Testimonials
Executive Speech Coaching
"Simon allowed me to sharpen my communication skills at a time when I was truly struggling to communicate my ideas clearly and eloquently.
He equipped me with the confidence and boost I needed while making me realize where my issues were stemming from.
He was able to identify clearly my struggles and provide great recommendations. Truly grateful for this opportunity Simon - thank you so much."
Melanie Anne Cremona, Project Coordinator at Thomson Reuters Foundation, Oxford MPP, Public Policy Consultant - July 2021
"I found the coaching sessions I had with Simon immensely beneficial and also enjoyable. One of the best parts was how bespoke they are and how good Simon is at listening and tailoring advice to specific and individual circumstances.
His wealth of experience is very evident - I especially like how he is able to model certain verbal approaches and communication methods and draw on examples to illustrate different techniques.
I hope to continue to build on what we learnt in our sessions, especially in regards to Plant Your Future and the use of storytelling to better communicate key messages."
Jenny Henman, Policy Lead Natural Climate Solutions at bp - May 2021
"I worked with Simon over a period of 4 months about 2 years into my first FT job in consulting. We established a clear set of goals for improving my communication and presentation skills, then used each session to introduce & experiment with practical skills, prepare for upcoming meetings/presentations, and practice the art of telling my story.
He also provided support inbetween meetings, taking impromptu calls and giving feedback on 'rehearsals' ahead of key meetings.
Simon was a truly fantastic coach whose teachings stay with me today. The tactics he shared with me enabled me to progress at work, interview successfully for my dream business school, and build my brand here in Silicon Valley.
I sincerely recommend him as a coach regardless of the stage you're at in your career, and would not hesitate to turn to him again in mine."
Victoria Germanova, Strategy & Ops @ Salesforce I MBA Candidate at Stanford
"One of the best investments in personal development I had at BP was to engage Simon Bucknall as a personal public speaking coach.
He was phenomenal and key to my moving from being a very nervous public speaker to a strong and confident one.
Simon is now the world number 2 at public speaking and has a masterclass in London at the end of this month.
I thoroughly recommend this to all my friends."
Joe Little, Self-employed, Former CTO - Senior Technology Consultant at BP
"In 2019 I had the pleasure of working with Simon while pitching at the final of The Venture, the most important competition for social entrepreneurs. Simon not only helped me to deliver a perfect pitch to an audience of 2,500 people, he also helped me to improve my body language and storytelling abilities.
I am very certain that I won that contest thanks to Simon's help."
Javier Larragoiti Kuri, Founder of XiliNat, Researcher, Department of Chemical Engineering, Mexico, Global Winner of The Chivas Venture 2019
"Simon, the direction you took me in within a 25 minute phone call opened my eyes to a whole concept in my TEDx speech I was yet to uncover.
I can now absolutely see why you have the reputation that you do.
To say I am thankful is an understatement."
Sarah-Ann Macklin, Nutritionist & Model, Founder of the Be Well Collective, TEDx Speaker, 'THE JAMIE OLIVER OF NUTRITION' Marie Claire Magazine
"Thank you for your incredible contribution to the Chivas Venture 2018 - from the initial inspiration during the Accelerator Programme in Oxford, all the way through to the Final Stage in Amsterdam.
I was blown away by how the Top 5 Chivas Venture finalists stepped up and delivered such impressive and engaging pitches in front of 2,500+ people, following their work with you.
You tailored your advice to meet each entrepreneur's needs and your coaching made a real difference to this year's Final event."
Laurence Mainaud, Global Brand Manager, Chivas Venture
"In 2018, Simon coached me with public speaking, style, helped write my pitch, and gave me every imaginable tip to manage my nerves, present with esteem, conviction and win over the audience - with his help I went on to pitch to 3,000 people and win the World Social Enterprise competition.
I cannot recommend him more highly to any CEO or senior executive looking to perfect their speaking and win over an audience."
Cemal Ezel, Founder of Change Please, 2017 UK Social Entrepreneur of the Year, Global Winner of The Chivas Venture
"I recently had the privilege of Simon's 1-2-1 mentoring, both developing as a speaker and building speaking as a business. Simon has excellent knowledge and experience in these areas. His style is direct, honest and inspiring.
I can recommend Simon to anyone looking at taking their speaking or speaking business to the next level."
Cameron Blair, Expert public speaking coach helping you speak, persuade and lead in business
"In helping us prepare for a series of investor-critical presentations, Simon worked one-to-one with our entire team of speakers over several months.
He made a huge difference, helping them speak with a confidence I've not seen before. Key stakeholders from the audience made a point of commenting on how impressed they were by the value and impact of the presentations.
Simon has made a significant and permanent difference to our people's effectiveness as speakers."
Nic Humphries, HgCapital London
"Simon has supported DPD over the last three years to great success - he's the 'Go To Man' for Senior Managers in our business who want to develop their presentation skills."
Paul Sartain, HR & Development, DPD Group
"A few hours spent with the awesome Simon Bucknall - worth every penny. If you're looking for public speaking coaching, Simon's your man."
Andy Hart, Financial Advisor, Founder Maven Advisor Ltd
"Working with Simon really changed both my work and my academic life... building and inspiring confidence in speaking publicly as well as understanding how to build a message to deliver. Be that a business powerpoint presentation or an academic argument in a multi thousand word document.
I would recommend Simon to any individual looking to grow their skills and confidence as well as any organisations looking to build how their employees take the business message out to the market and engage with clients."
Richard Robinson MBA CMgr FCMI, VMware Cloud on AWS - Partner Success Manager EMEA
"My presentation was a huge success! What's more, my future career is brighter as a result of the presentation and the know-how I learnt from you. Meeting Simon was one of the best things that has happened in my career. Huge thanks..."
International Brand Manager, a global beverages firm
"If there's one person who can make public speaking sound easy, it's Simon Bucknall."
The Chivas Venture, (Simon coached finalists from initial 2,300 global social entrepreneur applicants in 2016, in March 2017 and again in March 2018) at Said Business School, University of Oxford
"The Blavatnik School of Government [University of Oxford] is dedicated to a world better led, served and governed. These aspirations depend on a deep ability to communicate and connect and we are incredibly fortunate to have Simon guiding us on a range of techniques and skills.
His experience, counsel and passion are all hugely appreciated by decision makers from across 70 different countries."
Oliver Blake, Director and Co-Founder, Blake Evans & Co
"Simon has been working with graduate students at Oxford University's Blavatnik School of Government and I can personally say that I have learned so much from my one-to-one session with Simon.
His feedback and advice are so specific, practical and applicable.
I am thrilled to have met Simon, and will continue to recommend him to all doctoral students I come across who need to work on translating their ideas into understandable speeches and presentations.
Thank you Simon!"
Jieun Baek, Ph.D candidate in Public Policy, Blavatnik School of Government
"Simon gave me excellent advice on my upcoming talk for TEDxLBS - great pointers on both narrative and delivery that really put the final polish on my presentation!"
Kelly Price, Senior Vice President, Oncology Business Unit at The Planning Shop international
"Working with Simon is a real inspiration. He helped me with writing and delivering an important speech from my heart ... presentation style and my voice ... I find sessions with Simon priceless.
He has a great talent of storytelling ... you can develop your key messages, find roots of creating connection to the audience and in the end - persuade and make a change!
He is very kind and supportive ... believes that words matter ... you are beginner or an expert in public speaking - you will find Simon's assistance as one of the most important experiences for your professional life.
In any field where you need to speak up and win your arguments - Simon is a great person to help you with achieving it! Highly recommended!"
Lisa Yasco, Master of Public Policy Candidate, President of Oxford University Ukrainan Society, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford
"I employed Simon for one-on-one presentation skills coaching, as I was required to speak at my company's annual conference.
With Simon's advice, coaching and guidance, I gained valuable knowledge and confidence which made a huge difference to, and significantly improved, my delivery on the day.
Simon is a great coach, and I will certainly consider using his services within my business going forward."
Gary Pryke, Managing Director, Rohlig UK Ltd
"I was recently promoted into a role where public speaking and inspiring people has become more central to my ability to be effective. I was amazed by how effective just one session was.
I heard indirectly that my presentation had been particularly inspirational - one person even contacted the Director of my organisation to say how impressed he had been. Without any exaggeration, I give all the credit for this success to Simon."
