Testimonials

What Clients Think of Roy Sheppard as a Conference Moderator & Speaker

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"Working with personalities can be a nightmare - lack of understanding of the client's corporate culture, lack of preparation for the job in hand, inflexibility and the tendency to charge extra for the tiniest item which is not specified in the contract.
In my experience Roy Sheppard is guilty of none of these annoying traits. He is thorough in his preparation, sympathetic with client needs and culture, superb with people, a creative contributor to achieving the desired objectives - and a totally credible presenter. You couldn't ask for more". Phillip Gibbs, Managing Director, IMS Communications Ltd

Associations

"Thank you for the fantastic job in managing the world's leading retail real estate professionals. You really did help them look and present better.

Your focused and entertaining stewardship of the World Summit made all of us at ICSC look good as the event exceeded expectations. I hope we have a chance to work together soon.

Please feel free to use my name as a reference; it would be a pleasure to recommend you most highly." Scott Harris, ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers) New York, USA

"Please accept my sincere thanks and great appreciation for your contribution as the moderator at the second ISO Networking Conference Networking in a new information and communication environment in Ottawa on 15-16 May 2003.  I would like to join the words of Hugh Krentz, the Chairman of SCC, who said "you are the best of all moderators".  Owing to your valuable contribution and the contribution made by the speakers, the hosting ISO member and all participants, the Conference appears to have been a great success.  It was attended by 109 managers and experts in fields related to information, marketing, training and public relations from 31 countries. Once again, thank you for your contribution... and I look forward to meeting you again!"
Alan Bryden, Secretary-General, International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO)

"Thank you so much for giving us such an excellent session at our branch network training session on Friday. Feedback from the event has been very positive - people really loved it! A lot of ideas were generated and I'm looking forward to seeing some of the delegates "in action" at our events over the coming months.... Thanks again for all your input to make it such a successful day." Steve Drew, Branch Services Manager, Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT)

"Roy delivers what it says on the tin! His engaging style which is both humorous and informative makes for an excellent session which holds the attention of even the most 'battle weary' delegate.

SOCPO have used Roy on at least 2 occasions with enthusiastic response both times. His subject matter represents vital elements of organisational and personal success and remains highly relevant in our fast changing world."
Alan Warner, President, Society of Personnel Officers (SOCPO). Now known as Public Sector People Managers Association (PPMA)

"...a huge thank you for making Monday such an enjoyable day.  Several delegates, including board members, said you were 'a real find'(!) and commented on how you turned an ordinary day into something much better".
Judi Reader, Business Manager, The Institute of Clinical Research

Thank you, so much for your contribution to our Conference, and the thought and hard work that went into preparing for it.

With your help, this Conference marked a milestone in the re-establishment of the Annual European Conference.  Over 500 delegates from 34 countries around the world came together to do business and hear new ideas.  The feedback has been very positive. 

With some serious on-site challenges, it was a great relief to know that the proceedings on stage were in safe hands.  I enjoyed working with you, and learning from you.  I look forward to working with you again. Ermine Amies, Managing Director, ICSC Europe

"As Chairman of the IVCA, I am writing to thank you for your outstanding contribution as facilitator and presenter at our Convention at BAFTA last week. The audience reaction to the event has been very favourable indeed and much of this praise goes to you for your sheer professionalism, thoughtfulness and in-depth knowledge of our industry. Your comments were extremely thought provoking and elicited exactly the right response from both speakers and audience alike. As a producer of videos and live events, I know how much preparation needs to be done to hold together and present an event such as that, but I believe that you went beyond the call of duty on our behalf!" 
John Gordon-Saker

"Just a brief note to thank you for the outstanding contribution you made to this year's IVCA Convention.
Everyone I have spoken to was full of admiration for your sheer professionalism and from a personal viewpoint I have to say I was very, very impressed. I look forward to working with you again in the future".
Bill McQuillan, Chief Executive, IVCA

"Just a note to say how delighted we were with the Exhibition Forum which you presented so professionally at SHOW 96.
We were particularly impressed with the 'homework' that you had obviously done on the Exhibition Industry - and this preparation showed through. Many thanks and we look forward to having another opportunity to work with you in the future".
Keith Reading, Commercial Director, Show International Ltd. 

