Say goodbye to one-sided snooze fests.

Chris regularly teaches groups of people about public speaking, communication, and personal storytelling. His teaching style is “keynote calibre,” meaning he brings the same creativity, engagement, and polish to a small team training as he does to a conference or retreat. The goal is for every audience to feel like they’ve experienced something special—while also learning a whole lot of meaningful, practical content.

• Audience size: A handful to over a hundred people

• Virtual available: Let’s discuss

• Duration: 60-, 75-, or 90-minutes (half- and full-day engagements are also possible)

• Interactivity: Each session is approximately ⅓ teaching + ⅓ exercises + ⅓ reflection

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“Your Story Changes Everything” Storytelling Training

Helping people see you as a person they respect and trust

Stories about yourself are an effective way to establish trust and build meaningful relationships with clients and colleagues. But what can you say about yourself? Which parts of your life are interesting? Is it OK to be funny? Should you be vulnerable? How can you share stories in day-to-day conversations? Chris teaches you how to tell stories using the same tools as successful TEDx speakers.

• Learning experiences: Using storytelling demonstrate values and establish trust; crafting memorable stories from your personal and professional experience; finding opportunities to share stories; how to be funny and vulnerable

Thinking On Your Feet

How to answer questions on the spot and shine in conversation

As soon as the questions start your preparation goes out the window: “Um, ah, well… can I get back to you on… everything?” Or maybe you panic when your boss stops you in the hallway: “Hey, what do you think about…?” Maybe you get back to your office after a meeting and think, “Oh! That’s what I should’ve said!” Thinking on your feet is a crucial skill for professional success. It’s also deeply challenging for professionals who communicate predominately in writing or virtually. This session unpacks the challenge of thinking on your feet and offers practical tools (and fun practice!) for making thoughtful contributions to professional conversations.

• Learning experiences: Simple tools for giving clear, thoughtful responses to unexpected questions; tools managing conversational pace; the truth about filler words like “um” and “uh” (not so bad as you think!); staying focused in the face of listener distractions

Communicating as a Trusted Partner

Professional tools for confident, compelling presentations

A trusted partner is someone who is really good at their job and also sounds like they are really good at their job. Hearing them present makes you feel confident in their ability as well as their empathy. (They can solve your problem and understand why it’s important to you.) No matter how many people are in the audience, a trusted partner makes you feel like they are talking just to you. Chris teaches you the tools that professional speakers use to create and sustain meaningful connections with any audience.

• Learning experiences: Establish meaningful connections with the audience; navigate a difficult or distracted audience; better answers to questions (thinking on your feet); prioritizing audience interests and concerns; managing anxiety and stress

Get Better at Talking to Everyone

Foundations of workplace communication

Every person you talk to (colleagues, clients, peers) has different expectations around what kind of communication would be useful for them. Being an effective communicator means thinking about those expectations and adjusting what you say to fit the circumstances. This session offers participants a foundational toolkit for effective communication at work.

• Learning experiences: Making sense of your audience; calibrating level of detail; making it easy for people to follow along; giving better answers to people’s questions