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10 Tips For Public Speaking: Tip #4 Own the Room [E083]
Episode 83 • 23rd February 2026 • Speak Up! Effective Communication • Craig O'Neill
00:00:00 00:26:46

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Thank You To Our Partners AutoFlow, Shop Dog Marketing, In-Bound

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In our episode today,

I reframe the classic Toastmasters principle "Know the Room" into "Own the Room." I explore what it means to take complete responsibility not just for your presence in a space, but for what the space itself communicates to the people who enter it.

Whether you're a service advisor showing up to your desk every morning or presenting at an industry event, the space you occupy testifies to the quality of your work before you even speak. This episode will help you understand why owning your workspace builds the trust that makes all communication possible.

In this episode, I cover:

  1. Why arriving early isn't about knowing the layout—it's about solving inevitable problems before anyone's watching you scramble
  2. The contrast between speakers who lose composure when room problems arise and those who remain unflappable through disasters
  3. How John Thornton's deliberate preparation for his training spaces communicated extreme respect for hard working speacilaists time
  4. Why your facility is a liminal space—a threshold between your customer's world and your shop's work—and what that threshold communicates
  5. How a physical workspace setup (counter barriers vs. shoulder-to-shoulder positioning) changes the relational dynamic with customers

Word of the Day: Liminal - relating to a transitional or in-between space; occupying a threshold between two different states or realities.

As I prepared this episode, it occurred to me that Bob Greenwood's words that impacted me were: "You dress nice out of respect for the people you are meeting with.” ALSO apply to why we should own the space we communicate in… the people we are there to connect with. They are worth it!

Sincerely,

Craig O'Neill

https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/episode/john-thornton-part-1-e181

https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/episode/john-thornton-part-2-e182

Thank You To Our Partners AutoFlow, AutoLeap, Shop Dog Marketing, In-Bound

AutoFlow at AutoFlow.com. Your partner in technology, Autoflow consolidates your client interactions - before, during and after the visit to a single thread. Learn more at Autoflow.com

Shop Dog Marketing at Shop Dog Marketing.com. "Want to see your auto repair shop thrive? Let Shop Dog Marketing be your guide. Our customer-first approach, combined with AI-driven creative content, ensures top rankings.

In-Bound at CallInBound.com. Cover your communication needs and revolutionize your auto repair business with AI-driven call analytics from InBound.

Contact Information

  1. Email Craig O'Neill: speakup@craigoneill.net
  2. Join Our Virtual Toastmasters Club: https://remarkableresults.biz/toastmasters

The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/

Remarkable Results Radio Podcast with Carm Capriotto: Advancing the Aftermarket by Facilitating Wisdom Through Story Telling and Open Discussion. https://remarkableresults.biz/

Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z with Matt Fanslow: From Diagnostics to Metallica and Mental Health, Matt Fanslow is Lifting the Hood on Life. https://mattfanslow.captivate.fm/

Business by the Numbers with Hunt Demarest: Understand the Numbers of Your Business with CPA Hunt Demarest. https://huntdemarest.captivate.fm/

The Auto Repair Marketing Podcast with Kim and Brian Walker: Marketing Experts Brian & Kim Walker Work with Shop Owners to Take it to the Next Level. https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/

The Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton: Weekly Inspiration with Business Coach Chris Cotton from AutoFix - Auto Shop Coaching. https://chriscotton.captivate.fm/

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