Use Cases
1 Financial services vice president presents educational keynote
CHALLENGE: Cisco invited Tom, a Vice President of Wealth Management with a bulge bracket Bank, to speak at GSX, the company's annual sales conference. Tom's speaking challenge? Educate a tech-focused audience to understand how Banks decide IT spend. Tom's speaking goal? Help the sales force at Cisco to speak in a common language that builds trust with banking decision makers approving the IT budget.
STRATEGY: During 3 private training sessions, Dynamically Speaking helped Tom to:
- define and project strengths of his leadership brand
- transform his Keynote into a TED-style talk
- compose a narrative to captivate stakeholders
- communicate with clarity, passion and simplicity
- speak in a common language that technology sales teams understand
- enhance warmth and approachability
- add stories to provide meaningful context around data
- deliver "wow" moments
- develop rainmaker questions to help audience sell better
RESULT: After Tom's Keynote speech, many audience members approached him. They were interested in wealth management solutions. The CEO of Cisco sent an e-mail to the CEO of the bulge bracket bank, praising Tom for delivering actionable value. Tom's conversational speaking style and ability to present with simplicity made his Keynote a hit with global audiences at Cisco.
2 INVESTMENT manager TEAM DELIVERS EXCELLENCE AS PANEL MODERATORS
CHALLENGE: A team of 25 investment professionals wanted to create the best impression. Their next opportunity was hosting the company's East Coast conference. Middle market clients, research analysts, institutional investors and members of the media were invited. Based on attendee feedback from the last conference, some presenting team members looked bored as panel moderators. This time around, the team would raise the bar. Their goal? For every team member to deliver thought leadership and executive presence on-stage.
STRATEGY: During intensive private and team sessions, Dynamically Speaking guided the firm's CEO, along with Investment Banking, Institutional Sales, Corporate Finance and Research teams to:
- gain speaking confidence
- align the visual, vocal and verbal to project the firm's brand strengths
- show poise and engagement (even when not speaking)
- reconnect with their passion for investing
- guide the conversation without controlling it
- speak with energy and conviction
- apply fluid hand gesturing to build trust
- listen attentively before speaking
- pose thoughtful questions to stir healthy debate
- shed filler words ("uhs" and "uhms")
- calm speaking nerves
RESULT: After reviewing audience surveys, the CEO felt proud of high scores his team members received. Guests attending the post-event reception praised both panelists and moderators for their deep market insights. Media coverage of the event was highly favorable. The CEO, along with the company's Board of Directors, were delighted with the event outcome.
3 tech cfo shows up as empathetic and strategic
CHALLENGE: Bill is an articulate, polished and analytical thinker. As CFO of a pre-IPO software company in Silicon Valley, he often felt uncomfortable speaking to large internal teams. Being a 'numbers guy', he felt that he might be coming across as a stiff talking head. Reading the room to pick up non-verbal cues was hard. Making eye contact for long periods felt awkward. The CEO asked Bill to present a financial update to the team in Asia. Since this was Bill's first meeting with the team, the stakes were high to create a great impression.
STRATEGY: During private sessions, Dynamically Speaking and Bill focused on tuning his leadership charisma and showing internal stakeholders how much he cared about them as people.
- show up as a poised and relational leader
- learn best practices to build connection and trust
- project warmth and approachability
- communicate with clarity and simplicity
- refer to team members on a first name basis
- add customer stories to show understanding of the business
- shed distracting mannerisms that crush credibility
- present numbers with calm, relevance and clarity
- clarify meaning behind the financials to help team understand performance
- present big picture overview of the business
- observe audience cues and adjust behavior
RESULT: After hearing Bill's financial update, the Asia team felt highly confident in his leadership. He welcomed questions. He knew their first names. He presented thoughtful context around the company vision and past financial performance. Team members now understood how the business was doing. They felt positive about the company's future. The CEO was pleased by Bill's deep understanding of the business. Bill looked forward to his next visit with the team abroad.
4 woman data scientist leads with confidence
CHALLENGE: The CEO of a mobile analytics start-up saw leadership potential in Anna, a Data Scientist at the company. Gaining influence, visibility and leadership credibility were important to Anna. This was her first time leading a team. Competent and smart, she, at times, felt invisible in the room. With deep insights, Anna often held back from expressing her thoughts in front of male peers. Her goal? Get her point across with a strong, confident voice.
STRATEGY: During 8 private sessions, Dynamically Speaking developed a program that helped Anna to:
- appear confident in her own skin
- enjoy speaking up without fear of criticism
- speak up with an authoritative tone of voice
- know when to dress up (or down) to enhance credibility
- reconnect with the company's vision
- communicate the vision with passion and conviction
- shift body language to display poise and composure
- be aware of negative facial expressions when listening
- help team understand the "why" behind decision making
- get her point across in crisp and clear soundbites
- ask good questions
- calm speaking jitters
RESULT: Mid-way through coaching, the CEO observed a tangible difference in Anna. She spoke with confidence. She moved with poise. She was no longer afraid to speak up. Her voice projected authority without hubris. For the first time, Anna felt confident to lead a large team. She inspired team members to execute with excellence. Under her leadership, the team achieved a key business milestone.
5 youthful vice president of sales grows assets under management
CHALLENGE: An overachiever with a youthful appearance, Taylor is poised, articulate and smart. As Vice President of Sales with a global investment manager, she was tasked with growing assets under management during Investor Roadshow presentations. When meeting with older male investors, Taylor's goal was to project competence, credibility and trust.
STRATEGY: With private coaching, Dynamically Speaking guided Taylor to:
- develop a stand out value proposition to differentiate the company brand
- present the investment thesis with clarity, relevance and conviction
- communicate the Fund's derivative strategy with simplicity
- project authority with a strong voice
- tell the firm's story with 15 clear and compelling slides
- respond to investor Q&A with confidence and control
- refine marketing materials to align with spoken narrative
- stay positive and healthy during Road show meetings
- compose short list of investor targets
RESULT: Despite a frothy market, Taylor succeeded in raising new money. She exceeded asset growth goals by 33%. Feeling more confident than ever, she looked forward to delivering the next investor pitch.
6 TECH CEO AWARDED "BEST IN SHOW" AT FINTECH CONFERENCE
CHALLENGE: RaJ is an introverted and brilliant Founder of a Fintech start-up. Selected to present at Finovate, a competition featuring innovators disrupting finance with technology, Raj felt a bit nervous. His big challenge? In 7 minutes, communicate and demo a complex business model on stage with simplicity and impact.
STRATEGY: During private sessions, Dynamically Speaking helped Raj to:
- look poised and confident
- command the stage with energy and enthusiasm
- show up as a thought leader creating a new category
- compose an inspiring message
- project power, presence and warmth
- speak with simplicity and vocal range
- create a “wow” moment on stage
- explain WHY his start-up solves pain better than industry incumbents
- communicate revenue model with clarity
RESULT: Raj's start-up was awarded “Best in Show." Shortly after the event, his company attracted investment from 500 Startups. It was an exciting day when a market leader in financial services acquired Raj's company a year later.