Automotive

"Thank you so much for all your help with our Volvo conference in Tenerife.  We have had some excellent feedback from the dealers as to content and presentation style, and I feel you very successfully represented their interests on stage.  Your contribution during the preparation time was also greatly appreciated by our senior managers.  There is no doubt that you brought a new focus to the words and tone used by the presenters.  The result was much more dynamic and personal.  Thanks again!". 
Re-booked for Volvo Dealer conference in Barcelona, Jan 2003.
Lesley Milne, Internal Communications Manager, Volvo Car UK Limited

"...As always, your contribution made an enormous difference, from help with the scripts through to the personal coaching which enabled our speakers to relax and give of their best. Your role as dealers' representative built nicely on last year and satisfied the audience that they had a voice in the proceedings. We have had excellent feedback from our dealers and I confidently predict we will reap the benefit in the next Dealer Attitude Survey! Many thanks Roy, and I hope we have the opportunity of working with you again in the future." Lesley Milne, Internal Communications Managers, Volvo Car UK

"In the course of the last 5 years AA Membership has embarked upon an extensive communication programme to its staff to enlighten and inform them of changes and developments within the business. Roy Sheppard was selected as presenter for both our audio and video programmes. Roy’s professionalism in this sphere coupled with his lively personality, energetic humour and charismatic styling brought the perfect balance to our programmes where topics were as diverse as technical information to topical news items. Roy’s popularity with both audience and participants alike was reflected in his ability to bring out the best in people and boost programme popularity." Cathy Billett, Manager Marketing Communications, The AA

"I have known Roy since 1989 when he first worked on Grapevine, our regular employee news video. I have always found him well-versed in business matters and well-informed generally, being particularly quick to pick up new ideas. I have been interviewed by him on many occasions and he has never failed to give a professional performance."
John M. Neill CBE, The Group Chief Executive, UGC.

"You have been a major player in ensuring we have exceeded our client's expectations. The two more major projects that stand out where you made a major contribution were the Treasure Hunt with Anneka Rice and the UK Unipart Roadshow. In the both cases the client could not believe their success in achieving both sales and motivating objectives."
Mike Black, Creative Director, Complete Communications (a division of UGC).

"I have worked with Roy for four years now and have never known him to be anything other than totally professional. He is a competent interviewer particularly on business subjects and has the ability to set any interviewee at their ease and get the best from them. Amongst our crews he is legendary as a one-take wonder! I would recommend him to anyone looking for a versatile all-round presenter/interviewer." Corinne Richman, Producer, Complete Communications.

Business Development Training

"This is just a short note to say how much I enjoyed the programme yesterday. It was excellent on many levels: you afforded a very focused and practical set of recommendations and tools for helping our 'client facing' staff build our business through recommendations. Your enthusiasm and extensive knowledge really 'shone' throughout the day. It was a pleasure to meet you and a privilege to see you work!"  Gareth Jones, Group Training & Development Director, TNS (3rd largest global market research firm, with 30,000 employees and a $1.3 billion turnover)

" Building a successful professional services business requires its people to be able to generate leads, and convert them. Having the necessary skills to acquire the right clients (the profitable ones!) is a critical success factor.  Roy's workshop and style of delivery made our people aware that professional knowledge is not enough and that positive attitudes to sales
and marketing matter." Martin Powell, Managing Partner, Withy King, Bath

Computer/IT/Telecom

"Roy displayed a high level of flexibility, professionalism and humour, a trio of attributes not easy to replicate in my experience. He was able to keep the program lively and relevant, and his enthusiasm helped make the affair successful. Much of his effectiveness stems from his interest in and knowledge of much of the subject material, and I can recommend him for other events where this would be true".
Joel S. Birnbaum, Senior Vice President, Research and Development, Hewlett-Packard, Palo Alto, California

"Roy Sheppard did an excellent job. His professionalism and sense of humour contributed significantly to the success of the meeting, despite the fact that he is not part of the computer industry. I would recommend him highly for similar events".
Alex Sozonoff , General Manager, Sales and Distribution, Hewlett-Packard, Santa Clara, California

"I would like to thank you personally for your tremendous contribution to the overall success of the event. As you know this event was no small task, with 700 Sales and Marketing people, over 40 separate speakers, actors, a voting system, a live satellite link with the CEO of Intel, Andy Grove ..the list of technicalities seemed endless. I know I speak not just for myself ..without you it would have been near to impossible to accomplish what we did in the time that was available to us. Your professionalism; understanding of people and flexibility throughout our time in Berlin made, not only my life much easier, but the end result outstanding. It goes without saying that when we have a need for presenters on any of our conferences, Roy, I will undoubtedly take great pleasure in working with you again. Many many thanks for a superb job".
Christine Daniels, Managing Director, Face to Face Productions Ltd.

