TAKING THE STAGE FOR EXECUTIVE PRESENCE
Public speaking is one of the fundamentals of executive presence. We’ve all witnessed women like Oprah, Michelle Obama and Indra Nooyi eloquently captivate audiences with their wisdom, style and grace. Yet, for many talented businesswomen and female executives, it’s their final frontier. They’ve risen up through the ranks into powerful positions. They know they will not truly reach their full potential, or be taken seriously as a leader, until they’ve mastered the art of presenting and speaking in public.
Whether it be speaking at a conference, pitching for new business or even addressing key stakeholders, communicating strategically one-to-many – in a way that is captivating, engaging and memorable – is imperative to leadership effectiveness and organisational growth.
Fear of Public Speaking: Why Women Lose Out
The fear of public speaking is widely acknowledged as one of our most common phobias. But the anxiety around it affects the sexes differently. Public speaking is a particularly challenging skill for women in leadership to master.
While women make up 46 per cent of Australia’s workforce, it is estimated that they form less than 15 per cent of panellists at industry events across the country.
External biases ingrained in our society favour men as spokespeople. Males make up the majority of speakers at conferences, industry events and public forums.
Many women also wrestle with a lack of internal self-belief and confidence that affects their ability to seize speaking opportunities. Research shows women often suffer from “imposter syndrome”, where they don’t feel qualified enough or believe they will be seen as a ‘fraud’ even though they are more than capable.
Kylie Bartlett
OUR SOLUTION FOR CHANGE
The 5-step Presenting for Persuasion Program has been specifically designed to address the presentation skills and public speaking challenges women in leadership are facing today. It helps participants powerfully articulate their vision, experience and wisdom essential for leadership effectiveness.
Reinforcing the belief that executive presence is built from the inside out, we first get your mindset right by helping you overcome self-limiting beliefs. From there, we build out your presentation design and delivery skills.
Using globally renowned neuroscience techniques, this program is for any businesswoman who wants to inspire an audience into action, expand their influence, build their profile, create persuasive presentations, and reach their full potential.
Practical and interactive, this program will equip you with the strategies, support and self-confidence you need to step up and stand out on any stage.
At the end of the program, you will walk away with:
- A 60-second elevator pitch that you can use when asked that all important question “what do you do?”
- A 5-minute business pitch you can use at scheduled and impromptu functions, events and meetings
- A structured 45-minute keynote presentation that can be adapted for various occasions, such as conferences, public forums and events
- Exceptional presentation skills based on neuroscience that will transform you into a compelling, memorable communicator
- Some of the most critical communication skills you need to advance your career, enhance your professional profile and drive organisational growth.
DELIVERED VIA IN-HOUSE GROUP TRAINING AND ONE-ON-ONE COACHING
1
DEFINE
Presenter Style
We start with helping women overcome their fear of public speaking and limiting beliefs to find their authentic voice and unique presenter style.
2
DEVELOP
Presentation Profile
We explore who your typical target audiences are (key stakeholders), what their biggest problems are, and how you can solve these problems via your presentation.
3
DESIGN
Script Structure
Based on your presentation profile, we find the spine of your design (your presentation theme), on which to peg your ideas, stories, messages and multi-media (visuals, audio, video) to.
4
DELIVER
Stage Craft
We coach you on how to take your presentation design and deliver it with impact by giving it the “entertainment factor” – body language, voice, drama, story-telling, performance, humour and timing.
5
DRESS REHEARSAL
Integration
We take everything you have learned from the previous 4 steps and now give you the opportunity to present to camera to help you refine your skills.
Addressing the Gender Gap: An Invitation
Have you got a big idea, message or innovation that you’d like to share with the world, but you feel you’re not being provided with enough opportunities (both by your peer group and self-imposed limitations) to share and present it?
You’re not alone. The Panel Pledge is a national government initiative that seeks to address the gender imbalance for women in public and professional forums.
Presenting for Persuasion supports this national priority by helping businesswomen feel confident to put themselves forward for more speaking and presentation opportunities. Join us on our mission to address the gender gap, support women to advance their careers and help organisations grow.
Kylie Barlett – Public Speaker and Presentation Strategist
Kylie Bartlett is a strategic alliance partner of The Ascension Group. A public speaker, communications coach and presentation strategist, Kylie uses neuroscience to help corporate leaders shape their key messages and ideas into persuasive presentations that lead their audience to action.
She has been speaking, training and coaching for over 20 years as an international keynote speaker and as the founder and training director of one of Australia’s leading Registered Training Organisations (RTOs). An accredited neuro-linguistic-programming (NLP) Trainer and a certified cognitive neuroscience 4MAT™ Trainer, Kylie has delivered over 1,000 presentations and coached hundreds of clients on how to do the same.
