Testimonials from Presentation Training Clients
Testimonials From Presentation Training Clients Superior Presentations Training Results & Feedback What did clients and participants say about what they gained from the presentation skills training programs from George Torok? How did they feel about the learning and experience? —– George presented to my TMU ENT 801 Life Design class a week before they had to do individual presentations in front of the whole class – something that filled them with fear and dread. In only an hour, George taught them enough tips and techniques that they were able, not only to conquer their fears, but present their Life Lessons without scripts or cue cards, but spoke from the heart with passion, conviction and enthusiasm. This demonstrates that George not only has great wisdom in teaching others how to present more effectively but his teaching STICKS! That’s so important. I have taken George’s Executive Speech workshop in the past and I knew he was THE Expert to have in to teach my students this life long skill that they will use everyday in their professional lives. Thank you George. Anyone who wants to improve their presentation skills – just hire George. You will not regret it and your bank balance will improve. Patti Pokorchak —– George consistently does a great job delivering his “Superior Presentations” workshop. He recently delivered his workshop virtually to a group of executives I work with and it was just as good as his live deliveries. Great engagement of the participants and excellent feedback on how well the session was conducted – a very positive learning experience with great take-aways for all those who attended. Every time I sit through one of George’s workshops, I always add to my own techniques for communicating better and delivering better presentations. Thanks George Tony Martino, President JTX Inc., Group Leader, CEO Leader CEO Global Network —– Had the opportunity to attend George’s seminar “Delivering Superior Presentations …. because inferior never wins”. The course was informative, fun and provided simple, yet effective methods to improve the impact of your presentations. I plan to use some of these newly found skills in a presentation that I am doing this week. Thank you, George, John Perrcy, CEO Mentor. Leadership Training Coach —– George immediately captured my attention in the first five seconds. He continued to actively engage us throughout the presentation. I was impressed that he demonstrated the techniques of an effective presentation and explained the methodology behind it. It was like a magician revealing the secrets to his illusions. He demonstrated profound knowledge of communication, persuasion and human behaviour. His entertaining antics and drama helped us remember the lessons that we could apply immediately. Bob Singh Minhas —– George Torok was engaging, informative and had excellent tips on how to deliver Superior Presentations. Highly recommend him for anyone looking for ways to better their presentation style. Navjot Chhizer, Business Advisor at the Halton Region —– I have regularly used tips and techniques learnt from George to improve my content and delivery style and it has substantially upped my presentations. George is a master at what he does and I unreservedly recommend him if you are looking to improve your speaking and presentation skills. Parmjit Singh, PhD —– I attended one of George‘s workshops on presentation skills. It included lunch (sandwiches and salad) While I was finishing my lunch George was introduced by the host, John Wilson of CEO Global Network. George came to the front and started his workshop. There was utter silence. George stood there, his left hand finger tips touching their respective right hand finger tips, a wide smile on his face, his eyes scoping out the audience from left to right and back to the left. I slowly put down my cutlery and looked up at George. He had my full attentionwithout saying a word. Wow! Pausing is one of several takeaways I gleaned from the workshop and usewith great effect since. I can highly recommend George for not only your business needs but also your private presentation needs. Jean-Louis Brenninkmeijer, Founder & Chief Visionary Officer, Little Canada —– The FOCUS Leadership Team engaged George to help us tune the presentation of our Strategy Execution Round Table, our premier marketing event and he did an extraordinary job. Giving feedback to professional, seasoned facilitators has its own challenges which George handled masterfully. George uses the right balance of candour with positive reinforcement. He took time to get to know us and our business to make sure that his feedback and guidance was relevant. A great investment! Fred Pidsadny —– Having known George for the better part of two decades, I have seen (and heard) his career as a professional speaker flourish. George and I first worked together on committees at the Burlington Chamber of Commerce. I was proud to also recommend George as one of the guest lecturers at the Chamber School we used to have – the Canadian Institute for Organizational Management. I highly recommend George. His message, style and personality all combine for a memorable and impactful presentation. Scott McMammon, ACE, CCE, Chamber Executive —– As a professional speaker/trainer, George keeps his audience engaged