Samantha is a corporate escapee, change enabler and an active advocate for the ‘smarter not harder’ approach to life, business and career. She helps business leaders engage their people when embarking on organisational change and helps aspiring business owners survive their ‘jump’ off the corporate ladder when pursuing a momentous career change.
What did Samantha say after attending Michelle’s Persuasive Presentation Skills Masterclass?
“Michelle is an amazing presenter. She has an awesome level of energy and her passion and excitement is infectious. I love the tools for structuring a persuasive presentation. Great content, great facilitator, great group. Michelle is very inspiring and is awesome!”
What kind of presenting do you do at work?
I present frequently: in workshops and training sessions, meetings with potential and existing clients, as well as hosting and attending networking functions. I’m doing some form of presenting, informal or formal, on a daily basis.
What prompted you to study with Michelle?
I wanted to stand out and be able to present with authority, spark and finesse! Presenting is so important to what I do in the coaching and consulting space so I wanted to learn how to craft impactful messages, and understand ways to influence an audience to take some form of action.
I had also written a book and was wanting to use effective presenting to showcase, launch and leverage the book for my business.
I have seen a lot of presenters and noticed a big difference between good and great. I wanted to be great and hence learn from the best!
How did Michelle’s teaching change your attitude to presenting in business?
- My attitude has changed from being very nervous before presenting to being excited! I look forward to presenting rather than dreading the process.
- I feel more confident, more comfortable and more willing to try different things around what and how I present to be provide a better experience for my audience.
In general, what positive outcomes have you achieved from improving your presentation skills? i.e. what opportunities have opened up for you? How have improved presentation skills have impacted on your job and your career in general?
- I have been able to increase my reach to potential clients and I have also been able to acquire more clients.
- I have been able to confidently promote my book and my book sales have increased!
Having an effective and persuasive message that keeps an audience engaged and interested has given me an authority boost where I’m getting noticed more. - I have been asked to speak at community events, women’s groups and business networking events and I know this is just the beginning!
In what specific ways have your presentation skills improved since learning with Michelle?
- Overall my confidence has skyrocketed. I have a much better ability to build rapport with an audience, tell stories that support my messages and meet audience expectations.
- I’m much more aware of things like movement, hand gestures, eye contact and tone of voice and how they play a big part in your presentation. I’m able to incorporate these components much better into my presentations.
- Now I have a better understanding of the things I didn’t realise I was doing or saying (because sometimes you don’t realise you are doing it until someone points it out!)
- I have become much more polished and persuasive.
What were your top three take aways from Michelle’s teachings?
- First and foremost, presenting isn’t about you, it’s about the audience. You’re there to serve the audience and provide value.
- Michelle’s 13-step framework provides a great way to structure your messaging. I love using the framework for written communications and even in business conversations and meetings. I have also used it for webinar content and podcast interviews.
- Lastly, practice, practice, practice! Grab and use every opportunity to present and obtain feedback. Through Michelle’s Speakers’ Club, I have been able to do this and have received so many tips and insights to become a great presenter.