I’m an Australian living in Hong Kong, working for an international reinsurance company. I enjoy getting to know people and learning about different cultures. I head the Business Development team for APAC where I get to interact with people from a diverse set of cultures. I lead a team based in 7 different markets.
Here’s what Sylvia had to say after attending my Persuasive Presentation Skills Masterclass in 2021:
“Michelle – it’s excellent. I’m so impressed with the quality of the presentations. I loved the simple to use structure, particularly the 13 steps. I also loved the practical tips. The singing really helped with remembering. I will use most of it! Particularly the 4Mat and the Persuasion Blueprint.”
Sylvia Pleskot, Head Business Development Asia, Director, Reinsurance Centre, Swiss Re Asia Pte. Ltd., Hong Kong Branch
What kind of presenting do you do at work?
I deliver important pitches to clients and presentations to senior management.
What prompted you to study with Michelle?
I believe that there is always room for improvement. A good leader realises that you don’t know what you don’t know. When I came across Michelle I knew it would be a great opportunity to upskill my team. Plus I also thought that I could learn a lot from her.
How did Michelle's teaching change your attitude to presenting in business?
Gave me a lot more structure and a systematic way of building presentations. We use formulas because they work. Michelle’s formulas make presenting any subject much easier for the presenter, and they also make the message clearer, more motivating and more enjoyable for the audience or stakeholder.
How have improved presentation skills impacted on your job and your career in general?
I have had great feedback from management on making dull topics more engaging!
In what specific ways have your presentation skills improved since learning with Michelle?
I’ve been much more persuasive and engaging, and some analogies, especially in my icebreakers that I now use to open a presentation, have stuck in people’s minds even months after the presentation. One of the analogies I used in a presentation last year was about a wolf and people are still recounting that point many many months later – it’s been very effective!
What were your top three takeaways from Michelle's teachings?
1. I love the 4MAT structure for structuring the overall message.
2. I also now use Michelle’s Persuasion Blueprint – that includes elements such as an icebreaker, building rapport, motivating the audience to listen.
3. I learnt that good presentations take thought and practice.
© Michelle Bowden 2022. Michelle Bowden is an authority on presentation & persuasion in business. Michelle is a CSP (the highest designation for speakers in the world), Creator of the Persuasion Smart Profile® (a world-first psychometric indicator that tests your persuasiveness at work), best-selling internationally published author (Wiley), and a regular commentator in print, radio and online media. www.michellebowden.com.au