"We have just concluded our Hewlett-Packard Computer Products Europe KICK-OFF event for approximately 700 sales and marketing staff in Berlin. The feedback from the participants has been extraordinarily positive and is due to a large extent to Roy Sheppard who was very visible throughout the three day event as News Presenter, Interviewer, Master of Ceremonies and Raconteur.
Many of the delegates were amazed at his ability as an outsider to grasp the HP culture quickly as well as understand our products/reseller/end user focus in a very short period of time. This was well illustrated when one of our attendees asked Roy "if he was an HP employee or a professional" - there is no doubt whatsoever that he is the consummate professional!
I can unreservedly recommend Roy Sheppard for any event (large or small) which requires that the above and other skills be utilised in a live or video tape manner to thoroughly motivate an audience". David McDonald, Event Co-ordinator, Hewlett-Packard SA Geneva

"Thank you very much for the excellent job you did at our Kick Off meeting in January.
We have now analysed all the feedback and I’m delighted to say that the interview approach was very well received by our staff. On the day, your enthusiasm and wit contributed enormously to the overall success of the conference and kept things flowing in a lively and interesting way. In particular, I should like to thank you for the thought and energy that you put into the interviews leading up to the event and for the help and confidence you gave our ‘interviewees’. As you know, most were completely new to this approach and, therefore, understandably nervous and sceptical. You will, I’m sure, be pleased, but not surprised to hear that after the event, all said they would prefer to use this approach again. I hope that we will have an opportunity to work together again in the future.
In the meantime, please feel free to quote any of my comments or to put anyone interested in following up references, in touch with me, and I will confirm how happy we were with your work for us." Jane Berry, Marketing Communications Manager Europe, ICL Retail

"I can't quite thank you enough for what you did on our behalf at Networks '94. To launch a Live T.V. channel at an event incorporating interviews, news, roving cameras, corporate focuses et al takes an immense amount of preparation from a content and technical perspective. Even then it has to be delivered. We had two options - either an infamous T.V. personality or a lesser known professional. Thank God we chose you! It is rare to find someone prepared to spend days learning about Computer Networking (not a simple subject) in order to raise the professional standard of interaction required with industry figureheads. In pure delivery you were, as I had heard, outstanding - in front of over 40,000 professionals, and the compliments that we have received I pass to you. Keep all available dates free!" James Latham, Managing Director, Independent Network Marketing Ltd

"Thanks for the excellent work you did for us throughout the recent Mercury Conferences. From the very beginning, I was very impressed by your commitment to absorbing as much information as possible about Mercury and the issues that you would be discussing through the course of the conferences. All your hard work, as well as our confidence in you, was well rewarded at the conferences themselves. You managed to take the ‘internal debate’ further than it has been taken in the past and, you achieved that by being well informed, credible and extremely professional. Importantly, you consistently demonstrated your ability to work as an integrated member of the team, something much appreciated by all of us at Spectrum and indeed, by our client. I am sure we will work together again in the future." David Zolkwer, Creative Director, Spectrum Communications

"... Thanks for all of the work that you have done to make the event yesterday a success. It is very encouraging to work with someone who can bring the best out of everyone involved in the delivery of such a key event. I am pleased to say that the small amount of feedback that I received so far has been very encouraging both at an event level and also the delivery and execution of the messages. A large amount of this praise must be attributable to the creativity that you brought to the event, when ensuring that the customer in the audience has received the information that he/she was looking for and also the presenter has delivered their message appropriately." Kevin Bailey, Marketing Director, StorageTek

"The event feedback has been fantastic. Everyone thought the whole show very worthwhile and you managed to strike the right balance between Facilitator and Honest Joe. Everyone was impressed how much you had grasped about the DNA of our company as well as our business in such a short time. Once again, many thanks for a great job." Alistair Lamb, Marketing Director, Rebus IS

"I would like to express my thanks to you for your outstanding contribution to what was a highly successful sales conference. Your personal expertise in interviewing techniques and understanding of our business challenges both before and during the conference managed to dispel any concerns I may have had about the proposed format. Your professionalism, that of the overall team produced a highly polished conference which provided us with outstanding business results. Thank you very much for all your energy and creative contribution before and after the conference. I hope that we will have the opportunity to work together in the future." Sam Sassoon, Logica UK Managing Director

"A huge thank you for all of your help making the Logica UK sales conference such a success. I hope you had as much fun as we all did, I'm still bathing in the glory." Liz Brown, UK Sales & Marketing Manager, Logica UK

"...thank you for your invaluable input to our kick off event this year. It was without question, the most successful event of its type that we have produced to date. The overall feedback was phenomenal on all counts. We exceeded all expectations in terms of communicating our messages, motivating our team and setting the agenda for the year ahead.

