Confident Client Engagement

Ideas that land.
Delivery that wins the room.

This workshop helps agency teams  develop stronger ideas, shape them clearly and deliver them with confidence in high-stakes client rooms.

Using tools drawn from live performance, storytelling and audience psychology, it strengthens the communication skills that make bold thinking feel persuasive, memorable and safe to choose.

Why this workshop matters for your team

Confident Client Engagement

Strong client engagement depends on more than good thinking.

It depends on how clearly ideas are expressed, how quickly trust is built, and how confidently people perform when the pressure is on.

This workshop helps agency teams strengthen those skills.

Using practical techniques drawn from live performance, storytelling and audience psychology, it equips people to shape ideas more clearly, communicate them more persuasively and hold the room with greater confidence.

"Remember, if you never do anything differently, you’ll reduce your chances of enjoying lucky accidents."
— Rory Sutherland
Delightful raconteur,
Vice-Chairman, Ogilvy & Mather
"I am one who believes that one
of the greatest dangers of advertising is not that of misleading people, but that
of boring them to death."
— Leo Burnett
Pioneering advertising executive,
founder, creator of Tony the Tiger

"Ideas are worthless
without execution,
and execution is pointless
without ideas."
— Gary Vaynerchuk AKA Gary Vee
Serial entrepreneur, speaker, author
and CEO of VaynerMedia

40%
More Memorable

Appropriate humour used in pitches increases client recall by up to 40%
- Journal of Marketing

91% Favour
95% Fear

91% of consumers globally prefer brands that use humour. 95% of business leaders fear using humour
- Oracle

10% Better at Problem Solving

Workers 'exposed' to humour were shown to be 10% better at problem solving
- Forbes

43% Boost

At Cannes Lions 2023, 52% of film category winners were intentionally funny - a 43% increase from the previous year
- The Drum

What your team will learn

Practical skills with lasting impact

This workshop is not about turning people into stand-ups.


It is about helping agency teams think more sharply, communicate more clearly and perform more confidently when ideas need to land.


People leave with practical tools they can use immediately in pitches, presentations and client conversations.

Sharper thinking
under pressure

Learn how to spark fresh angles and shape them into standout concepts.

Presence that
holds the room

Use body language, voice and timing
to deliver with impact.

Fast rapport
with clients

Build instant connection so your ideas are heard, not ignored.

Language
that lands

Choose words that stick, supported by imagery and stories that clients remember.

Boosted
confidence

Handle questions, tough rooms and curveballs without breaking stride. Or a sweat.

Creative resilience
under pressure

Discover how to push past safe thinking, reframe “stuck” moments and keep energy high when ideas hit roadblocks.

Build the workshop around your team

No two teams are the same.


That is why each Confident Client Engagement workshop is tailored around your people, your pressures and the outcomes you care about most.


Some organisations want a focused session on one priority area. Others want a broader day that combines several elements.


We shape the session accordingly.

Confidence boosting

Shake the nerves, steady the voice and step into
the spotlight with lasting confidence.

Storytelling with impact

Personal or company stories told well can
pre-empt common questions, build trust and carry extra meaning. Add a little laughter for added stickiness.

Public speaking
presence

Get a handle on how to use body language, pacing and vocal variety to command attention in any room.

Finding ideas that connect

Borrow from comedians. Find premises, spot new angles, and see opportunities others miss. Paint vivid pictures that stick in people’s minds, and know when to twist them for comic effect.

Preparing
to be spontaneous

The secret to seeming quick-witted is being ready. Simple stand-up techniques shows you how.

Perfecting openings and closes

Start strong, finish stronger. Be impossible to forget at both ends. As every comedian understands... leave them wanting more.

Rehearsal and preparation

Understand and apply simple rituals to look polished, feel confident and deliver seamlessly. Be so ready that your confidence is baked-in.

First draft, worst draft

Write fast without fear, then refine into something powerful and sharp. Classic comedy techniques show you how to swiftly develop and 'punch up' premises.

Rapport on the spot

Build quick connection so clients lean in and listen from the first moment.  Consider personal status and persona. Conjur with them to match clients, contexts and

unique rooms.

Audience reading skills

Spot energy shifts in the room and adapt instantly to keep clients engaged. 
Prepare for the predictable.

Handling Q&A

Stay cool under fire and answer any question with clarity and composure. Maybe even working in reasons to smile and connect further, like a comedy club MC.

Comedy
elementals

Set-up, satisfy and/or subvert expectations.
Be truthful. Gain insights on classic comedy techniques including the rule of three, wrong focus, and using tags to open up funnier thinking, fresher delivery.

Formats to fit your team

Three ways to deliver

The workshop can be delivered in different formats depending on your goals, group size and timescale.


Whether you want a single high-impact session or a broader development programme, the structure can be adapted around your team.

The Workshop

A focused group session designed to strengthen confidence, clarity and client engagement.


Typically delivered for groups of around 8 to 10, either on-site or off-site.


Your team leaves with sharper thinking, stronger delivery and more confidence in client-facing moments.

1:1 Coaching

Personalised support for individuals who want deeper attention on specific communication challenges.


Sessions can be delivered in person or online, and tailored around presentation skills, confidence, storytelling, executive presence or persuasive delivery.


The result is stronger confidence, faster progress and more specific behavioural change.

Extended programme

A blended format combining workshops and coaching to create longer-lasting change across the team.


