Audience Engagement for Smart People
Conference Prep & Masterclasses
I show executives and subject matter experts how to speak so audiences actually want to listen.
Your event has brilliant people with important messages to share.
But smart does not automatically mean engaging. And busy speakers and execs rarely have time for generic presentation training.
That’s where I come in.
Drawing on 30 years as a comedian and 7x Emmy-winning TV writer, I help leaders, executives, partners, internal speakers, and conference presenters make their presentations clearer, more human, and more effective, so audiences stay with them and the message actually lands.
Unlike my one-to-one executive presentation coaching, these masterclasses are designed for organizations preparing multiple speakers, panels, or leadership teams for conferences, retreats, and internal events.
Two Ways Organizations Use This
Speaker Prep Before an Event
I work with internal speakers, executives, partners, and panelists to help important messages land more effectively before conferences, retreats, leadership summits, sales meetings, and company events.
As a Standalone Masterclass During an Event
A fast, practical, high-energy session on how to speak so people actually want to listen. Perfect for leadership summits, law firm retreats, internal conferences, sales kickoffs, executive offsites, and partner events.
What Speakers Learn
In 60 to 90 minutes, speakers learn how to:
Earn attention quickly
Make complex ideas easier to follow
Structure messages so they land faster
Sound more natural, human, and credible
Avoid common habits that lose the room
Build trust and connection more quickly with audiences
Make small adjustments that create a much bigger impact
This is not generic “presentation skills” training.
It is practical audience psychology and communication strategy for smart, busy professionals who already know their subject and need to communicate it in a way that audiences actually respond to.
Designed for Smart, Busy People
Your speakers do not need painfully generic “tell your story” advice.
They need practical, immediately usable tools drawn from decades spent working professionally in rooms where attention matters.
The focus is fast, clear, practical, and immediately applicable.
Available Virtually or In Person
Available as conference prep, leadership development, retreat programming, or standalone event sessions.
What speakers say
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![John Creedon, Head of North America Sales, Apple and one-to-one executive presentation coaching client of Beth Sherman]()
I have worked with Beth for professional and personal engagements, and I cannot say enough good things about my experiences working with her. Her Punch Up sessions are excellent. They have helped me tremendously in taking an initial idea/draft of a speech or presentation and turning it into something I confidently feel good and excited about delivering to an audience.
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![Black and white sketch of a man wearing glasses and a suit, smiling.]()
I was recently asked to give a speech in front of a large audience. Beth’s advice helped improve how I delivered the message and, for sure, enhanced how it resonated with the audience. The process with Beth also helped me go into the event with a nice boost of confidence about what I had to say. On top of that she is fun, witty and a pleasure to work with, a total pro.
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![Anna Hemmings, 2x Olympian, 6x World Champion, Keynote Speaker Trusted by IBM, Deloitte, and Unilever and one-to-one executive presentation coaching client of Beth Sherman]()
Beth has an exceptional talent for finding authentic humor in truth. She helped me find relatable moments from my own experiences that resonated with audiences, provoked laughter and helped me to connect faster. Her coaching on timing, structure, and delivery was invaluable.
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![Alex Staniforth, record-breaking adventurer, keynote speaker, and one-to-one executive presentation coaching client of Beth Sherman]()
Working with Beth was a laugh! Jokes aside, Beth really helped me to uncover authentic humour and increase the impact of my keynote talks. She has an incredible ability to re-work scripts in a matter of seconds, which would take me months (or never at all). Beth is super generous with her wisdom and time, and I only wish I'd booked a session sooner!
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![Smiling woman sitting on a brown chair wearing a black dress in a room with white curtains.]()
I've been invited to speak at the America Institute of Architects International Conference — it's hands-down the biggest talk of my career (for context: Obama spoke at the last years conference!). Before working with Beth I was nervous the humour/anecdotes in my speech would fall flat. However 78 second into working Beth — I felt SO relieved. She went through my entire speech (line-by-line) and made it more punchy & the jokes 10000% funnier. Beth is wicked smart & is undeniably good at what she does.
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![Penny Mallory, Mental Toughness & Resilience Keynote Speaker and one-to-one executive presentation coaching client of Beth Sherman]()
Wow. One hour with Beth and suddenly I’m so funny! Seriously (can I say that writing about a comedy writer) Beth has a superpower that we would all kill for. She tunes in, immediately, to who you are and what your message is… and BOOM the funny stuff just rolls out. Can’t recommend Beth highly enough. She is utterly brilliant.
