So What Do You Do?

I’m often asked what approach I take in my training and coaching work, so I thought I’d use this blog to explain more.

In my experience, specific training depends on the needs of the individual and the environment within which they need to develop their communication skills. It needs careful consideration and, as anyone who has worked with me knows, I go to great lengths to research and prepare ahead of any training or coaching session, in order to tailor my approach to ensure I hit the right mark.   

What makes my coaching and training different?

• Individually tailored based on each candidate identifying their own concerns, needs, strengths and weaknesses.

• Suitable for anybody in a work, voluntary sector or lay context.

• Delivered by a professional with range of specialist backgrounds and over 25 years of experience gained in the UK and across the World.

• Focus on experiential learning.

• Free after training support.

I train people who:

• Work in a business environment, particularly, but not exclusively,  sales and marketing;

• Require specific presentation skills coaching, e.g. interview or public/internal speaking training; or

• Appear as a spokesperson on radio, television or ‘in print’.

Examples of people I have trained:

• Chief Executive Officers, Directors, Senior & Middle Managers of major companies, charitable or voluntary organisations;

• Staff in any ‘client facing’ role in business/industry/voluntary sector;

• Staff who act as spokespeople for the media; and

• People with serious health conditions and their families, who wish to publicise a condition via the media.

So what are my training goals?

To enable each individual to:

• Identify their communication strengths and needs;

• Understand the impact of their communication skills on every area of their performance;

• Develop their communication skills and confidence through practice, discussion, feedback and self-evaluation;

• Use their communication more confidently in ‘stressful’ situations e.g. sales pitching, presentations, conference speaking or talking to the media, etc;

• Develop their communication skills in all work modes: e.g. face-to face, video-conferencing, telephone, email (if relevant); and

• Understand their individual communication in the context of their team (if relevant).

To give teams:

• The opportunity to discuss how they function;

• The ability to identify their communication strengths and needs;

• The environment and opportunity to problem- solve their key issues;

• The ability to offer support and feedback to each other in the training process.

What I offer

• One On One and small group communication training (teams of 6 max).

• Coaching and training suitable for all staff at every level of the workforce.

• Training and coaching tailored to the individual staff level, work environment, communication needs, identified communication issues.

• A coach/trainer with  wide skills and backgrounds: e.g. international business working and teaching, media training, journalism, public relations, television and radio work, sound engineering and drama production.

• Emphasis on experiential learning: participants identify ‘real’ work communication situations, or have a designated goal of communicating with the media, and practice their communication in these settings.

Theoretical training includes:

• Identifying your own communication style ;

• How to be a more effective communicator;

• The importance of active listening;

• The role of emotional intelligence;

• How to research and structure content;

• An introduction to meeting the media.  

Practical exercises include:

• Planning, preparing and delivering a presentation;

• Delivering a sales pitch;

• Role play with a customer/interviewer;

• Video conferencing;

• Phone conversations;

• Radio interview;

• TV interview.

Performance Evaluation

• Goal setting.

• Video and audio recording, watch back and feedback.

• Feedback and discussion.

• Repeated practice.

• Self-evaluation.

After Training Support

Up to 4 hours of free face-to-face, email, video conference, telephone support.

And finally...

 If you'd like to discuss how I might help you or your staff/colleagues, simply get in touch with me via the contact page of this website.