Frequently Asked Questions

A storytelling coach helps you identify, understand, hone, and articulate your story in a way that moves people emotionally. A story is more potent than any data set. Stories are like an emotion-triggering PDF sent from one person to another.

All Peter Botting - StoryPower Storytelling sessions are customised to meet your unique needs as a speaker. Everyone has different starting points and goals when they come to Peter. People either come to Peter because they want to prepare for a high-stakes event such as a speech, presentation, pitch, or high-stakes interaction or they want to develop their or their team’s speaker skills.

A speaker coach is sometimes called a performance coach. A speaker coach helps clients develop clarity, confidence, and impact in their communication. They use feedback, practice, and tools to refine and distill your storytelling, delivery, and stage presence.

A speaker coach trains individuals to deliver compelling presentations and speeches. A speaker coach focuses on structure, storytelling, voice, body language, and audience connection. A speaker coach kills filler words and makes your delivery sing.

Yes, a speaker coach can dramatically improve confidence, clarity, and audience impact. The return (and the time saved) always outweighs the cost for professionals who speak regularly and for less experienced or novice speakers.

It always makes better financial sense to hire a speaker coach based on a project or on a retainer basis. If your message matters, get the best help you can. Not all lawyers or doctors are the same quality, neither are speaker coaches.

All Peter Botting - StoryPower Storytelling and Speaker Coaching sessions are tailored to meet your unique needs as a speaker, your audience and the “stage” from which you will be speaking. Everyone has different starting points and goals.

People either come to Peter because they want to prepare for a high-stakes event such as a speech, presentation, pitch, or other high-stakes event or they want to develop their or their team’s speaker skills.

These sessions will typically involve the following:

• An initial filmed audit for diagnosis and review
• A deep-dive story-mining exercise
• An introduction into the elements of storytelling and tools and systems to develop your stories.
• Script revision to improve impact while establishing authenticity
• Rehearsals of the speech, talk, pitch or presentation
• Mock Q&A sessions
• Technology review - slides, aids, clickers and more
• You’ll also get homework…

Side-effects:

• You will gain confidence and become more calm before and on stage
• Your on-stage presence will be upgraded
• You will stop waffling and using filler words
• You will understand how to craft, structure and tell better stories
• Your body language will become a message asset rather than a distraction

It’s how you use the space, how you perform on stage. The way you move. Where you stand. What you do when you’re not talking. It’s not theatre - it’s clarity. Everything on stage should support and enhance your message, not conflict with it or distract from it.

Don’t wander. Don’t pace. Move when it matters. A step means change. Stillness means focus. Know why you’re moving - or don’t. Words and body movements should have a purpose.

Front and centre. Stop. Let the silence do some work. Stillness makes people listen.

Your body speaks louder than your words. Open up. Face them. Look at them. Don’t cross your arms. Don’t hide. Show confidence, even if you don’t feel it.

You’ll know what a consigliere is if you have seen the Godfather. A consigliere is a dispassionate advisor or counsellor to the leader - a close and trusted confidant. A consigliere challenges and gives honest and agenda-free feedback.

This consigliere/coach relationship evolves organically as confidence and trust build based on shared values and agendas. Your agenda is their agenda.

One constant for all leaders is that people are involved, and the leader must communicate effectively. The other constant is that events happen - usually fast and unexpectedly. Leaders have to shift focus fast, and so does their adviser.

Peter adds value and counsel to scheduled events like an AGM speech or internal comms sessions, but he also is able to help with whatever you are dealing with at the moment - that day or that week. The schedule needs to be bent, and Peter will step up wherever is needed.

Leadership coaches charge between £500 and £3,500 per hour depending on experience and reputation. Top-tier elite executive coaches charge significantly more for senior-level clients. Outcomes are more important than hourly rates. Project packages and retainers can reduce hourly rates. The price depends on experience and specialisation. Retainers or project-based work are always recommended.

Coaching leadership focuses on aggressive or active listening, human empathy, and using the coaches knowledge and skills to develop others. Leadership coaches guide rather than dictate. Leadership coaches accelerate and guide emerging and incumbent leaders.

