Public speaking isn't many people's favourite thing to do. For those breaking into it, or feeling a little rusty after a career break, we can coach you to a point of feeling comfortable.
I've trained various spokespeople from CEOs to sales representatives in my decade long career in PR, and I also have the first-hand experience of speaking on many stages myself.
Whether it's internal presentations, or big audience events, we'll tailor a program that suits what you want to polish. No copy & paste presentations.
Financial services and technology events love a panel, but sharing the stage doesn't always mean the opportunity is easier.
Many people walk away from panels thinking "I could have done better", whether that's by saying more, (saying less...), being more on message, or more relevant to current industry affairs. Panels are hard, and less time with the microphone isn't always a blessing.
I can work with your team to develop skills and tactics to get the most out of a panel, increase confidence, and ensure they can handle whatever is thrown at them.
And when it comes to moderating, it's a very different skill set. We can set your team up with a step-by-step process for managing a panel when they're the ones in charge.
There are few things that can replace the experience of a former broadcast journalist grilling you on camera. It's important to do it at least once if you're managing major interviews with the likes of Sky, CNBC, or Bloomberg.
But print and trade journalists operate differently. They have more time, and likely know your business better. That means they'll have more specific questions to pose, and for you there's less room to hide when you're not constricted to a 30 second TV segment.
Getting your messaging right, and taking the lead in a conversation with a journalist is key. I can work with your spokespeople to make sure they get the balance right between saying "the right things" and ultimately, answering the question. And of course, we'll still work on things like body-language, delivery and presentation techniques, so they can handle TV interviews too.
One thing we hear from media and events organisers a lot is that they want to find more diverse voices and include more women and non-binary people - but what PR and marketing teams are offering them is limited.
As a PR person, I appreciate that this can be tricky. Certain people might offer a path of least resistance, and those who have done more speaking are often more comfortable picking up short notice opportunities.
But in the long term, having a strong roster of spokespeople that is genuinely diverse will help make our media more reflective of the industry.
We can run through your key topics, most sought after speakers, and find a way to introduce and train new people into your spokespeople lists. It's a huge step in ensuring that fintech conversations get a better balance.
If you're leading events management, setting up content and establishing speakers, we can work much closer to establish a better gender balance.
I can work through a full event agenda and suggest the best speakers for each panel and keynote, prepare your speakers with training ahead of the main event, and support you to ensure your event has better gender diversity. Every events needs are different, so we're happy to discuss a specific partnership that suits you.