Keynotes and workshops for law firms, professional services firms, executive teams, and conferences
Beth Sherman | 7x Emmy-winning comedy writer and leadership communication speaker
Being right doesn’t guarantee understanding, buy-in, or action
A client may be weighing cost and risk; a colleague may be trying to understand how your advice affects the business.
Beth helps lawyers and leaders reduce friction in communication by showing them how the best comedians convert skeptical audiences into active listeners. Her keynotes and workshops teach professionals to apply Audience-First Communication™ in client and colleague conversations, so the people receiving advice can see why it matters, trust the person delivering it, and know what to do next.
“Funnier than most comedians and more substantive than most keynote speakers.”
— Delegate, College of Law Practice Management Futures Conference
Watch Beth onstage
Watch Beth’s speaker demo reel
A quick look at Beth’s keynote style and the comedy-informed approach she uses to build trust, clarity, and buy-in.
15 minute keynote excerpt
This clip shows the first 15 minutes of a keynote for the College of Law Practice Management Futures Conference held at the Practising Law Institute in NYC.
Want to view the full keynote?
Email Beth to request access.
What Audience-First Communication™ means
Audience-first communication means thinking about the person on the other side of the conversation as much as the message you need to deliver. It applies to client conversations, team discussions, leadership moments, and other everyday exchanges, not only pitches and presentations.
Featured Keynote
Audience-First Communication: How to Get People to Hear, Trust, and Act on Your Advice
Having the right answer isn’t enough if people don’t understand why it matters to them, trust the person delivering it, or know what to do next. In high-stakes conversations, the way expertise is received can matter as much as the expertise itself.
Drawing on 30 years in comedy, including seven Emmy wins, keynote speaker Beth Sherman shows professionals how to think about the person receiving the message as carefully as the message itself. Her Audience-First Communication™ approach helps make complex ideas clearer, reduce friction, and build the trust that moves people to listen and act. The keynote is practical, engaging, and grounded in a simple idea: before you respond like a professional, respond like a person.
Best for: Lawyers, executives, and other experts whose advice needs to be understood, trusted, and acted on.
Works well at: Conferences, leadership events, and professional association programs.
Featured Workshop
Audience-First Communication in Practice
When a client or colleague doesn’t act on good advice, the problem may not be the advice. They may be distracted, worried, skeptical, or unsure what it means for them. Communicating well means noticing what the other person needs in order to hear and use what you know.
In this smart, fun, and interactive workshop, Beth Sherman brings Audience-First Communication™ into everyday professional conversations. Participants practice making complex ideas clearer and more relevant, while finding ways to acknowledge what may be on the other person’s mind. They leave with practical language and techniques they can use to build trust and help good advice land.
Best for: Teams that need to make complex work easier for clients and colleagues to understand and act on.
Works well at: Team sessions, partner retreats, and professional development programs.
What your audience will take away
Audience-First Communication™ gives professionals a practical way to make complex advice clearer and more relevant to the person receiving it.
They’ll leave with ways to:
Notice what may be on a client’s or colleague’s mind.
Connect complex advice to what matters to the person receiving it.
Build trust and clarify the next step.
What audiences and organizers say
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![Logo for speaking clients of Beth Sherman, Executive Director, Chicago Bar Foundation]()
“One of the most practical sessions I have attended at any conference.”
— Executive Director, Chicago Bar Foundation
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![College of Law Practice Management logo, speaking client of Beth Sherman]()
"Beth delivered a compelling and funny keynote. Her message of putting the audience first and increasing 'speed to trust' really resonated with our attendees."
— President, College of Law Practice Management
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![EO logo, speaking client of Beth Sherman]()
"Beth brought a fresh and engaging perspective from the world of comedy writing, with practical lessons that resonated with our audience of 180 entrepreneurial leaders."
— Leadership Director, EO Europe
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![Heineken logo on green background. Heineken is a client of leadership communication speaker Beth Sherman.]()
"Brilliant and engaging! Our colleagues went on to use her framework the very next day!"
— CX Director, Heineken
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![The Marketing Society logo. The Marketing Society is a client of leadership communication speaker Beth Sherman.]()
"A superb speaker, and terrifically relevant for ambitious businesspeople who want to be more effective leaders."
— CEO, The Marketing Society
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![Accountex logo, speaking client of Beth Sherman]()
"At an event filled with lots of technical knowledge about accounting it was a breath of fresh air."
—Conference Delgate, Accountex
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"Very funny and engaging and different to any other training I've been to!"