Kylie has worked with some of Australia’s largest corporate organisations, such as Westpac, Hostplus Superannuation, Cbus Super, Loan Market, Mortgage Choice, Ray White Real Estate, Sydney Cricket Ground, Helloworld Travel, REIV, Vero Insurance but to name a few.
Whether it’s a boardroom or a ballroom, over 5 minutes or 5 days, from dealing with resistors to rebels, Kylie can teach you how to not just “wow a crowd” but move them to action.
Measure Your Executive Presence With Australia’s Only Presence Quotient® Assessment Tool
TAKE THE PQ® TEST FOR FREE
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
Working with Melissa has given me new perspective and allowed me to break patterns that were not self-serving. She is a great listener and genuinely cares but more importantly, she kept me firm in the hot seat; made me accountable for my actions and kept me focused at being the best version of myself. Melissa’s advice is always measured and considered but with a special blend of toughness at the right moment, which worked really well for me. If you are a woman, wanting to take your career to the next level, and would like an ally to support you through it, I would highly recommend Melissa.
Neela McGilton
Strategist, Leader, Connector, Non-Executive Director
Thank you Melissa for helping me stand out! My mum was an Accountant, my father was an Accountant and in a previous life, I was also an Accountant. Being trained in the art of frugality often meant I neglected my wardrobe from a personal style perspective. Melissa helped me to understand that style is just one facet of the overall personal brand we portray and that cost and style are not necessarily mutually exclusive when working with an expert like Melissa.
If you haven’t worked with Melissa I suggest you find an excuse to.
David Lewis
Business Consultant, Mentor and Trusted Advisor
“I’ve worked with Melissa for the last 18 months as I made the transition from senior manager to Executive. We spent time defining what the elusive ‘Executive Presence’ meant for me and which is so important for senior women to understand. Through a combination of redefining personal presentation and defining and staying true to my brand she made having a leadership presence so easy and effortless. It continues to feed my confidence at work as I grow as a leader. Thanks Melissa – you are a genius.”
Lara Douglas
Head of risk conduct ANZ
“I absolutely believe in leveraging your strengths and Melissa is outstanding as an executive presence coach. I engaged Melissa recently for a style ‘refresh’ as I undertake the transition to my next role. She takes the time to get to know you, your personality, your style and your aspirations. Her preparation is amazing and made the whole experience effortless for me. Looking and feeling great creates enormous confidence and Melissa’s support has been invaluable to me. It’s also loads of fun and an investment that will have a lasting impact. Thank you Melissa – you are one of a kind!”
Cindy Batchelor
Senior Executive
“The time I spent as a client of Melissa’s I found my self- confidence grow. She gave me the confidence to believe in myself that I can achieve my goals and I am to be valued. My manager recommended I work with Melissa and I found this time & experience to be invaluable. I continue to grow and draw on what I learnt from Melissa. I feel stronger and now know I deserve my position in the organisation and the results are showing.”
Sandy Deagan
Collins Street Branch Manager
“I appreciated the candid and helpful insights Melissa provided through the use of the presence assessment tool and the coaching sessions. I can already see the results that I am achieving by implementing the strategies Melissa has given me. Combined with the process of elevating my executive style, I have an inner and outer confidence that is aligned and complements who I am.”
Tania Orr
Director, KMPG
“Mel brings an amazing energy and focus to the essential task of helping senior professional women present themselves in the best possible way. For those of us that are time poor, and sick of poor styling decisions made on the spur of the moment, Mel’s calm and methodical approach helps all of us recapture our own personal style. Mel saves me time, money and helps me make better decisions, all in a way that makes it really easy to take my medicine. I cannot recommend her more highly!”
Anne
Senior Investment Banker & Non-Executive Director
“Having worked in large corporates for most of my career, I started my own legal practice last year to specialise in working with retailers. Melissa she worked with me to determine my personal brand and to ensure that my goals and visions for my legal practice were aligned with the image that was being conveyed through my presentation. I found Melissa’s service to be incredibly efficient and accurate. I have come away from this process feeling both personally and professionally inspired.”
Rosalyn Gladwin
Principal at Gladwin Legal
“Melissa Lewis has taken my executive presence to the next level, through a structured and evidence-based approach. The results are staggering. I’ve recently been appointed to my first Board, selected for a global program for elite business development professionals and am now working with amazing international clients. We also worked together on my executive style – the shopping is just a lovely side benefit and so much fun.”
Ceinwen McNeil
Managing Director at First Follower