Collaborating with Wikirate was nothing short of thrilling for me as a consultant. All the key components were in place for an exciting experience – a tight timeline, a high stakes influence opportunity, and a highly skilled professional suddenly faced with a new and somewhat daunting communication challenge.
With the Communications Director away on maternity leave, Tom was asked to step in and lobby at the European Commission on changes to the laws that would substantially tighten the restrictions and penalties on slave labour, notably in the world of fast fashion. What’s more, he was to appear on a high-level panel, alongside established experts and in front of an audience of key decision makers.
We set up our timeline, outlined the challenges, and quickly got to work. Tom was highly experienced but more accustomed to working behind the scenes, so taking centre stage was less familiar, and he was aware how much was riding on a successful outcome, so no pressure! Months of policy work and development was finally coming to fruition, and his organization was counting on him to get the project across the finish line in Brussels. But he, like many of us, aren’t necessarily thrilled at having to step into the spotlight and advocate on stage, especially when so much is at stake.
We worked on key techniques for crafting a persuasive communication strategy, how to create engagement with target stakeholders, how to use compelling storytelling for greater impact, and effective public speaking techniques that not only helped him to have more confidence and presence when he took the stage, but also to handle challenging questions and successfully deliver his entire communication strategy with ease.
I was anxious for news, and upon his return, Tom kindly took the time to write me with news. Here’s a short excerpt:
Hello Jennifer,
I wanted to let you know that the event went fantastically well. Here are my observations:
During the panel:
- When speaking I noticed more people physically look up
- After I spoke, during the panel discussion, people referenced what I said in the beginning
- The Head of an EU agency kept physically turning to me while speaking as though to acknowledge or reference me - of course this is my interpretation but I have never experienced something like this in that way before
- I spoke less than the others, but I think I spoke more effectively. I think this covers everything, apart from saying a big thank you. You were the right person at the right time, a real gift.
And Tom later posted this on Linkedin:
Persuasive communication and effective public speaking are not skills we are born with, they are skills we can acquire through focused training and practice. I often equate it with learning to dance or to drive – at first, you’re having to think about everything you are doing, but it eventually becomes virtually automatic. And these skills help us at every level of an organisation and at every stage in our career, so why wait until you have an urgent challenge or high-stakes presentation, as you may not be able to find the “the right person at the right time” to help you ensure a successful outcome.
SLIDES FROM OUR TRAINING:
