Hello Marc,
I hope you're having a good May. This edition of my Monthly Nugget focuses on a breakthrough I've had with group training that's transformed my business. While I'm excited to share this new offering (and yes, I'm aware this newsletter is a bit more promotional than usual), the story behind it contains genuine lessons about experimentation and listening to feedback that I think is valuable regardless of one's field. I hope you enjoy reading about the journey — failures, lessons learned, and all!
Warmly,
Marc
Practical persuasion insights from Elevator Speech Training
May 2025 EDITION
After thousands of one-on-one Elevator Speech Training sessions, I've finally cracked the code on effective group coaching. It wasn't a straight path, but I'm thrilled to share what works.
When organizations began asking for group training sessions a few years back, I hesitated. As an expert in personalized coaching, I knew what made my one-on-one sessions successful—deep pre-session research, tailored advice, and undivided attention. Scaling this approach seemed challenging.
I wondered:
It took a while, but I experimented with various approaches. Some attempts were, frankly, spectacular failures:
| What I Tried | What Happened |
|---|---|
| AI-generated karaoke song I sang at the beginning of a workshop with concert video backdrop | Fell completely flat |
| Game show-style random name selector with blinking lights and music | Terrified participants |
These missteps taught me valuable lessons about what truly matters in effective communication training: Stay focused on what's useful. No gimmicks.
The winning formula turned out to be simple: teach the 4-step framework, demonstrate with clear examples, then host "talk show style" conversations with participants.
The real game-changer came from a participant's feedback that suggested using Zoom breakout rooms for small group practice.
My first attempt at breakouts felt strange—I stayed in the main room while participants collaborated elsewhere. Surprisingly, they loved it and wanted more time in breakouts.
For subsequent sessions, I refined my approach by moving between breakout rooms to provide guidance. This created the perfect balance of structure and personalization.
Then, another participant gave me the gift of an additional crucial insight after a group session: giving breakout room participants templates of specific questions to help them critique one another more effectively, significantly elevating the quality of these self-guided exercises.
A variety of organizations have now validated this approach:
This 90-minute workshop accommodates up to 300 participants via Zoom with:
Teams can now experience a transformative communication training together, in just 90 minutes. At a flat rate of $2,400 for up to 300 participants, organizations can broadly include staff, board members, and partners in a single session where everyone gains skills they can start using the very same day.
While this group format extends my reach, one-on-one coaching remains valuable. The approaches complement each other—group sessions provide the foundation while individual sessions offer deeper personalization.
Ready to elevate your team's communication skills in one fell 90-minute swoop? Contact me, learn more, or book a group workshop at elevatorspeechtraining.com
Much of my business comes from recommendations from people like you. If you've found value in the training, please consider sharing it with others who might benefit.
Visit elevatorspeechtraining.com/recommend for a template you can use to recommend the training.
Thank you for spreading the word!
Marc Fest
Elevator Speech Training