean he probably wouldn’t be a confident individual. I’m so glad I asked Sonal to step in and help him find his voice.
The transformation over six months was absolutely phenomenal! It turns out that there was a confident young man buried deep inside my shy child and it took Sonal to bring that forward.
Sonal was kind, patient, understanding and an absolute pleasure to interact with all along. Always flexible and ever accommodating.
My son looked forward to his sessions with Sonal and found it immensely useful. He will hopefully carry the techniques he learned from Sonal for the rest of his life.
Thank you Sonal for being such a nurturing and encouraging teacher.
Mariko
Hi Sonal, we are back in Tokyo now. Thanks for your wonderful work. I appreciate your warm and flexible style of MC.
I hope we can work together again in the future!
Tanaiya – Teenage Student
My name is Tanaiya and I’m 15 years old. Before the public speaking course with Sonal, I lacked confidence and always dreaded speaking in front of a group of people. However, thanks to Sonal, I have definitely overcome this fear. She’s really friendly and comforting too which definitely helps to open up more. After learning about speeches and presenting, she helped me write my own CV, cover letter and prepare questions for an interview which I had as my last session where she recorded it and went through all the good things I did, and how to improve too. I worked with Sonal for around 9 months and had weekly sessions, and I definitely see a huge difference in myself, and my parents and friends would agree too!
I can’t recommend and thank Sonal enough!
Tanush – Teenage Student
At the beginning of this course, I did not think that I was a good public speaker. However, through this course, I have learnt that I can become good at this. My name is Tanush, aged fourteen and this is my testimonial.
Before I started this course, I was not particularly good at presenting at school. However, Sonal Dave’s course has helped me improve my public speaking skills and has taught me many important tips and tricks that I can use when I speak in front of an audience. Throughout the course, Sonal has provided me with feedback on what I had done well and what needed improvement. This helped me very much to reflect on what I could do to improve my public speaking skills.
I have learnt about how to use my body language, tone of voice and posture to enhance my presentation and to engage the audience, as well as how to write answers to questions using the 5 Ws. Sonal Dave’s course is filled with engaging, fun activities which helped me to refine my public speaking skills, via practising and other tasks. Sonal Dave has also taught me about how to be a good public speaker, you must be self-acceptant of how you look and how you sound, even if you are not happy with either of these. From this course, I have learnt the diverse ways in which you should start and end your presentation, without making it boring for the audience, but to keep it engaging and prevent the audience from losing interest.
After I had completed this course, I think that I have ameliorated my skills, and I now find it easier to present in front of others.
I believe that through this course and my lessons with Sonal Dave, I have found that I have become more confident in a skill that is beneficial in the future, and I would like to express my gratitude to Sonal Dave for helping me with this.
Rakhee – Parent
Sonal is a lovely, friendly and very warm person. Upon chatting to her, I found out that she does an online public speaking course and straight away I knew she could help my daughter, so I booked weekly sessions for my daughter. After she finished the public speaking course, Sonal also taught her about writing CVs and cover letters and then interview skills too. After every session, I could see a difference in my daughter as she started getting more open, confident, gained self-esteem, and her body language changed. I would recommend Sonal to every parent especially if they would like their child to thrive. Thank you Sonal!
Neetu – Parent
Paarul Shah – Parent
I highly recommend Sonal for her public speaking course for kids. My 12 year old daughter has improved so much in her communication after the course with Sonal. Sonal is very kind and naturally good with kids, Sonal knows exactly how to guide children. Thank you so much Sonal.
Reena Anand – Autism speaker, trainer and advocate
My name’s Reena and last year, I decided to set up my own venture specialising in autism awareness and acceptance with a focus on Black, brown and ethnically diverse communities because as the parent of an Autistic child, I experienced barriers and a lack of understanding from my community and those around me. I deliver talks and workshops to organisations, charities, schools and run parent workshops where we explore themes such as analysing our cultural conditioning through to creating a home life that you love, with your Autistic child.