Good leadership coaching can significantly improve performance, confidence, and decision-making. Its value depends on the commitment of the person being coached and the coach’s quality.

Nelson Mandela – led South Africa through reconciliation after apartheid, showing vision, integrity, and empathy.

Steve Jobs (Apple) – known for his visionary leadership, storytelling, creativity, and ability to inspire innovation and brand loyalty.

Jeff Bezos (Amazon) – built Amazon into a global e-commerce and tech giant through strategic thinking, customer focus, and bold decision-making.

MLK and Bill Clinton are also favourite speakers that Peter uses as examples when coaching people to become better speakers.

All are, or were, successful leaders - all are, or were, great communicators

Peter Botting is a storytelling and speaker coach, (and a strategic thinker, writer, and communications expert) specialising in personal and corporate brands - helping business leaders and individuals with their marketing, personal and brand storytelling, and business growth.

Peter also helps senior executives prepare for interviews.

As a leadership coach he is both a storytelling coach (what you say) and a speaker coach (how you say it) and helps individuals and organisations craft and deliver powerful and compelling messages that resonate with their audiences.

Peter Botting has worked with some of the world’s largest brands (IBM, Mercedes, Accenture, SAP etc) to craft strategic communications (speeches, pitches, presentations etc) that inspire action.

Peter offers a range of storytelling-related services, including:

• Storytelling coaching. Brand strategy, strategic planning & positioning: helping businesses and individuals distill, define and communicate their unique identity. Speechwriting, message strategy, presentation development, speech content, story banks and more belong here.
• Leadership coaching. As a Communications Consiglierie Peter helps leaders maximise their impact on all types of stages including speeches, conference speeches, pitches, presentations, podcasts and All Hands meetings.
• Speaker coaching: Public speaking & storytelling workshops.
• Executive Interview Coaching.

Peter works with a variety of business and political clients from around the world. He has worked with thousands of leaders and aspiring leaders in 20 countries.

In business he works with leaders of startups and established businesses.

He also uses his 30-plus year experience to help senior executives prepare for interviews.

Whether your pitch is for your business, your career or for votes, Peter’s approach is tailored to each client’s goals and audience.

Peter combines his professional training, his dual disciplines of storytelling (what you say) and speaker coaching (how you say it, or stage craft), and his three decades of human experience coaching leaders across a range of industries with a blunt, direct, practical but friendly style.

Experienced senior “grown ups” in both business and government in multiple countries agree and appreciate that he doesn’t rely on jargon or “cookie-cutter” Instagram-style solutions - every strategy, coaching and recommendation is tailored for your situation and totally outcome-focused and results-driven. Clients also appreciate his straight talking “zero BS” feedback style.

He will also help you project your voice better, decide whether to use a mic and which one, whether to speak from an autocue or without notes, and even help you decide what colours and clothes to wear.

Yes. Peter has advised over 10,200 clients and spoken in person at events across the UK, Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America, giving him a global and multicultural ear and perspective that informs his work. He has worked in over 20 countries.

Both. Whether you’re a startup founder, an entrepreneur, a senior executive, or a political figure, Peter helps you sharpen your message and delivery - communications skills that are key to strengthening your influence.

Yes. He helps you write the speech and deliver the speech.

As a storytelling and speaker coach with over 30 years experience, including as a Speaker Coach at both SXSW and TEDMED, Peter helps people confidently appear effortless on stage, winning important pitches, delivering confident, memorable presentations, from keynote speeches to TED-style talks.

But this is not limited to speeches - clients use Peter to help prepare for pitches, podcasts, and presentations.

Great question. With. If it doesn’t sound like you, it won’t work. Peter’s job is to make you sound like your best self, not like Peter.

Very. Brutally so. Honesty wrapped in kindness with a focus on the outcome. If your draft or delivery is dull, he will definitely say so. That’s what you’re paying him for. You already have enough YES people in your life.

