Presenting for the Petrified

FAQs

How is Presenting for the Petrified different from normal presentation skills training?

Regular presentation skills training, however well delivered, can be nerve wracking even for the confident. The standard ‘in-at-the-deep-end’ approach can be like having your first ever driving lesson at rush hour in a busy city center. Terrifying! This is because participants are forced to do the thing they fear the most .. presenting .. without sufficient confidence building first. Add to that the ordeal of receiving feedback from the group and it's no wonder it can be overwhelming and offputting

Presenting for the Petrified has been designed by Debbie Jeremiah, a Leadership Learning specialist from General Electric, who taught GE Presentation Skills, alongside virtual courses on the brain at work, manging emotions and boosting resilience, mindfulness & collective intelligence. She has an Executive Masters in NeuroLeadership & is on the advisory board for the Academy of Brain-based Leadership

This course, years in the planning, is a unique combination of all of those topics

"If a course participant is so pressured by a class that they are reduced to tears, then I question that learning. Standard speaker training focuses on teaching speaking skills only and assumes confidence will appear with practice. But I believe a gentler, more brain-friendly way is needed. My approach is to build confidence gradually through a quiet, calm, step-by-step approach, rather than an 'in-at-the-deep end', 'sink-or-swim' ordeal. It's a much more humane approach to overcoming the fear of public speaking .."

Why learn presentation skills virtually?

Classroom courses can be off-putting for fearful speakers. Small group virtual training, attended from the safety of your own desk, can be a psychologically safer alternative

Spacing out the learning over a number of weeks is key too. So rather than cramming everything into 2 packed, stressful classroom days (and then forgetting most of it afterwards), you can practice a small number of skills in real-life, building upon them in each session. This spaced approach is a considerably more brain-friendly way to learn

How is Presenting for the Petrified ‘brain-friendly’ & why does that matter?

We know from brain science that an overloaded, shut down or 'paralysed with fear' brain, is not a learning brain. Learning can’t be stored or retrieved and insights can’t be generated

We also know that receiving feedback in front of others, so common in presentation skills training, is likely to trigger a significant threat response in the brain, shutting down thinking, memory, decision making, emotional control & speaking eloquence. All the skills needed for good public speaking!

During this course, psychological safety is created through socially sensitive, uninterrupted speaking rounds, with listeners demonstrating behaviours that minimise threat responses in the speaker. This provides a new, possibly liberating, experience of speaking in front of others

We also know that spaced, bite- size chunks of learning, such as the weekly micro-videos, may be more effective than intensive learning, especially if accompanied by social learning (digital cohort support) and self-generated learning (reviewing your own selfie videos)

Who is Presenting for the Petrified suitable for?

This course is suitable for anxious, fearful, highly sensitive, introverted, neurodiverse speakers or those new to presenting, who wish to start out gently

Is the course for in-person/stage presentations or virtual presentations?

Both! There are many skills which are common to both, so we cover these, in addition to anything unique to one or the other

What are the webinar/class sizes?

4-10 participants

You'll get to know them all well and will be buddied up with one of them, to work through your home activities with

The sessions will be recorded if you are unable to attend

If the course does not receive the minimum number of participants and is withdrawn, you have to choice to book on a later course or receive a full refund

Is there homework or pre-work?

Before each session, you'll be asked to watch some short videos which cover the skills we'll be exploring in that session. This frees up time in our webinars to practice those skills

After each session, you'll be given some additional exercises to do with your virtual buddy, in addition to some 'secret' activities you can do during the course of your normal day

You should allow an additional 1-3 hours per session, in addition to the 90-min webinar

Will I need to deliver a presentation during the course?

No. You'll be asked to speak for a few minutes here and there during our live sessions, to practice certain techniques. For anyone who wants to challenge themselves during the last session, you will be encouraged to deliver a short virtual session. But remember, you're delivering to a small, friendly group, from the safety of your home or desk

Much of your practice gets done separately with your course buddy, as this is a safe and effective way to practice and receive feedback

But if I'm doing this course virtually, how do I develop the skills to deliver in-person?

Much of the home-practice involves simple little activities that you can undertake during the course of a normal day, without anyone really noticing. These are designed to generally help you feel more confident in speaking up.

This course obviously can't replace the practice of presenting in front of a live audience, but when speaking opportunities do present themselves, you should feel better equipped with more skills, knowledge, techniques and confidence

This course is the perfect confidence boosting foundation to attending a follow up classroom training course or a local speaking group such as Toastmasters

How do I book & then what?

Upon payment you'll receive a confirmation email (please check spam if not received within 1 working day). Closer to the start date you'll receive Zoom calendar invites for the 8 webinars, access to the learning library (we use Teachable) and an invite to a group chat (currently Whatsapp)

What is the cancellation policy?

Even though this is a safe, gentle class, it can sometimes be easy to find a valid reason not to attend a presentation skills course, right at the last minute. For this reason, we hope you'll understand our cancellation policy ...

You may cancel anytime after booking and receive a full refund* as long as you let us know more than 28 days before the course start date. If it's less than 28 days before the course start date, you can transfer your place to any future course, a maximum of two times. These are small classes, so we hope this is reasonable for everyone

On our side, if the minimum group size is not reached, you'll be contacted to discuss a refund* or rebooking onto a later date. If technology failure or human frailty means a webinar doesn't go ahead, an alternative webinar date will be provided to suit the majority of the group. If for some reason, no webinars at all take place, a full refund* will be provided

Please note: *Full refunds can only be made against the original payment card within 30 days of payment. Thereafter it's a bank transfer or Paypal only. (It's a technology thing)

Is the training available for my team or company?

Yes! Contact us to discuss. See below for blended and in-person/on-site options