What We Do | Neon Zebra

Executive Coaching

We deliver customized executive presentation skills coaching preparing speakers to present with unflappable confidence and conviction . . . every time.
We challenge our clients to stretch. Why? Because if they continue to communicate in the same way and expect different results, they will be disappointed and disappointing.
Today, only brutally clear ideas resonate. We show our clients how to speak in ways that cut through the clutter so they will stand out & be heard.
We listen first, question second and recommend last. Before we get to “how to”, we start by asking “what if” & “why.” We understand before we advise.
“Inspiration dances with the daring” the saying goes. So we break molds and shun cookie-cutter solutions. Why? Because average and safe work is typically greeted with stifling yawns.
We aren’t afraid to experiment, to challenge all assumptions until we find what works best. Not every idea works, but provocative, edgy and creative approaches often produce remarkable results.
We diplomatically but candidly tell speakers what they need to know. Because if they see only what they want to see and hear only what they want to hear, they are sliding towards mediocrity.
Thinking & speaking like everyone else isn’t difficult. But it is a strategy that will cause you to be forgotten. We refuse to settle for average. We make speakers distinctive.
We peel away executives’ robotic speaking personas to help them look and sound authentic, approachable and trustworthy.
We prepare speakers to send one clear message to audiences: This speaker is different. This speaker cares. This speaker deserves our attention.

Excellent presentations are brimming with rich stories. Stories make the messenger and the message memorable . . . and worth talking about. We show speakers how to harness the power of stories to make the message resonate.
We help speakers craft and tell stories that inspire and delight every audience, stories that stimulate critical thinking and illuminate ideas, stories that are fresh and unexpected.
We teach speakers how to use stories as mental hooks to engage every audience, stories that cause audiences to “see it with their ears,” stories to help audiences visualize both what is and what could be.
In essence, we use stories to ensure that audiences don’t just hear the words . . . they understand the point . . . they get it.
People act on emotions not just reason. Facts and knowledge are rarely enough to spark change or generate action. We use stories to aim for the heart as well as the head.
Audience’s today are busy swiping, skipping, scanning, tweeting, clicking and liking. Stories make them pause, reflect and think. Stories help speakers capture the most valuable but rarest commodity of all: audience attention.

In the communications arena, “Everything Matters”—the message, the stories, the imagery, the delivery, the visual support . . . everything! We address all of the details so our clients can focus on the most important task of all: audience connection.
Our precise planning and consulting blueprints have guided thousands of speakers and generated a 25-year record of exceptional results . . . and isn’t that what really matters most?
Our relentless attention to detail gives leaders a competitive edge in the highly competitive business arena. It helps ensure that their messages are memorable and their delivery distinctive.
We are trusted advisors to our clients every step of the way. We plan and supervise all aspects of the communications process. If something might impact our clients’ effectiveness in any way when they speak, we address it . . . period.
We refuse to let our clients get comfortable with what they are comfortable with, to do it the same way again and again, to settle for average. Why? They begin to stagnate. When that happens, both the speaker and the message are forgettable . . . and are quickly forgotten.
We explore all possible ways our clients can enhance their effectiveness when they present. We believe that speaking excellence is a perpetual journey, never a destination.
We question, evaluate and even challenge everyone’s ideas, assumptions and approach, at every stage of the communication journey, until together, we find the best approach. Why? Because following a paint-by-numbers formula is way overrated.
We start by asking: What do you want your audience to know, think, believe and do when you are finished speaking? Then we work together to achieve those goals.

We craft speeches that differentiate speakers, speeches that cause audiences to pause, to think and to act . . . speeches that produce results.
Like structural engineers, we convert mountains of disconnected thoughts, random ideas and muddled concepts into coherent, logical and compelling messages.
Simply stated: We write speeches that will resonate with and excite the people you need to reach.
We begin crafting every speech asking one critical question: Why should the audience care about what you say?
Today’s weary audiences are suffering from utter sensory overload—too many messages, too many ideas, and too many words—all delivered in too many ways. We simplify complex ideas into tight, crisp messages.
We disabuse speakers from what Oscar Wilde called “our monstrous worship of facts,” our propensity to share it all because we know it all. We distill messages to their memorable essence.
We are guided by one key communication principle with today’s harried audiences: less is more.
What makes us different from other speechwriters? Perspective. We are professional speakers. We have walked in our speakers’ shoes. We have presented to audiences hundreds and hundreds of times. We have felt both the exhilarating highs of a magical presentation and the depressing lows of one that flops. So we have a unique and valuable speaker’s perspective in every message we draft. Most speechwriters do not.
We are not cemented to paint-by-number principles or stock approaches, because no two speakers and no two messages are alike.
Our speechwriting formula is simple: What connects with an audience? What works? What produces the best results?
We tap the best ideas and communication strategies from the many diverse global industries in which we consult to help clients develop a broader perspective . . . to help them imagine what they may not yet see.