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![Felicity Ashley, Award-winning keynote speaker, #1 best-selling author and one-to-one executive presentation coaching client of Beth Sherman]()
Beth makes humour effortless and fun! As a speaker, I want to communicate my story and messages in the most effective and entertaining way possible, while being sensitive to my subject and authentic to my tone of voice. Beth has helped me do that - she's shown me how to sprinkle some comedy fairy dust over my talks to elevate my messages and story, and given me the confidence to use it. She's a joy to work with - the whole process is effortless, comfortable and collaborative. Beth gently nudges you in the right direction and helps you see where your truth really is funny. I would 100% recommend working with Beth.
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![Graham Norris, Psychologist, Futurist & Keynote Speaker and one-to-one executive presentation coaching client of Beth Sherman]()
For a big speech I had coming up, Beth helped me "punch it up" so that I could better connect with the audience. She not only looked through my script but also watched a video of me delivering it (a full 45-minute speech!) before giving me some suggestions. Her advice wasn't just limited to making the speech funnier, but included suggestions to make it flow better and how to make the language land with the audience more effectively. As well as helping me craft a much stronger speech that got spectacular praise when I delivered it, Beth gave me confidence in my own ability to add humour to my speeches and engage with the audience.
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![Squash Falconer, 1st British woman to paraglide from the summit of MtBlanc. Renowned keynote speaker and one-to-one executive presentation coaching client of Beth Sherman]()
Beth is absolutely brilliant. She's funny, obviously! So, any communication or type of work with her is great and a total joy. But it goes way beyond that, she's unbelievably talented and good at what she does. We had a punch up session and her comments and suggestions in the first 3 minutes were worth her entire fee. I was blown away by the value I got out of just one session. If you are considering working with Beth, just do it. I'm so convinced you'll love it that if you don’t, I'll give you your money back! If you think you don't need to work with her, you're wrong, you do... you can thank me later.
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![Maria Franzoni, former international speaker bureau owner and agent and one-to-one executive presentation coaching client of Beth Sherman]()
I've just spent a fabulous hour with Beth working on one of my speeches to add a bit more humour. I knew it would be enjoyable as spending time with Beth always is, but I didn't expect it to be quite so effortless. In the words of Miranda Hart it was "such fun". I've come away excited to work on adding and tweaking my content, in fact I can't wait to try out some of the pieces we have inserted. Beth has given me permission to unleash my inner Italian, apparently she is funnier than the outer more conservative persona I try to portray. She's also said that I can embrace my ranting, I'm a natural, which is wonderful as being menopausal it is my default mode these days anyway. Watch out not to give me anything new to rant about.
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![Alex Panayotou, Endurance Mindset Expert, Strategic Advisor, award-Winning Speaker and one-to-one executive presentation coaching client of Beth Sherman]()
It’s incredible just having had the session with you made me so much more aware of the opportunities I was missing, even unplanned ones prior to our session. I don’t just recommend you, I thoroughly advise a session with you for any speaker who wants to highlight their authentic humour.
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![Person smiling in front of a pink graffiti wall, wearing glasses and a light blue button-up shirt.]()
I had the pleasure of working with Beth over a few sessions to help me fine tune and 'punch-up' a big talk that I was struggling to finish writing, and let me tell you, she was worth every penny, and some! She brings her decades of experience as a comedian and award-winning writer and as such, is able to deliver amazing value, quickly. From adding humour to simply making things sound better, I can't recommend her enough.
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![Gina Schaefer, keynote speaker, multi-million dollar business founder, and executive presentation coaching client of Beth Sherman]()
Beth made adding humor to my material very approachable. I never once felt "intimidated by the pro". Instead, the sessions were pure collaboration. I could tell immediately that Beth was the right writing partner when, without really knowing my material, she got to work using a voice (words!) that I was comfortable with.
Get in touch
If your event depends on smart people delivering important messages, I can help them make those messages easier to listen to, easier to remember, and more likely to change behavior and take action.
US phone: (323) 794-7279
UK phone: +44 7485 679750
email: beth@bethsherman.com
About Beth Sherman
Beth Sherman is a 7x Emmy Award-winning comedy writer (Letterman, The Tonight Show, Ellen, Academy Awards), seasoned stand-up comedian, and leadership communication keynote speaker who helps leaders use humor as a strategic communication tool for clarity, connection, and influence.
With nearly 30 years of experience writing for world-class comedians and performing for audiences everywhere from Las Vegas to Iraq, Beth brings a deep understanding of how audiences engage, connect, and trust.
Her work reframes humor as a serious business communication skill, helping leaders build trust quickly, communicate with clarity, and influence decisions when the stakes are high.
Podcast appearances
Listen to selected interviews and discussions below.