I knew about Sonal from the various posts I’d seen about her role as Toastmaster as well as the public speaking courses that she runs, mainly from the RecommendAsian and ProfessionalAsian Facebook groups. I was approached by the National Autism Show to deliver a talk on their main stage about the relevance of race and ethnicity to parenting an Autistic child, in London and Manchester. Never before had they hosted a talk on this subject. Having attended the show in the past, I knew it was a key date in the calendar for many Autism professionals, parents, carers and charities – and I didn’t want to let them down. I knew there was only one person to whom I could turn, to help me deliver the talk in the way that I wanted to. I knew I could write a good talk and stand behind a lectern to deliver it, safe in the knowledge that I could grip the sides of the lectern if I got nervous!
But in my heart I knew that this was a defence mechanism and the way I truly wanted to deliver the 40 minute talk would be without notes and speaking to the hearts of the audience members. I am an anxious person and a habitual note taker so in my own mind I questioned if this was even possible – but I thought I would at least ask the question.
I approached Sonal and she responded immediately. I explained my wish and asked if she could help and she was confident that she could, promptly sending the paperwork through for us to get going. I found her fees to be affordable and I knew that if I could deliver the talk in the way I wanted to, the gains would be far greater than what I had paid – it would set the bar for what I could go on to achieve in future talks. Sonal and I held a combination of in person and virtual sessions, both of which were immensely useful and packed with practical tips such as finding my ideal standing position, when to pause, how to breathe and where to add emphasis to particular points. In between sessions, I practised as much as I could and Sonal shared tips on how to move away from the script and into a place where it didn’t matter which order particular points fell into but that it was delivered comfortably and confidently.
It was a very enjoyable process and Sonal was attentive, kind and supportive throughout. Her belief in me propelled my own belief in myself. I’ve now learnt a series of techniques that I will be able to implement for any talks I deliver moving forwards.
So did I do it? Oh yes! And it was exactly as I wished it to be. The response from the audience was phenomenal and I made so many new connections that day with parents, carers and professionals who wanted to share their positive feedback or collaborate on projects. It was a resounding success on so many levels. Sonal also challenged me to post a live video on Instagram before I went on stage and I did so confidently; sharing my feelings of the talk I was about to deliver.
I would definitely recommend Sonal and not just if you are about to deliver an impactful talk on a national stage. There are techniques which we could all harness as business owners who are wanting to create a positive change in the world. Everyone’s voice is powerful but what Sonal does is show you how to harness that power and amplify it to achieve what you want to. Thank you Sonal for being an important part of my journey as an Autism speaker, trainer and advocate.
Pam Shergill – Transformation Coach
Katherine McDonald – Teacher in Dubai
Sonal is absolutely amazing and a true communicator and confidence expert! I recently took part in her online workshop as public speaking has always been one of my worst nightmares, but thanks to Sonal’s wonderful expertise and top tips, I now feel so much more confident and empowered. Communicating with confidence is such a vital, invaluable skill and Sonal is doing such amazing work by empowering the world with the vital skills of communicating with confidence. I can’t recommend or thank you enough, Sonal!
Charul Bakhda
Jayu Shah – Event Organiser
Sonal was the MC at our Charity Events in the House of Commons. She was professional, funny and led the evening smoothly. Enjoyed having her support – she made a huge difference to the event. I would highly recommend her.
Harri Dhokia, Unleash The Wolf Inside You Awards Organiser
I booked Sonal for a charity awards night and honestly, hand on heart, I can say Sonal was the best decision I had made. Sonal was not only adding the humour to the event but allowed myself and my co-organiser to relax and enjoy the evening. The quiet moments were filled in, the timing was kept in check and Sonal mingled with all the guests. I highly recommend Sonal if you want a light-hearted, burst of energy addition to your event.
Roshni Haria – Australia
I enjoyed the course and the way it was delivered in bite-size pieces so it wasn’t overwhelming and I could work at my own pace. I understood what I was asked to do and I like that you have used the 3 different ways people learn, (audio, visual and kinaesthetic). I would recommend this course to anyone who is preparing for public speaking, or an interview as it takes you through each stage.
Smile with Shiv Co-owner of New Vision Opticians Rayners Lane, Aarti Sawhney
A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to work with the very talented very beautiful and very professional Sonal Dave the wonderful toastmaster, and public speaker.
She hosted our first Smile with Shiv charity gala and Sonal did an impeccable job on the day. If you are looking for someone to host an event, highly highly recommend Sonal.
Sonal it was a pleasure to work with you, it’s not easy what a toastmaster does but if you want someone who can set the tone & structure the evening & make your guests & you (the hosts) feel comfortable then you need Sonal.