He starts by understanding your goals, audience, and story. From there, he creates a clear positioning strategy supported by practical tools — messaging frameworks, narratives, and actionable marketing steps.

He uses his AARFA©, MessageCraft® and StoryPower® storytelling systems and tools.

Both.

Some clients bring Peter in for a one-off project - typically a high stakes speech, pitch or interview.

This could be a day’s work for an urgent delivery upgrade, several days for an important pitch focusing on storytelling and performance speaker coaching - in large pitches this would typically ensure that all members of the pitch team sing the same song - and sing it well!

Other clients, who are typically high profile and whose words are monitored closely internally and externally, retain Peter on an ongoing basis as a communications consiglieri to support them with all their online and in-person storytelling and communication to a range of internal and external audiences

Peter helps people understand, articulate AND tell their stories better - sharper, clearer, more persuasive. Whether that’s for speeches, pitches, presentations or podcasts. Peter takes the muddle and turns it into meaning.

Because you don’t need another yes-man. You need someone who’ll challenge, sharpen, and get you to say what you actually mean in a way that will land and make people care.

You probably want to influence what people think and how they behave. Peter has been trusted by nearly 20 PLCs, 200 Members of Parliament, incubators like StartX and TechStars and is a repeat speaker and storytelling coach at TEDMED and SXSW

Both. Anyone who leads, influences, or wants to. If your words matter and the stakes are high, you will benefit from working with Peter.

You can schedule an introductory call to discuss your particular situation and needs here on this website via Calendly or the WhatsApp button.

Peter will respond personally (no Bots, just Botting) to assess your situation and discuss recommendations on how he can best support you in achieving your goals.

You can also book executive interview coaching directly on his interview website filteredout.co.uk/executive-interview-preparation/ and coaching for lawyers here filteredout.co.uk/lawyer-interview-coaching/

Yes. Peter offers virtual consultations and coaching via Zoom, Teams or Google Meets, making it easy and time-saving to collaborate regardless of location.

Depends on the job and how much time you have. Peter can transform your delivery of a well written speech in hours.

Building a brand story and your story bank and then co-writing your speech or pitch takes longer. It depends where you are in the process.

Either way, you’ll leave sharper than you arrived. You will always save a huge amount of time and stop missing opportunities by working with Peter - his coaching makes you far more focused and targeted on reaching your desired outcomes. Fast.

Peter uses his brain, experience, intuition and a lot of scribbled notes collected over 30 years. No algorithm can replace that. He obviously uses AI where it can improve the running of his business.

Yes. Crisis comms are where high-stakes storytelling are needed most - you just have less time to get it right.

This is why Peter recommends his Communication Consigliere packages: the advantage if things go wrong, Peter is already briefed and knowledgeable about you and your company.

This means Peter can be immediately useful without a time-consuming briefing, proposal, review etc - all included in the monthly retainer. And Peter is then a WhatsApp message away - 7 days a week.

Yes, that’s his strength as it’s his mother tongue, but he is also proficient in German.

Of course. But it has to be in your voice, so it only if you’re willing to be honest and open. If you’re guarded, it’ll sound guarded.

The power lies in your authenticity. That's why the trust between you and Peter is so important.

Both. Sometimes the issue isn’t one person’s voice but the voice of a whole team (e.g. a M&A Beauty Parade). Ideally, everyone in your business should be an advocate for the business.

Business, politics, and lots of expensive battle scars. It’s a 30-year plus mix that gives Peter cross-industry perspective and experience - and lots of stories.

Ask him about when he had to wear a bullet proof vest for 9 months or when he was kidnapped in China.

No. Peter is not a puppeteer. He helps you say what you mean and what you want to say in a way people will pay attention and listen. That’s a different thing.

People who just want someone to nod and say yes. If you aren’t prepared to be pushed, challenged and stretched to be your very best, Peter is not your guy.

Because Peter cares about and gets results. Not about vanity metrics, simply whether your message actually lands.

Sometimes. But jokes are always a risk unless done well - as Obama did when speaking in Westminster Hall. You don’t need to be a comedian - you need to be human.