This can include an initial workshop, follow-up coaching and a later session(s) to reinforce progress.


It works particularly well when teams want deeper development rather than a one-off intervention.

60%
More Winning

In client pitches, presenters who build rapport in the first five minutes are 60% more likely to win the work
- Harvard Business Review

22x
More Memorable

People remember stories up to twenty two times more than statistics alone
- Stanford Research
Dan & Chip Heath

75%
Clear Interest

75% of people would follow a brand on social media if it was humourous... despite only 15% of brands using humour
- Oracle

69%
More Productive

69% of employees feel more productive in workplaces that embraces humour
- Robert Half

the workshop works

Backed by research, powered by practice

Ideas win when they are clear, memorable and trusted.


Research shows that confidence, storytelling and audience connection all influence how strongly ideas land.


This workshop translates those principles into practical tools teams can use immediately in client-facing situations.


The result is sharper ideas, stronger delivery and client meetings that stand out for the right reasons.

What clients say

From confidence and creativity to storytelling and presence, Alfie’s workshops create practical shifts people can use immediately.

“In advertising, not to be different is virtually suicidal.”
— Bill Bernbach
Legendary Ad Man
"Using appropriate successful humour makes speakers seem more competent and high-status."
— Harvard Business School
"...comedians generated 20% more new product ideas and were rated 25% more creative than professional product designers during a brainstorming session."
— Research Conclusion
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Why Work with Alfie Noakes?

Alfie Noakes brings together an unusual mix of experience across stand-up, broadcasting, journalism and live performance coaching.

Before founding We Are Funny Project, he worked as a BBC journalist and reporter, and later produced and directed projects for broadcasters including Channel 4, SKY and MTV.

In comedy, he has produced more than 1,500 live shows, staged over 10,000 performers, and MCed greater than 1,000 nights, learning in real time how confidence, timing, clarity and rapport shape audience response.

That background now informs his work with agency teams, helping them strengthen storytelling, room presence and persuasive delivery when the stakes are high.

This is not generic presentation training.

It is practical communication coaching built on years of handling real rooms.

HOW IT WORKS - step 1

Discovery

We discuss your goals, audience and constraints, then agree the focus, format and outcomes that would create the strongest impact.
step 2

Delivery

We deliver the workshop or coaching in the format that suits your team, whether on-site,
off-site or as a blended programme.
step 3

Results

Your team leaves with practical tools, sharper delivery and greater confidence in the moments that matter.
“Great ideas don't sell themselves. They need storytellers who can make clients believe.”
— Jennifer Aaker
Co-Author, 'Humour, Seriously'
"Stories are the single most powerful weapons in a leader's arsenal."
— Howard Gardner
Developmental Psychologist
"You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it."
— Robin Williams
Beloved Stand-Up Comedian, Actor

Frequently Asked Questions

How much will this cost?

To be honest and clear, it simply varies depending on a range of elements. Once more information has been shared in a Discovery call, Alfie will work up the training contents outline, and breakdown the costs. Then send it on to you for clarity and transparency. Rest assured, the pricing is reasonable, the training effective. And fun.

How many delegates are there on a workshop?

There is a degree of flexibility. Naturally, the fewer the delegates, the more time for personalised attention and even deeper dives on certain elements. However, optimum is 8 - 10 people.

Is this delivered face-to-face, or online?

Did I mention flexibility? However, while 1:1 coaching works very well online, there is nothing to replace the energy and group experience of in the room, real life, group workshops. A discovery call can address all elements and any practical needs.

Where will Alfie travel? Can you provide a venue?

Typically, most of the work that Alfie does is within the M25. Or overseas. However, all travel is an open possibility and there are several precedents for Alfie travelling further afield. So, all options are on the table.

Certainly we can provide a venue for Laugh & Learn Away Days. Our standard option is the room in which Alfie ran hundreds of live comedy shows, the spacious, basement bar of a trendy venue in Dalston, East London. It comes with a private bar, stage, PA and utter privacy.

Arrangements can be made for settings selected based on your personal preference. Your wishes can be discussed on the discovery call, ranging from area, size and 'feel' of the venue that you prefer.

To be absolutely clear our first option in Dalston is colourful, shabby chic and very informal

IAQs - Infrequently Asked Questions

Do fish get thirsty?

Saltwater fish do drink a lot of water, yet their sense of thirstiness remains unknown. Whereas, Freshwater fish absorb water through osmosis so they really don't get thirsty. Try and keep in mind that Rainbow Trout have a troubling history with Jagerbombs, they can get lairy and aggressive... if possible, try and keep them on pints only. Good luck!

If I stand still for long enough, will birds nest in me?

So long as you stand utterly still, yes. There are variables based on where you are standing still. Being near to a busy road as opposed to on the edge of a forest would, presumably, slow the mission down. In broad strokes, estimates suggest the process would start unfurling after about four weeks. Good luck!

Can I marry someone for their Tesco Clubcard points?

Yes. Though it's not broadly considered the prime reason for entering a life-long relationship. Naturally, divorce remains an option. If Clubcard points turn out to not be your thing, perhaps consider Nectar next time? Good luck!

Who the hell is Alfie Noakes, really?

Be bold, prep your questions and find out for yourself. Book a free, no-pressure, 25-minute call with Alfie Noakes and hit him with your enquiries, concepts and questions. Good luck!
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