It was more than evident that your work leading up to and indeed during the event, with some of our senior speakers had a dramatic impact on the way they presented both themselves and their messages. The feedback demonstrates that your skills in terms of interviewing and linking not only entertained a potentially difficult audience, but added a level of professionalism very rarely seen at events of this nature. We are now discussing the follow up event.... I am sure we will be contacting you soon to see how you can help make this event a similar success." Owen Ashby, Marketing Communications Manager, Unisys Computer Systems

"Thank you for facilitating at ASP ' 99 [Application Service Providers] last week, your presence was key to making this such a successful event. We had over 250 delegates attending the event, and the response to date has been excellent; the event questionnaire is attached for your reference along with the analysis from these - I am sure you will be pleased with the outcome!" Tim Pickard, Vice President Marketing, Netstore Group Ltd

"We, the team at Status would like to thank you for your professionalism and co-operation in making this event the success Netstore were expecting. This event would not have run so smoothly without the use of your skills, teamwork and on-site assistance. The feedback we have received from the client has been very complimentary. It was so good to work with an assertive, hands-on, friendly team member and we look forward to working with you again."
Amy Knights-Whittome, Katherine Gilbert and Vicki Welham, Status Meetings Ltd.

"We were very pleased with the outcome of TMA and it was evident that the presentation theatre approach was a great success. In purely statistical terms we generated over double the normal number of leads...we gathered some quality leads and contacts. Perhaps more specifically to yourself, we were very pleased with your performance and it was clear to all the benefit from using a professional presenter to deliver the message. It was important for our business to have a presenter that understood sufficient of the marketplace and technology to appear as credible to the audience. I felt that you were highly credible in this role and I would have no hesitation in using you for future events. It was also very pleasing that you had the flexibility to help us adapt the delivery for the session to best suit the audience and their attention span. Should you wish to use my comments as a testimonial for any of your future projects, you have my blessing to do so".
Andy Bray, Marketing Manager, General Datacom

"I am writing to express my thanks and appreciation for your hard work and input into the recent staff communication days which Apex produced for Philips Semiconductors. Philips were anxious to put across their communication messages in an interactive and open forum and your position as an independent anchorman was invaluable in gaining the delegates trust. I personally found you creative, enthusiastic and easy to work with, becoming part of the Apex team to ensure the success of the whole event. I will be recommending your services to our other clients and I hope we will have another chance to work together again soon". Paul Ashford, Managing Director, Apex marketing & Creative Communications Ltd.

"I first worked with Roy Sheppard at a British Telecom AGM he was our roving reporter with a remote ENG unit. Roy's self assuredness in dealing both with the public and with the technical requirements of the job allowed me to concentrate without concern on the studio end of the show. That confidence was born out of working with a man who is part writer, part reporter. and who has the rare ability to self produce His relaxed style of presentation contributed to unflustered, uninhibited. natural interviews, and disguised the technical challenge of the production. I look forward to working with him again".
Peter Piddock, Glancehurst Television

"All I can say is a huge thank you.  I think we delivered exactly what we set out to, and talking to some of the guests in the evening, who had been involved in the build up, they certainly felt that they had seen what we promised. Thank you, also for helping with the speaker training aspect, I know some of the presenters were very nervous; it is after all a fairly daunting stage!  Your reassurance and tips on delivery really paid off, and when it counted I thought they all spoke very well.  Pete wanted me to say thank you from a sound engineer point of view you controlled the interview sessions brilliantly, I don't think he missed a thing! I hope that we will be able to work with you again in the future, and especially a return to Watford next year, to see if they have actually done their bit and delivered on the issues they need to!" Jackie Chambers, Stagecraft Limited

Construction

"This is a quick note to thank you for your help in making our recent conference so successful. Your skills as a moderator and presenter ... certainly achieved everything I had hoped for in making the conference a success. I would unhesitatingly recommend your services for any such conferences in future."
Peter Hooson, Commercial Director, RMC Materials

"I am writing to thank you for all your invaluable help in making our 'Stronger Together' conference such a spectacular success. Our MD has described the event as "setting a new standard for RMC Conferences". 
Peter Money, RMC Materials