by ensuring that they actively participate in group discussions and activities. He does his homework, ensuring that his materials are relevant to the audience he is presenting to. We have had the pleasure of having George provide our team with“Power Presentations” training, and resulting from that learning experience,George was once again invited to be a speaker/trainer at several of our clientprofessional development events. I highly recommend George Torok to any organization that is looking for a professional trainer/speaker on marketing,effective presentations, and creative problem solving. Cristina Dee-Ong —– George offers a great workshop on Presentation skills and takes time to understand his clients’ needs. As Senior Training Advisor at Bombardier Aerospace, I hired George for an internal customized senior management program. We received excellent feedback on the sessions. Carol Ford —– I first met George in 2006 at the Canadian Management Center
Team Communication Lessons fron the Marvel Avengers
Team Communication Lessons from the Avengers How Diverse is Your Team? What are the communication challenges that you face with your team? How might you relate to the team members of the Avengers and their issues? The Marvel Avengers are a powerful team of diverse individuals who work together to fight earth-shattering and even universe-threatening challenges. How does this strange group of superheroes work together and defeat these challenges? They communicate as much as they might dislike the exchange or even each other at times. They communicate because that’s the only way they are can fight together as a team. Who should be the team leader? How might the diversity of your team guide how you communicate with them as a team and as individuals? Perhaps the leadership role is determined by job title. What if that isn’t the best choice for this particular challenge? Are you willing to select the best team leader for this challenge? Recognise Team Member Strengths and Weakness Hulk might be considered the strongest. Does that make him the natural leader? No, because he’s not the best communicator, and thus not a good leader. He’s short on empathy. Strength doesn’t equate to leadership. Yet his message is always clear and simple. “Hulk smash”. That’s both a verbal and physical message. He smashes the enemies, and the team can count on him to consistently smash. Hulk has one clear message, and he delivers it well. Captain America might be the best team communicator on the team. That might be because he has no superpowers, simply enhanced physical prowess and thoughtful team building insights. He is the best listener and observer of the team. He also recognizes their individual strengths and how best to deploy them. That’s what a good leader does. Leverage the strengths and weaknesses of your team and communicate clearly on their roles. Thor is the Norse god of thunder, yet he is chumming around with an earthly group of superheroes. Even though he had godlike powers and is the apparent heir to the throne of Asgard, he’s willing to be a team member of the Avengers. That suggests a humbleness we don’t associate with gods. And he’s willing to listen to the other members and accept direction from the current team leader. Thor might be as strong as Hulk and a lot less temperamental plus he’s a god. There could be massive ego there, yet he’s a team player. Do you have anyone like that on your team? Ironman, aka Tony Stark, is a genius in robotics and weapons plus a billionaire. Why would he waste his time with this group of lesser intelligence? Because he believes they are stronger when they work together, despite his ego. Tony exudes an oversized ego and maybe he has a right to that. Yet, he realizes that the team must work together to accomplish their goals. The original Ant Man, Hank Pym can shrink to microscopic size and grow to 50 feet tall. He was one of the founding members. He is another scientific genius. His powers have fluctuated over time. He has reinvented himself in different roles, including, Ant Man, Giant Man, Goliah, Yellow Jacket. He has experienced emotional shifts and challenges while still a valuable member. The Wasp, Janet Van Dyne, was another of the founding members who hasn’t received enough credit in the Marvel movies. She was the first female member. Curious that her superpower was as a tiny insect-sized person. Why was the first female member a tiny person? Was that a sexist positioning? There might be sexist bias on your team. Are you aware of that? What can you do to address the real and perceived bias? The Original Avengers Ironman, Antman, Wasp, Hulk, Thor Hawkeye was an early addition to the Avengers team. He’s the guy with a bow and arrow. How out of place does that seem in a world of guns, lasers and superpowers? Do the other team members ridicule him for his lack of strength or superpowers? No. That’s not how team members communicate and build team trust. In addition, he started out as a circus performer and criminal. Wow! How would you trust this guy on your team? The Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff, also lacks superpowers, yet she displays no fear when encountering the threats. She even stands up to Hulk and interrogates Loki, the Norse god of mischief, Thor’s half-brother. She has human fighting skills and understands