Esther Stevenson, former Head of Africa, Christian Aid
"Working one-to-one with Simon was a terrific experience. It was tailored to my individual needs and I found the feedback particularly helpful. I can recommend Simon to any professional looking for greater impact as a communicator."
Damien Balmet, VP Corporate Development, Mumtalakat Bahrain Investments
"Simon helped me transform a dull standard webcast for 330 professionals in 55 countries into something exciting, inspiring and effective."
Tony Craddock, CEO Global Prepaid Exchange
"An expert on presentations - if you ever need help or a refresh, he's your man."
Claire Young, BBC Apprentice Finalist & Motivational Speaker
"My session with Simon was hugely beneficial. The way he helped me to isolate my key message and then build from there really paid dividends. If anyone needs help in sculpting a speech, Simon should be your first port of call."
Neil Bakewell, 'The Man Who Lost 20 Stone' & Motivational Speaker
"I just wanted you to know that my client presentation went very well. I felt it flowed much better than usual, making it more engaging for the client. The new approach to the material also matched their thinking very closely. So a success!"
Mary Longhurst, Managing Director and Founder, Epoch Communications
"I needed some guidance in terms of voice pitching and techniques. Simon was efficient in spite of the short time allocated. I highly recommend his services for those who decide to make SPEAKING part of their career. The best."
Wafa Al Hamed, Inter-cultural Trainer, Culture and Company, United Arab Emirates
"After I won the London Speech Contest, I thought my contest speech was really good, but Simon amazingly managed to find a way to make it even better and polish it up.
He made a lot of valid suggestions which I took on board and placed 2nd in UK & Ireland Speech Contest a few weeks later. He also gave me a lot of useful tips about how to behave on a big stage when speaking to a large audience. He's also a very friendly guy and I enjoyed a lot working with him on that speech!"
Jakub Pawloski, Senior Java Front Office Developer at BP, London Division B Governor at Toastmasters International
"Simon is not only highly accomplished in the art of public speaking; he is also a terrific public speaking coach. His practical, insightful feedback makes a real difference. If you are a high-achieving professional, and you want to achieve greater impact when speaking in public, then contact Simon."
Rafael Tselikas Mauro, Development Manager, MKG Group, and Winner of the 2012 JCI UK Public Speaking Championship
Masterclasses
"Simon led a number of workshops for me and my colleagues within the Master of Public Policy programme at the University of Oxford. His advice on all aspects of public speaking, from speech-writing to engaging the audience, proved to be extremely practical and directly applicable during my speech at the Blavatnik School of Government TED talk on navigating uncertainty of life in Ukraine."
Erik Kucherenko, IMF Project Officer, MPP from Oxford - June 2024
"Simon runs captivating classes for the Public Policy students at the Blavatnik School of Government. I have learnt the art of story-telling, the skill in answering tricky questions and how to speak confidently in front of an audience.
Simon's personal flare and ability to engage is outstanding. The professional classes have embodied the top quality teaching that Oxford is renowned for."
Tessa Vincent, Public Policy l Climate Action l Food Waste Reduction (Event at Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford)
"Dear Simon, Thank you for gracing us today with your presentation! I've never been so engaged for 10 minutes let alone 3 hours. Thank you for also sharing your story and bringing us confidence and lowering fear levels about such a necessary item as public speaking.
Imperial College hit a grand slam by working with you."
Yanni Melissas, Sales/Business Dev. & Entrepreneur, Imperial College London
"Packed full of insights into the power of communication and advice on how to maximise the impact and increase the engagement of a presentation."
Katie Butcher, Consultant at Vendigital, Young MCA Masterclass in Communication, Management Consultancies Association
"During his sessions in both Brussels and Potsdam, Simon quickly established a strong connection with all of the EWA participants. In addition to providing technical guidance, Simon enabled the EWA participants to discover their own unique motivation and courage to speak more confidently, powerfully and effectively.
In over 20 years of working in international politics and training candidates, I have never seen a more remarkable improvement in speaking abilities in such a short amount of time."
Ian Marquardt, Director of the European Women's Academy, ALDE
"I'd just like to let you know how well received your recent session was. We've had extremely positive feedback from the MBAs."
Emma Cooper, Careers Consultant, Imperial College London
"I just wanted to say thank you for a truly amazing workshop last Wednesday at LBS [London Business School]. During my eight years at different universities, we received several presentation and communication trainings but this was by far the best and most useful one."
PhD student, London Business School
"An extraordinary night ... Simon taught us how to divide segments of your communication goals and deliver in a brilliant way. In addition he gave us several tips about how to start a sentence when giving a speech to achieve impact on people.
The "REP" structure he gave us is very helpful and easy to implement in our daily speakings.
He also made the workshop lively by inviting several attendees to interact with him on the stage and point out the key things for communication we've to notice.
The workshop was fully booked 2 days before the event and we had very high attendance."
Liang T Li, President, MLP London Bridge Speakers
"I had the great pleasure of following Simon Bucknall's public speaking training at University of Oxford recently. What a pleasure to see such a professional in action. I have followed public speaking trainings before, including for when I was running for a seat in parliament.
But Simon is a class of his own. He is public speaking.
We left the training empowered and we can't wait to put his lessons into practice."
Gerhard Mulder, 2017 Executive MBA Candidate, Said Business School, University of Oxford
"Your training at Rosendale [school staff] was excellent and massively improved my public speaking. It has helped develop my communication skills in ways that go far beyond addressing audiences.
The training equipped me to speak, both publicly and privately, with greater assurance and poise. Simon's approach has helped me structure and express my ideas in a concise and clear way.
Even four years on, it remains the most useful training I have ever had at work - the impact on my career has been huge."
Joe Halloran, Computing Teaching and Learning Consultant (delivered retrospectively on Staff Training, Rosendale Primary School, West Dulwich, London)
"If there's one man who can make public speaking sound easy, it's Simon Bucknall."
The Chivas Venture
"Incredible advice from Simon Bucknall on how to get our pitch perfect."
I-Drop Water, Finalist at Chivas Venture, Accelerator Week, Said Business School, University of Oxford
"I attended Simon's public speaking coaching sessions at the Said Business School, University of Oxford. Simon led by example and provided clear tips on structure, inserting words, leading with stories and stance.
Now I can sense the distinct uptick in engagement in a room of diverse nationalities and backgrounds. I can also prepare far more comfortably around my key messages and theme. I hope to keep practicing and coming back for more sessions to continue progressing."
Tarun Varma, Pershing Square Scholar, University of Oxford, 1+1 MBA, MSc Child Development and Education Fellow 2011, Teach for India
"THANK YOU again for last week's sessions. What I've appreciated most has been the increased thought the team has been putting into how they come across and what they say.
Colleagues in other teams have already commented on the improvement in both skills and confidence."
Emma Truswell, Deputy Head of Services, Open Data Institute (ODI)
"In the last 10 years I have never devoted so much time to a course as this one.
This is due to the quality of the presenter, Simon, who was extremely impressive as a speaker and also very personable, genuinely interested in helping participants which made the experience enjoyable."
Nadeem Masud, Head of Corporate & Investment Banking for Middle East & North Africa, Deutsche Bank
"People in leadership positions have to take this course."
Mahmoud Jamjoom, Joint MD, Jamjoom Pharmaceuticals, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
"I would say that Simon has changed something in my life. His course is one I have been waiting for a long time."
Othman Khalid Al Otaibi, Lawyer, Laws2U, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
"The best course I have ever attended. I definitely recommend it."
Rashid Salem Al Saedi, Chief Administrative Officer, Ministry of Presidential Affairs, United Arab Emirates
"Great experience."
Peter Osterman, Director, Global Hub, GAC, United Arab Emirates
"Empowering. Enjoyable. Valuable. Brilliant course... my public speaking has improved, but general communication improved even more.
I would be much more comfortable standing up and presenting either formally or informally, both in terms of personal presence and how I would structure what I am going to say for maximum impact."
Richard Potts, DC Manager, GAC Logistics, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
"Simon, you have this amazing ability to captivate the audience that makes your sessions such a pleasure to attend!
I thoroughly enjoyed the session and picked up some very useful tips to improve my presentation skills; the feedback from my colleagues has been extremely positive as well."