Consultancy

"I would just like to record my thanks to you for your help in delivering a very successful meeting of our European partners in Amsterdam. The meeting was a significant departure from our traditional format and was highly successful in communicating information in a stimulating way. I particularly appreciated the time you spent in preparation with each of the speakers, which ensured that you had a thorough understanding of our issues and were able to apply this in the interviews.
It was a great pleasure to work with you. You undoubtedly added great value to the occasion and I hope we have the opportunity to work together again in the near future."
Geoff Dodds, Head of Marketing, Price Waterhouse Management Consultants

Fast Moving Consumer Goods

"I would like to thank you sincerely for your contribution at our Global Sustainability Summit and for helping to make it such an interesting event.  We felt that the Summit was enormously worthwhile and , from the feedback so far, many of the guests agreed that it was a thoroughly enjoyable and productive two days.  Please accept my thanks once again for your participation, which contributed immensely to making the gathering a success." Paul Adams, Chief Executive, British American Tobacco 

"This letter is to offer my own endorsement to anyone considering using Roy Sheppard as a moderator or facilitator at a conference. Prior to a recent conference held by British American Tobacco, I had real reservations about using an external facilitator. I was principally concerned as to whether he would try to "hog the show" or whether he could be in tune with the audience.

I need have had no doubts, Roy quickly grasped the mood of the audience, mixed well with them and drew out of them the issues they really wanted to put on the table. He did it in an easy, entertaining, but understated manner and proved to be a great hit with the delegates. His style of questioning made it clear to the delegates that they need not hold back. I would have no hesitation in recommending him or indeed using him again".
Martin Broughton, Chairman, British American Tobacco

"I would like to sincerely thank you for all you did to make our European Management Conference such a success. As you know, we were keen to involve the delegates as much as possible, and make it a very participatory meeting.  Your role was key in achieving this – both in the planning of the Conference and significantly during the Conference itself.   

The Q & A sessions led by you were as usual a great success – the only criticism being that some of the delegates wanted them to go on longer!  A few thought that the questions were not as tough as in the previous two conferences, and that you must be mellowing.  These people have obviously not had to answer your questions! Roy, thanks for your professionalism and energy.  I enjoyed working with you." Paul Adams, Managing Director, British American Tobacco

"From the moment you walked into our preparation meeting and helped us re-focus our conference agenda to better achieve our aims, through coaching some of the team on their presentations and the actual conference facilitation itself, you have done a first rate job. Indeed, your desire to help us achieve our aims outside the sole facilitation role is notable, especially in relation to the production of the video snippets. The value these added to our conference is immeasurable. Once again, thank you for a first class effort." Neil Withington, Director, Legal & Security and General Counsel, British American Tobacco plc

"Thank you on behalf of our client, Mars Confectionery, for the great job you did as facilitator on their recent National Sales Conference. Not only did you provide great links during the show, but the presenters felt you added real value in assisting them during rehearsals. I look forward to working with you again soon". Trevor D Hamilton, Managing Director, Unique Entertainment Production and Design Ltd.

"This note is just to give you my sincere thanks and appreciation for your contribution. Not only did you reveal your own consummate professionalism but we really appreciated how you got the best out of our own people. Once again thank you for your help and input". Dr RH Platt, Head of Laboratory, Unilever Research, Port Sunlight, Cheshire. (For hosting the opening of their new £40million laboratory attended by the Chairman of Unilever and opened by Rt. Hon. David Hunt MP.)

"Due to circumstances beyond our control, our client (namely the Tibbett & Britten Group plc) seems to be delighted with their annual management conference at Sopwell House the other week. A large part of this success must be due to your ability to extract information from a reticent collection of managing directors and chairmen in such a way that the audience could not only follow it, but be interested in it! We have received some very nice letters from John Harvey, Mike Stalbow and Kevin Mellor, so lots of Brownie Points all round! We look forward to working with you again soon!"
Robin Smurthwaite, Partner, Synapse Ltd.

