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Companies, associations, industry groups: 

• Are you uncertain about how to promote your business without sounding like a commercial? 

• Is your leadership team great at management, but not so great in front of an audience? 

• Are your members reluctant to present at industry conferences due to lack of training and experience?  

• Would you like your staff's performance while presenting to be as strong as their performance on the job? 

• Are your employees just not getting the message across when they speak to colleagues, executives, community members and other stakeholders?

One of the most critical skills for today's professionals, in just about every field, is public speaking. Your employees or group members are leading meetings, facilitating trainings, networking in the community, pitching vendors and customers, making sales calls, speaking at conferences -- participating in every possible form of public speaking. 

Yet most of them have no idea how to express themselves effectively to these audiences and, more importantly, to get the results they desire. 

My public speaking and presentation skills workshops and group coaching programs are based on personal experience and solid research. They’re concrete, in plain English, fun, and full of practical ideas for participants to implement right away. You and your group will learn how to be more prepared, more engaged and more confident in their speaking abilities.

Group coaching

Workshop Topics

Policies

Audio and Video Clips

Previous Clients

Group Coaching

If you've grown tired of lecture-based, exhausting full-day trainings that leave your staff in a haze of information overload, group coaching might be the solution you're looking for. 

Public speaking group coaching is a six-week program, 90 minutes per session, focused on all aspects of effective presentations, with an emphasis on building skills and confidence. The group size (6-8 participants) is small enough to be intimate and flexible, and the group's input on topics and issues informs the sessions.

We use a presentation preparation checklist to guide discussion on all aspects of a presentation, from setting objectives, to presentation structure, to audience interactions and engagement, openings and closings and delivery.

The program also incorporates exercises and activities based on the needs of the group, and videotaping of three short presentations with (private) critique from me and feedback from the group. Discussion includes issues relevant to each group, like nervousness and relaxation techniques, effective PowerPoint, networking and other related topics.

Workshop Topics

Build Skills and Confidence: Learn to Love Public Speaking

This is my "public speaking 101" workshop that gives a general overview of public speaking and presentation skills, covering topics such as: 

* Preparation and organization
* Presentation structure
* Delivery skills
* Fear and anxiety
* Audience engagement, and more. 

This topic can be delivered in a one-hour seminar or in a three-hour training. Longer workshops include interactive practice and, if desired, videotaping.

Networking Works: Build Relationships to Build Your Business

This workshop covers networking basics like:

* Preparation
* Elevator speeches (the good, the bad and the ugly!)
* Understanding what makes you stand out
* "Working the room"
* Entering and exiting conversations
* Dealing with anxiety
* Being a resource
* Following up, and more. 

This topic can be delivered as a one-hour workshop or in a three-hour training. The longer workshop includes interactive networking practice.

"I always appreciate Lisa Braithwaite whenever she speaks in public, most recently for the Goleta Valley Chamber Ambassadors. 

Not only did Lisa encourage the entire team to participate in her customized, interactive presentation, but she provided a fresh perspective with many terrific suggestions that we plan to implement at future events. 

She made us realize that public speaking isn't just about talking in front of a room, but can also take the form of business meetings, mixers, networking functions, etc.—as the group presenting the event, or as an individual introducing yourself to others. 

In 2010, I hired Lisa to help me prepare a 10-minute presentation about my copywriting business to a professional organization; with her extremely valuable guidance, I was able to clarify my approach, simplify my message and maximize my impact. She's the best!"

Teri Breier, The Writing Goddess
Santa Barbara, CA

Sell Yourself, Not Your Stuff: Promoting Your Business Without Sounding Like a Commercial

This workshop combines aspects of the previous two mentioned above, focusing on putting the audience first and on audience engagement to get your message across without the "hard sell."

This topic can be delivered as a one-hour workshop or in a three-hour training. The longer workshop includes interactive practice.

"Lisa is an incredible public speaking coach and I always learn something from her, which helps me stay on the top of my game. I always appreciate knowing that Lisa will be a presenter at any event that I am involved in. I just wish that more people would take advantage of her professional knowledge and skills."

Drew Wakefield, Director of Sales and Marketing
Ramada Limited
Santa Barbara, CA

Take Your PowerPoint from Mess to Success

This workshop on best practices for effective PowerPoint covers the following topics:

* Image-based slides 
* One idea per slide
* Research on effectiveness of bullets and slide titles
* Slides vs. handouts
* Effective font sizes and color contrast
* Is there such a thing as too many slides?

This is a 90-minute workshop.

"I thoroughly enjoyed your enthusiastic workshop! The tips you gave us were great! While I currently do not have to speak in my career position here at UCSB, in my life away from the office I am a member of a neighborhood advisory committee as well as a neighborhood watch committee. There are a few times a year I must be able to stand in front of other advisory committee members (some I know while lots of others I do not) to do a short presentation. 

I feel myself getting flushed, FORGETTING what I really wanted to say but managing to get through without fainting from anxiety! 

I will definitely use some of your tips, especially the one about practicing, practicing, practicing! I will also try to use my FEAR for my benefit! 

Thanks for a terrific workshop."

Theresa Pena, UCSB
Santa Barbara, CA

Tweet me: Use Twitter to Make Connections That Build Your Business

This "twittorial" gives the whats, the whys and the hows of Twitter as a business-building tool and a way to make connections with your prospects and clients.

