ABOUT

Welcome to Dorothea Hendriks, the home of professional presentation coaching! As your dedicated coach, I am passionate about helping you enhance your public speaking and presentation skills. Together, we will build your self-assurance and confidence, ensuring that you captivate your audience with ease. With a focus on improving your communication abilities, we will showcase your strengths and position you as a recognized leader who always delivers their best. Let’s get started on this journey.

THE BACKDROP

When I landed my first job as manager of a small department inside a major national retail store, I was ecstatic. Two months in, my management career ended with a thud.  I was told I had an excellent work ethic, but my communication skills were not. I been raised with the belief that my work should speak for itself. It didn’t then, and it doesn’t now. Communication skills matter.

So, I went back to school to beef up my communication skills, graduating as a teacher. It’s impossible to describe to anyone what it was like standing in front students at the beginning of my career. I felt like I had been thrown into a gigantic lake. It was either sink to the bottom, or learn to paddle like crazy, and stay on top. I paddled like crazy. As a teacher I knew my content, but understanding how to communicate that content was something very different and threw me on an incredible learning curve. Teaching was my first crash course in understanding human relations and building vital communication skills.

In 1998 I began to facilitate weekend workshops in public speaking students who were working on their Certified General Accountant designation. At the same time I received a call from a client who wanted help with a presentation to promote his business to investors.  I began to recognize the biggest challenge for people wasn’t in speaking. The biggest challenge was in their ability to communicate their ideas, thoughts and feelings so that others could understand what the speaker really meant. This was an obstacle I was all too familiar with; I knew the steps we had to take.

As a speaker coach, I help people see what they can’t see for themselves whether they’re working on a business presentation or a TEDx talk. Communication is all about making connection with others. So much of what we accomplish in our work and the success of our relationships depends on us becoming aware of how we communicate. When we understand that as speakers and presenters, we have incredible power and opportunity to impact others …. that understanding changes everything.

what I do

I specialize in coaching public speaking and presentation skills. My clients are self-employed entrepreneurs, managers in finance, engineering, retail, technology and health care.

They want to advance their careers, have better relationships and make more money.

They see themselves developing the skills they need to engage others and have a positive impact. They are driven and strive for excellence in their communication and presentation skills. They know being an effective public speaker is a strategic career move that will help make them noticed and recognized for their accomplishments.

When you are my client, as your coach, I will give you a plan with steps you can put into practice. And, I’ll give you the support and guidance you need to stay on track.

There may be times when you might not be able to see what needs to be changed in your content or delivery. My role is to provide you with feedback, offer a different perspective and give direction, helping you focus on expanding your speaking skills

I’m invested in your learning and will hold you accountable, so you can give your best.

My promise to you, I will use all the tools, knowledge and skills to guide you and support you in crafting what you want to say, and how  to say it when it matters most.

My Approach

I’ll start by asking you questions about your speaking style, your presentation goals, and what you feel you need to do to achieve these goals. We will also look into any current challenges or issues you’re facing or feel need to overcome so you can reach your goal of being a poised and powerful presenter.

Working together we’ll map out what we need to do on a progressive level from being crystal clear on your message to being clear on your outcome: from making connection to increasing engagement. With increasing engagement comes greater visibility and leadership opportunity.

We work on three key areas.

Content Creation – What do you want to say?
I’ll help you organize and prioritize your material. Together we’ll craft your message and highlight key ideas for a smooth a
nd logical flow because the level of our communication determines how we influence decisions and motivate change. I will hold you accountable to your pl an and your purpose.

Communication Strategies – How do you want to say it?
I will ask you to experiment in how you use your voice, incorporate body language and structure your speech material. I’ll challenge you to be bold, step out of your comfort zone and look for different ways to mak e connection, build credibility and motivate.

Assessment and feedback – What do we need to do?
We’ll practice delivery techniques best suited to your speaking style. I will help you identify your speaking strengths and potential areas for improvement. As your coach, my ultimate goal is for you to give your best in every presentation, to every audience.