People with strong communication skills make their organizations productive and profitable, and they enhance their own career prospects. I work with managers and employers to develop and enhance their communications skills, including public speaking, media interviews, presentation and writing. 

The training I provide is tailored to your needs.

COMMUNICATING WITH CLARITY

Getting Past the Barriers and Filters: Communicating with Clarity and Confidence

Most of us know when our message doesn’t get through. But why do we miss the mark?

Participants will learn the role that barriers and filters play in interfering with communication and how to anticipate and adjust to them. They will learn how to make a strong and confident impression on their audience.

Less is More: Writing in Plain Language

We get in trouble when we rush our writing, or try too hard to impress. The result is writing that becomes wordy, over-technical or full of jargon, and that lacks the clarity sought by your audience. That type of writing can confuse customers and clients, and worse still, leave them questioning your competence.

This session brings writing back to basics by asking simple questions. Who is your audience? What is your message? What action do you want your audience to take?

MEDIA AND PRESENTATION TRAINING

In the Spotlight: Communicating with the Media 

What do you do if your organization asks you to do a media interview? 

Limited to four people, this session introduces participants to the media and the types of questions they will ask. You will learn how to effectively prepare for the interview, including how to develop main talking points. You will learn how to respond to unexpected and difficult questions. 

This session focuses heavily on practice interview and media situations.

Finding Your Voice: Developing Confidence in Your Public Speaking 

Preparation and practice are key requirements for success in public speaking. This session will show participants how to focus on those fundamentals and to elevate their public speaking skills. They will learn that while a little stage fright is normal and can keep them alert, being nervous and anxious are also symptoms of not being prepared and well-practiced.

Participants will gain increased self-confidence in their speaking and presentation skills.

Public Speaking Tune-up

This is a session that can be designed for one person, or for a group. It is intended for people accustomed to public speaking, but who want to improve their performance. 

Great Presentations: More Show and Tell

The good news is that you don’t have to suffer through more of those PowerPoint presentations that bore and put people to sleep! There is another way!

This session helps participants to think visually when compiling a presentation. It stresses use of pictures over words in order to sharpen the message. Participants will learn to be conscious of the needs of their audience, and they will develop skills to keep the audience attentive during presentations.

The Next Great Idea: How to Pitch It

Organizations want to hear employees' ideas on improving the organization. But how does an employee know their idea is worth suggesting? This session is geared to employees, senior managers and executives.

Employees are guided through the process from conception of the idea, to the research and analysis, and finally, to the benefits their great idea would bring if implemented. They will learn how to communicate the idea with clarity and confidence.

Senior managers and executives will learn how to encourage and mentor employees under their charge, and direct them on refining their idea. 

COMPLEX TOPICS

Telling Your Story: Communicating Science and Complex Information

Scientists work in intriguing environments. In space. On and under the ocean. On land. In the lab. The session challenges scientists to share their story with the public in order to enhance our understanding of science and to build support for science initiatives.

Participants are introduced to the basics of using plain language and to the value of communicating science to the public. Through a series of presentations, videos, performance and written exercises, scientists learn to communicate effectively with their audience. 

NOTE: This session has also been adapted and presented to entrepreneurs in information technology and engineering. 

CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS

Developing a Crisis Management Plan

Crisis can strike your business in many forms. The obvious crisis are natural disasters (fire and flooding) and financial (insolvency, bankruptcy). But there are many other potential crisis that could harm or destroy your business, including a breakdown in your computer system, product tampering or false rumours about your company, and workplace violence or harassment. 

This session will help you create a crisis management plan so that your organization can respond effectively. You will learn to:

  • identify risks

  • prioritize key risks

  • list possible consequences

  • come up with risk strategy - how to prevent and/or deal with risk

  • identify a permanent crisis management team

  • respond to the crisis [including limiting the damage]

  • resolve the crisis

  • carry out assessment

  • apply lessons learned

A properly developed crisis management plan also provides you the opportunity to address risks before they become crises.

The Toughest Times: Communicating in a Crisis

It can be challenging to communicate with composure during a crisis. This session builds on the crisis preparation plan that your organization will have developed. Participants will learn to identify their various audiences and stakeholders, set up a communications plan, and understand how to communicate when things go wrong.

 

 

 


 

709-765-1636

douglettoconsulting@gmail.com