Workshops - Click on the titles for more details

Write Out Loud: Strategic Speechwriting Skills - Few media can match the power of a speech to shape opinion, change attitudes or call people to action. But, that doesn’t mean it’s easy to hit a home-run every time. Speechwriting isn’t rocket science: but it does take skill to craft a talk that will engage listeners, hold their attention and move them towards agreement or action. This workshop will give you with the knowledge, insights and workflow you need to plan, organize and write a compelling speech. You’ll learn how to: Plan a speech by analyzing the audience and the speaker; Write with intent by choosing an objective and using it to define and focus your message; Create an opening that grabs your audience’s attention, a close that calls to action, and a speech body that informs while it sustains attention; and much more.
The next Write Out Loud workshop - March 2, 2017. Go here for a full description and information on how to register.

Value Beyond Words: Advanced Speechwriting Skills - Take a deep dive into some of the speechwriter’s most powerful tools. Explore how to use advanced techniques of persuasion such as a four-part close that rivets attention; craft anecdotes and stories to reinforce key ideas; customize humour to the speaker, topic and audience; and increase the reach of a speech via the editorial page and social media. The workshop also covers how to boost creativity, use props and manage speaking events. Go here to learn more.
The next Value Beyond Words workshop - March 3, 2017. Go here for a full description and information on how to register.

Simple Steps to Superb Speeches - Are you new to speechwriting? Need a refresher? Want to hone your skills? Simple Steps to Superb Speeches will give you the ‘nuts and bolts’ of effective speechwriting. This half-day session will introduce to techniques to analyze your audience, reflect the speaker’s voice, style and personality, and choose the ‘right’ content. In addition to lecture-demonstrations, this workshop includes a multimedia presentation, hands-on exercises, manual and Q&A session.
Available on demand for in-house presentation.

From Idea To Action: Memos, Slidedocs & Presentations That Get Results - As the time available to achieve results shrinks in our fast-paced world, decision makers need to rely more on others to clearly describe threats and opportunities and possible courses of action. Are you up to the challenge? From Idea To Action is a full day session that takes participants through the process of researching and writing a memo, converting it into a slide deck and transforming the deck into an onscreen presentation. Plan to attend if you write or contribute to memos, decks or presentations. At the end of the day you’ll have a process for moving from one medium to another that will reduce your preparation time, help you deliver professional results, and increase your confidence and credibility.

Straight To The Point: Slidedocs & Presentations That Get Results - Today, more than ever, people are using presentation tools to share ideas, inspire audiences and move people to decision and action. Yet despite the trend, many presenters lack the skills and insights they need to make the best use of this rapidly evolving medium. Make An Impact puts the emphasis on bringing together oral and visual content in a compelling way. You’ll learn how to shape material to connect with and hold the attention of the audience; persuade listeners to the speaker’s point of view; adapt material to the special needs and demands of senior executives; make changes on the fly when circumstances dictate; create truly useful handouts; and handle Q&A sessions.

Straight To The Point: Five Steps to Persuasive Presentations - A half-day session for anyone who wants to learn or upgrade their ability to develop dynamic presentations. Students learn how to plan a presentation, write a script, create simple graphics, bring together words and visuals to reinforce important messages and create terrific handouts.


Cancellation policy for public workshops: $50 fee if cancelled up to two weeks before workshop. $100 fee if cancellation is made less than two weeks before workshop. 50 per cent fee if a cancellation is made within 48 hrs of workshop. Full fee charged with less than 48 hours notice. No charge for substitutions.