We conduct customized presentation skills workshops designed to empower speakers to communicate with power, passion and persuasion . . . to stand out every time they speak.
Our workshops are highly interactive. Participants engage in multiple speaking exercises—prepared, impromptu, and extemporaneous presentations, and rigorous Q & A exercises—to help them identify both their strengths and opportunities as communicators.
We supplement the lessons learned during the workshops with valuable take home tools: critically acclaimed presentation skills books, customized handouts, recordings of both the presentations and our recommendations.
We don’t shower workshop participants with esoteric theories or Pollyannaish solutions. We provide candid feedback, a customized, detailed blueprint, and specific ideas they can immediately implement.
Our workshops have a proven 25-year record of producing exceptional results. They are often rated as the best professional development training—of any type—the participants have ever received.
We make speakers believe in themselves, believe they can speak with confidence and conviction . . . and then we show them how.

Simply stated: We make messages spring to life visually.
We design visual aids that reinforce the message and produce exceptional results . . . visual aids that tell a compelling story.
We simplify mountains of complex facts, tangled ideas, drab text and convoluted graphs and create memorable, insightful visual aids.
We build visuals that create lasting impressions . . . visual images that stick.
Audiences are overwhelmed by complex, challenging visuals. When confronted with visual overload, audiences bolt to the mental exits and communication fails. We eliminate complexity.
We think “audience first” and design all visuals from the audience’s perspective.
We test the visuals by always asking one question: Do they complement and reinforce the speaker’s message?
We consult and coach in a wide variety of industries. This multi-industry expertise and insights give us a broader perspective on the latest cutting-edge techniques and trends in visual messaging.
We shun content-heavy visuals—always. Our goal is to have the audience “get it” by seeing it, not just reading voluminous text or attempting to decipher microscopic charts.
We edit visuals ruthlessly. Our perspective and priority: more images . . . fewer words.
We prepare speakers using visual aids to present with perfect timing, choreographed transitions and seamless flow, to enhance the audience’s retention.

We prepare speakers to confidently respond with clear, concise and compelling answers.
We show speakers how to think and analyze before they respond using our proven Q & A formula: “Listen-Process-Respond.”
We prepare speakers for the rigors of Q & A by asking probative, challenging, and aggressive questions . . . and then honing and refining their answers.
We anticipate questions clients hope they won’t hear . . . and then we show them how to respond in a logical, persuasive manner.
We prepare our clients like an exceptional attorney prepares for trial—with careful attention to detail and precise preparation. Our battle-tested analytical cross examination skills learned in the courtroom are invaluable in ensuring our clients are fully prepared before they begin to respond.
We record, analyze and critique every question and every response, and we provide the recordings to the speakers as a take-home learning tool.
We study every aspect of the speaker’s verbal and non-verbal messages when responding—words, body language, energy, conviction, tone—everything.

We carefully plan and meticulously choreograph every aspect of a team pitch to produce exceptional results.
We address all the unique challenges team presentations pose for speakers: messaging consistency, timing, delegation of responsibilities, facilitating questions, concise responses and summarizing key takeaways.
We coach teams to present in a seamless, consistent and unified fashion.
We analyze team pitches as skeptical listeners, and ask probative questions: Is their message credible? Is it persuasive? Is it compelling? Why?
We evaluate both the speaker as he presents and the team as they listen, to identify and eliminate incongruities or mixed messages, and to ensure everyone is engaged at all times.
We draw insights from our broad cross-industry experience. We utilize and incorporate pitching insights, techniques and lessons learned from multiple and varied industries.

Executive Coaching

Storytelling

Communications Consulting

Speechwriting

Presentation Skills Workshops

Visual Aid Creation

Q & A Training

Team Pitching