Sue Jefferson, Author, Inspirational Speaker and Founder of Possibilities Realised

Personal Impact

"I first heard about RADA Business whilst speaking at a women's leadership conference, where I received some insights into the company and what they offered as a training provider from RADA's Director of Communications and Marketing.

"Following the discussion, I was keen to experience one of the courses firsthand to see if it was something I might recommend to others. I present a number of workshops developing female leaders so thought this could also be a great way to see if there were additional tools I could learn to improve my own presence.

"The assigned tutor was amazing. She was extremely approachable and put everyone on the course at ease immediately, unlocking the traits we were trying to address on the day and providing positive and constructive feedback throughout the activities. We were all very different individuals with different reasons for attending, and she came up with appropriate tools for each of us and tailored her advice to meet the needs of each person.

"Because our tutor came from an acting background, she was able to demonstrate how to master the exercises by bringing these to life through different styles and techniques. We could then experiment with these newfound skills ourselves. Her observations and supportive insights helped her to connect with individuals and it felt like everyone had transformed a part of themselves by the end of the day.

"The majority of the course was very practical. The first activity of the day was to draw a picture as an indicator to show how you see yourself, which was a technique I hadn't seen before. I thought this was much more beneficial than simply using words.

"Another practical activity was where I read something out loud, learning techniques to emphasise words and pauses which when spoken out loud come across naturally but far clearer. I could see how my presence improved using the same speech in different exercises, as the change was clear.

"Going into the course, I was aware that I can sometimes say too much then rush my words in my speeches, but our tutor shared a really helpful phrase which I still use today: 'think a thought, deliver a thought, pause'. This was something quite simple, yet it really resonated, and I found it extremely helpful.

"I would definitely recommend RADA Business as a training provider and have already done so. I thought it was head and shoulders above anything else I had seen. The courses are flexible as you can attend as an individual, or alternatively create a bespoke programme for your business. I was really impressed with the quality of the course and the impact that I also saw in those who attended. The day was a transformational experience and one of the best things I have attended in a long time.

"It differentiated from other training courses by focusing on improving presence - whether on stage, in a meeting or even one to one, which makes this stand out. With other courses, there's a lot of presenting practice and advice for PowerPoint slides, but you don't get the tips and experience to live and breathe how you mentally and physically communicate messages as you go - with RADA Business you did.

"Our tutor created a level of trust with everyone so a lot of emotion in the room came out from individuals voluntarily. Simply having a course led by someone from an acting background differentiates it, but it's great to also learn new tools which were different to anything I had seen before. It enabled me to keep a number of my strengths, maintaining my style and authenticity, whilst improving my delivery and impact and therefore my confidence."