"Just a short note to thank you for your excellent performance at our recent sales conference. I was most impressed by your ability to soak up the issues relating to our business, the morale of our sales force and our organisation, and then to be able to draw out the right messages from the Directors in such a way that the sales force felt that you were their spokesman. The entire task, from our early meetings, through to the final "ordeal", had the hallmarks of a true professional".
John Veale, Commercial Director, Groupe Schneider

Financial

"I would like to say that all my fears about the conference were completely unfounded and you did a first class job.  Over the years I have seen many speakers and in my opinion you are one of the best I have seen.  Once again thanks for making our conference the success it was."
Keith Spencer, Sales Director, First National Bank Plc

"Thank you for your help at the recent Lloyds TSB Marketing Conference. As you are aware the objective of the day was to create a sense of single focus and direction across the marketing departments of our organisation. This was achieved by involving and integrating the presenters, the discussion panels and the audience. A key part of this achievement was the professional, insightful and intuitive manner in which you managed the whole day... it seems I am not the only person who valued your input as general comments stated that you played an important part in the success of the day. I welcome future opportunities of working with you again". Ford Ennals, Director of Marketing, Lloyds TSB Group plc

"A very big thank you for everything you did during the Lloyd's TSB event. Audience feedback has been incredibly positive, with a certain Mr R. Sheppard emerging as a highlight for many of the delegates. I was incredibly impressed with your performance on the day. Lloyds TSB were very pleased with the day and good news seems to have travelled... They now see what can be achieved by using a professional facilitator. Much of the success of the day was down to you and I'd like to thank you for helping me deliver a response which genuinely started to answer their individual needs."
Ian Liddiard, Page and Moy Marketing Limited.

"I thoroughly enjoyed the conference even though we seemed to be "on the edge" the whole time. Your contribution was excellent throughout and you made it clear to the audience that the questioning was authentic without intimidating those of us who appeared on the stage with you. The other thing we really liked about the conference was the relatively little amount of preparation required of us, in contrast with some of our previous conferences. I would be very happy to give a reference to any of your future potential clients. Thank you very much for your contribution to what we all regard as a successful event."
Wallace Stein, Managing Director, Forward Trust Ltd

"At last, we have finally been able to work together - and what a treat it was. Thank you so much for all your input, your calming influence on the client and your resolve to get to the thorniest issues. Andy, I know, was very pleased, as were all his colleagues, who felt it was a highly successful event. You'll be pleased to hear they are already talking about next year's! Many thanks again and I think I can safely say it won't be too long before we work together again."
Tim Horrox, Managing Director, Harmonics Ltd. in respect of a conference for Friends Provident

"Now the dust has (quite literally) settled on Connect, I thought I'd take this opportunity to say a huge thank you for all your hard work last week. The event really wouldn't have been the same without you (or your jackets!) Despite the fairly punishing event schedule, at no point did you offer me anything other than 100% professionalism and genuine creativity. More importantly, you were great fun to have as part of the crew. The feedback I've had from the client has been almost embarrassing - I think they want to adopt the entire production team! Once again, a huge thank-you for last week, you took a lot of the pressure off me and the client, and for that I'm eternally grateful". Iain Liddiard, Presentations Director, Page & Moy Marketing (Client AT&T Capital)

"I just wanted to thank you personally for all your valuable input to the Liberty Life conference recently. The feedback from the client has been very positive and reinforces my feeling that our efforts helped them in no small way to achieve their event objectives handsomely. It was obvious during the event and confirmed by the many comments afterwards that the audience was impressed by your in-depth knowledge of their business and firm grasp of the key issues. Both I and the speakers appreciate not only your skill in this, but also the amount of sheer hard work you put into achieving it. I was particularly impressed by the way you were able to put the presenters at their ease and gain their confidence so early in the pre-production process. Even the sceptics became early ‘converts’ when they realised that they could trust you and that you really were going to make their task a lot easier. From a production company perspective this is especially important. In short you more than lived up to your promises and in doing so enabled us to deliver ours in turn to the client. It was a real pleasure to work with you on this project and I certainly hope that we get the opportunity to do it again in the near future. Many thanks once again, Roy."
Ian Johnson, Conference Director, Motivational Meetings Ltd.

Healthcare

"As a National Sales Manager responsible for the largest sales force working within the healthcare environment, I face many ongoing challenges. One issue that has become more and more relevant in today's market place is the relationship that the sales force has with their core customer base.

Every representative thinks that he or she has a brilliant relationship with most of the customers that they deal with on a regular basis. When you question them about this relationship they get very defensive and guarded. I wanted to launch a whole new initiative that pushed the ownership and the responsibility on each representative to search into how good that relationship actually was.

A major sales conference was picked to launch this issue and we needed something that would make a big impact, but would also come from an independent source. What they didn't need was the National Manager launching something that they felt they were already very good at - we decided on Roy Sheppard.

The gamble when you pick an after dinner speaker or a motivational presenter is that the message is delivered but all tied up in a very slick presentation that sounds wonderful and very funny BUT is, in fact, a very difficult message to build into the culture of the team.

Roy's message is a simple one, but a very effective one.