Harijot Chauhan, Director, Human Resources, Atlantic The Palm, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
"Personally speaking, very few trainers that I've come across have impressed me.
Simon Bucknall's sessions not only impress but also bring that change in a personality that you always thought was lacking... he is a guaranteed booster to your confidence."
Rizwan Ali, Media Manager, Engro Foods Limited, Pakistan
"Excellent! Simon managed to balance everyone's needs.
By making it highly interactive, he made everyone really practice and improve."
Abdul Munin Sheikh, Engro Fertilisers Limited, Pakistan
"Extremely helpful. Helped me identify flaws in my delivery which I never thought existed."
Nauman Ahmed, Senior Manager, Unilever
"Very interactive - the tone you set meant audience members were really engaged. I can understand why you get such great feedback for these sessions!"
Pauline Isherwood, Learning & Development Manager, Shell plc
"Simon's workshop on Creating Impactful Communications generated great feedback and a strong level of engagement with the audience. It was clear that he understands just how to tackle a number of the communication issues that senior executives face throughout their careers.
He offered valuable insight and some clear messages that a broad range of participants could assimilate and easily apply to improve performance in their own particular business environment.
Thank you!"
Helen Stevens, President, INSEAD Alumni Association (UK)
"Fantastic, inspirational and spot-on stuff we need to improve our communication."
Mary Lou Masko, Course Director, Laing O'Rourke Centre for Construction Engineering and Technology, University of Cambridge
"Excellent trainer, the content was relevant and engaging. I will take a number of tools and frameworks to use. Highly recommended."
"Worth attending, very useful. Will definitely make a difference to my future presentations. Thanks very much."
"I think this course will dramatically change my approach to preparing talks and influence my prior reluctance to take on any talks/teaching."
NHS Hospital Consultants and other Senior Healthcare Professionals, UK
"Simon brought his vast experience to the subject of storytelling which he masters wholly. He guided members through his unique series of techniques for both developing and delivering business stories that, by definition, can belong only to each individual business concerned.
An excellent morning and highly recommended."
Gordon Bromley, Chairman, Surrey & SW London Academy for Chief Executives
"It was very useful and everything is applicable. I learned a lot of useful things and heard excellent stories."
Ms Tetiana Sakach, HR Manager, CredEx, Kiev, Ukraine ('Leaders as Storytellers; high impact business communication' with Simon Bucknall at MIM Kyiv courtesy of KA Group)
"All the tips were easy and ready to apply in everyday life from the very next day. Thank you very much. I found answers to all my questions, practiced my executive presence and know exactly the points of improvement."
Sr. Manager, Business Integration, AVON, Ukraine
"Amazing masterclass that allowed me to improve my communication skills and raise self-confidence while public speaking. Great thank you to Simon and KA Group."
Strategic Insight Manager, JTI, Ukraine
"The sessions were of great value. I am confident that I will apply the knowledge and skills learned not only in making formal presentations but during staff meetings and one-to-one conversations.
Understanding that the audience must see value to THEM early during my presentation is of the greatest importance."
Mickey Mullay, Chief of Party, FHI 360, Ukraine
"Thank you for a wonderful session. Feedback is frighteningly good!"
Joseph Wilkes, Associate Director Careers, Executive MBa & MBA, Hult International Business School, London
"Simon's masterclass on pitching and effective communication attracted over 60 MBAs and other post-graduate students from across Oxford during the exam period.
I would recommend it to anyone, especially mid-career professionals, looking to enhance their ability to communicate their ideas with conviction."
Soushiant Zangenehpour, Manager, Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, Said Business School, University of Oxford
"The school is at the start of an ambitious journey. You have helped us set the standard for the remainder of the year and further ahead.
I hope you will return to the School in the future and inspire subsequent cohorts of MPP students."
Professor Peter Kemp, Associate Director, The Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford
Keynotes
"Simon, thank you again for your online keynote session at our Business Administration Congress, it was an absolute pleasure working with you.
The feedback has been very positive - for many people, it was their favourite session in the entire congress!
Thank you for sharing your experiences with us, you are truly an inspiration!"
Karla Montano Sanchez, Secretaria de la Mesa Directiva de Administracion de Empresas en Universidad de las Americas Puebla - April 2021
"Sincere appreciation to Simon Bucknall for delivering a phenomenal presentation on "Communication Secrets from the World Championship of Public Speaking" at the opening day of the 2021 EFMD Global Virtual Fairs by Highered, contributing to the career education and trajectories of the talent in our network, as well as Career Services professionals.
9,000 students and alumni from 150+ EFMD Global schools from around the world joined, and Simon's Digital Conference was an absolute highlight - impeccable structure, content and delivery.
Simon kicked it off with one of the contest speeches that got him 2nd place out of 30,000 competing speakers in the Final of the World Championship of Public Speaking in Vancouver, Canada!
Truly career changing public speaking tips!
He was simply amazing and it was evident how much the audience enjoyed the session."
Amber Wigmore Alvares, PhD. Chief Talent Officer at Highered - April 2021
"Simon recently gave an online talk for our professional network ZiDCEP.
He was hugely engaging, practical and relevant for our audience.
The fact that so many people not only dialled in for the session but also "stayed until the end" (!) speaks for itself.
Highly recommend Simon for any network, group or organisation wanting a dynamic and inspiring talk on professional skills - whether online or face to face."
Tafadzwa Chaduka, MSt IDBE BSc (Hons), MRIC MCInst CES, Data Insight Project Manager, Costain Group PLC - Feb 2021
"I just wanted to say that your session was most inspirational and I have learnt so much.
I had an opportunity to present to an audience just a couple of days after and it was the most successful public speaking I've ever done."
Agnes Guzik, Category Manager, FM & Trading Assets Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd.
"Engaging, skilled, personable and memorable in the view of myself and a panel of top international speakers - he simply blew us away!"
Roger Harrop, The CEO Expert & Past President of the Professional Speaking Association (PSA-UK)
"Simon has a rare talent for taking information and presenting it in a memorable and entertaining fashion. His use of strong, meaningful content was augmented with humour and masterful delivery.
When he finished speaking I found myself thinking, 'No, tell me more!'
That said it all for me!"
Phillip van Hooser, MBA, CSP, CPAE, Member, Speaker Hall of Fame, President of the National Speakers Association (NSA-USA)
"Your mastery of the stage and your eloquent use of words made your presentation the winner."
Lindsay Adams, Past President of the Global Speakers Federation
"Simon is an incredibly talented and eloquent speaker."
Darren LaCroix, 2001 Toastmasters International World Champion of Public Speaking
"Simon is an engaging speaker who will take you and your organisation from where you are to where you want to be.
Oh, and you will enjoy every step of the way!"
Craig Valentine, 1999 Toastmasters International World Champion of Public Speaking
"I had the pleasure of being in Turku, Finland when Simon became the 2008 JCI European Public Speaking Champion.
Simon is a terrifically engaging public speaker who displays the enviable qualities of commitment, passion and preparation to his endeavours.
It also helps, of course, that Simon is a thoroughly decent bloke."
Will Noble, Director, Simply Mirror TV
"Very interactive - the tone you set meant audience members were really engaged. I can see why you get such great feedback for these sessions."
Pauline Isherwood, Learning and Development Manager, Shell plc
"Simon is a public speaker of note - he was calm in the frenzy of a live event; he was polished in his delivery; he was a perfectionist; he was Simon Bucknall."
Kevin Harrington, Chairman of Results Through Digital
"You have this amazing ability to captivate the audience... such a pleasure to attend... feedback from my colleagues has been extremely positive as well."
Harijot Chauhan, Director, Human Resources, Atlantis The Palm, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
"Simon is an inspirational speaker of huge talent with the ability to pass on his skills to others with ease."
Nigel Cutts, Author, Founder, Love at Work Foundation, Principal, Author and Leadership Consultant at Cutts and Cons
"Simon is without doubt one of the country's top speakers, combining deep subject knowledge with an entertaining and powerful delivery. He is certain to ensure audiences both enjoy his sessions and retain all the information for maximum benefit. Simon's talks are a great experience."
Bob Ferguson, Owner, Speaker and Communications Coach at Confident Communications Ltd.
