CONSULTING
“Working with Maria is a truly wonderful experience. She is a very knowledgeable and experienced coach.” Ivy Latimer, Director, EO Compliance Johnson & Johnson |
“I was impressed by Maria’s passion, insight, deep expertise, and effective methodologies. I am now a more confident, articulate, and persuasive speaker and presenter!” Becky Cao, Managing Director Standard & Poors |
“Maria is a valuable resource with the highest professional standards: interesting and entertaining, as well. She gave practical and very effective exercises to help me become a more effective communicator. I recommend her highly.” Gerald Delaney, Radio Announcer and Host WFAS FM Radio |
Maria works with organizations who want to develop power speaking: to be more persuasive, productive, and profitable. With her background as an actor on Broadway, film, and television, Maria brings to the table a unique skillset and specialization: influencing techniques rooted in theatrical performance; how to use voice and demeanor to project authenticity, build credibility, and get to “yes” faster.
The Harvard Business School discovered this about persuasion: What matters most is your visual and vocal impact: how you deliver your message to build belief within the listeners.
Mastery of this skill is the heart of the actor’s craft. That is why our most successful companies and advertisers rely on actors to promote products and services: acting techniques and performance skills are fundamental to the business of persuasion: selling any idea, product, or service.
Maria combines traditional training methods with experiential learning in a creative context, helping speakers in all industries maximize credibility and project their best image by applying techniques that actors have been using successfully for decades.
Each program builds upon the unique features of individual personality and style and provides a set of portable skills to enhance the way you present yourself: face-to-face, conducting webinars, video conferences, or podcasts, and even speaking by phone.
Benefits For You / Your Team:
Senior leaders: get more buy-in; become more persuasive and more productive
Professionals who sell (both directly and indirectly): shorten the sales cycle; tell engaging stories to communicate the value of your products/services
Customer service professionals: enhance relationships and turn unhappy clients/customers into ambassadors for your brand
“Numbers people”: influence the C-suite by speaking their language and delivering clear, concise data in a compelling manner
Programs:
(Every program is completely custom-designed in private, semi-private, and group formats)
Leadership Presence: Speak with Passion, Persuasion, and Pizzazz
By virtue of your position as a business leader, you are on stage whenever you speak with employees, other executives, government bodies, and the media, etc. This program provides performance techniques that help you engage and influence listeners in the office, boardroom, and wherever it counts. Participants learn how to enhance leadership presence by using vocal and physical demeanor to build trust, increase credibility, and get to “yes” faster.
“Maria’s coaching has enabled me to communicate with confidence and demonstrate my leadership qualities to my team, customers, and colleagues. Her positive attitude and professionalism inspire me. She is a very good listener, and I trust her opinion!” Nancy Chang-Clark Senior VP of Business Planning. Moody’s Corporation |
“As the client/manager at Mullin Associates, I observed firsthand the outstanding coaching that Maria provided to senior-level financial executives. Her clients had the highest praise for her professionalism, enthusiasm and talent. Our client companies saw immediate gains in presence and successful speaking.” Elaine Weinstein Executive VP Mullin Associates |
“Maria’s training was the most useful professional development work that we have had in the past few years. She gave our attorneys constructive ideas and personal feedback in a way that no one else has done.” Idelle Howitt, Esq. Association of Corporate Counsel |
Build Your Brand Credibility (Presentation Skills)
The most successful leaders are master persuaders. This program presents a powerful strategy to influence and motivate listeners in meetings, conversations and presentations: the time-honored technique for belief-building that actors have been using successfully for decades. Participants learn a step-by-step process to focus the mind for a strategic, engaging, and persuasive delivery of every business message.
“Maria listened, provided great feedback, and gave me the skills to make very effective presentations!” James M. Cassidy Senior Tax Director BDO Accounting Firm |
“Maria’s coaching was of great value to me. Her expertise extends far beyond being “merely” a speech consultant. She gave me strategies to focus on listener perspectives and desired outcomes, as well as techniques that have dramatically increased my projection of confidence and authority.” Eric Dahl, former CEO World Trade Centers Association |
“Maria Guida has had excellent results coaching our attorneys. She is professional and a true expert in her area.” Kristen Ireland former Manager of Development Shearman & Sterling |
Enhance Teamwork and Innovative Thinking With Acting Improvisation
To maintain a competitive edge, organizations need innovative thinking and unified teams; acting improvisation develops the skills for success. This highly-interactive program promotes the “yes and” mindset, developing openness and creative thinking. Participants engage in improvisation, theater games, and mind, body, and voice techniques that enhance interpersonal connection and build trust, flexibility, collaboration, confidence, and the ability to think quickly on your feet. Discover how play will enhance the way your team works.
“Maria’s program was a lot of fun – and very valuable.” Monica Patel, VP; SR HR Generalist Citigroup Global Markets, Inc. “The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect, but by the play instinct.” |
“Maria’s program, “Sales Presence Through Acting Improvisation” gave me solid ideas for my sales presentations: humor, vocal tone, body language, listening skills, and adding drama… great ideas!” Casey Carpenter, CEO The Sales Breakthrough Coach “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” |
“Maria’s program was enlightening and fun. Her insightful techniques have helped our attorneys become more confident, authoritative, and persuasive. Maria was a big hit, and we look forward to having her back for another program!” Bari Chase, Director NY County Lawyers Association |
From Broadway to Business: Lessons From the Stage for Leadership Success
With this program, participants take away lessons from the Broadway stage about personal qualities and strategies that engender trust and strengthen the competitive edge in any industry. The program includes a lively mix of lessons and stories from the theater that have relevance for all leaders who want to enhance their executive presence and conduct business with authenticity, integrity, and a winning style.
