Workshops
Do you want to communicate your ideas in a powerful way, make a good impression in the media or provide great service?María offers a variety of practical, effective and fun workshops, drawing from her background in theater and journalism.
Her courses have been a huge success for over twenty years.
For more information or to order a workshop you can contact María through email mariaellingsen@simnet.is or phone +354 695 2201
Public speaking / Facing the media / Private lessons / Customer service skills / Lectures and short courses / Conferences and meetings / Leadership training
Public speaking
A practical and engaging workshop that strengthens you as a public speaker making you able to share your knowledge, ideas and views in a powerful, interesting and truthful way.
In the first session you will acquire good basic skills. Strong body language, projection of the voice, clear diction and great presence as well as learning how you set a goal for your presentation and build a structure to reach it.
In the second session you will bring in a presentation and learn a technique in how to interact with the slides in a successful way. Then you will get personal coaching in performing the presentation, communicating the message in your own truthful and personal way both engaging and inspiring the audience.
Facing the media
In this workshop María uses her experience as a journalist and TV host to get people acquainted with the nature of the media and get them ready for interviews and to write news releases. Participants get to exercise in front of a camera in a live like situation for news interviews and talk shows.
Private lessons
This course is tailor made to meet the needs of each participant. It is of great value for those who have an important lectures or big events coming up in Iceland or abroad. Here they can get coaching for their performance and feedback or even help with structuring the speach. It is also well suited for those who want to strenghten their skills in puplic speaking in general are dealing with obstacles or do sipmply want to go from good to great.
Customer service skills
Great service is what puts a company ahead of the game. This course gives employees the knowledge, skills, and competencies required to increase customer satisfaction. It helps focus employees on the importance of fulfilling customers expectations.
Fun exercises are done to empower the employees personally in apperance and communication. Role play is used to help them gain a better understanding of the customer. And they get to explore how the point of view towards the customer, themselves and to their work effects the quality of the service they give and the joy of their work.
Lectures and short courses
Lectures to spice up or provide inspiration at the morning or lunch meeting, team building day’s or evening gatherins. María can tailor make a lecture or a short course with fun excercises for your occasion. It can f.ex be aimed at strengthening they way people present them selves, positive attitude, team building, communication skills, trust or customer service.
Conferences and meetings
A good host sets the tone and creates a flow for your event. María has vast experience in this field. She can oversee your program or assist in creating it. She was for example one the ants that had the idea and made the National Esambly 2009 happen.
She is a strong speaker and sought after at different occasions. She for example had the honor to introduce His holiness The Dalai Lama when he spoke to a large crowd in Reykjavík.
Leadership training
Leaders shape the culture of their company with their behavior. Franklin Covey Iceland helps companies to develop their leaders at all levels. María is a certified trainer in 7 habits of highly effective people and Five Choices. More information about these workshop can be found at franklincovey.is
"Although we have a lot of knowledge and are rich with ideas – we may have a hard time communicating our experience to others. It's one thing to know what you want to say, but another to get it across the right way.” - M
Testimonials
LS Retail:
Public speaking workshops:
“María has in the last years worked with most of the LS Retail staff that do public presentations. Our staff need to get the material across in a clear and easily understood manner at various events all over the world. María has succeeded in training the staff in being focused, organised and fun so that the audience becomes engaged. And it has greatly increesed the self confidence of our staff. Last but not least has our staff gotten compliments from our customers for both professional and enjoyable apperance. The result is simple, increased satisfaction and increased sales of our products. “
- Magnús Norðdahl CEO
Privat coaching in Puplic Speaking:
“I have had the pleasure in the last years to study Puplic Speaking with María . She has a unique experience that she has gathered through her work and is a genious in communicating her treasures and bring out the best in you. She never turnes up empty handed and always has a technique or a way to help you tackle a project you had never imagined you could do.”
- Magnús Norðdahl CEO
Conferences:
"LS Retail has worked with María in organizing the yearly international conference from the theme and name to the key lectures. Her experience as an actor and director is invaluable when it comes to this project. She both knows when to lead and when to listen. And helps bring the ideas to the stage so that the audience is engaged and swept along."
- Magnús Norðdahl CEO
“As one of the founders of Solid Cloud Games I have had the role to present the company to investors. María Ellingsen has advised me in how to make the presentations more effective and her input has been incredibly valuable – worth every penny!”Stefán Þór Björnsson, Solid Cloud Games
„My participation in María Ellingsen Public Speaking workshop has really paid off. María is an excellent teacher that radiates strength and experience. I am much more secure now in front of a large audience, more firm and with a better understanding of what is suitable. What stands out for me are all the practical exercises that the group got to do and guidance that I will use both in work and life.“ Ágústa Björg Þorsteinsdóttir, Iceland Travel
“I think this is the most practical course I have attended. We did exercises to strenghten our puplic appeareance and speaking and we got recepies on how to create a lecture and how to use slides. They are easy to apply right away and make both meetings and lectures better. The feed back given at the course was very practical and easily adaptable “ Pálmi Símonarson, Reykjavík Energy