Training and Coaching

Preparation

• Understanding the speaking situation

• Defining the objective(s) for the speech

• Developing the message

• Thinking about the audience

• Logistics

search-engine-optimization

Content

• Creating a compelling opening

• Building a solid structure

• Storytelling

• Aristotle’s pillars of rhetoric

• Creating a powerful conclusion

delivery

Delivery

• Handling nerves and boosting confidence

• Voice (rate, pitch, volume, pausing)

• Body language (movement, eyes, gestures)

• Engaging the audience

• Charisma on stage

presentation

Other

• Handling question-and-answer sessions

• Slide presentations

• Team presentations

• Video presentations

• As requested by the client

John Zimmer - IESE

Training

The ability to communicate one’s ideas in a manner that is clear, compelling and memorable is a critical skill. People who can convey an idea to audiences in a way that sticks and moves them to action are the ones who make a difference. And they are the ones who will have all kinds of opportunities personally and professionally. In the business world, having people who can speak well in public can mean the difference between successfully promoting and growing the company or not; between motivating and inspiring staff or not. If you are looking for a dynamic, comprehensive training in public speaking and presentation skills for your team, I can help. I offer one- day, two-day and bespoke trainings for companies and organizations from all fields.

I work with:

  • Multinational companies such as Expedia, Gore, Magna and Roche
  • International organizations such as the United Nations, the World Health Organization and the World Intellectual Property
    Organization
  • Fast-growing digital companies such as Crealogix, Freeletics and
    Zalando
  • Executive MBA Programmes at IESE in Barcelona, the University
    of Geneva and the University of Lausanne
Whatever the structure of the training, it always involves an in-depth review of key elements of effective speeches and presentations. Those attending must be active participants. There are speaking exercises, followed by comprehensive feedback.

Several topics are covered, including those set out above. The amount of time to be spent on any one topic is flexible depending on the length of the training, and more time can be spent on areas of interest.
Coaching

COACHING​

I love working one-on-one with people as it provides an opportunity to go deep on those public speaking issues that are of most concern to you. Whether you want to work on specific skills or are preparing for a big speech or presentation, I can help.

I always approach every potential coaching client the same way. We start with a free meeting or Skype call to get to know each other and to see if we are the right fit for each other. The coaching relationship is a special one and both parties need to trust and feel comfortable with each other in order for it to work.

During this initial call, I also seek to understand what, specifically, you are looking for and whether I am the right person to help. It might be help with a specific speech or presentation; it might be working on your stage presence; it might be something else.

Once I know what you are looking for, I will be able to tell you whether I am the right person for the job. I never take on a client unless I am 100% confident that I can help them. And if I don’t think that I am the right person, I have an extensive network and can usually recommend someone who is.
Contact Me

“You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your ideas won’t get you anywhere.”


– Lee Iacocca

Make Your Event Special

Coaching

1

Training &
Coaching


The ability to communicate one’s ideas in a manner that is clear...
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Keynotes

2

Keynotes


A keynote speaker sets the tone for your entire event. Too ...
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Moderation

3

Moderation


A good conference needs a good moderator. A moderator is the glue...
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Improv

4

Improv


Sometimes, you have to improvise. Improvisational comedy or “improv”...
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Testimonials

John delivered a keynote address about the importance of public speaking to 80 senior members of Gore’s Medical Device Europe team at an important sales event. He was informative, engaging and inspirational. Everyone was motivated to improve their public speaking skills. Following his keynote, John has led public speaking workshops for Gore in Barcelona and Munich. He is an outstanding speaker who thinks carefully about the needs of his audience well before he steps on stage.

Karsta Goetze

TA Leader, Gore and Associates

I first got in touch with John while preparing to speak at TED Global about my work on ProtonMail. John helped me to sharpen the presentation and get on point faster, making the talk more focused and impactful. My speech was very well received, has since reached almost 1.8 million people and was successful in explaining a complex subject (email encryption) to a general audience.

