Better Presentations
Start
With Actually
Doing It
A six to eight session communication course that helps technical teams speak with more confidence, run better meetings, and present with clarity, in the moments where it actually matters.
Most communication training doesn't change behavior. People watch videos, read books, maybe sit through a workshop, and walk away with notes but no new habits.
That's because the research is clear: people get better at speaking by speaking, getting real feedback, and trying again. In a room where it's safe to fail.
This course is built around that one idea.
What Makes This Training Different
Everyone speaks in every session. No one watches from the back.
Feedback is observation, not advice. Participants learn what they're actually doing, not what they "should" do.
Built on applied improv and clown training. Sounds unusual. Produces real, fast shifts in how people show up.
The Sessions
Six core sessions, two hours each, with two optional add-on sessions for teams that want meeting facilitation and consensus-building skills. Delivered virtually or in person, spaced weekly so the learning happens between sessions, where it actually sticks.
Session 1: Foundations and Executive Communication
Camera setup, vocal warm-ups, and the BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) framework, why most technical communicators bury the one thing their audience needs to hear.
Session 2: Handling Q&A
What questioners actually want, how to hear the question under the question, and how to stay grounded under pushback. Includes a breakdown of Steve Jobs handling a hostile 1997 crowd.
Session 3: Nonverbal Communication
Eye contact, posture, gesture, and vocal variety. Includes a memorable exercise where participants deliver a full speech using only the numbers one through twenty-five.
Session 4: Persuasion and Motivation
The Situation-Complication-Question-Answer framework and why connecting to someone's values works better than threats or incentives. Participants practice persuading "medieval knights" to buy a skateboard.
Session 5: Executive Presence and Storytelling
What Oprah and Steve Jobs have in common. The Pratfall Effect, why visible imperfection builds credibility. Why 63% of people remember stories and only 5% remember data points.
Session 6: Visuals and Data Storytelling
How to build slides that support your point instead of burying it, and how to present data so people remember the takeaway, not just the numbers. Ends with slide karaoke: presenting to slides you've never seen before, which is exactly as fun and useful as it sounds.
Optional Add-On Sessions (for teams that run a lot of meetings)
Session 7: Difficult Conversations and Consensus
How to make people feel heard before solving anything, and how to handle the person who dominates and the person who never speaks. Ends with a live consensus role-play.
Session 8: Meeting Moderation
How to build an agenda that actually gets used, run a meeting that starts and ends on time, and handle the participant who dominates or the one who never speaks. Includes a live role-play set at Starfleet or Hogwarts, because practicing hard conversations is easier with a little distance.
Who This Is For
Engineering and technical teams who need to present to non-technical stakeholders
Program and project managers running cross-functional meetings who want more authority in the room
Teams with non-native English speakers who are technically excellent but held back by communication confidence
Teams that want the optional meeting facilitation and consensus-building sessions added on
Groups run 8-12 participants. Core program is six sessions; add Sessions 7 and 8 if meeting facilitation is a priority for your team.
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"By the final class, I had surprised myself by facilitating a large roundtable that a manager called 'the best conversation I've had in more than a year at work."
Lyra Levin, Technical Writer, Google
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"Don's classes are different than normal communication classes due to their unique and flexible curriculum. Incredibly engaging, and they foster a supportive environment for genuine growth."
Mayank Chaturvedi, Google DeepMind
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"I'm a more powerful and confident speaker thanks to Don. He helped me past my comfort zone with fun exercises that got me out of my head and connected to my audience."
Ali Agah, Associate Director of Research, Illumina Biotech
