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RICHARD FORD EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATION COACHING
Richard Ford delivering a talk while holding a microphone on a dark stage

Pitches · Presentations · Keynotes

Pitches, presentations and keynotes.

Develop the message, sharpen the slides and rehearse it out loud, so you walk in ready for the room that matters.

Send a short brief Or request a Room Review

One-to-one support for your real presentation, pitch or talk.

Who it’s for

Pitches, boards and stages.

Three different rooms. The work starts with who you need to reach and what you want them to understand.

Reach out

Founders pitching investors

Find the real story behind what you do and shape it into a pitch people remember.

Talk through the pitch

What we work on

From first draft
to the room.

We start with what you have and concentrate on the changes that make the biggest difference.

  1. Craft the message

    One idea, one structure, and the words to carry it. Script, slides or notes.

  2. Slides that back you up

    Your deck supports what you say instead of competing with it.

  3. Rehearse on your feet

    Out loud and recorded, so you see what the room sees.

  4. Handle the questions

    We practise the ones you did not see coming, so you stay calm.

The cost depends on the size of the project. It is quoted after a short chat.

Before and after · the pitch opening

Same business. A faster way in.

A pitch lands when the listener hears the problem first and the product second.

Before

“Thanks for having us. We are a platform that uses AI to help businesses manage their data more efficiently.”

After

“Every Friday, a small building firm stops work to chase invoices. The job is done. The money is owed. We make sure they get paid.”

An illustration of the shift. Not a client result.

How it feels

Less theory. More real rehearsal.

We work on your own words and material, in the room or on Zoom, and practise what you’ll actually need to say.

  1. 01 · Make the point

    Clarify the one idea the audience should leave with.

  2. 02 · Make the deck support you

    Remove competition between your slides and what you say.

  3. 03 · Rehearse the difficult moment

    Practise aloud and prepare for questions or interruptions.

How working together looks

What changes between the first draft and the room.

Start by understanding the audience. Build the message around the central idea. Rehearse it out loud. Prepare for the questions and the unexpected.

  1. Discovery

    Map the room and what success should look like.

  2. Development

    Shape the structure and supporting examples.

  3. Dynamics

    Practise aloud, including the questions.

  4. Delivery

    Go in ready to communicate as yourself.

See the full journey and more results

Reach out

Got a pitch, talk or keynote coming up?

Send me a short brief with the date and the audience. I’ll come back with what I’d suggest.

  • Pitch
  • Board update
  • Conference
  • TEDx preparation
Send a short brief Want to try one session first? Request a Room Review

See what you get

A real Room Review report

The written report from a real Room Review, for an 18-minute conference keynote. The client said I could share it. Their name, organisation, role, event and date are removed.

Click here for a sample output from the Room Review

PDF · 22 pages · Read it online instead

Pitches, public speaking, keynote and TEDx speakers

Pitches, presentations and keynotes

Develop the message, sharpen the slides and rehearse it out loud, so you walk in ready for the room that matters.

A speaker holding a microphone on a dark stage

Who it's for

Pitches, boards and stages

  • Founders pitching investors

    Find the real story behind what you do and shape it into a pitch people remember.

  • Leaders presenting to the board

    Cut the slides to what the room needs, practise the opening and plan for the interruption.

  • Speakers with a conference or TEDx slot

    Find the idea worth sharing, shape the talk and rehearse it until it sounds like you, not a script.

    Keynote and TEDx training →

What we work on

From first draft to the room

  1. Craft the message

    One idea, one structure, and the words to carry it. Script, slides or notes.

  2. Slides that back you up

    Your deck supports what you say instead of competing with it.

  3. Rehearse on your feet

    Out loud and recorded, so you see what the room sees.

  4. Handle the questions

    We practise the ones you didn't see coming, so you stay calm.

Cost depends on the size of the project. It is quoted after a short chat.

Before and after · the pitch opening

Same business. A faster way in.

A pitch lands when the listener hears the problem first and the product second.

Before

“Thanks for having us. We are a platform that uses AI to help businesses manage their data more efficiently.”

After

“Every Friday, a small building firm stops work to chase invoices. The job is done. The money is owed. We make sure they get paid.”

An illustration of the shift. Not a client result.

How it works

What working together actually looks like

The easiest way to show you is a client. This is Jessica.

Jessica T. · Director of Sales Operations

Showing leadership, not just reporting it.

Jessica had made £50M in savings and had a strong track record. She understood her performance data inside out.

The challenge was making sure the people listening could see the leadership behind the numbers.

  • £50Min savings
  • 18months to promotion
  • TEDxspeaking invitation
Jessica smiling on a Zoom call with Richard in the corner of the screen

Discovery

Built a narrative that connected.

We focused on the story behind the results: the decisions made, the people involved, the challenges overcome and the thinking that moved the team forward.

What changed: A story built around the thinking behind the numbers.

See the full journey and more results

Next step

Got a pitch, talk or keynote coming up?

Send me a short brief with the date and the audience. I'll come back within 24 hours with what I'd suggest.

Send a short brief

Want to try one session first? Request a Room Review

See what you get

A real Room Review report

The written report from a real Room Review, for an 18-minute conference keynote. The client said I could share it. Their name, organisation, role, event and date are removed.

Click here for a sample output from the Room Review

PDF · 22 pages · Read it online instead

Request a Room Review