Executive Presentation Coaching & Communication Coaching
You’re a competent presenter and communicator with a long list of achievements, and you may well have been speaking for years.
Or perhaps you’ve just been promoted, and suddenly the expectations you have of yourself – and others have about you – have escalated. The stakes are higher, and appearing credible, competent and compelling, matters more than ever.
Whatever your situation, you’ve got to where you are today through drive, commitment and focus. So, when you’re looking for professional development, you expect to see an immediate difference in skills, value and performance.
Perhaps you need to inspire with a vision, seize a moment in time, and lead the way for others. All with the weight of scrutiny and expectation that comes with your role.
So, what is executive presentation and communication coaching about? And what are the triggers to enter coaching?
Clients usually come to me – or are referred by somebody – either because:
- Something is getting in the way which stops them consistently performing at their best when presenting and communicating.
Or
- They want the refinements, extra % and immediate ROI in skills which will elevate them to the very top of their game.
How I work
It’s not enough to have something to say: it’s how to say it. And that’s where an expert external perspective can help.
My work is about delivering techniques that will allow you to demonstrate new – or renewed – gravitas, presence and confidence (if this is required – I have many years of experience in dealing with performance anxiety and public speaking fear). Tools that allow you to comfortably “own the space”.
And the coaching is not about changing who you are. You can still be authentically ‘you’, but the ‘you’ that fits the speaking scenario, audience and type of communication you need to make.
As an executive speaking coach, I look at the ways in which you ‘inhabit’ your role at work. How you show up, and what your verbal and non-verbal language is communicating. This all adds up to your personal brand: and in today’s environment, it matters more than ever.
Examples of recent coaching include preparing clients for:
- International conferences as keynote speaker.
- A National Press Club Address in Canberra.
- Successful school principal and healthcare executive interviews.
- Working with a group executive on their vocal style.
- Helping founders of a start-up with their company-wide communication.
The lenses which get you results:
And here are just 4 of the common challenges that clients bring to me:
| Challenges | Communication and communication style | Possible Unintentional Consequences |
|---|---|---|
| Repetitive habits |
Swaying, using filler words like ‘um’, repeated use of the same word or gesture, and so on: You may not notice them, and trust me, other people aren’t always telling you! |
Audience focus is more on these than your messages. It’s distracting. They may also impact your own processing ability. |
| Confidence – low |
This may result in, for example, low presence, energy and ‘reach’ to the audience. Delivery at top speed, or fear of mind-blanks; these are just a few examples. |
People either don’t understand or don’t engage with your messages & aims. Confidence challenges may result in low influence and persuasion (not always). |
| Confidence – high |
Experience, strong confidence and knowledge are great to have. However for some, they can at times get in the way of achieving results. |
You may lack structure or clarity: for the audience, you may actually know too much! Some may struggle to relate to you. |
| Contrast – low in linguistic style (just 1 of the ‘contrast’ elements we look at) |
Similar ongoing vocal style and word choices can mean a lack of sufficient contrast in delivery. Our brains are wired to notice contrast, and without it, there’s a challenge. |
Audiences may find it hard to engage and remain focused on your messages. You can lose their attention, and with it, the opportunity to influence and persuade. |
Just 4 of the common challenges that clients bring:
My proprietary Speakers Confluence® model, used to uncover what you need:
I work across all industries, and at any level of an organisation or business. Previous and current executive presentation coaching clients include:
- COO of a multinational beverage company.
- President of a global professional association in healthcare.
- Japanese executive at a renewable energy developer in S.E. Asia.
- Group executive of an Australia/NZ organisation with 35,000 employees.
- Group executive and President Asia Pacific of a global solutions provider.
- Senior counsel at a global law firm.
- Owner of multiple Aged Care facilities across Australia.
For reasons I’m sure you can relate to, these clients prefer their work with me to remain private, which is why you won’t find named testimonials on this page.
How the executive communication coaching program works
There are usually 2 options for how we work together:
Speakers Confluence® OR Speakers Partner programs. For more information on them both, see the comparison table below.
Please note that while these options are the most common way of accessing coaching, there are alternatives. Extended – or modified – options are also available.
You also receive:
Private Executive Coaching Options
1:1 Public Speaking and Presentation Skills Coaching
Use the table below to find your best option
Sarah is a true professional who knows her craft inside and out. I highly recommend her to anyone seeking to learn or improve their public speaking engagements.
I initially contacted Sarah in December 22 regarding a conference I was invited to speak at in February 23.
From the very first conversation, Sarah was understanding, supportive and clear on what programming/strategy would help me build confidence and be successful within the relatively short 6 week timeframe we had to work with. Over those 6 sessions through Sarah’s “Speakers Confluence Program”, we covered a wide range of areas which I felt have benefited me both professionally and personally.
Using Sarah’s techniques, I confidently completed not only one, but TWO presentations during the conference of which I actually volunteered to do the second one!
Considering I have previously had significant anxiety around Public Speaking and was able to transform both my skills and mindset in such a short period of time is still quite unbelievable to me, and I honestly can’t thank or recommend Sarah enough.
Sarah’s training has been so impactful that I am planning to return to join one of Sarah’s Group Courses in future.
One of the best investments I’ve made this year was working with Sarah on my public speaking skills. Over 3-4 months, we focussed on building my confidence and skills I could use in any form of communication.
When we started our 1:1 sessions, I lacked structure. I meandered my way through conversations/presentations due to self-doubt and not knowing my speaking habits.
Through constructive and honest feedback, Sarah guided me in removing the blocks in speaking up and sharing my ideas. I highly recommend Sarah to anyone looking to improve their communication and presentation skills in and outside of the workplace!
Sarah was exceptional to work with – I highly recommend her public speaking coaching services. I worked with her for both general speaking and specific interview preparation and she was brilliant.
She has an incredible way of getting straight to productive feedback in a kind and realistic way. Her suggestions are both extremely intelligent and individualised to personal style which is very difficult to come by.
I cannot speak more highly of her and I’m so grateful for her talents. I will be working with her again!
About me
I’ve been coaching, consulting and mentoring in public speaking, presentation and influencing skills for nearly 15 years. Plus years on stage as a classical pianist before that.
I work with clients in Australia and worldwide, in organisations as varied as the UN, Shizen Energy and Deutsche Bank.
To find out more about my background and story, visit the About Sarah page, or my LinkedIn profile.
