There are countless training providers offering different standards of presentation skills training out there. I run a company called Cobalt Communication. Here’s some thoughts about what makes us different.
We are specialists in training technical people
Our programme grew from training 270 senior IT managers for HSBC. They had detailed technical knowledge but didn’t always have either the assurance to stand up and be themselves nor the skills to convey their knowledge appropriately to a non-technical audience.
We understand the needs both of helping people filter their complex knowledge of a topic and also of speaking as a leader to technical teams.
92% of our delegates rated the programe 5/5 – extremely effective, and the other 8% rated it no lower than 4/5.
(Full disclosure: one delegate rated the programme 3/5 once, but he really didn’t want to be there, and never gave presentations – we’ve since got much stricter with clients to check that people both actively choose to attend and have opportunities to apply what they’ve learned)
The results last
We regularly get emails from the people we train, some of them 2 or 3 years after the session, to tell us how the masterclass continues to benefit them.
We are specialists in 21st Century presentation skills
We are specialists in the practical skills of intelligent, credible presentations for technical people, not a generalist training company. This means we focus day in day out in equipping people with the skills to present without the need for PowerPoint or a script, giving them the confidence and competence to talk to a group conversationally.
Delegates of our programme are then flexible enough to be able to consciously choose their approach/style/visual aids based on the needs of their group.
We’re not trainers ‘for hire’ on any subject, but experts in this particular field.
Our programme is practical not theoretical
The 2-day masterclass is an intensive practical programme that works systematically to develop each speaker’s natural style, whilst improving their instincts as a communicator. Each of the eight participants speaks eight times each, receiving detailed feedback on where they are strong. This cycle of 64 presentations combined with the our method of feedback means every participant grows fast in their abilities, no matter what their level of experience or confidence when they come in.
We do not waste time
We don’t think that 2 days is a very long time, and we want to make every second worthwhile. For this reason, there is nothing in the programme that can be learned from books, no time wasted on meandering discussions, no pointless icebreakers, no role-play nor irrelevant training games. Just practice, practice, practice at presenting, interleaved with detailed guidance on rapidly planning persuasive presentations, techniques of ethical influence, and practical methods of answering objections and questions.
We guarantee results
If as an organisation you are not delighted with the results from the programme, let us know why, and we will only invoice for our expenses.