interrogation and influence. She’s a specialist with communication along with the nuances because she was a Soviet spy – KGB. Then she switched sides and joined SHEILD as an operative before joining the Avengers. Wait a minute, she was a Soviet spy who became a traitor to her country to spy for the other side. How could any team trust this person? She clearly needed to prove herself to her new team. The Scarlet Witch was a mutant and daughter of Magneto, the leader of the evil mutants. How could you trust her with that heritage? Yet, she was allowed to join the Avengers. She wielded hex powers. That was a form of magic. She cast spells that challenged probability. Vision was the first AI, (Artificial Intelligence) addition to the Avengers. In the original story, Vision was created by Hank Pym, Ant Man, as his lab assistant. Later, Ultron, another lab assistant created by Hank Pym gained sentience and took control of its own existence. And Ultron then claimed control of Vision. Ultron challenged the Avengers for control of the Earth in its mission to eradicate humanity. Fortunately, the Avengers defeated Ultron. Then Vision became a free being and joined the Avengers. How would you view and communicate with this team of former spies, enemies and egotists? And you think you have a strange and difficult team. Yes. I’m still a fan of Marve comics and I believe we can find communication lessons from fiction. Access More Presentation Skills Resources Looking For A Speech Coach? Learn
Why Presentation Skills Training is Best Investment
Why Presentation Skills Training Is Best Investment This Year When you think about “presentation skills training,” you might picture someone learning how to gesture correctly or avoid filler words. Naturally, those aspects matter. And here’s the truth that the best leaders already know, presentation skills training is business training. Your ability to speak clearly, persuade confidently, and deliver a message that lands, these are the skills that influence decisions, win clients, lead teams, and advance careers. If you can’t convey your ideas, they won’t matter.If you can’t present your value, others won’t see it.If you can’t communicate with clarity, people fill in the gaps: often incorrectly. From my three decades of coaching leaders and professionals, I’ve learned that presentation skills training isn’t about “performing.” It’s about communicating your value in a way that feels natural and credible. And when you do that, you enjoy amazing results. Why Presentation Skills Matter More Now We live in a world where: Your audience’s attention is shorter than a fruit fly’s patience. Hybrid meetings demand you communicate well both online and in person. Teams crave clarity because confusion costs money. Prospects don’t buy from the smartest person; they buy from the best communicator. Strong presentation skills give you an unfair advantage. Weak skills restrain your progress. What Effective Training Looks Like Effective presentation skills training doesn’t dump formulas on you.It helps you: Structure a message for people to follow Use language that moves people, without clichés Avoid “weed words” that weaken your credibility Speak with confidence even when you feel nervous Read the room and adjust your delivery Deliver online presentations that don’t feel like hostage videos You learn techniques you can use immediately in your next conversation, sales pitch, or team meeting. The Real Benefit: Confidence Through Competence People might say they want to “feel more confident.” What they really want is to know how to convey more confidence to their audience. What are the red flags they need to stop waving and what can they do differently? Confidence is in the perception of the audience. When you understand how to craft a message, when to pause, how to use your voice, and how to connect with an audience, your confidence grows naturally. Not theatrically. Authentically. Imagine that: more confidence because you feel more confident and comfortable with your audience and your message. Who Benefits Most from Presentation Skills Training? My clients who have seen the fastest transformation include: Executives who need to deliver strategic messages Sales teams who must influence under pressure Professionals who want to advance in their career Entrepreneurs pitching investors or customers If you need to communicate with others, presentation skills training is a massive multiplier of your ability to influence others to help you succeed. Where to Begin When you’re ready to elevate the presentation skills of your executive team, explore these training programs. And yes, they can be delivered locally in south-western Ontario, including Toronto, Mississauga, Hamilton, Niagara, Kitchener-Waterloo, London and especially Fergus. I have a soft spot for Fergus. Feel free to ask me about that. You can also arrange for online delivery which is available worldwide. Presentation skills training is not a luxury. It could be the best investment you make for your executive team this year. Next step is a phone or Zoom call to get acquainted and clarify the needs of your executive team. Imagine the results when your team delivers superior presentations every time they speak. Access More Presentation Skills Resources Looking For A Speech Coach? Learn More Here
Why Does Communication Fail?