Andy Yen

CEO, Proton Technologies

John gave the opening keynote on the second day of our unit’s recent offsite in Geneva, addressing an audience of 100+ attendees with a wealth of tips and techniques to deliver powerful, memorable presentations. I applied some of these techniques the very next week in an internal presentation, and I’ve been asked to give that presentation again to senior management, which has NEVER happened before. John is one of the greatest speakers I know and I can recommend his services without reservation.

David Lindelöf

Senior Data Scientist, Expedia Group

After a morning of team building activities using improvisation as the conduit, John came on stage to close the staff event which was organised in Chamonix, France. His energy and presence were immediately felt by all the members of staff. The work put into the preparation of his speech was evident and by sharing some his own stories, he was able to conduct a closing inspirational speech which was relevant, powerful and impactful for all at IRU. The whole team left feeling engaged and motivated to tackle the 2019 objectives ahead. Thank you, John.

Umberto de Pretto

Secretary General, World Road Transport Organization

I was expecting a few speaking tips and tricks and a few fun exercises, but you went above and beyond – and sideways. You taught me to stand tall. You taught me to anchor myself. You taught me to breathe. You taught me to open up. You taught me to look people in the eye. You taught me to tell the truth. You taught me to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. I got more than I bargained for in the best possible way.

Thuy Khoc-Bilon

World Cancer Day Campaign Manager, Union for International Cancer Control

John gave a brilliant presentation on public speaking during the UN EMERGE programme in Geneva (a two days workshop on leadership development for a group of female staff members working in the UN organizations in Geneva). His talk was inspirational and practical, thanks to the many techniques and tips he shared with the audience. His teaching can dramatically change our public speaking performance and enable us as presenters to have a real and powerful impact. Thank you, John, for your great contribution!

Sara Canna

HR Specialist, World Health Organization

John is a genuine communication innovator. His seminars on gamification of public speaking learning and his interactive Rhetoric game at our conference set the tone for change and improvement in our organisation. The quality of his input, the impact he made with his audience and his effortlessly engaging style made it easy to get on board with his core messages and won over some delegates who were extremely skeptical as to the efficacy of games for learning. I simply cannot recommend him highly enough.

Thomas Scott

National Education Director, Association of Speakers Clubs UK

John joined our Global Sales Meeting in Segovia, Spain and we all participated in his "Improv(e) your Work!" session. I say “all” because it really was all interactive, participatory, learning and enjoyable. The session surprised everybody and was a fresh-air activity that brought a lot of self-reflection and insights to improve trust and confidence in each other inside our team. It´s all about communication and a good manner of speaking!"

Jon Lopez

General Manager Europe, Hayward Industries

Thank you very much for the excellent presentation skills session. The feedback I received was very positive. Everyone enjoyed the good mix of listening to your speech, co-developing a concrete take-away and the personal learning experience. We all feel more devoted to the task ahead, more able to succeed and an elevated team spirit. Delivering this in a short time, both in session and in preparation, is outstanding!

Henning Dehler

CFO European Dairy Supply Chain & Operations, Danone

Thanks to John’s excellent workshop, I have learned many important tips and techniques to become an effective public speaker. John is a fantastic speaker and teacher, with extensive knowledge of the field. His workshop was a great experience and has proven extremely useful for me in my professional and personal life.

Eric Thuillard

Senior Sales Manager, Sunrise Communications

John’s presentation skills training was a terrific investment of my time. I increased my skills in this important area and feel more comfortable when speaking to an audience. John provided the right mix between theory and practice.

Diego Brait

Director of the Jura Region, BKW Energie AG

Be BOLD. Those two words got stuck in my head and in the heads of all those ADP leaders and associates that had the privilege to see John on stage. He was our keynote speaker at our annual convention in Barcelona, and his message still remains! John puts his heart in every word. Few speakers are so credible, humble and yet super strong with large audiences!

Guadalupe Garcia

Senior Director and Talent Partner, ADP International