Sharifa Basit
Ladies Festival – Mr Sandip Doshi
Sonal is an amazing Lady Toastmaster. I would highly recommend her if you have an event planned. She shone at a recent event I hosted. Above all she is very genuine, honest and caring.
Haniya Mahmood Siddiqui – Entrepreneur in Dubai
I attended a virtual talk by Sonal on enhancing public speaking skills which was just so much fun and very engaging. She provided us with very valuable tips on how to improve our communication!
Pioneer Entertainments
We’ve worked with Sonal at many events, and she has always been a pleasure to work alongside. Her professionalism, enthusiasm, and elegant flair makes every event special! We recently visited one of her workshops, and her style and technique really gets everyone involved and engaged. If you’re looking for a Toastmaster, Celebrant, or a workshop to learn excellent communication skills, look no further!
Sonal Kapoor, Brain Abilities
Sonal is an amazing speaker and teacher. Her work to help children build confidence in public speaking is great and much needed. Highly recommend Sonal for your special events as well as her courses.
Annual Dinner – City UK
I was so impressed to see an Indian Lady Toastmaster who could command the silence of the Guests as and when required in a friendly and warm manner. She included humour as well which was lovely to hear.
Sarah Giles
I recently completed Sonal’s online public speaking course and really enjoyed it.
All the modules were broken down into small manageable steps and it was great being able to do it online at my own pace. All the activities were clear and great to help you start preparing for a topic you want to speak about publicly.
Not only does this course help you to be able to communicate your message confidently but it helps with all the mindset work around it. Sonal also covers areas on self-acceptance, voice control, body language and lots more. We often put off having to look back at ourselves on video, but there was time for reflection in this course which I enjoyed and learnt a lot from doing this. I’ve had to start being more visible for my business and I wanted to learn some techniques to help me.
Sonal has so much experience to share and she’s such a calm and natural speaker. I can now go away with a new set of skills to help me start communicating my messages with confidence. I would highly recommend this course to anyone wanting support with public speaking
Laxmi Patel
Great venue, great delivery which was interactive. It allows us all to dig deep to find issues that were holding us back. To remove the fears, to be confident and open.
Nishma Gohil
Tina Bhalla – Speech & Language Therapist
I wanted to give a big shout out to Sonal Dave for her Adult Communicating with Confidence Online Course. I have found it so helpful in building my confidence when delivering presentations and giving useful tips to my clients. Thank you.
Bhawna Arora
Sonal is a Star! I have had the most incredible learning in her workshop. She has covered all the vital points in Public Speaking and Confidence. Today’s exercises have been an eye opener and very empowering.
Varsha Bakhai
Superb skills workshop. Very interactive and constructive. Highly recommend to ladies and children.
Preena Gosai – Assistant Merchandiser
I have completed the Communicating with Confidence course. I was nervous at the beginning, having to record myself, and then watching it back over and over, and then having someone else watch and critique what I was saying. But I thoroughly enjoyed doing it. The course was very well structured, and I liked watching the videos at the end of the modules. It was easy to navigate through the tasks, and you explained things clearly. In the beginning, I did not enjoy taking videos of myself, but then after a few attempts I got better and I was able to complete the task and enjoyed it. Sonal has covered everything in the course, and I know that others who take this on, will thoroughly enjoy it. I would highly recommend it.
David Farnsworth – Chairman CityUk Trust
It was a pleasure to meet you last night and thanks so much for doing such an amazing job. I received so many positive comments about how you handled the role and it set such a great tone for the evening. I am sure that you will be much in demand and look forward to seeing you again soon.
Monica Shah
Sonal was very interactive, supportive, observant. She took the time to understand, to encourage and find ways to support myself and to show me ways to improve myself.
Tanya Vyas
Today’s workshop was practical, where we unleashed our inner confidence to be able to give a talk by the end of the day. Thoroughly recommended
Tanya – Student’s Aunt
Sagar Vyas – Wedding Planner
Divya Patel
It’s been a wonderful experience and the presentation was done with confidence, understanding, and dealt with calmness. I have learnt so many things today.