“Maria’s program was, hands down, the most beneficial investment I’ve ever made in my career.” Cicely Reece Executive Sales Consultant Novartis Pharmaceuticals |
“Maria’s program for the NYC Association of Hotel Concierges was exceptional, and our members loved it. I recommend her to everyone in the customer service profession!” Loida Diaz, President NYC Association of Hotel Concierges |
“I was pleased to see how much our conference attendees valued Maria’s program and I am thankful that I saw it. Maria has a powerful message”. John O’Keefe, Co-chair Society for HR Management Conference |
Get Heard and Get Respect: Speaking Strategies for Women
This program provides speaking strategies for professional women: how to adjust vocal and physical demeanor to successfully navigate communication with colleagues whose conversation style might include inappropriate behaviors, such as shouting, interruption, and dismissive tone or words. Participants learn techniques to communicate their business message with confidence and power, regardless of their conversation partners’ speaking style.
“Maria turns the tough matter of business speaking into a fun and engaging process. She helped us develop a better way to communicate with other professionals.” Elizabeth Nieto former HR Director Citigroup |
“Maria is an energetic speaker who gives a captivating presentation. She includes audience participation and real time application of her techniques in a fun and lively environment; one of the best programs I have ever been to!” Chau Nguyen, Director of Events NJ Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association |
“Maria Guida provided simple, effective tools to make every speaking engagement dynamic, clear, and powerful. Her advice on how to enhance your message and credibility was invaluable.” Joan O’Meara Winant Director YaleWomenNYC |
Communicating With Challenging People in the Workplace
To cultivate productive workplaces, professionals must communicate effectively with colleagues, including those who are perceived as “challenging”. This program provides speaking strategies that facilitate greater cooperation and collaboration: how to (1) recognize challenging behavior patterns in others, (2) understand the underlying needs that may be causing the behavior, and (3) use words, tone of voice, and body language to reduce conflict and foster harmony.
“Maria’s program was the most useful professional development work that we have had in the past few years. She gave our attorneys constructive ideas and personal feedback in a way that no one else has done.” Idelle Howitt, Esq. Association of Corporate Counsel |
“Maria Guida’s dynamic techniques for better business speaking are practical and very effective. I heartily recommend her training!” Moses Dodo former General Manager Espirito Santo Investment Bank |
“Maria’s program is creative, enjoyable, and highly effective: a wonderful foundation for better communication in any industry.” Nancy Ploeger former President Manhattan Chamber of Commerce |
Eloquent Networking for Professionals
Whenever you are networking for business, you need to grab your listeners’ attention and take a tip from the theater: “Leave ‘em wanting more!” In this program, participants learn how to (1) create and deliver an elevator speech that will intrigue listeners, (2) start meaningful conversations by asking the right questions, and (3) build trust by giving before you get. You will take away concrete strategies to begin building mutually-beneficial relationships that generate and enhance business.
“Maria’s speaking techniques helped our attorneys bring additional business to the firm. I could not have anticipated a better result!” Scott Levine, Esq. Platzer, Swergold, Karlin, Levine, Goldbeg & Jaslow |
“Maria Guida’s presentation to the Westchester Women’s Bar Association was lively and interesting and gave us a new way to approach business speaking.” Dawn K. Arnold, Esq., President Westchester Women’s Bar Association |
Eloquent Executive Writing
““Professionals who succeed are the ones who have superb communication skills, and Maria truly helped me improve my business writing.”
Antonio Perrotta, Managing Director & CTO
Bessemer Trust
This program provides solutions to the challenges in executive writing, along with strategies to craft emails, reports, and other business documents with authenticity, style, and persuasive power. Participants take away step-by-step techniques to craft clear, concise, and compelling messages that motivate readers to take the desired actions.
Communication Skills for Foreign-born Professionals
Foreign-born professionals working in the U.S. sometimes experience challenges communicating with business people raised in the States. This program provides strategies to communicate with effective American word/phrase usage and pronunciation, polished grammar, and speaking/writing styles that are culturally appropriate and effective in a broad range of professional situations. Participants become confident communicators and enhance their professional image in the U.S.
(Maria has coached executives from over forty countries. She holds an additional M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.)
“For a busy, foreign-born manager, Maria Guida is a Godsend. She is a true professional. If I had had Maria’s coaching thirty years ago, I could have been the CEO already!” Peter Liu, former Managing Director Securities Industry Automation Corporation |
“Maria was instrumental in helping me develop my skills as a speaker in the US, and her training has helped me tremendously on a daily basis.” Jian Wei Miao Sales Manager New York Marriott Financial Center Hotel |
Train-The-Trainer
This program is designed for facilitators and trainers who work within corporations. It provides (1) support for curriculum and lesson plan design and (2) strategies to command the room and engage the people you train. Content includes how to conduct needs assessments and proficiency evaluations and how to select the most effective formats for group programs. A wide range of additional topics are available, according to individual needs.