Me and My Blog
My name is Chris Witt. I am the author of Real Leaders Don’t Do PowerPoint: How to Sell Yourself and Your Ideas (Crown Business). It is has been translated into Mandarin and Cantonese, Portuguese, Dutch, Indonesian, Thai, and Danish.
Publishers Weekly says, “Geared toward those looking to get a leg up at work, shape their ideas and overcome the public speaking jitters, Witt’s quick, witty instructional makes a fine addition to the office arsenal.”
My blog focuses on the place where leadership and public speaking converge. I write about speeches and presentations that influence audiences, sell ideas, and gain buy-in.
Most speech coaches focus on how you look and sound in front of an audience. I help you think strategically about your speeches. And I help you create a compelling message.
If you want to win audiences to your point of view and move them to action, then this blog is for you.
My Biography
I am a Certified Management Consultant and a Board Certified Coach, a speaker, speechwriter, and author based in San Diego, California.
I have more than 30 years of professional speaking experience. I’ve taught in three graduate programs. I’ve published four books and innumerable articles. My coaching is rooted in both academic research and personal experience. I know what it’s like to face an audience. I know what works. And I know how to help people be their best, not fit some mold.
I enjoy reading (just about everything), hiking, travel, and cooking. I believe the world would be a happier place if we spent more time sharing meals with each other and less time attending meetings and discussing politics.
My Clients
I work primarily with CEOs, presidents, executives, and business owners.
Technical experts—engineers, scientists, and programmers—enjoy working with me…even though I’m the most non-technically inclined person you’re likely to meet. They appreciate the fact that I don’t try to make them into something they’re not. And they like my emphasis on results-oriented presentations. I like them because they’re smart, they know what they’re talking about, and they’re open to trying new approaches.
As an orals coach, I help teams create, rehearse, and present oral proposals on large government contracts. I’ve worked on almost 300 proposals over the past 15 years. The experience has reinforced my belief that smart people who know what they’re talking about can—with help—quickly learn how to sell their ideas.
In the corporate arena, my clients include IBM, Intuit, Northrop Grumman, Sempra Energy, GE Energy, Booz Allen Hamilton, Biogen Idec, Pfizer, Kaiser Permanente, Scripps Healthcare, Wells Fargo, Johnson Controls, Sprint, the San Diego Zoo, and Yale University School of Medicine.
I also work with self-employed entrepreneurs—coaches, consultants, creative professionals—who want to build their businesses and attract new clients.
If you could benefit from learning how to present yourself and your ideas authentically and persuasively, contact me. Let’s talk.