Mina Bhogaita
Sonal you are an inspiration to all asian women. Breaking barriers and doing roles that seem impossible. Carry on giving and encouraging women and men
Rashmeeta Matharu
Sonal’s workshop was fantastic. I really loved how engaging she is and would recommend the day to anyone wanting to gain a little more confidence with public speaking
Rajvi Shah
Great Workshop. I learnt a lot of tips and pointers about public speaking. Worth the time
Tony Morgan
Excellent day. Great Content, and expanding the comfort zone by getting us uncomfortable
Binit Shah
Fantastic and insightful workshop which has set me on the right path to overcoming my fear of public speaking
Avni Nicholls
Inspirational as well as Aspirational. Well done Sonal
Rashmi Patel
This is the second time attending the workshop and I felt so much more confident speaking and telling my story. It allowed me to relive memories and acknowledge my accomplishments, something I hadn’t really done properly
Gurjit Rana
Highly recommended to find your inner voice, share your personal story and appreciate your life journey so far. Discover it all with Sonal Dave
Tina Nandha
Sharifa Basit
I attended a public speaking workshop delivered by Sonal Dave and took so much away from it and felt liberated. My 14 year old son attended the one for young people as I feel it’s an essential life skill to have. He said he learnt a lot from it and described it as fun and interactive and Sonal made him and his cousin feel very comfortable
Tina Gajjar
This has been an amazing and very insightful day filled with theory and practical exercises. I am walking away with added confidence and so much value
Jindar Sahdra
I loved the whole experience. I felt comfortable with Sonal and everyone else in the group. I feel I learnt more than the previous Public Speaking Events I have attended. I will definitely recommend Sonal to my network I know.
Veronica – International singer and songwriter
Kiran Wade
Very good! Some really good content and good pace with some very useful practical exercises. Great engagement. Really good re-cap of key points.
Vallisa Chauhan
The workshop was fantastic. I learnt so much considering I work in an industry where I talk publicly daily. I learnt a lot about myself and what I can change to be more confident.
Jo Varsani – Student’s Parent
Nina Kaur – Student’s Parent
Hi Sonal, Gurveer definitely enjoyed the workshop. She is doing really well and voluntarily did a presentation on a topic in her class and got double house points because she was loud and clear and not so shy. Thank you
Binit Shah – Student’s Parent
My daughter participated in the online public speaking course set up by Sonal Dave. The course is very useful, well written out and easy to follow – designed for children (and adults) to follow at their own time, pace and convenience. My daughter really enjoyed participating in the online course and we are hoping she will follow and practice regularly from the material provided so that it’s useful at school. Highly recommend Sonal Dave’s public speaking courses and workshops. We will definitely be sending our daughter to the next kids public speaking workshop.
Sonal Gir – Children’s Public Speaking Workshop
Both my children loved the workshop and have already asked to go to any others you run! Thank you so much Sonal.
Ella – Aged 7
Sharifa – Parent
Sharan Kaur, Business & Marketing Coach
My daughter sometimes struggles with communicating her feelings. She’s watched me have to be really strong and stump my emotions when I am upset about something. So she copies. I’m a single Mum, and sometimes I just don’t have time to be vulnerable.
This course has really made me think about our level of communication as a family. The course is easy to follow and interesting. We had to stop and discuss some tasks that my daughter didn’t understand, but that highlighted boundary issues we may have and it was good to bring this to light, so we had a good discussion.
Overall, such a good experience and great value.
Amar Bakhda – Teenage Student
Bhavini Makwana, London Vision, Ambassador at Retina Uk
Speaking confidently in front of an audience, getting your point across articulately without feeling nervous, knowing the right words to use and how to present yourself is not something we can all do naturally. It is a skill, something which you can learn, but sadly, this is not taught in schools.
I was delighted to test out the accessibility of the online course below which is aimed at children to teach them a few pointers which could really increase their confidence, including their parents, who can learn at the same time. I cannot recommend this online course enough, it was easy to download and access using voiceover technology, and loved how each video was short, which meant kids can stay engaged. It was fun and interactive and the way the presenter describes herself helped me to build an image in my mind which even for me was an absolute perk. Each video was descriptive and I didn’t need to rely upon any sighted assistance.
If you want your kids to learn an essential life skill, something they can carry with them for the rest of their life, the art of being able to communicate effectively, then take a look at the link below and take advantage of the discount available until Sunday! Once you get the course, you have it for life.
