Public Speaking

This module teaches PREP (Point???Reason???Example???Point), a structure for answering questions concisely and confidently under pressure. It's built around a Demo Day scenario in which founders field tough questions from US VCs; the structure generalizes to any high-stakes Q&A, from investor pitches to executive briefings. Participants first learn PREP by watching modeled examples, then practice it live in a "Hot Seat" format, answering peer-submitted questions in 30 seconds. A follow-on exercise, The Question Behind the Question, pushes participants to distinguish the surface question a listener asks from the real concern behind it, and to build PREP answers that address that underlying concern rather than just the literal words.

This module is built around a competitive-pitch scenario: you have 45 minutes with a client who is also meeting three other firms, and you must land on the one winning message. Participants individually write down the single most important talking point that would win the business, then read it aloud round-robin while a shorthand of each answer goes up on the whiteboard. The exercise, and the discussion that follows, exposes how differently a team can define its own winning message and generalizes to any situation where a group needs to align on one clear, persuasive lede before presenting to an audience.

This module teaches participants to control vocal habits that undercut how they're heard in high-stakes speaking ??? uptalk, filler words, trailing off, vocal fry, and speaking too fast ??? by treating the voice as a trainable instrument. Participants work through physical and breath warm-ups, vocal and diction drills, and two core techniques (the Deliberate Pause and the Breath Reset) before practicing them live in a coached speaking round with a partner. Exercises are framed around Social Finance speaking scenarios ??? describing proud work and explaining what the organization does ??? and the techniques generalize to any presentation, funding meeting, or high-pressure conversation.

This module teaches CRISP, a five-part structure for investment-style presentations: Credibility & Context, Returns & Financial Analysis, Investment Risks & Mitigation, Scenarios & Sensitivity Analysis, and Proposal & Recommendation. Participants also learn the 3-2-1 technique for distilling a presentation down to the 3 things you want the audience to know, 2 things you want them to feel, and 1 action you want them to take. Practice is built around a capstone-style investment pitch (an HVDC transmission project scenario), with participants rotating through 3-person groups as presenter and coaches ??? one coach giving feedback on CRISP content and execution, the other on executive presence and delivery ??? before discussing which parts of the framework felt natural or challenging and how to apply CRISP to their own upcoming presentations.

This module teaches participants how to design and evaluate visuals for presentations, from initial planning through data visualization principles to peer feedback. Participants learn a framework of key planning questions for any slide, apply Gestalt principles (Pragnanz, Proximity, Similarity, Connectedness, Continuity, Closure) and Edward Tufte's concepts (Chart Junk, Lie Factor, Data-Ink Ratio) to judge and improve graphics, and practice simplifying charts using a set of best-practice questions. The module closes with a hands-on exercise where participants bring their own slides, deliver a short presentation, and exchange feedback with a partner.

This introductory module kicks off the Public Speaking series by having participants identify a real, upcoming presentation ??? anything from a team update to a formal report-out ??? and use it as their working example throughout the training. Participants define their topic, audience, and the three most important ideas they want to convey, then get oriented to the core skills the series will build: physical and vocal warm-ups, using status to shape presence, sharpening point of view for clarity and concision, and speaking off the cuff with little to no preparation.

This module prepares participants physically and mentally for public speaking through a series of body, breath, and voice warmups, along with mindset tools for handling nerves. Participants practice posture and facial relaxation exercises, diaphragm-focused breathing drills (including the "Ha-Ha-Ha" and Three Deep Breaths exercises), and vocal exercises for volume, clarity, and precision (such as "Unique New York" and repetition of plosives). The module also introduces the Failure Bow as a tool for reframing mistakes as part of practice, and includes a low-stakes exposure exercise for getting comfortable being looked at by a large audience.