This topic is delivered as a one-hour workshop.

Tough Issues, Tough Audiences: How to Present Difficult Topics

This workshop helps participants learn how to express their ideas effectively when the topic is controversial or uncomfortable to the listener. We cover the following:

* Talking about difficult topics with tact and humor
* Understanding the audience's barriers to learning and listening
* Dealing with the audience's fears and concerns honestly
* Engaging the audience with emotion, stories and activities
* Dealing with hecklers, and more. 

This topic can be delivered as a one-hour workshop or in a three-hour training. The longer workshop includes interactive practice.

Making Presentations Fun: How to Engage the Audience

This workshop gives tools and tricks for getting your audience's attention and keeping it! We'll cover:

* Openings and closings
* Audience interaction and involvement
* Toys
* Props
* Demonstrations
* Stories
* Examples
* Analogies and more!

This topic is delivered as a one-hour workshop.

Preparation for Performance: Using Rituals to Create Public Speaking Success

Successful speakers, athletes, actors, singers, writers and others who are in the spotlight on a daily basis consciously use preparation rituals to set the stage and prepare both mentally and physically for optimal performance. 

This interactive workshop will help you discover your existing rituals and create new ones to improve confidence and performance for public speaking and other pursuits!

This topic is delivered as a one-hour workshop.

"I appreciated your relaying the information in a clear and concise way - very easy to relate to and apply for my own personal use."

Laura Battle, Vice President, Ameriflex Financial Services
Santa Barbara, CA

"I really appreciated your energy and enthusiasm, and the way you presented public speaking as something that can be fun! Thank you!"

Karin, Ameriflex Financial Services
Santa Barbara, CA

Carpinteria Woman's Club
Carpinteria, CA

Stories Aren't Just for Sleepytime!

This workshop gets to the heart of why stories are effective for getting your message across with an audience. We'll talk about how to use stories in your presentation and we'll even create some stories!

This topic is delivered as a one-hour workshop.

Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks: Adult Learning Principles and Public Speaking

Each of us employs different learning styles, cultural backgrounds, different perspectives and, most significantly, a lifetime of experiences and knowledge when we're in a learning environment. Learning is most successful when we are allowed to bring all of these things into the classroom. This workshop addresses the specific needs of adult learners.

"Lisa is truly inspirational, authentic and fun!  She has an electric energy that ignites her audience.  With her Bachelors degree in Theater Arts, and Masters in Education, she has the ability to entertain and educate her audience.  Lisa captivated her audience with her vivid story of how she found her true path in life 'time after time'.

We were fortunate to have Lisa Braithwaite as this year's keynote speaker and workshop presenter at our Annual PowerTalk Seminar. A big 'Thank You' to Lisa for a job well done!!!"

Lynn Cederquist, PowerTalk Chairperson/Woodland Toastmasters
Santa Barbara, CA

Policies

I'm happy to customize a presentation for your needs. Pricing depends on level of customization, length of seminar, travel and other factors.

I will send you a pre-program questionnaire to determine the needs and learning objective of the attendees in order to create a workshop that is tailored to your particular audience.

Preferred room setup

In order to make the presentation most effective and comfortable for me and for the audience, I will send you my preferred room setup form and diagram with the agreement package at the time of booking the speaking engagement.

Booking confirmation

A 50% deposit is required to confirm your booking and reserve the date, and will be invoiced with the speaking agreement. The balance is to be paid at the event. 

The deposit is refundable if cancellation is received at least 30 days prior to the event. If cancellation is received less than 30 days prior to the event, the deposit is non-refundable. 

Travel

Speaking engagements within driving distance and beyond 60 miles round-trip will be invoiced separately at $.50/mile. 

All engagements requiring airline travel to destinations within the continental United States are invoiced a flat $1,500 travel fee that includes round-trip coach airfare, airport parking, ground transportation/car rental if needed, per diem for meals and all incidentals. 

My hotel room in the case of an on-site conference or retreat should be billed directly to the client’s account. I do not provide itemized expense reports.

Payment

I accept checks and PayPal.

Discounts

If you find my services to be helpful, I offer a 10% discount for additional speaking/coaching engagements booked within a 12-month period. 

Nonprofits and educational institutions always receive 20% off my current rates.

Contact me for more information or to schedule a presentation.

Audio and Video Clips

Click here to listen to audio clips from interviews and previous presentations.

Click here to view some brief videos.

Speaking/Training Clients

Ameriflex

Associated Students, UCSB

Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB

Briefings Media Group

California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists

Citrix Online GoToToastmasters

ECG Management Consultants

Interactive Data Corporation

Junior League of Santa Barbara

Massage Envy

NAWBO Santa Barbara Masterminds

Nonprofit Support Center of Santa Barbara County

Occam Networks

Orfalea Foundations

PresentationCampLA

Professional Women's Association, UCSB

Project Management Institute

Santa Barbara Associates

Santa Barbara Referrals Associates

Santa Barbara Female Entrepreneurs

The Camden Group

UCSB Women's Center

UCSB Housing and Residential Services

Women in Science and Engineering, UCSB

Women's Economic Ventures

Work at Home Expo

World Tea Expo

~ Lisa Braithwaite, M.A.
lisa AT coachlisab DOT com
805.207.7647
Skype: lisa.braithwaite
coachlisab.blogspot.com