"I continue to be amazed by his storytelling skills - Simon delivers a masterclass in connecting with his audience every time he speaks."
Alexander Lowry, Principal Consultant, PA Consulting Group
Talks for Schools
"I had the pleasure of working with Simon in July 2019 during the Oxford Global Summit for Young Leaders - a conference which my team and I organised together with Byron College in Athens, Greece.
Simon's lecture was outstanding. He captured the students' (as well as the faculty's) attention with his dynamic and interactive style of teaching. He truly listens to the audience and makes his teaching personal and stimulating!
Fantastic teacher and speaking expert. Heartily recommend."
Ti Xu, Physicist, Educator, Entrepreneur, Innovation Programme Manager
"Simon shared some interesting personal anecdotes and some very useful tips which really resonated with our audience. First and foremost, he reassured everybody that public speaking is a skill and not a gift and that, therefore, it can be learnt and perfected.
He explained how in an interview scenario the interviewee is not tested on the knowledge transferred but rather on their ability to access what is relevant to answer the question and highlighted the importance of being able to structure an answer on the spot.
His final piece of advice for public speaking was 'make a point to tell a story or tell a story to make a point'."
Francis Holland School
"Simon has run presentation classes at New College of the Humanities for four years. His seminars are consistently amongst the most popular and useful parts of the student experience at NCH.
The NCH model is very unusual for a university in that it blends a conventional academic programme with development of the capabilities that will be required by students on graduation.
Simon's counsel on the development of this model has been invaluable. He is a good friend of the college."
Matthew Batstone, Co-founder, Director, Convenor for Professional Skills at New College of the Humanities, London, UK
"Your training at Rosendale [School] was excellent and massively improved my public speaking. It has helped develop my communication skills in ways that go far beyond addressing audiences.
The training equipped me to speak, both publicly and privately, with greater assurance and poise. Simon's approach has helped me structure and express my ideas in a concise and clear way.
Even four years on, it remains the most useful training I have ever had at work - the impact on my career has been huge."
Joe Halloran, Computing Teaching and Learning Consultant, London clc [following Simon's School Staff training - 4 years later!]
"Very many thanks for keeping a captive audience of 200+ teenagers enthralled - I have had a stream of enthusiastic praise for the session to pass on to you!"
Maria Trafford, Teacher of English, The John Lyon School, Harrow on the Hill, London
"It was a very interactive session and Simon really knew how to engage the audience. It was surprising how many girls wanted to volunteer to participate in his speaking exercises - a testament to Simon's ability to make a connection with the audience.
He is a talented teacher and knows how to make people listen. I am always looking for speakers who can genuinely present well and engage audiences and Simon did not disappoint.
I will certainly invite him back. The learning was effortless and fun."
Kerri Fox, Head of Sixth Form, Wycombe Abbey School
"[Simon] Large numbers of students went out of their way to thank me for inviting such a fantastic speaker in; they learnt a huge amount about public speaking and were gripped by both the material and the warmth with which it was delivered.
The only downside was that the teachers to whom these students went afterwards were made aware that there was little chance of providing such an exciting and enriching experience in their own lessons, so instead spent most of them listening to the students discuss Simon's talk. Thank you."
Dr Langdon, Head of University Admissions and the Sixth Form Lecture programme, Kingston Grammar School
"Simon made an immediate connection with our students, got on their wavelength using humour, and challenged them to perceive themselves as others might.
An excellent and stimulating session."
Ian Sheldon, Head of Chemistry & Director of UCAS, Bedford School
"[Simon] I thought that it was really useful and certainly will have taken the boys outside their subject specific comfort zones. Given the high proportion of scientists in the room I thought that you did a really excellent job of getting them to engage with the room, make eye contact and so on.
I don't think it is possible to over-emphasise the softer side of interview technique and I also know that teachers will always focus on content rather than delivery in practice interviews so I think that this session fills a really important gap."
Charlie Fisher, Head of Oxbridge, Bedford School
"Simon's story, which takes his audience on Simon's journey to winning the UK & Ireland Public Speaking Championship, had the boys gripped. By using the boys to illustrate his techniques which can improve communication, his message about the importance of communication really hit home to the boys.
His follow up session with the students looking to apply for courses at Oxford, Cambridge and other competitive courses and institutions gave vital interview techniques, many of which I wish I had known in the past. He will certainly be back to speak to the boys again."
Seth Bolderow, Head of Sixth Form, The John Lyon School, Harrow
"[Simon] Just brilliant... the Year 11 said it was their best ever presentation from a speaker."
Philip Bowen, Deputy Headmaster, Bromsgrove School
"Simon led two workshops for our Oxbridge candidates. He really made them think about how they engage with their subject and helped them to improve their interview technique. The pupils learned much and were inspired to continue their own preparation.
Many thanks again for your help."
Mark Beet, Head of Modern Languages, Bromsgrove School
"Charismatic, clear, motivational."
"I think it was the best Head of Year we've had this year."
"Friendly, interesting, inspiring, funny, motivating... Most probably the best Head of Year during my time at the school."
"Definitely a very memorable HOY but it also had significance to our lives. It was extremely good and the whole audience felt like they were involved. Interesting, inspirational and memorable. Thank you."
"These tips are particularly useful in GCSE English Speaking and Listening Tasks (as I had to participate in one of these a couple of days after the Head of Year session)."
"When will you find this helpful? English GCSE Speaking & Listening exercises; at sports events when as captain of a team, I have to give a speech of thanks to the organisers; French oral, by helping me to control my breathing, pronounce my words clearly and not allow nerves to get the better of me."
"It's given me a completely different view about giving talks and how to act whilst in an interview. Simon was funny, interesting and a gripping talker... A great talk which I have learnt much from."
"Simon is inspirational... Thoroughly enjoyed the session and would love to talk to Simon again. Showed me the way in which I would be interested in pursuing my career. Moving doesn't describe it!"
Fifth Formers' comments following Simon's Keynote, Bromsgrove School
"Simon, Thank you for a very enjoyable session this afternoon - in fact, one of the most enjoyable sessions I have been to in my teaching career! I am sure the pupils learnt a huge amount and will keep your great advice in mind when giving presentations in future."
Sarah Ascough, Head of Year 11, Bromsgrove School
"I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your talk on Monday in our Head of Year session. I think it's safe to say everyone really found what you had to say interesting and useful as we've never had it put to us that way before."
Emily, A Fifth Former
"[Simon] Many thanks for your incredible session at the literacy conference earlier this week. I really took away a lot from the session and am looking forward to being able to try employing some of your techniques in September."
James Canvin, Participant, Teach First Literacy Conference (on Teacher training)
"[Simon] I wanted to write and say how excellent your session was - it was very inspirational and I know it was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone."
Wendy Jacobs, Headteacher of Rosendale School, West Dulwich, London (on Staff Training)
"It was an intimately 'Bromsgrovian' talk with helpful memories of his schooldays for today's pupils and pertinent examples from his own experience.
In a moving ending, he told the Upper Sixth to be bold but above all to be the best Bromsgrovians."
Philip Bowen, Deputy Headmaster, Bromsgrove School (on Simon's role as Speaker at the end of year Commemoration Day for the entire school)
"Simon is a highly accomplished public speaker and a remarkable teacher. I had the great privilege of working alongside him (technically, I was his supervisor) for several summers back in the late nineties in the context of university-level summer education programs.
He never failed to inspire his students and his peers with his intelligence, his creative clarity in front of a crowd, his sense of humor and his unflagging can-do attitude.
Simon is a team player and an absolute pleasure to work with on any project. Highly recommended!"
Tim Weed, Author & Lecturer
Event Planners
"Thank you for an incredibly entertaining and engaging workshop. The way that you incorporated the brief into the session was sublime, making it very relevant to CDL and our students.
We have received great feedback already and know it will be a highlight of the MBA for many. There were so many practical ideas that they can take into their consulting projects, working with ventures."
Greg Jones, Programme Manager, Creative Destructive Lab - Oxford - December 2023
"The Construction Engineering Masters Programme here in Cambridge is about developing and inspiring future leaders of our industry.
Simon's high energy sessions help our engineers to communicate with the confidence, clarity and impact they need to achieve that.
For the past nine years, Simon has worked with every cohort to pass through the programme.
