Training session for the new members of the Municipal Executive Board
The head of the Department of Corporate Communications of a large municipality calls me: Could I teach the new Municipal Executive Board how to interact with the media?
Together with the press officer, I prepare local government-specific case studies that we can use during media training. We ask every government official’s spokesperson which local government-specific scenarios need to be addressed. The various topics are addressed during this one-day training session with the entire Board. We rehearse the different types of media interviews: talk show interviews, short quotes for news items on radio or TV, in-depth newspaper interviews, on-site interviews using an earpiece during a calamity, and dealing with difficult, probing journalists.
A strong voice
A performer contacts me and tells me that lately he has been having vocal problems; he often suffers from a sore throat and experiences hoarseness in the morning.
I work in individual sessions to optimize the quality of the voice. We work on improving voice projection techniques. The client learns about the parts of the body that are involved in resonance and how to master these. I also discuss various aspects of vocal health with the client; a performer needs to take care of their main instrument, the voice. I try to find out if they take time to rest their voice, rehearse in moderation, take physical exercise and avoid activities that could harm their voice. Over-rehearsing or going to noisy, smoky bars where they have to strain their voice to be heard is not a good idea.
The training programme teaches the performing artist to understand that the voice is a delicate instrument. The performer knows how to take better care of it on a daily basis. This allows for more vocal relaxation resulting in a stronger vocal presence on stage.
Presentation for the Board of Directors
The CEO of an international company has made contact with me. He has some insecurities towards his Board of Directors about his presentation and communication skills. He needs to present a new strategy. Can I help him to present himself with a more self-confident attitude and a better way to communicate?
As a CEO your presence and charisma are important. Your choice of words, the sound of your voice, your style of communication, your body language, everything influences the way your intentions come across. The coaching can be a dress rehearsal for important presentations. Preparing yourself for an important meeting gives you a grip on your personal performance and the direction you need to take.
Because I have trained many CEOs, hospital directors, municipal executives, and other high ranking professionals, I know that practising your presentation in front of a camera is very effective. You learn from watching and listening to yourself while we evaluate your experience and presentation together.
Pitch for High Potentials
An international bank wants to train its ‘high potentials’, so they are ready to promote themselves as expert business partners at international conferences or when dealing with Mergers & Acquisitions.
In a two-day training session, you will learn how to create a lasting first impression. We will address the opening line, the way you present yourself, and what you project. You will learn how to adequately address the client’s needs. By addressing the client’s needs, you can use the opportunity to promote your bank as the only suitable business partner in a clear and concise presentation. Interaction, of course, plays a leading role during this training course.
By the end of this pitch, your audience/client will feel committed to you and all parties will leave with a positive feeling. We will play back the recordings made in the training session so the participants can review how they come across. This training course will help young bankers to become aware of who they are and what impression they make.
Preparing for a crisis
An international high-risk company contacts me, because their management needs to be trained in responding to a crisis at one of their terminals in the media. The HSSE Department (Health, Safety, Security and Environment) is responsible for communications in the event of calamities.
When I work with this type of organization, I set up a long-term training course and train the entire management at international level in crisis and calamity management. I teach them how to deal with press protocols and crisis communication. In this process, it is essential to set up a crisis management team with a crisis communications script. We will prepare the press conference and the communication with stakeholders and the community. The training course will also include preparation, and we will rehearse international large-scale calamity exercises. These exercises will be organized by the security region in accordance with the GRIP structure (Coordinated Regional Incident Control Procedure).
In this training course, I give annual training in safety and communication to all the relevant parties working in this organization. I work together with a well-known journalist and a camera team. Usually the training course consists of a one-day session. As a follow-up, I provide an extensive training report with tips and advice.