Peter can make you sound like you on your best day. That’s always more powerful than trying to sound like someone else. Everyone can improve fast with structured, experienced coaching.

Yes. That is the job of a performance or speaker coach. Words and stories matter, but so does how
you deliver them. Delivery makes the difference between a nod and a standing ovation, between and
uhuh and changed behaviour.

Yes. Peter can provide professional copywriting for websites, blogs, newsletters, social campaigns, and more, focusing on clarity, engagement, and conversion.

However, it is probably best to first use Peter to maximise your clarity of purpose and message, then use AI for your initial content, which Peter then refines

Yes. He delivers workshops and training sessions on marketing, storytelling, and communication tailored to your team’s needs.

He has delivered such workshops for leaders and emerging leaders at large firms (IBM, Accenture, Howdens etc) and startup incubators (TechStars, StartX, NBT).

You can subscribe to Peter’s newsletter or follow him on social media for regular insights, tips, and updates about using words and stories to grow your brand and business, raise money, recruit and retain talent and advance your career.

Please see the link for a better understanding of Peter Botting’s proprietary processes and systems.
peterbotting.co.uk/about/message-craft-process/

Please see the link for a better understanding of Peter Botting’s proprietary processes and systems. peterbotting.co.uk/about/message-craft-process/

Please see the link for a better understanding of Peter Botting’s proprietary processes and systems.
peterbotting.co.uk/about/message-craft-process/

Do not miss out on the opportunity you’ve been given. It sounds like you have an opportunity to shine!

Peter is used to working on urgent high-stakes preparation for speeches, pitches, presentations or podcasts. Often at very short notice.

Sooner is obviously always better but, depending on his availability, he can often find time at short notice and is able and happy to work outside of normal office hours for people like you.

WhatsApp him now for the fastest response with your name, some details and your deadline.

Think of Peter as your sparring partner. He will push, provoke, and polish until your message can take a punch and still land clean.

Absolutely. Storytelling is what Peter Botting - StoryPower®does for senior executives in some of the world’s most well known brands.

Whether you’re looking to reinvent, reposition, or reinvigorate your company’s internal and external messaging, Peter Botting can help write and design your next chapter.

Every employee of a brand should be an articulate advocate for the brand, but it starts with the Chief Storytelling Office - aka the CEO!

Pricing depends on the scope of the project or service and the time available. After an initial consultation, Peter provides a custom proposal outlining deliverables, timelines, and costs.

All courses and sessions are tailored to your needs and requirements.

There are some specialised interview preparation courses available to book and pay directly. Please see here for details calendly.com/peterbotting1000

Peter gets it. Schedules change, life happens.

Unlike with other coaches, if you have something suddenly come up, simply change your scheduled slot via the Calendly link you received after payment - no charge if you give Peter 24 hours notice and the location is London or online. 48 hours notice is preferred. Peter has so much work that he will almost be happy to have a free slot appear in his diary.

If you have booked 1-2-1 training or a workshop with flights, transport or accommodation organised you will be liable for those costs plus the new travel and accommodation costs.

There are no cancellation options.

Yes, all of Peter Botting - StoryPower® 1-2-1 training sessions and workshops may be purchased with a credit card or bank transfer. Payment is in advance of coaching unless otherwise agreed.

We don’t offer refunds for workshops or courses, but you can easily reschedule. Please see the “Can I reschedule” question and answer for details.

Yes. Peter Botting - StoryPower Speaker Coaching packages expire nine (9) months after the date of purchase.

Plan the moments, not the movements. Know when to move, when to stop. The rest should flow. Forced gestures look fake.

Pause. Breathe. Smile. Look up. Own the space. Silence isn’t a threat - it’s power.

The 555 rule suggests using no more than 5 words per line, 5 lines per slide, and 5 slides per idea. It keeps presentations clear, simple, and engaging.

No. Speeches and pitches are just the visible bit.

Behind them is strategy, storytelling, all the work that goes into delivery, and a deep understanding - clarity of thought - on what you do, what your WHY is and what is relevant to your audience.That’s where much of the real work happens.

