The president of a technology and engineering firm came to Articulation with a challenge. As a technically-focused founder stepping in to become the face of the company, he needed to improve his public speaking skills. Here’s what happened.
The Challenge: From Engineer to Public Voice
James*, the innovative founder and President of a technology and engineering firm, built his company on the bedrock of specialized engineering expertise. For years, his focus was behind the scenes, ensuring technical excellence that drove his company’s success. However, as the company grew, James transitioned into a role that demanded public-facing engagements. That’s when he realized: he hadn’t built the public speaking skills necessary for his new responsibilities. This is a common challenge for subject matter experts of any kind moving into prominent leadership positions. The need to translate deep technical knowledge into engaging and accessible communication for diverse audiences is something they simply haven’t trained for. Without this ability, James knew he could struggle to win new business with CEOs who had little background knowledge and understanding of the benefits and process of such specialized engineering.
The Solution: Mastering Authentic Communication
To bridge this communication gap, James enrolled in Articulation’s Executive Communication Masterclass. Our comprehensive program provided James with a structured approach to developing his public speaking abilities, specifically tailored to his needs as a technical leader. Key components of the solution included:
- Self-Discovery through the Birkman Assessment: This helped James understand his natural communication preferences and identify areas for growth.
- Audience-Centric Message Framing: James learned new tools and techniques to focus his message directly on the audience’s needs and interests, ensuring relevance and impact.
- Unearthing the Story in the Message: A crucial element was guiding James to find the compelling narrative within his technical information, transforming dry data into engaging stories.
- Cultivating a Genuine Presentation Style: The program helped James discover and embrace his unique, authentic presentation style, allowing him to connect genuinely with his listeners.
- Peer Group Learning and 1:1 Coaching: Peer learning expanded James’s adaptability by exposing him to a variety of perspectives, while 1:1 coaching facilitated expert guidance and comprehension.
The Results: Stepping into the Spotlight with Confidence
The impact of the Masterclass on James’s communication skills and his company was immediate and far-reaching:
- Proactive Industry Engagement: Previously hesitant, James now actively books himself for industry speaking engagements he would have avoided before, significantly expanding his company’s visibility.
- Enhanced Company Narrative: James’s confidence and comfort to share the story of his company in a compelling and engaging way has skyrocketed. He communicates value propositions that move beyond the technical specifications.
- Engaging Pitches: His company’s new customer pitches and webinars are now more engaging, capturing and retaining audience attention effectively.
- Culture of effective communication: James is teaching his team how to tailor pitches and coaching younger engineers to deliver better client presentations, fostering a culture of effective communication and ensuring his company’s message resonates at every level.
- Audience-Centric Messaging: He now possesses the crucial skill of knowing how to share the work at his company in a way that his audience will truly care about, bridging the gap between technical expertise and stakeholder understanding.
The Long-Term Impact: Differentiating his company
James’s continued application of these communication skills is set to profoundly benefit his company in the long term. With a major keynote coming up that he’s excited to nail, James is poised to elevate his company’s profile even further. More strategically, the company now stands out in the engineering space by being able to talk to all stakeholders in an organization, not just the engineers. This unique ability to communicate across various levels of an organization–from technical teams to executive leadership–provides the company with a significant competitive advantage, opening doors to new opportunities and stronger client relationships.
James’s Takeaway:
“Working with Articulation and Acacia helped me find my style and has made a huge impact on my ability to step into the role of being the face of the company.”
We run 2-3 cohorts of our executive communication masterclass each year. If you’re curious for more information about how we can help you, reach out to info@articulationinc.com.
*All names have been changed to maintain anonymity