This module teaches presenters how to build a genuine connection with an audience, covering both the preparation work of audience assessment and the delivery skill of eye contact. Participants practice framing content around audience needs and expectations, then practice a "Fan the Room" technique for making sustained, one-on-one eye contact (2-3 seconds per person) through drills like Staring Contest and Movie Theater Celebrity, applicable both in-person and on video calls.

This module teaches how to project executive presence when speaking to an audience, covering how to establish credibility, use confident body language, and showcase vocal confidence. Participants learn concrete techniques???introducing yourself to establish why you're worth listening to, giving a roadmap ("tell them what you'll tell them, tell them, tell them what you told them"), managing posture and gesture, slowing pace and controlling tone/volume, and reframing nervous energy as useful adrenaline. Participants then self-reflect in small groups to identify personal strengths and one development area to carry forward, and practice a real-world exercise (standing in front of a large seated audience before an event) to build comfort with being watched.

This module covers practical mechanics for public speaking, organized into what to do before you speak and what to do while you're speaking. Before speaking, participants learn to cut unnecessary content to leave room for Q&A, reframe anxiety as energy, and build a pre-show ritual. While speaking, participants learn to build credibility through their introduction, give the audience a roadmap, lead with their most important message, cut filler words by raising vocal energy, manage physicality (avoiding podiums and distracting habits), own mistakes openly rather than covering them, and avoid ending a talk on Q&A. Participants identify which of these tips they personally need to work on rather than trying to fix everything at once.

This module is built around a VC pitch and Demo Day scenario, and it teaches participants to develop and deliver a clear point of view under pressure. Participants work through four framing questions ??? Why you? Why them? Why do you care? What action? ??? first as a group walkthrough, then in a solo written draft, then in timed 90-second spoken rounds with peer coaching focused narrowly on which answer was clearest and which was vague. The module also includes improv-based exercises for thinking on your feet without a script: explaining a complex topic to a "2,000-year-old person" using techniques like analogy and chunking, an unscripted "PowerPoint from Hell" talk built on "yes, and" and recovery from failure, and an off-the-cuff graph interpretation exercise with shifting audience, tone, and purpose constraints. The four-question POV structure and the improv techniques generalize to any high-stakes talk where you must speak persuasively without a fixed script ??? investor Q&A, client meetings, or impromptu presentations.

This module covers how to prepare for a presentation on the day itself and how to build lasting speaking habits afterward. Participants build a personal pre-speaking ritual (warm-ups, visualization, wardrobe, food, and timing), stretch their opening line through varied vocal deliveries, and apply the 3-2-1 technique (three things to think, two things to feel, one action to take) to structure a real upcoming presentation. Participants also practice recording and self-evaluating their talks, and close by identifying personal strengths and development areas with a partner for ongoing accountability. One exercise is built around a "Sell it to me!" product-pitch scenario (pitching an outfit to CR leadership); the pitch structure and delivery practices generalize to any presentation where you need to make a compelling case.

This module teaches eight practical techniques for explaining technical topics to non-expert audiences: framing information from the listener's perspective, leading with why it matters, using plain language instead of jargon, using analogies and metaphors, breaking ideas into small chunks, checking for understanding, showing rather than just telling, and watching for confusion cues. Participants practice these techniques in a triad exercise called "The 2000-Year-Old Person," where one person explains a real technical decision or challenge to a partner role-playing someone unfamiliar with modern technology, while a third person observes which techniques land and which don't. A structured debrief follows to identify which techniques participants used intentionally, where explanations started to click, and what habits (like jargon or assumed knowledge) got in the way.

No exercises in this module.

This closing module wraps up the Public Speaking workshop by having participants reflect on and commit to what they've learned. It recaps the full arc of the training: physical and vocal warm-ups, the concept of Status and its effect on presence, honing a clear point of view, speaking off the cuff with little preparation, the 3-2-1 audience framework, simplifying and explaining information (including the "8 hacks" for clarity), and the Reflect-Reframe-Respond approach. Participants identify one thing that surprised them and commit to one specific technique they will practice within the week.