Speeches are just broadcast noise unless they land and are heard.

Clarity, honesty, authenticity, and a point worth listening to. Bonus: delivering it without boring the room. If you can't get their eyes off their phones and on you, their ears won’t focus on your words and stories.

Not if you do it right and if you have the substance, the meat, to back up your stories. Bad storytelling is manipulative. Good storytelling makes people understand and trust you.

Getting people to say less. Cutting down words is harder than piling them on. Every word and story
must have a function.

Talking about themselves instead of what the audience cares about.

A good speaker is confident, clear, engaging, authentic, and well-prepared. If you can do this you will build trust and hold your audience’s attention. Only then can you hope to persuade or change behaviour.

The 5 P’s are Pace, Pitch, Pause, Projection, and Passion. Together, they create dynamic and memorable delivery.

Know what you want to say, know your audience, structure your message, rehearse under coaching, use stories, control nerves, maintain eye contact, and speak with authenticity. These habits build confidence and connection.

A speaker must have authenticity. It builds trust and makes messages resonate.A good speaker connects emotionally, communicates clearly, and leaves a lasting impression. They balance confidence with empathy.

The five components are articulation, tone, pace, volume, and body language. Each shapes how messages are received.

Gain experience in public speaking, communication, and coaching. Then earn certifications, build a portfolio, and start working with clients. A great speaker coach has years of experience and tools in his or her toolbox when they start with a client - people are different and have different needs.

“Proper Prior Preparation Prevents Piss-Poor Performance”.

Clarity, Conciseness, Consistency, Courtesy, Correctness, Completeness, Connection

First introduced by Scott M. Cutlip and Allen H. Center in their 1952 book “Effective Public Relations.”

The four common types are linear, non-linear, quest, and view-shifting narratives. Each offers a different structure to tell a story effectively.

The four structures are orientation, complication, resolution, and coda. They introduce characters, build tension, resolve it, and reflect on meaning.

The basics are character, setting, plot, and conflict. Together, they create a complete and engaging story.

The four types are first person, second person, third person limited, and third person omniscient. Each shapes how readers experience the story.

Narrative text includes exposition, rising action, climax, and resolution. These guide the story from introduction to conclusion.

They are ballads, epics, idylls, and lays. Each tells a story through verse and rhythm.

Develop expertise in a niche, craft a compelling talk, and build credibility through content and networking. Join speaker bureaus and market yourself to event organizers.

Create a strong speaker profile with topics, testimonials, and videos. Pitch to event planners, bureaus, and corporate clients with a clear value proposition.

Build deep practical knowledge of voice technique through training, performance, or mentorship. Then gain clients through workshops, referrals, and proven results.

Choose a topic you’re passionate about, practice relentlessly, and build a personal brand around your message. Start small with local events, then scale through visibility and networking.

Each in-person and virtual training workshop includes:
Live instruction from Peter Botting - a StoryPower®️ expert. Peter uses proprietary templates, tools, and practice exercises to enhance learning goals.

A printed StoryPower®️ workbook and digital materials for later references are an optional extra.

Public training workshops are scheduled every 7 weeks.

Yes. Peter is based in London.

There are no prerequisites for Peter Botting - StoryPower®️ training workshops - other than focus and a willingness to learn.

In-person training workshops are better, but we live in an online world. You need to be good online and in-person. While in person is better, Peter has never met many of his clients in person - and they (their businesses and careers) have still benefited hugely from his on-line coaching.

Peter will assess your ability and skills in his initial audit and then create a workshop that is tailored for you.

Executives and senior leaders are under extreme pressure and need to improve fast. Peter recommends a tailor-made speaker coaching package for senior leaders so they can have focused 1-on-1 guidance and expertise directly from Peter Botting.

Yes! Data are just meaningless dots unless they are connected by a story!

A business narrative should be long enough to convey purpose, and impact through a story without losing focus. But short enough and well-written enough to keep their attention.