Why Does Communication Fail? When did you last experience a failed communication? Perhaps it was with your spouse, child or other family member. Was it with a team member at work, a client or supplier? What were the points of communication breakdown? What were the results of those failures to communicate? How did you resolve the problem? Are you still wondering how to fix it? Sometimes the intended message doesn’t get through. Sometimes the communication breaks down, and they don’t receive the message you intended. Maybe they heard a different interpretation of your intended message. Was it the words you used or another factor? Maybe they heard the real message that your words masked but your emotions revealed. Let’s explore a graphic illustration of failed communication in the classic movie, Cool Hand Luke. “What we have here is a failure to communicate.” That statement is from the movie, Cool Hand Luke, staring Paul Newman as Cool Hand Luke, a rebellious inmate in a southern USA chain gang prison during the early 1950s. You might not relate to life in a chain gang prison, yet you might still relate to the communication challenges in this movie. That statement appeared at two significant events during the movie. The first time is when the captain of the prison camp proudly presented Luke as the recaptured prize after Luke’s first attempted escape. As the captain of the prison camp, the only message he wanted the prisoners to receive was “don’t mess with me”. Yet, he didn’t say that. Instead, it seems he craved respect and appreciation from the prisoners that he threatened and dominated. After Luke was captured and presented to the rest of the prison gang, additional shackles were attached to his feet. The captain announced that the shackles were for Luke’s own good. Or were the shackles punishment? The Danger of Emotion Luke defiantly responded with sarcasm, “I wish you would stop being so good to me, Captain.” Luke would have been more productive if he said, “Please take these shackles off me because I’ve learned my lesson.” Too late. At that point, the angry captain responded with, “Don’t you ever talk to me that way”, then he beat Luke viciously with his whip. After Luke is lying on the ground, the captain speaks to the group and utters the phrase, “What we have hear is a failure to communicate.” Why did he say that? Curious that he didn’t admit that he failed to communicate. Instead, he suggested that the failure to communicate fell upon the receiver. In other words, “It’s your problem that you didn’t understand my message, not me. How many times have we stated our message and blamed the receiver for misunderstanding? There were many failures to communicate in this movie, and I believe that was the point. The movie followed Luke on his journey as a rebel. It was easy to admire him as the rebel and then you need to sit back and ask. “Luke, what’s your point?” What are you trying to accomplish? Why are you being so self-destructive? What’s your purpose and your intended message? I believe that Luke didn’t figure that out for himself and that might be the lesson for us. What’s your point? What do you want to accomplish? What’s your intended message? What we have here is a failure to communicate. In the final scene, Luke escaped prison again and is surrounded by the prison authorities led by the captain. Luke in his bold and continued rebellious way appears at the window in his refuge and mocks the captain by repeating the captain’s phrase, “What we have here is a failure to communicate.” That might seem like a poignant summary of this movie until the captain grabs a rifle and puts a bullet in Luke’s head. That was a sad and shocking end to this movie because I was rooting for Luke the rebel. Perhaps it was meant to reinforce the failure to communicate. Perhaps the movie was a reinforcement of the difference between what people meant to say with their emotions and what they said with their words and then with their actions. Early in the movie when Luke boosted, “I can eat 50 eggs” what was he really trying to say? Maybe he was trying to say, “I’m different”, “I want your respect”, “I will break your rules”. When the captain announced, “What we have here is a failure to communicate”, was he admitting his own failure to communicate or was he suggesting that it’s your problem that you didn’t understand my message? That’s an easy mindset in a prison. I wonder how many executives and managers think the same way. You’re my prisoners. It’s your job to understand, not my job to understand. When Luke repeated that phrase at the end of the movie, he was right. You are not communicating with me and I’m not communicating with you. That was his dying statement because the bullet in his head delivered the final message from the captain. I imagine that you will experience many failures to communicate in your workplace. How will you recognize them? How might you resolve them? In this movie communication failed because of emotions. Effective communication starts with you understanding your audience and how they might be receiving your message. Avoid the failure to communicate when you understand and deliver your intended message. Access More Presentation Skills Resources Looking For A Speech Coach? Learn More Here
Why Are Communication Skills Important?