It's a testament to how much his expertise is valued and appreciated. Simon is a pleasure to work with."
Peter Guthrie, Vice-President, Royal Academy of Engineering - May 2021
"I just wanted to put on record our warmest thanks for the fabulously informative and spirit-uplifting session today. One bit of feedback already in: "I looooooooved that!"
So the oomph point hit home with someone!
It really was just what I was hoping for."
Dr Catherine Paxton, Divisional Registrar, Social Sciences Division, University of Oxford
"I had the pleasure of working with Simon in July 2019 during the Oxford Global Summit for Young Leaders - a conference which my team and I organised together with Byron College in Athens, Greece.
Simon's lecture was outstanding. He captured the students' (as well as the faculty's) attention with his dynamic and interactive style of teaching. He truly listens to the audience and makes his teaching personal and stimulating!
Fantastic teacher and speaking expert. Heartily recommend."
Ti Xu, Physicist, Educator, Entrepreneur, Innovation Programme Manager
"Packed full of insights into the power of communication and advice on how to maximise the impact and increase the engagement of a presentation."
Katie Butcher, Consultant at Vendigital, Young MCA Masterclass in Communication, Management Consultancies Association
"If there's one man who can make public speaking sound easy, it's Simon Bucknall."
The Chivas Venture
"Thank you for your incredible contribution to the Chivas Venture 2018 - from the initial inspiration during the Accelerator Programme in Oxford, all the way through to the Final Stage in Amsterdam."
Laurence Mainaud, Global Brand Manager, Chivas Venture
"I think Simon's absolutely fantastic the way he can stand on a platform for nearly 2 hours in front of 200 people without a single slide. I think that's phenomonal!"
Haidee Elise, Head of Learning and Development Programmes, IGD
"Simon delivered an outstanding event on how to prepare an Elevator Pitch in a concise and memorable way. The event was engaging and our membership loved it!
We had 100% satisfaction rate and people rated the event as the best ever. Many comments highlighted the virtues of Simon as a speaker. We had requests from other areas to replicate this event elsewhere as they felt inspired and energized by Simon.
We look forward to having Simon back again in the future!"
Carolina Castilla, Loyalty Solutions Expert/Business Development
"An extraordinary night ... Simon taught us how to divide segments of your communication goals and deliver them in a brilliant way. In addition he gave us several tips about how to start a sentence when giving a speech to achieve the impact on people.
The "REP" structure he gave us is very helpful and easy to implement in our daily speakings.
He also made the workshop lively by inviting several attendess to interact with him on the stage and point out the key things for communication we've to notice.
The workshop was fully booked 2 days before the event and we had very high attendance."
Liang T Li, President, MLP London Bridge Speakers
"THANK YOU again for last week's sessions. What I've appreciated most has been the increased thought the team has been putting into how they come across and what they say.
Colleagues in other teams have already commented on the improvement in both skills and confidence."
Emma Truswell, Deputy Head of Services, Open Data Institute (ODI)
"I first worked with Simon to create a personal impact programme that has been so successful that we are now running the event for a sixth time."
Kathryn Stubley, Event Executive, The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
"Very interactive - the tone you set meant audience members were really engaged. I can understand why you get such great feedback for these sessions!"
Pauline Isherwood, Learning & Development Manager, Shell plc
"Fantastic, inspirational and spot-on stuff we need to improve our communication."
Mary Lou Masko, Course Director, Laing O'Rourke Centre for Construction Engineering and Technology, University of Cambridge
"Simon has supported DPD over the last three years to great success - he's the 'Go To Man' for Senior Managers in our business who want to develop their presentation skills."
Paul Sartain, HR & Development, DPD Group
"Simon really inspired our teams in the UK and US and really helped them become more compelling with customers."
Adam Hale, CEO, Fairsail
"Thank you so much for your session. You have this amazing ability to captivate your audience that makes your sessions such a pleasure to attend!"
Harijot Chauhan, Director, Human Resources, Atlantis The Palm, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
"Simon skilfully guided members through his unique series of techniques for both developing and delivering relevant business stories that, by definition, can belong only to each individual business concerned.
An excellent morning and highly recommended."
Gordon Bromley, Chairman, Surrey & SW London, Academy for Chief Executives
"Thank you for a wonderful session. Feedback is frighteningly good!"
Joseph Wilkes, Associate Director, Career Services, Hult International Business School, London
"Simon's style is very professional, yet friendly and entertaining, so that the learning is also enjoyable and includes lots of laughter and practical exercises."
Aliya Ali-Afzal, Associate Director Careers, Executive MBA & MBA, Hult International Business School, London
"Simon is a highly accomplished public speaker and a remarkable teacher. I had the great privilege of working alongside him (technically I was his supervisor) for several summers back in the late nineties in the context of university-level summer education programs.
He never failed to inspire his students and his peers with his intelligence, his creative clarity in front of a crowd, his sense of humor, and his unflagging can-do attitude.
Simon is a team player and an absolute pleasure to work with on any project. Highly recommended!"
Tim Weed, Writer, Lecturer, Consultant and Director of International Education and Arts Programs, USA
"The school is at the start of an ambitious and exciting journey. You have helped us set the standard for the remainder of the year and further ahead.
I hope you will return to the School in the future and inspire subsequent cohorts of MPP students."
Professor Peter Kemp, Associate Director, The Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford
"Simon's masterclass on pitching and effective communication attracted over 60 MBAs and other post-graduate students from across Oxford during the exam period.
I would recommend it to anyone, especially mid-career professionals, looking to enhance their ability to communicate their ideas with conviction."
Soushiant Zangenehpour, Manager, Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, Said Business School, University of Oxford
"Simon has run presentation classes at New College of the Humanities for four years. His seminars are consistently amongst the most popular and useful parts of the student experience..... Simon's counsel on the development of this model has been invaluable.
He is a good friend of the college."
Matthew Batstone, Co-founder, Director, Convenor for Professional Skills at New College of the Humanities, London, UK
"Simon's workshop on Creating Impactful Communications generated great feedback and a strong level of engagement with the audience. It was clear that he understands just how to tackle a number of the communication issues that senior executives face throughout their careers.
He offered valuable insight and some clear messages that a broad range of participants could assimilate and easily apply to improve performance in their own particular business environment.
Thank you!"
Helen Stevens, President of the INSEAD Alumni Association (UK)
"Your Masterclass was extremely well evaluated... very useful, pertinent, stimulating, entertaining and folk were amazed by (and loved) your lack of Powerpoint!!!"
Marie Cooper, Practice Development Lead, Hospice UK
"Simon, KA Group team and I would like to say again THANK YOU for visiting us last week. It was a special pleasure to work with you and observe all the energy you shared with participants.
We are glad that all of them could see the result of your mutual work immediately!"
Katerina Bozhova, KA Group, Ukraine
"Thank you for delivering a brilliant session for our award winners."
Russell Brooks, Chair of the Young Achievers Trust
Products
"This book is an absolute gem!
I would highly recommend this book as much for Brides who are novice speakers as well as those who are more confident. For me, this book turned the prospect of delivering a speech at my wedding from daunting and stressful to exciting and enjoyable. The small investment in this book was absolutely worth every penny and I'd recommend it as a 'must have' for any Bride wanting to give a speech at their wedding.
Although I do quite a lot of 'speaking' at work and am quite confident - I had high expectations of myself for my wedding speech and didn't want to fluff it on the day - so I looked for some help and guidance. I had friends that had used the author's companion book 'The Groom Speaker' and spoke really highly of it - so I thought I'd give it a go. I was so pleased I did!
This book is fantastic and took all the stress out of thinking about my Bride's Speech and replaced it with excitement and confidence.
The Bride Speaker is well written and easy to read, all of the advice and guidance makes sense, and the experiences and anecdotes shared from the author and his friends really helped.
This book helped me think about what to say and how to say it - it helped me generate and capture ideas and put them into a format that made sense and would be enjoyable for our wedding guests to listen to as well as enjoyable for me to say.
I read the book a few months ahead of the wedding and that gave me the confidence that I knew I'd be alright on the day, so stopped me stressing. I came back to the book a few times and followed the author's advice of how to structure my speech, and it all just came together!
I'd finalised what I wanted to say a couple of weeks before the wedding, so had plenty of time to practise and hone it. As the day approached, I wrote a few prompt words on cards and just used those to practise from, and then the big day came!