Start with your company’s origin, mission, and purpose, then connect it to customer needs and a better future with the company’s product or services. It should be unique, authentic, clear, and emotionally engaging.

A professional narrative’s function is to highlight key achievements, motivations, and direction without unnecessary detail. The word count is a distraction. Say what you have to say concisely then stop.

A brand narrative should concisely and clearly explain the brand’s story, mission, and emotional appeal. The word count is a distraction. Say what you have to say concisely then stop.

An average narrative can range from 500 to 1,500 words. The length depends on the purpose and the depth of detail required. But it’s not the number of words - it’s how those words and stories work. Apple’s “1000 songs in your pocket” was very short but very powerful.

Start with a vision of the future, describe the change needed to achieve that future, and show how your organisation creates or enables that change. Focus on behaviour and purpose alignment.

A business narrative tells the story of a company’s purpose, values, and journey. It connects strategy with emotion to engage stakeholders at a deeper level.

A good business narrative or story has a clear beginning, middle, and end - with emotional resonance that moves people emotionally. An example is a founder’s story that tells of overcoming challenges create a solution that has a positive impact.

Apple’s narrative centers on innovation, simplicity, and empowering creativity. It tells the story of challenging the status quo to change the world.

Define your mission, highlight your origin, and show your impact on people’s lives. Use a storytelling or narrative arc that displays the company’s purpose through customer benefit.

They are exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. This narrative arc structure creates tension and brings closure.

Begin with a hook to get them to put their phones down: a question, story, or challenge.

In business, narrative is everything. The story about why a company was started, why it still exists and where it’s going. A story or narrative creates and moulds an aligned internal culture and determines external perceptions.

A boring narrative example could be a founder’s journey from identifying a problem to building a solution. But even better would be how “the solution” changes peoples’ lives. A useful business story or narrative combines emotion with behaviour-moulding purpose.

A narrative is a story with a beginning, middle, and end: the narrative arc. Stories are NOT a bland, forgettable synopsis. A story describes events and with that convey meaning.

Stories (or narrative) narrative help people understand, influence actions, trigger decisions, change behaviour and build aligned teams.

Storytelling makes strategy meaningful. Storytelling raises money and attracts and retains talent and customers. Storytelling helps customers, investors and talent imagine a better future with the company or its products or services.

Every leader needs to be a storyteller. Every staff member will tell stories and out their business. Leaders need to make sure they are good stories!

The 80/20 rule suggests 80% of results come from 20% of actions. Coaches use it to help clients focus on what truly drives progress.

The 70/30 rule means the coachee should speak 70% of the time while the coach speaks 30%. It ensures the session stays client-focused.

The 3 C’s are Clarity, Confidence, and Commitment. They guide coaches in setting direction, building trust, and driving action. Coaches are there for feedback (not validation!) and to test assumptions and open minds to solutions.

The golden rule is to listen more than you speak. Effective coaches guide clients to discover their own solutions.

Yes, demand for leadership coaching is growing as organisations value leadership development and performance improvement. Leadership coaching is now a key part of modern business strategy.

• Small Talk – Casual, light conversation to build rapport or social connection.
• Informational Conversation – Sharing facts, updates, or knowledge.
• Persuasive Conversation – Trying to influence someone’s opinion or behavior.
• Problem-Solving Conversation – Collaborating to find solutions or make decisions.
• Instructional Conversation – Teaching or guiding someone through tasks or concepts.
• Emotional Conversation – Sharing feelings, empathy, or support.
• Debate/Argumentative Conversation – Discussing opposing viewpoints with reasoning and evidence.

Communication in leadership is the process by which a leader clearly conveys vision, goals, expectations, and feedback to their team. Communication in leadership involves not only sharing information but also listening, inspiring, and building trust to align and motivate people toward common objectives.

Communication is important, scrap that - it’s essential, in leadership because it ensures that goals, expectations, and vision are clearly understood by the team.

Communication builds trust, motivates employees, resolves conflicts, and fosters collaboration for effective decision-making. The CEO is the Chief Storytelling Officer: upwards, downwards and outwards.