Why are Communication Skills Important? Perhaps you agree that communication skills are important. Many people will agree with you. But ask them to explain “why?” and they might stumble while searching for a clear explanation. I’ve been studying and teaching communication skills for three decades, so I’ve had the opportunity to ponder this question. And no, I’m not a perfect communicator. I don’t believe such a person exists. It’s a matter of making mistakes, learning and improving. “Communication skills are important” What does that mean? I believe that “effective communication skills” are critical to your success in life and career. Poor communication skills will cost you opportunities, relationships and happiness. Communication is two-way. It’s about sending and receiving messages. Understand what others are saying to you and convey your message clearly to them. The primary goal is for your communication skills to be better than your competition, whoever and whatever that is. That might be another speaker presenting an opposing idea. It’s likely the doubts and distractions within the minds of your audience. Communication Skills are Important to Career Success When you are looking for a new job, you start by understanding their need and checking for your match to their expectations. You write and adapt your resume to align with their needs, then you personalize your cover letter to reinforce the match to catch their attention and communicate your value. That’s followed by more critical communication in the form of email, phone calls, Zoom calls and in-person meetings. There’s lots of pressure on you to perform admirably to impress them enough to offer you the job. There might be some negotiation involved before you agree to work together. Negotiation is a specialized form of communication that you also need to learn. Success! You got the job and you enjoy the work environment. You want to stay and grow. The next challenge is the daily communication within the workplace. You meet and talk with your workmates. You attend and participate in meetings and discussions. You communicate with clients and suppliers. You contribute to project teams which requires intense communication. You build confidence to present your ideas to the team and leadership. You learn by observing, questioning and listening. At some point you train new team members. You demonstrate your leadership potential through your communication skills. Your communication skills get you the job, help you thrive and create new opportunities for you. Communication Skills are Important to Organization Success Having the superior product or service is never enough to guarantee mission success. Apple is acknowledged as offering leading edge technology and Steve Jobs is often modeled as a superior communicator – both in the office and on the public stage. If you are not the Apple of your industry just imagine how much better your messaging needs to be. Organization leaders are often expected to present their message with confidence and clarity to staff, clients, partners, investors and the public. Millions of dollars can ride on these presentations. Communication Skills are Important to Stress Reduction The financial cost of stress to organizations is staggering. Work related stress can be demoralizing to staff, management and executives. Effective communication skills reduce miscommunication, which is likely the biggest cause of work-related stress. Have you ever heard negative feedback about your messaging only to say or think, “but that’s not what I meant”? The damage is done. They misinterpreted your message. Maybe you could have communicated differently for better results. In the workplace there are many channels for communication and all of them are open to miscommunication. Imagine if everyone in your workplace improved their understanding of communication and enhanced their skills. Less stress and stronger productivity. Communication Skills are Important to Time Management Most presentations and meetings take too much time because people are unable to communicate effectively and efficiently. Say less to get the message across. Speak to the issue and interest of the audience. What if you say it in five or ten minutes instead of 30 or 45 minutes? Meetings get off topic and people ramble about unrelated issues. People say what they believe they need to say instead of what needs to be said and done. Emails bounce back and forth that simply wastes everyone’s time and aggravates them. Stop wasting time with sloppy communication. Communication Skills are Important to Leadership Leaders are expected to communicate effectively because people need to hear their message. Leadership in your community, association or business demands effective communication skills. Every cause needs a leader. Every leader needs to be able to speak to deliver a clear and inspiring message. They need to speak one-on-one, one to few and one to many. The team and followers will often judge the leader and the cause on the communication skills of that spokesperson. Who respects and follows a leader that can’t communicate? Communication skills are Important to Public Image & Opinion It might seem unfair, but we will often judge you, your organization and your value on how you, your staff or executives communicate. We will tend to remember the extremes – extremely bad or especially good. Compared to what we’ve experienced, you are good, putrid or simply ho-hum. Remember that our perception is relative to what we’ve seen from other communications. Better communication doesn’t guarantee success. Instead, it gives you a better fighting chance of success. Almost everything you want to accomplish is a fight. Why not gain a powerful edge in your favor? Improve communication skills for you and your team. For these reasons you can see clearly why communication skills are important to you and your success. Get ready to out-communicate your competition. Access More Presentation Skills Resources Looking For A Speech Coach? Learn More Here