Partner, Wilson Solicitors
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![Logo for Natixis corporate and investment banking, speaking client of Beth Sherman]()
"Warm, insightful, human, and funny!"
— Executive Director, Natixis Corporate and Investment Banking
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![AND Digital logo. AND Digital is a client of leadership communication speaker Beth Sherman.]()
"Brilliant to work with from start to finish, and the feedback we received from the event she did with senior leaders was exceptional."
— Managing Director, AND Digital
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![Institute of Practitioners in Advertising logo. The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising is a client of leadership communication speaker Beth Sherman.]()
“An absolute masterclass in using humor to connect and persuade."
— CPD Advisor, Institute of Practitioners of Advertising
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![IPG Mediabrands logo. IPG Mediabrands is a client of leadership communication speaker Beth Sherman.]()
“Beth is incredible! I’ll absolutely be recommending her to anyone who asks - and even those who don’t!"
— Head of Talent Development UK, IPG MediaBrands
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![Institute of Internal Communication logo. The Institute of Internal Communication is a client of leadership communication speaker Beth Sherman.]()
"Fantastic! Her talk was one of our most popular and I could hear the laughter from the Green Room. Highly recommend!"
— Events, Networks & Awards Manager, Institute of Internal Communication
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![Pride in Leadership Conference logo. The Pride in Leadership Conference is a client of leadership communication speaker Beth Sherman.]()
“Positioned just after lunch, Beth immediately raised the energy in the room. Her talk was much more than entertaining; it was thought-provoking and highly practical.”
— Director, Pride in Leadership Conference
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![Great River MBA Conference logo. The Great River MBA Conference is a client of leadership communication speaker Beth Sherman.]()
"Thanks so much! Your session was a high point of the conference!"
— Regional Director, Mortgage Bankers Association
Meet Beth Sherman
Beth Sherman is a leadership communication keynote speaker and 7x Emmy Award-winning comedy writer whose credits include The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Ellen, and the Academy Awards, where she crafted material for Tom Hanks, Helen Mirren, and Queen Latifah. As a stand-up, she has performed everywhere from Las Vegas to Iraq.
Drawing on 30 years of writing and performing for audiences who vote with their attention in real time, Beth teaches Audience-First Communication: a practical method that helps leaders, lawyers, and client-facing professionals make complex work clear, relevant, and easier for the people in front of them to act on.
Her sessions are known for being genuinely funny and substantive in equal measure. The kind of program that holds a room even after lunch on day two of a retreat.
[ Read Beth's full story → ]
Frequently asked questions
What is Audience-First Communication?
Beth Sherman’s Audience-First Communication™ approach gives as much thought to the person receiving a message as to the message itself. It helps people consider what may be on the other person’s mind and build connection, so their expertise is easier to understand, their advice is easier to trust, and people know what to do next. “Audience” can mean one client, a team, or a room full of people.
What communication problem does Audience-First Communication solve?
People can have the right answer and still struggle to get others to hear, trust, or act on it. Beth helps them pay attention to what matters to the person receiving the message, so the conversation builds connection and their expertise has a better chance of landing.
Is this presentation skills training?
The featured keynote and workshop focus on Audience-First Communication in client, colleague, and leadership conversations. The same principles apply to presentations, and Beth also offers executive presentation coaching for people seeking focused support.
Do I need to be funny to use these ideas?
No. Participants don’t need to tell jokes. Beth draws on comedy to show how truth and humanity help people connect. Humor can be part of that, but the ideas work without it.
What’s the difference between the keynote and the workshop?
The keynote introduces Audience-First Communication in an engaging, interactive session, showing how connection shapes whether people listen, trust, and act. The workshop builds on those ideas with hands-on practice, as participants apply them to their own conversations.
Planning a conference, association meeting, client event, or firm retreat?
Beth is happy to have a chat about your audience, your goals, and what you want the room to walk away with.
No pitch, no pressure, just a useful exchange and a few laughs.
The fastest next step:
[Book a 20 Minute Call]
Prefer to chat?
Send a quick WhatsApp message: +44 7485 679750
Prefer email or phone?
Email: beth@bethsherman.com
US: (323) 794-7279
UK: +44 7485 679750
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Clips from Beth’s keynotes, talks, and live events.
Listen to Beth’s Podcast Appearances
Hear Beth discuss how to earn attention, build trust quickly, and communicate so people actually want to listen, especially when the message is complex, high-stakes, or hard to hear.