Here’s what the folks said …
“It’s a great course and I recommend anyone who does public speaking to take it.”
” Peter Mosley is a great trainer.”
“Real practical examples that I can use right away.”
“Really enjoyed the session. Peter is incredibly knowledgeable about the subject and brings anecdotes from his professional experience. Makes for rich discussion and learning. Thank You!”
This next review is, I must admit, humbling and embarrassing! But I did get a kick out of reading this not for the shameless praise but for something else …
I have always measured success by the “opportunity you afford others,” and in all the years of teaching this course and the thousands of people in them I worked diligently to make it about the audience and their success.
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- This is NOT about changing who you are!
- This is NOT about putting on a stage act!
- This is discovering, learning and adopting solid, proven communication techniques you can use over and over again to become a highly skilled presenter.
The Yoda of presenters
Today I went to an all-day thingey put on by the Association of Registered Graphic Designers of province goes here. I’ve decided that my OCA specialty in jewellery has given me a fun hobby as opposed to a profession (I’m bad at it, and industrial accidents terrify me) and am starting to think I was a boob not to have done advertising/ graphic design/ illustration/ technical writing. So this was a professional development day for peeps that actually do that and I tagged along. Kinda like playing “house” as a kid. Yup, I’m an RGD – oh, so not. I’m planning on picking this stuff up over time because it’s just so fun, tho in the near term it is going to be back to Laurel Street (dunno why I’m being careful with the identifying characteristics in this blog, but whatever) equity research to top up the oh-so-meagre funds. Assuming anyone will hire me after a 7-year sabbatical from the biz. As you can tell from the foot-dragging on the job search, I’m kind of hoping they don’t. Then again, I know how to do it and it pays the bills. Our first presenter was Peter Mosley, on “professional presentation skills” – tightly, how to pitch clients to sign on, and loosely, how to talk to people. Holy Pied Piper, Batman. He was spellbinding. I have never enjoyed a more engaging speech, and on such a dry subject, too. I would have done anything for this guy. Hire me. I’ll work for free. Marry you? Sure. I wish I was a better writer – I would love to convey the mesmer this guy ized. I did not bring a recorder. I got down all the facts of his presentation, but missed all the wonderful, WONDERFUL personal anecdotes, jokes, asides, easy rapport, the pitch changes, interjections, and the projective power of his voice.
Dude rocked the casbah.
I’ve seen salesmen and especially traders that would charm birds out of trees on Laurel St. They are very good, but slick, and they wear masks. This guy was somehow genuine and human, as opposed to a seamless facade of genuine and human. The one guy on Laurel St. that was in this guy’s league came from a blue collar background and was a film school grad. He radiated real warmth and his clients really were his off-duty friends. Anyway. Blathering on. But this guy was, like, Njinski or something. One in a century.
Here are some of his secret ninja weapons, shorn of the fun … and he is a big fan of The Cluetrain (me too): I think he said he used to head up BBDO. Man, if I was a CEO and that guy ever pitched me, I don’t care what kind of crap job the agency would have done, I would have signed on for life. He’s just so fun. Likeable. Competent.
I wish I could send him in to be my stunt double during interviews. Guess that’s out.