Following some research with myself and some contact with the sales force, Roy managed to overcome all of these barriers and get the whole sales force to think about themselves in a totally different light.
Getting people to talk well of us behind our backs has now become a buzz-word within our Company. The ideas have started to flow and the defence from the sales force has been dropped.

We now have active development of each relationship and the sales force want and demand more knowledge. 

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Roy as the catalyst to start something; but beware, if all you want is to fill a conference agenda with some very entertaining and enlightening examples of how to build a relationship, and also how to destroy one, then Roy is your man. But if you want much more than that, then Roy really is the right person to make you take that first difficult step.

Thank you Roy Sheppard - I hope you know what you have started. I think you do!"
Mark Welsh, National Sales Manager, Smith & Nephew Healthcare

"I have just returned to the office following our tremendously successful One Baxter meeting that you facilitated so brilliantly yesterday. I have been talking to a number of my management colleagues and delegates at the conference and the unanimous verdict is that you did a thoroughly outstanding job interviewing the management group. Your confident yet relaxed manner inspired my colleagues and myself and ensured that we conveyed our views successfully to our audience. I am convinced that the delegates genuinely identified with the questions you asked and that you succeeded in tuning in to exactly the right wavelength. I am sure that it will not be too long before we are working together again. In the meantime, my thanks for your stimulating input and the support you have given to Baxter in order to help make this event such a memorable one."
Bill Davey Managing Director, Baxter Healthcare Ltd.

"...a big thank you for your active, professional and most of all helpful participation in the Advisory Board meeting in Paris. Your capacity to absorb information, monitor and control the albeit small audience was truly impressive. As an initial meeting of the group, we were all pleased with the outcome, and actively look forward to the next meeting to more firmly cement the relationships".  (Roy was subsequently booked to moderate the same meeting with 15 of Europe's most senior Orthopaedic Surgeons in Warsaw, Indiana, USA, London and Rome, Italy).
John Cresser-Brown, Director, Clinical and Technical Affairs, Zimmer Ltd 

"Sincere thanks again for all your help, support and excellence at our conference this week. You were fantastic! Look forward to working with you again." Chris Isherwood, Sales and Marketing Director, Fresenius Kabi

"Roy facilitated our National Sales Conference "in the round" as we wanted an open and honest approach to share the concerns and issues facing the team and agree what has working for us as the clear market leader.
Roy staggered me as within the first day of interviewing key managers in preparation for the conference, he had already established a non-threatening rapport and most importantly had a grip of us as personalities, our business and the ISSUES. I will always remember his catch phrase "Don’t worry I am here to make you look good". The conference required very little rehearsal as the process was entirely led by Roy with his intuitive and incisive questioning of the key managers and the audience. The fresh air that the open style of the conference created has been incredible. A number of people commented to me that they learned more in two days than they had in years with the company." Graham Crawford, National Sales Manager, SMA Nutrition

Multi-level Marketing

"Just a short note to say how very pleased I was with your delivery at our event on 8th January, there has been consistent comment from my team that they really enjoyed the 2 sessions, and felt that you had taken the trouble to research our company and address some of the perceived challenges.  I am already seeing some improvements in my team based on the topics you shared.  Once again very many thanks for your valuable input and great training.  I look forward to working with again in the future. Steve Critchley, Surrey Plus Ltd, Telecom Plus Conference.  

Property

"Roy Sheppard took more trouble to get to know our business, our ethos, our culture and what we are trying to achieve than any external resource we have previously worked with.  Roy is perfectly pitched for professional services organisations and totally in tune with current attitudes.  Roy captivates the attention of a large audience at all levels".
David B. Rugg, Chairman, Christie & Co

"...thank you for your enormous contribution to our Company Day...I have to say that the response to your presentation [Network to Win] and hosting of the day has been overwhelming. Without exception, everyone has commented how valuable and informative the day has been for them and the question and answer session appears to have been a great success. I know that Sally has already spoken to you to pencil in the date of next years event and we very  much look forward to working with you once again."
Christopher Day MRICS, Managing Director, Christie & Co. (following 2001 conference)

"Now that the dust has settled following last Friday’s events, I am delighted to report that the general consensus seems to be that last Friday surpassed the previous year’s event.  The video clips which were shown were extremely well received and hopefully this will lead to improved service levels right across Christie & Co.  Thank you for spending so much time putting these together. Once again many thanks for your efforts which are very much appreciated."
Christopher Day MRICS, Managing Director, Christie & Co. (following 2002 conference)

Public Sector

"Very many thanks for being an excellent chairman for the second day of our conference. Many have commented on your skills and I need say no more than that the consensus was that we wanted to invite you again next year! Thank you too for the late night speech training - I am looking forward to my second lesson. It was very kind of you to take the time to prepare so thoroughly beforehand. I think the finished effect proved that the effort was well worthwhile. Many thanks".
Dr Michael Dixon, Chair, NHS Alliance (formerly the National Association of Commissioning General Practitioners.)