By the time I stood up to speak I was really looking forward to it and I was relaxed, knowing that what I had prepared was good. I totally loved delivering my speech and it went down really well with all of my friends and family.
Thank you Simon Bucknall"
H. Ashley, Amazon Book Reviewer, THE BRIDE SPEAKER - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE - May 2023
"A comprehensive guide to writing and delivering a speech that the audience will love. I'm an introvert and don't like speaking in public. But this book gave me the confidence to deliver my speech that was very well received by our 140 guests."
Niall Cooter, Amazon Book Reviewer, THE GROOM SPEAKER - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE - MAY 2023
"I bought this after being asked to do the dreaded best man speech. I'd done one before but used internet gags and a template, it did the job back then, but this book takes your speech to another level.
I would definitely recommend it if you're preparing a speech."
Michael, Amazon Book Reviewer, THE BEST MAN SPEAKER - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE - November 2022
"Recommend for helping write an original speech and great advice on practicalities."
Asb, Amazon Book Reviewer, THE BEST MAN SPEAKER - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE - August 2022
Writing this from the wedding (23:30)
"Just a quick one to say I was bricking it when my best mate asked me to be best man. Five months later, having read your book, my hands were completely still and I felt composed going into the speech. The humour was natural and not forced and I'm proud of the speech I wrote.
Thanks!"
Oliver Walsh, Amazon Book Reviewer, THE BEST MAN SPEAKER - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE - 11:30pm, 28th May 2022
"To say this book helped me write a fantastic speech is an understatement. A very easy read, with practical examples and a clear structure (7 steps) to form your own personal speech. You have to read it from start to finish to get the best outcome! I read the book in less than a week. I really liked the guidance on what not to do what actually to do so perfect.
You don't have to grill the best man and you don't need to search the internet for crude humour, this book inspires you to build a personal engaging and humours story.
When a handful of people at the wedding came to say what a wonder heartfelt and humorous speech it was, you know that you have delivered an outstanding outcome.
Highly recommend this book and also aid in public speaking.
Oxford 1981, Amazon Book Reviewer, THE BEST MAN SPEAKER - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE - January 2022
"I did the speech last week and it couldn't have gone down better - lots of people I didn't know came up to me afterwards to say it's the best speech they've ever heard and did my job include lots of public speaking... which it doesn't!
It has given me so much confidence generally and has been such a wonderful journey of growth.
Thank you so much Simon for helping all the best men out there."
RG, Amazon Book Reviewer, THE BEST MAN SPEAKER - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE - September 2021
"A huge thank you to the author. I have never spoken in public before and quite frankly was nervous.
The speech was only at one of the most exclusive hotels in London... so expectations were high to match the venue, erk!
However, thanks to the guidance of the book [The Best Man Speaker] I delivered an authentic and heartfelt speech that (slightly to my amazement after the event) really was absolutely loved by the audience.
I am not in any way connected, I found this book by chance and genuinely believe it transformed my speech.
Simon, thank you."
Amazon Book Reviewer, A verified purchaser - August 2021
"Working through this video program (High Impact Speaking - The Executive's Online Public Speaking System) has made a huge difference to my speaking.
After my conference presentation, I had so many executives telling me: 'I want you to come and work for my organization'.
It just goes to show the power of impactful speech... I can't count how many people told me my presentation was THE best."
Senior Brand Manager for a global consumer products business
"Wedding unfortunately cancelled but this gives me longer to prepare, this was a helpful guideline of the expectations of what to do."
Ashbish, Amazon Book Reviewer, THE BEST MAN SPEAKER - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"Was best man for a good friend. This book really helps you conceptualise your ideas and add a bit of structure.. really did lay a good foundation to build off and it's written simply in a way you can digest."
Henry, Amazon Book Reviewer, THE BEST MAN SPEAKER - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"I gave a Best Man speech earlier this year and I am so glad I had this book. It gave such insightful advice on how to write and deliver a great Best Man Speech, and also explained brilliantly how to make it a hit with the whole audience including the families (very important!)
I also particularly appreciated that the book gives you a process by which you can develop a speech which is tailored to the groom himself, and steers well clear of the generic copy and paste Best Man jokes you often find online. With a little work this book explains how you can do so much better, and also gives some excellent practical tips for dealing with nerves.
All in all this is a great 'how to' on being a Best Man and I thoroughly recommend!"
Andrew Rudlin, Amazon Book Reviewer, THE BEST MAN SPEAKER - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"I left everything till the last week and this book helped a lot.
I got a couple of laughs and saw a few tears, I delivered a pretty good speech, thanks mostly to this book.
I would recommend this book to anyone writing a speech especially a bestman speech."
Simmonz09, Amazon Book Reviewer, THE BEST MAN SPEAKER - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"I was in a bit of a mess trying to plan my speech this book helped me understand what was expected by all parties at the wedding it also helped to make me more confident although it rapidly disappeared on the day."
Rufus the 1st, Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, THE BEST MAN SPEAKER - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"Gave my speech and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. Had great feedback and people were laughing throughout...One thing this book said not to do was have any alcohol beforehand..."
Woodrow, Amazon Book Reviewer, THE BEST MAN SPEAKER - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"I can safely say this book has helped me enormously. I have served as Best Man two years on the run. We have all witnessed Best Man speeches, the good, and the bad. I was determined from the moment I was asked by the Groom to not let him down! But I didn't know where to start. I had so many anecdotes, stories and jokes about him - I just wasn't confident in getting it into a form that would do our friendship justice.
Fortunately, Simon's book was there to give me the building blocks to making a speech I could hold my head up high with. Simon gets it - we may come from different backgrounds where we regularly do public speaking or none at all, we may have lots of nerves or feel pretty confident about giving a speech. Yet the kicker is bringing it all together so that on the day, our nerves don't get the better of us, and we are able to perform as we would dearly hope to.
The feedback I have had from my most recent Best Man Speech has been incredible, and I'm glad to play such a positive role in my best friend's big day.
Simon's book has provided such valuable insights and lessons which I will be able to take forward into other areas of my life. If you have any doubts or concerns about how to approach the preparing and giving of your Best Man Speech, I cannot recommend this book enough.
It will be a game-changer, go do it, and do it now. Thank you, Simon. Onwards!
Daniel Stander, Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, THE BEST MAN SPEAKER - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"Highly recommend this book. It is excellent.
Good, clear advice from someone who actually knows what they are talking about. So often, 'advice' for best men on websites and books is so off the mark, this is precisely the opposite and I found it incredibly helpful in drafting and delivering my speech."
David, Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, THE BEST MAN SPEAKER -THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"Simon Bucknall's book is simply amazing - a must have for any Best Man who is serious about delivering a speech to be proud of.
It sets out a very simple formula for preparing the speech, starting with capturing real life material. The book then explains how to outline the speech, hone and deliver it. You'll need to put in some effort. You may even have moments of panic and doubt that your raw material is good enough.
But trust in Simon's book and it will show you how to turn real-life raw material into absolute comedy gold guaranteed to thrill.
I cannot recommend the book enough."
Ryan, a very proud Best Man
Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, THE BEST MAN SPEAKER - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"I can't thank you enough. Working through this video program [High Impact Speaking] has made a huge difference to my speaking. After my conference presentation, I had so many executives telling me, 'I want you to come and work for my organization'. It just goes to show the power of impactful speech... I can't count how many people told me my presentation was THE best."
Senior Brand Manager for a global consumer products business reference: High Impact Speaking, The Executive's Online System
"If you're struggling on where to start for a speech buy this.
I am petrified of public speaking, so I bought this when I was asked to be best man.
Speech went down well, plenty of laughs and even a round of applause."
Karl, Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, THE BEST MAN SPEAKER - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"This is a fantastic book. An absolute must have if you are to write a great speech. I was a female best man and was really worried I couldn't live up to the job. I went onto the internet and read lots of cliched speeches and things to put in them and panicked.
I then came across Simon's book and decided to give it a go as a result of its reviews and Simons experience.
I seriously can't stress enough that this is an amazing book. It walks you through what to expect, how to approach gaining material and themes for the speech and then what order to write it in short sentences.
I delivered the speech last weekend to 150 people and I felt really prepared (although very nervous) to stand up and give it my best shot.
