Geeky about the science and art; experienced in the application

Who we are

Geeky

We are nerdy in the many fascinating areas connected to presentation skills: how the brain engages with information; behavioural sciences; the principles of visual design; story structures.

We also mine from the arts: the principles of stage craft; the application of improv theory; vocal warm-up processes employed by professional performers.

Nothing makes us happier than learning something new from a novel field of study that we can use in our training.

Experienced

We have walked the walk. We have worked in classic commercial roles (sales, marketing, external relations, insights). We have presented business ideas in small rooms and we have delivered keynote speeches on large stages.

We have lead regional and global learning curricula. We have defined competency definitions, then designed and deployed training interventions.

We have significant stage experience too. From hosting professional conferences to running drama workshops, to acting and singing principal roles to audiences large and small.

We have been training people in presentation skills for over 20 years and we have trained people in over 60 countries across the main continents of the world.

There has been a repeating story in our working lives: we meet vibrant characters and maverick thinkers… who turn into dull automatons in business presentations. Many impressive peers, intuitive managers, and inspirational leaders lose all these qualities when tasked to present in front of an audience. Why?

Early in our careers this was a frustration we talked about to anyone who would listen. One day a friend said “stop complaining and do something”. We paused for a moment to wonder if we could (did we have any practical answers?), and decided we would roll up our sleeves and get to work – the only way to find out.

Across the subsequent 15 years, we developed and evolved the advanced presentation skills courses at Procter & Gamble (where we worked). We trained up the internal trainers; we ran special courses across the world; we were the company gurus on presentation skills training.

Since 2016 we have taken our toolbox of tricks to beyond the boundaries of P&G. We have trained to people across the world, spanning the range of experiences, working in varied functions, across many industries. The situation may vary, but the challenge stays the same: guide people to stand up in front of others to pass on a message and inspire the audience. It is not always easy, but it is always worthwhile.