Speaking and Lectures
College lectures or Conference Speaking
You need a speaker for your event, whether it’s a small workshop or a large conference. But you’re worried. Will they actually engage the audience? Or will people be checking their phones within ten minutes, stuck listening to someone rambling through slides?
The problem is that most speakers deliver information but don’t create engagement. Your audience has different learning styles, different attention spans, and they’re all wondering if this will be worth their time. A dull session reflects badly on you.
I bring a fresh, energetic approach to speaking that keeps everyone in the room engaged. Drawing on 35 years of hands-on business experience, I deliver practical sessions on the fundamentals of running and growing a business. But I don’t just talk at people. I use discussion, exercises, and role play to maintain energy and help people with different learning styles actually absorb what they’re hearing.
Whether it’s an intimate group or a packed conference hall, I adapt my style to keep momentum and ensure genuine learning happens. Your audience stays engaged, takes away practical insights, and you can relax knowing you’ve chosen someone who’ll deliver.
Topics I cover include:
- Planning & Strategy
- Mission & Values
- Cash Management
- People Leadership
- The Art of Delegation
- Courageous Conversations
- Being a Coaching Boss
- Social Enterprise
Testimonials
Storytelling and expertise mark Colin out “As the enterprise lead at Peabody with responsibility for organising and delivering business forum events and programmes, I am particularly excited about providing this testimonial about Colin Crooks’ public speaking expertise, experience and delivery. It has been a pleasure to work with Colin to deliver a couple of our flagship business forum events at Peabody.
Colin has been a speaker at the Peabody Business Forum event sharing from his experience of running different businesses and delivering valuable business insights to an audience of business owners. During the business forum session, Colin’s delivery was uniquely different in the way he weaved his business startup experience and skills in an interesting and compelling story without losing touch with the topic and theme and at the same time achieving key session outcomes for both event organisers and attendees.
Colin’s expertise in public speaking is also reflected in his ability to engage large and small groups connecting with people from across different socio-economic backgrounds. From my interaction with him, he has displayed an exceptional ability to listen, an attribute which I believe is invaluable to being a successful speaker.
One ability that sets him apart from all the speakers we have had at the forum is the ability to adopt a storytelling approach in the delivery of his presentation, infusing business principles and lessons in a calm and conversational manner that connects with the audience. In doing this, he was able to hold the attention of his listeners for the entire session something that has put his speaking session among some of the most relevant, practical and engaging sessions we have had at Peabody.
A testament to his resourcefulness and outstanding speaking ability is reflected in our willingness to work with him on other projects that involve engagement with and speaking to diverse groups, big and small. I believe that Colin is a sound public speaker and I very happily support this application by providing this testimonial.”
Abraham Williams, PhD. Enterprise Lead, Peabody Trust
Candid and thought-provoking talks “Colin has been a speaker on a number of leadership development programmes and workshops I’ve run. He is an excellent communicator – able to engage an audience by tailoring his content – in our workshops this related to his own leadership experience – to the brief and adapt to the needs and interests of the individuals in the group. His sessions were always thought-provoking, in large part because he would share very candidly about both challenges and successes. “
Tom Brind, Director, Global Customised Learning, Common Purpose
Ready to grow with purpose?
Tell me what you need – book a free chat, and we’ll see if I can help