Well the number of people that came up to me afterwards to say it was the best best man speech they'd ever heard and that I must be used to public speaking..... I can honestly say it's all down to taking this book seriously and using as my guide.
In short. If you're going to be a best man...
Buy it!"
S.E. House-barklie, Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, THE BEST MAN SPEAKER - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"I read this on my iPhone via Kindle, I found it to be quite useful and took away a few tips. I will put these to practice shortly."
Pedro Cheshire, Amazon Book Reviewer, KIndle Edition, THE BEST MAN SPEAKER - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"I'm very pleased to say that it went really well; in fact couldn't have gone much better. The changes you recommended were invaluable and really helped immeasurably.
Many thanks again and best wishes to you."
Toni B-P, Book Reviewer, THE GROOM SPEAKER - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO THE WEDDING GROOM SPEECH
[Plus reference to Simon's e-critique service]
"I purchased this book a few weeks before having to make a best man's speech and, as I was told after, 'absolutely nailed it'. Through a simple formulaic method the book shows you how to create a unique, personal, and amusing speech.
I would recommend giving yourself a couple of weeks so you have enough time to re-edit the speech (several times), practice with a family member (I used the wife and kids), and then re-edit again. I wouldn't say I enjoyed giving the speech but I enjoyed playing my part in making the wedding a special day and this book was a part in helping make that happen."
Dave, Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"Short, to the point, practical guide which I found really useful in writing a speech for my brother's wedding. Helps with content, structure and delivery.
I'd recommend to anyone."
Michael D., Amazon Book Reviewer, Kindle Edition, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"This book was a fantastic help - it is clear, concise, easy to read and offers excellent advice. Stop reading the internet for cliches and write something authentic and specific to the groom who has chosen you, he deserves a speech that is real - and this book will tell you how!
I bought a few similarly themed books but Simon's was by far the best."
James Truswell, Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"This book is incredibly written. More than the contents of what to include in the best man speech, this book outlines the approach that you should take to the speech from the very start. It so helpfully instructs on how and where to gain the right material and guides you on how to organise it and most importantly communicate it effectively.
The book also has wider applications, I will certainly be using many of the tips and principles when public speaking in the future!!
Just so you know, I bought this book with 2 weeks until the wedding and after the speech more than 20 people told me they thought the speech was brilliant, which surprised me!"
Bobby, Amazon Book Reviewer, Kindle Edition, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"I can't recommend this book highly enough. Helped me massively in preparing and delivering the speech. I also learnt some great tips about public speaking in general so I'm really happy I read this book!
If you're in any way nervous or need guidance about a best man speech then I'm sure this book will really help you! Thanks Simon!"
Warren Ostler, Amazon Book Reviewer, Kindle Edition, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINiTIVE GUIDE
"This book was a fantastic platform in helping me to get my speech written and in handling my nerves of public speaking. I got a lot of praise for my speech and I couldn't recommend this book enough."
Amazon Customer, Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
Helped me BIG TIME with my speech. I was very nervous a year before the big day but with a read of this book and plenty of time to prepare you won't go wrong buying this book."
Nicky Wood, Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"I have been best man three times, previous speeches were based on cliches, the last one was based on the advice from this book. No clues, author deserves all the royalties.
Best money I have ever spent."
J. Burrows, Amazon Book Reviewer, Kindle Edition, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"My husband was the best man. He gained much knowledge by reading this book and delivered an excellent speech. He could not have done it without this book."
Patsy, Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"The Best Man Speech was on Saturday and it went extraordinarily well! In fact, it couldn't have gone better!
Huge amount of compliments afterwards - I felt like a minor celebrity.
The photographer said it's the best speech he's heard in ten years.."
Richard S., Best Man
"You need to get this book if you have a Best Man's speech coming up. The advice here is gold and my only regret was not reading it earlier (I left myself a week or so before the event before I read it and actioned the advice).
If I'd read it weeks or months in advance not only would I not have been as nervous (which was much anway) due to the tips in the book and I reckon my speech could have been even better than it was (and I got some great feedback about mine).
Do yourself a favour and get it!"
Paddylad, Amazon Book Reviewer, Kindle Edition, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"If you are going to be a best man and need help with the dreaded speech I highly recommend that you purchase this book right now. Not only will it help you to come up with a great speech it is actually a fun experience working through the different processes that go into producing material.
It gave me the confidence to go into the day feeling prepared and excited rather than completely nervous and if I ever come across someone who is going to be a best man I will always tell them to buy this book."
Chris, Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"I rarely leave reviews, but as others have also previously stated here, this book totally commands one. Until I discovered this book I was floundering! Having previously been a Best Man made no difference at all! The thought of giving the Best Man speech was occupying my thoughts and I was concerned and lacking direction.
Simon's advice in this book changed everything.
A really enjoyable read, packed with great advice and easy to follow instructions on how to construct an engaging and crowd-pleasing speech that ultimately pleased my brother, his new wife and the whole family immensely.
The book covers everything you will need - from techniques on how to compile your 'raw material' through to how to edit, polish and hone the speech, coping with nerves and emotions and the final delivery.
By the time it came to making my speech (on the day I was actually fifth in line!!) I felt extremely confident and was actually raring to go. You obviously need to put in a lot of hard work but the rewards are worth it.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough! Well done Simon."
Matt F., Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"At 56, and totally out of practice, when my son asked me to be his best man I needed help! Luckily Simon's book guided me in simple steps to not only write a speech but deliver it, without too many nerves, thanks Simon your a life saver!"
Mike the Gardener, Amazon Book Reviewer, Kindle Edition, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"This book was so helpful it is difficult to recommend it highly enough!
As many are, I was racked by fear at the prospect of making this speech and couldn't be further from a natural speaker. The structure and guidance this book gave was invaluable and helped to make it a success.
I will be eternally grateful to Simon for giving this advice so that I didn't make an absolute berk of myself on the day."
Amazon Customer, Amazon Book Reviewer, Kindle Edition - Verified Purchase, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"Simon, I just want to thank you for producing such a brilliant book in your 'The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE'.
I am not used to public speaking and from the moment my brother asked me to be his best man I would think about having to do the speech every day but after purchasing your book and following your instructions unbelievably I managed to come up with a great speech which gave me the confidence to go into the day (last Saturday) feeling prepared and once I got started I actually really enjoyed the experience.
I could not have done this without your insight and want you to know what an incredible gift you have in being able to help people like myself get through a potential difficult situation.
I will always recommend your book to any future best man I meet and good luck with all your adventures in the future."
Chris Hope, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE - 2017
[Review sent directly to Simon via website]
"Very helpful read. Simon provides practical assistance, guidance and handy hints - must read for any prospective Best Man!
You just need to watch his YouTube clip to see he definitely knows what he is talking about..."
GRANT, Amazon Book Reviewer, Kindle Edition, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"Best man speech for 180! ******** myself! Wasn't sure where to start, what to say, but after reading Simon's book I feel happy and confident."
James Young, Amazon Book Reviewer, Kindle Edition, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"The thought of doing my best friend's best man speech had me concerned about this for months. Giving a wedding speech was one of my greatest fears, as I'm sure a lot of people can relate to!
This book gave me the confidence and ability to craft and structure a speech which the groom described as fantastic and the bride loved. Getting the balance between humour and heartfelt just right I'm so glad I was able to deliver, and make a special occasion even more special.
Something I can now look back on with pride, having conquered one of my biggest fears. Thank-you Simon for writing this book!"
James, Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"Awesome book to get you ready for your best man speech... Really helped me prepare my speech for my brother's wedding day. The speech went down so well and I didn't steal one joke from the usual best man books (I did steal a joke my dad had used when he was a best man).
Really well written and has made me notice a good speech from a poorly prepared one.
Thanks Simon!"
Rob Edmunds, Amazon Book Reviewer, paperback, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"Yesterday I gave a best man speech following the advice in this book and it went down a treat. I had people coming up to me all evening saying how good the speech was!
If you want to do a good job for your groom and deliver an authentic personal speech you can be proud of, ignore all the rubbish online and get this!"
D. Ball, Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"Great book. Helps you write your speech that is tailored to your friend and not copied off the internet.
