Claire Doole

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Claire Doole is a former BBC correspondent and international spokeswoman who is passionate about helping people communicate with confidence. Since 2006, she has successfully trained hundreds of professionals in the art of presenting and public speaking, talking to the media, managing communications in a crisis, and writing for the web. In addition, she has coached C-level executives and public figures to give powerful TEDx and TED style talks in Europe and the Middle East. A Swiss and UK national, Claire trains and coaches in French and English.

Claire is also a highly experienced moderator having facilitated panel discussions with government ministers, NGO activists, humanitarians and human rights specialists at major events.

www.doolecommunications.com

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: Published: 09 January 2025

GENEVA CHALLENGE 2024_086_© E.ROSET

By Claire Doole, www.doolecommunications.com

At the end of last year, I coached the finalists for the Geneva Challenge – an annual global contest under the patronage of the late UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan organized by the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies.

Five teams, each representing a continent, had to convince a jury of high-level policymakers that their project offered the best solutions to the challenges of youth empowerment.

They were master’s students from some of the world’s most prestigious universities.

But their task went beyond explaining their ideas. They had to persuade the jury that their proposal would effect change. Not an easy task given that they were not development policy experts.

Each five-member team delivered the first draft of their 15-minute presentation for me to review and propose changes to make it more impactful.

: Published: 07 November 2024

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By Claire Doole, www.doolecommunications.com

Pitching to an executive board is high-stakes. After months of hard work developing a project or strategy, you need the board’s buy-in—but securing it is no easy feat.

The room is filled with senior executives who are busy, and their knowledge of your subject might vary widely. Adding to the challenge, there may be up to nine members present—an odd number to avoid voting ties.

I’ve coached many professionals to navigate these make-or-break moments. So, what’s the secret to winning over the board?

Below are some tips and tricks that could help you get the thumbs up for your next pitch.

Preparation prevents poor performance

Advance notice is critical. Boards don’t like surprises. It pays off to informally speak with each member beforehand so that you can write a concept note that you can get signed off.

Make sure you send a PDF of your slides to the board a few days before the pitch so they have time to read it. This means they can absorb the main arguments and prepare some pertinent questions.

: Published: 02 October 2024

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By Claire Doole, www.doolecommunications.com

“We are a new women’s networking group in Geneva and would love you to talk for 40 minutes about your career in communications”, says Valentine Honoré, the founder of the Curiosity Club.

My first reaction was, do I really want to talk about myself?

The second, was do I have anything to say?

And my third, 40 minutes is far too long.

You would think I would jump at the chance of talking to this group of women. But I have spent most of my professional life not talking about myself. I have always been most comfortable when asking questions as a journalist, or conference moderator, speaking on behalf of an organization or training people to speak in public or to the media!

Although the invite was out of my comfort zone, I thought it would be good to put myself in the shoes of the clients I train and coach in public speaking. They often tell me that they are also uncomfortable talking about themselves even though they know that personal stories help people connect.

Below are some tips and techniques on how I went about telling my story.

: Published: 07 July 2024

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By Claire Doole, www.doolecommunications.com

Did you watch Emily Maitlis’s interview with Prince Andrew about his relationship with the convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein? If not, did you see the wonderful film that has just come out – Scoop – about that interview?

Emily excels as an interviewer. She enters each conversation well prepared, focused and with a clear idea of how she wants to steer the conversation. Her strength also lies in her ability to listen to deepen her understanding and ask probing follow-up questions. This blend of preparation and flexibility is one of the reasons her interviews are so compelling.

You may not get to interview a member of the British royal family – few get that opportunity. However, her approach and techniques are worth observing, if you are asked to conduct an on-camera interview for your organization or company.

Over the past few months, I have trained a number of people on how to interview their CEOs, members of senior management teams or technical experts for videos to be posted on the company intranet, website or social media platforms.

: Published: 26 May 2024

Tips from a Masterful Media Communicator

By Claire Doole, www.doolecommunications.com

People often ask me who excels at talking to the media. My answer is Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner General of UNRWA – the UN Palestinian Relief Agency that employs 13,000 people in the Gaza Strip, and runs schools and social services.

Lazzarini has one of the most challenging jobs in the world, made even more difficult since the events of October 7th. Currently, he is banned by Israel from visiting Gaza, and his agency is not allowed to deliver much-needed food to the North of the strip where famine looms. Israel has also accused a dozen UNRWA staff of involvement in the Hamas attacks on Israel – allegations that remain unsubstantiated. 189 of his staff have so far lost their lives in the conflict.

Yet he remains cool, calm and collected when questioned by the media about those allegations, the effectiveness of the relief operations or the plight of the Palestinians.

I have analyzed some of the interviews he has done with major international broadcasters, Al Jazeera, Sky News and BBC, over the past six months, with a view to illustrating some of the techniques he uses that make him such an excellent interviewee.