Imagine spending weeks conducting customer research, identifying features and benefits, honing the message and visuals - only to see the presentation delivered by someone who didn't prepare properly (or at all!) and couldn't handle the easiest questions. 

No matter how earthmoving the content, if the delivery is mediocre, the message is lost.

Coming second because of poor preparation is far worse than coming second because of an inferior product or service.

The people who deliver your carefully crafted corporate messages are often where they are today because of other competencies. They may well need a helping hand to do justice to your work and your message.

Distancing this from the organisation improves the rigour and candour of training, feedback and results.

"A man's intellect is stored powder; it cannot touch itself off; the fire must come from the outside." Mark Twain

Mercedes Benz

Taking over an overseas Mercedes Benz subsidiary in a different time zone and language takes some beating in terms of challenges and learning curves. The people in Stuttgart understand this and invest heavily in training and personal development. In this case I was retained to coach the newly promoted country MD on a two week intensive 1-2-1 intercultural communications course.

SAP

In the 90's, when the company started by 5 ex-IBM'ers in a 2 bedroom flat in Heidelberg were replacing R2 with R3, they took no chances.

They introduced an enormous presentation training programme for all their  client-facing sales and technical employees, most of which was outsourced - especially at the senior management level which was generally 1-2-1. The majority of this work (delivered over more than 4 years) came to the Institute in Germany where I worked within a group of ten trainers. 

"I really enjoy working with Peter because he took the time to understand our company, my role and my department and had a real business background too." 

Peter Pfeiffer, International HR Development Manager, SAP