I started my speech 3 days before the wedding and finished it 30 minutes before it had to be read out (don't do this). My speech got plenty of laughter and compliments afterwards. If you are going to do your speech PLEASE finalise it the week before the wedding so you can memorise it the week running up to the wedding so you have a good pace and can look at the audience!
One key thing when you get stuck is to speak to close friends, explain the direction you're trying to take the speech but are stuck and their alternative view open[s] your creativity!"
Mr DJ Patterson, Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"This book has been an enormous help in writing two best man speeches in the past 4 months. The book gives some excellent advice and practical tips on everything from where to start, how to structure and ultimately deliver your speech!
I'd certainly recommend this book to any Best Man that wants to write a speech in their own style and needs some guidance on where to start."
David, Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"Excellent book for Best Man speech writing: after reading this book I was focused on the way to write; everyone kept congratulating me all evening."
Paul B., Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"Like most people I was dreading the thought of doing a best man speech, especially one that would be filled with the same over used jokes scraped from the internet.
This book makes writing the speech incredibly easy without having to use any of the cliched jokes that you hear time and time again at best man speeches. Many people told me that the speech was fantastic with a few saying that it was the best they'd ever heard.
Even the former CEO of a multi billion pound company said that it was excellent and that I was clearly a very experienced public speaker (I'm not).
I'll be recommending it to any friends that are faced with the same prospect."
KTM, Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"Must read for any best man - also helps me think about speaking in front of people at work and how to articulate a point better."
A.J.W. Freeman, Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"I never write reviews. This book demands one. Brilliant. Just back from the wedding, the photographer collared me to say it was the best best man speech he'd heard... This success in no small way down to this book. I'm a pretty experienced presenter but it taught me a huge amount about the specific needs of a best man's speech: how to research your man, develop content and a theme.
Get the right balance between light joshing of the groom and leaving the bride's family feeling they were welcoming an asset to the family rather than a liability. The idea that you can build the narrative with humour then switch to sincerity in the closing moments was a killer. Thank you."
Christopher Jackson, Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"Brilliant book. I purchased this book having been best man on 2 previous occasions when the books I used were disappointing. This book was brilliant and is written in an engaging way that makes the task much simpler and inspires you to want to do a good job. It breaks down the task into simple chunks and is full of good advice.
I'm so glad I purchased this book rather than pinching a speech off the web. My speech went down a storm thanks to this book."
Sam Underwood, Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"I just wanted to drop a note to say thank you. The wedding was on Saturday and my speech went really well and received very positive feedback. It made people laugh and brought tears in people's eyes.
Without your book I couldn't have delivered it in this quality!
All in all, your book helped me bring out the best in me in some of the most important minutes of my life."
Dora Bodo, Book Reviewer, Best (Wo)man, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
[Review sent directly to Simon via website]
"For most men, the Best Man speech is the biggest Public Speaking Challenge of their lives. The pressure of being "the entertainment" for 100 or more guests can make the whole experience very stressful. We've all seen our share of terrible speeches at weddings.
Simon Bucknall is a champion Public Speaker, and this book contains simple, practical advice for constructing and delivering a classy speech, which will be funny, as well as being a perfect tribute to the man who has picked you to be his Best Man on the day.
The book is simple. It can be read cover-to-cover in an hour or two. However, Simon provides clear steps to enable you to start your speech from scratch, which include gathering material, structuring the speech, finding humour, dealing with nerves as well as 'pro tips' for handling practicalities on the day. The book also warns against mistakes such as apologising up-front, embarrassing the audience or nicking material from the internet.
"Your speech will be light years ahead of the vast majority of Best Man speeches." Simon Bucknall makes this claim towards the end of the book. The feeling of sitting down having just delivered a top-class speech which has entertained the audience, as well as paying tribute to your close friend, is one that will stay with you for life. As Best Man, you'll still have to do the hard bit, but "The Best Man Speaker" will give you every chance of success."
Matt Hegarty, Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"It was well worth the money and made me feel much more relaxed about the whole process.
Despite the nerves, I was really able to enjoy the day knowing I was well prepared."
Jared Howe, Book Reviewer, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
[Review sent directly to Simon via website]
"A great little book with fabulous advice on writing speeches. The content is laid out in a fun way making it easy to digest the information. The book contains some great tips for anyone looking to write a best man's speech."
Nadeem Mohammed, Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"Very good read, really in depth for those of you doing your 1st speech. I'm using it for my best man speech and am finding it very useful :)"
Graham Sturt, Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"If only this book had been around when I had to do the honours...
I was at a wedding a couple of years ago when the Best Man gave a truly awesome speech: when I asked him at the bar later how he had managed to craft it so well, he told me that he had worked with Simon. Enough said. If you want to do a really good job, being able to see Simon in action on YouTube gives you confidence that what he advises in the book does work."
Ian S., Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"This is the only book which I've seen on this subject which contains clear, step by step advice for best men who really care about delivering a great speech. It's packed with insights and I really like the way it refers to YouTube so you can see the theory being brought to life.
There are £5 best man books out there with advice on how to organise a stag and a couple of pages on how to do a speech... but nothing else I've found has this kind of detail on how to really nail the speech... written by a very experienced public speaker.
I thoroughly recommend this book to any best man who wants to deliver his best ever speech."
James M., Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"I was having sleepless nights about nailing my twin brother's best man speech in front of 200 guests... most of whom I knew very well. Like most blokes I first turned to the internet for help - all I could find was cheesy, crude and unoriginal one liners that would not go down at all well with my audience.
A friend of mine introduced me to Simon. Through a series of face to face meetings Simon edited, polished and reorganized my speech to perfection. He also worked on my presentation and delivery skills so by the end I was actually looking forward to giving my speech!
On the actual day the speech went down a treat and nearly everybody told me afterwards that it was one of the best wedding speeches they have ever heard... including the photographer!
Simon has now taken all the skills and experience of working with clients like me and morphed it into this fantastic book. Having read the book it gives you all the tools that you will need to write and deliver a well crafted, witty and above all personal speech that will blow your audience away!!
I can't recommend this book and Simon any more highly... five stars really does not do it justice!!"
Oliver Westray, Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"The thought of giving a best man's speech occupied my thoughts for months. Simon's advice, now distilled into this fantastic, easy to follow e-book, transformed my content from a mundane, run of the mill presentation into the best public speaking experience I have ever had.
The feeling of engagement with the audience was huge, and it was all because of the tips I had received from Simon on how to structure and deliver the speech. No rubbish gags from the internet, no stories to embarrass the parents, just well crafted humour and a real confidence to take the stage.
I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this book and Simon's advice to anyone. It will revolutionise your speech."
T. Salmon, Amazon Book Reviewer, [previously eBook plus Paperback], The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"Using a series of easy to follow "keys", this fantastic book has given me the confidence to create a truly unique and personal best man's speech. The author clearly has fantastic experience in public speaking, with an easy to follow tone and dialogue. I was able to collate all of the stories and opinions from the Middle East where I work, giving me tips on structuring the essay and easy to execute activities that break down what many feel (including myself) was such a behemoth of a task to begin with.
I am now in a position where I am looking forward to developing the speech and hope that it is something that my friends, the bride and groom, will be proud of.
I can't recommend this book enough, just take a look at the author's main reference: the Youtube clip of himself delivering a best man's speech."
Robbie Claase, Amazon Book Reviewer, Paperback, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
"Thank you to Simon and his Best Man eBook. My speech went down brilliantly, and I couldn't have written it without the help of the eBook.
For someone like myself who hates talking in front of two people, let alone 100, and to deliver (if I do say so myself) a great speech, was amazing.
Luckily it was recorded, and I still can't believe it was me standing up there when I watch it back! Thanks again."
James Stern, Book Reviewer, eBook, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
[Review sent directly to Simon via website]
"It was well worth the money and made me feel much more relaxed about the whole process. Despite the nerves, I was really able to enjoy the day knowing I was well prepared."
Jared Howe, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE, Book Reviewer
"I just wanted to drop a note to say thank you. The wedding was on Saturday and my speech went really well and received very positive feedback. It made people laugh and brought tears in people's eyes. Without your book I couldn't have delivered it in this quality.
All in all, your book helped me bring out the best in me in some of the most important minutes of my life."
Dora Bodo, Best (Wo)man, The Best Man Speaker - THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE, Book Reviewer
