Use Cases
1 Wealth manager DELIVERS SPEAKING VALUE at cisco GSX
CHALLENGE: Tom, a Morgan Stanley Vice President, receives an invitation from Cisco to speak at GSX. As a Trusted Advisor, Tom's goal is to help a tech-focused global sales force learn how big Banks decide IT spend. Tom reached out to Dynamically Speaking for help with preparing and delivering a high-value educational Keynote.
ACTION: During 3 private Keynote coaching sessions, Dynamically Speaking helps Tom to:
- define and project strengths of his leadership brand
- transform technical content into a TED-style talk
- speak in a common language free of finance jargon
- communicate with clarity, passion and simplicity
- enhance warmth and approachability to build trust
- present stories to provide meaningful context around data
- develop rainmaker questions to help IT sales professionals win new business
RESULT: After Tom's TED-style Keynote,
- Cisco's CEO e-mails Morgan Stanley's CEO, praising Tom for delivering value
- Tom grows new business relationships with Cisco IT sales executives
- Tom receives more invitations to present Keynote speeches at high-profile events
2 investment TEAM shines As panel moderators
CHALLENGE: A team of 25 investment professionals wants to create the best impression at their firm's premiere technology conference. Event attendees include firm clients, research analysts, institutional shareholders and members of the media. Based on audience feedback from past events, stakes are high for every presenting team member to engage audience members with thought leadership.
ACTION: During intensive private and team training sessions over a two-week period, Dynamically Speaking works closely with the firm's CEO, along with Investment Banking, Institutional Sales, Corporate Finance and Research teams on:
- projecting executive presence
- listening attentively while staying present
- aligning visual, vocal and verbal behaviors with spoken words
- reconnecting with passion for serving customers
- guiding panel conversations without controlling them
- speaking with vocal energy
- applying fluid hand gestures to build trust
- posing thoughtful questions as audience advocates
- shedding filler words ("ohs" and "hums")
- calming speaking nerves
RESULT: After the conference:
- the company's CEO is pleased with high scores from audiences surveyed
- attendees praise speakers for delivering deep market insights
- positive media coverage enhances the firm's brand reputation with investment community
3 valley tech cfo speaks as a big picture thinker in asia
CHALLENGE: Bill is an articulate CFO of an enterprise security company in Silicon Valley. Speaking with leaders and teams across different functional areas outside of finance made him feel nervous. Making eye contact for long periods felt uncomfortable. When presenting financial content, his voice tended to sound flat and trail. Stakeholders outside of finance sometimes had a hard time understanding business performance. The CEO asked Bill to present a financial update to the engineering team in Asia. Stakes are high for Bill to build trust and rapport quickly.
ACTION: During private coaching sessions, the Executive Speaker Trainer at Dynamically Speaking worked with Bill on:
- tuning leadership presence
- showing up as a warm and empathetic leader
- connecting with culturally diverse teams
- shedding distracting mannerisms that diminish trust
- communicating big picture overview with simplicity
- presenting numbers with calm and relevance
- clarifying meaning behind the financials with business storytelling
- listening attentively to address audience concerns
RESULT: After Bill delivers the company's financial update in Asia:
- Engineering team understands how the company is performing as a business
- Optimism around the company's future increases across the team
- Company CEO is pleased with Bill's communication skills as a strategic thinker
- Bill feels more comfortable to meet the changing demands of his CFO role
4 data scientist leads first team with confidence
CHALLENGE: The CEO of a tech start-up sees leadership potential in Anna, a rising star. As a Data Scientist leading her first team, Anna sometimes felt invisible in the room. At times, she held back from expressing ideas in front of senior leaders. The CEO wanted Anna to feel more confident as a new leader and sought professional help.
ACTION: Over the course of an 8-week customized program, a Leadership Development Trainer from Dynamically Speaking worked 1:1 with Anna on:
- feeling comfortable in her own skin
- developing a framework to organize her thoughts when speaking on-the-fly
- speaking with influence
- knowing when to dress up (or down) to build professional credibility
- reconnecting with the start-up's vision for the future
- communicating the vision with passion, conviction and sincerity
- shifting body language to project poise and composure
- becoming self-aware of facial expressions when speaking or listening
- helping team to understand the "why" behind mission-critical decisions
- getting her point across in crisp and clear soundbites
- asking good questions to gain understanding
- calming speaking jitters
RESULT: After completing the leadership development program, Anna feels more confident to lead her team. During team and executive meetings, she enjoys:
Under Anna's leadership, the team of data scientists meets a critical deadline for the successful launch of a new product.
- speaking up without fear
- clearly communicating ideas to create a culture of collaboration
- inviting questions from skeptical team members to spark solutions
- framing responses with thoughtfulness
- projecting authority without sounding like a know-it-all
Under Anna's leadership, the team of data scientists meets a critical deadline for the successful launch of a new product.
5 v.P. of sales grows HEDGE FUND ASSETS under management
CHALLENGE: In her early thirties, Taylor is newly promoted to Vice President of Sales with a global fund manager. Articulate, poised and smart, her communication goal is to deliver the firm's story during Investor Roadshow presentations. When meeting with seasoned investors for the first time, Taylor is determined to create the best first impression.
ACTION: With private coaching sessions, Dynamically Speaking works with Taylor on:
- developing a stand out value proposition to differentiate the hedge fund
- presenting the investment thesis with clarity, relevance and conviction
- communicating the Fund's derivative strategy with simplicity
- projecting authority with a strong voice
- telling the firm's story with 15 clear and compelling slides
- responding to investor Q&A with confidence and control
- refining marketing materials to align with spoken narrative
- staying upbeat and healthy during a fast-paced Investor Roadshow schedule
- composing short list of investor targets
RESULT: Despite market volatility, Taylor delivers an Investor Roadshow presentation that:
- compels new overseas investors to invest
- exceeds new asset growth goals by 130%
- elevates brand visibility for the hedge fund Taylor represents
6 FINTECH START-UP AWARDED "BEST IN SHOW" AT FINOVATE
CHALLENGE: RaJ is an introverted and brilliant Co-Founder of a Fintech start-up. His start-up is chosen to present at Finovate, a competition featuring innovators disrupting finance with technology. Raj wants to deliver a stand-out story and demo on-stage in 7 minutes or less.
ACTION: During intensive private sessions, the Executive Speaker Trainer from Dynamically Speaking works with Raj on:
- looking poised and feeling confident on stage
- showing up as a thought leader creating a disruptive new category
- composing and delivering an inspiring story in under 7 minutes
- projecting power, presence and warmth
- speaking with simplicity and vocal range
- creating a “wow” moment on stage to engage the audience
- communicating a compelling value proposition
RESULT: After Raj presents at Finovate:
- his start-up is awarded “Best in Show"
- 500 Startups becomes an investor
- a market leader in finance later acquires his start-up
Names changed to protect client confidentiality
Dynamically Speaking has empowered high profile leaders preparing for Keynote speeches at Career Builder, Cisco GSX, Deutsche Bank Leveraged Finance Conference, Google, LinkedIn Sales Connect, RELX Group and the Hoover Institution.