Presentation Skills & Storytelling Workshops Case Study
When online presentation skills matter the most
It’s certainly been a challenging time for everyone over the past 17 months. One of the big shifts for businesses is staff working from home. For many this has meant getting to grips with new technology - fast! For most this major shift was being on camera - many for the first time!
It was during this time when I was asked to put together a 3-day training programme. This was for a group of young high potential professionals at The Adecco Group a global recruitment and people development organisation.
Bespoke business communications workshops
Along with Rachel Kepinska-Smith of Rachel KS Marketing, I hosted a 3-day programme to prepare them for virtual presentations and present to Executive Business Leaders; the crescendo to an intense business project designed to fast-track talent and instigate change within the organisation.
The cohort embarked on a bespoke series of live online workshops focused on presentation style and engagement with the audience; two out of five criteria the judging panel would be scoring.
Using my skills as a former TV presenter with 25 years of experience in broadcast journalism, I partnered with Rachel, a brand authenticity and storytelling consultant to deliver interactive group sessions and breakout exercises to the delegates worldwide.
One of the 2021 Adecco International Future Leaders online workshops
Look, act and sound like the leader your business needs
The aim was to boost their confidence on camera, grow their credibility and add impact. The programme involved workshops on how to ‘look, act and sound like a leader’, how to engage an audience using empathy and storytelling, and a series of team rehearsals with direct feedback.
The response from the client was transformational. Our programme was rated 9/10 by the delegates in an anonymous post-programme survey:
“Karen & Rachel engaged and energised the audience. Maybe I was a bit sceptical during the first ten minutes of the workshop, but it was extremely helpful!”
“This session was very interesting and important for all of us because having good EQ or mindfulness of leadership helps us work on ourselves and work well with others.”
“This series was better than I expected and very timely given our presentations. The topic is valuable, and I would love to see more of this. Karen and Rachel are great facilitators, and they used their time wisely.”
“I’ve been on a lot of online training programmes and this has to be the best I’ve ever been on!”
Effective communication skills make all the difference
While the programme built upon already well-honed presentation skills, this cohort learned the importance of consistency in their approach as a team to create the best possible experience for their audience and outcome for them.
When you are up against the best, it is incremental gains that will get you ahead. A secret weapon that every team should have to engage their audience, built on empathy to make a connection that lasts and for good business to be built upon.
It was a real pleasure to work together with such a talented and hardworking group of young individuals.
Contact me if you or your team have one-shot to deliver the performance of a lifetime and would benefit from presentation skills training online or in person.