"A sincere thank you for all of your hard work in the delivery of Hertfordshire Constabulary's Planning Conference. This was a very important event for the Constabulary - we have reached a significant crossroads in our development. It was critical that the process flowed seamlessly and delivered to the audience. Put simply, you made it happen. Your navigation of the event was both outstanding and inspirational. I have a sense that we addressed some fundamental issues during the conference and made some significant headway on the Constabulary's development. This happened because of you. Once again thank you for all of your work. It was a genuine pleasure working with you - you've given me much to think about both organisationally and personally!" Gary Kitching, Chief Superintendent, Hertfordshire Constabulary

"the conference ran smoothly and to time, thanks to your excellent facilitation skills.  Our managers found your session "Meet, Greet and Prosper" extremely interesting and a number have commented to me personally that they felt the session would enhance their networking skills." Devora Wolfson, Corporate Change Team Co-ordinator, Tower Hamlets Council 

"Your session on the evening of our workshop has caused quite a buzz amongst our team, and although I know you felt you had to fit a lot into a short time, the effect has been most dramatic. Everyone couldn't stop talking about the session and how right you were with your simple but impactful ideas and initiatives. In our business where it's so easy to focus on the delivery your powerful reminder of keeping ourselves externally focused and our networks going and growing was very timely.

For people who might not be confident enough to network, or for those who just don't make the time, your session is perfect - and if it can be well received by a team of senior management consultants then it can work anywhere! 

As you know I've personally been impressed and improved by one of your sessions and now that I've seen the impact it is having on my business, I shall continue to recommend you highly to any conference organiser.

You wear a funny coat, delivery a highly entertaining session of seriously important stuff - what a great combination!"
Julie Towers, Chief Executive, Tribal GWT

Radio and Television

"Roy Sheppard worked for BBC West as the main presenter to our Saturday news and sports programme on BBC1. On most evenings the 5 minute programme was presented at 5.15 pm and was dominated by regional football and sports results.
This allowed just half an hour for the programme to be prepared. On top of that, it was a self-drive operation for the presenter, without the luxury of a director and full gallery crew. Roy had to do his own vision-mixing, cueing of carts (giving on location reports), as well as reading a news and sports bulletin under tremendous pressure. He was thoroughly reliable and demonstrated an exceptionally high degree of dexterity".

Mark Byford, former Editor News BBC West, now Deputy Director General BBC

"I worked with Roy Sheppard in the BBC’s Current Affairs Department on the South East programme London Plus, on the news bulletins for the region, and on Breakfast Time and Breakfast News.As a presenter of both live and recorded news and features, Roy conveyed an authority and versatility on camera which put him in a class of his own in BBC regional television. Roy was equally at home with lighter presentation, and his sharp news sense did not mask an open, cheerful and lively personality. His versatility as a broadcaster with a commanding presence on-camera and a strong voice, meant that he was capable of complicated studio work, outside broadcasts, and interviews -from the probing to the frivolous. His editorial skills made him an easy and understanding presenter to work with, and he was able to contribute significantly to the editorial shape and structure of the programmes. Roy could carry off a crisis better than anyone, despite the many live, on-camera dramas he had to cope with, because his most significant talent is his determined professionalism." Mark McDonald, Producer, BBC Nine O’Clock News

"I first worked with Roy Sheppard in 1984 and have been fortunate enough to repeat the experience a number of times since then. On each occasion I have found Roy to be deeply committed to the project in hand and completely professional in every area. As a producer, knowing your presenter can handle any problem that arises is deeply reassuring. Roy’s skills are most obvious in a "live" situation where things can go wrong at any time. Most presenters can hold it together when things are going well - Roy can hold it together when things are falling apart." Mark Killick, Senior Producer, Panorama, BBC1 TV.

"Roy is very hard working and dedicated. Amongst his many talents he also showed his versatility during three series of In The News as a presenter by coping very well with programme ‘gear changes’ from hard news, to light topics and humour - these are quite difficult and he achieved such changes in tone very successfully." Jonie Lloyd, Editor, Sony Award Winning "In The News" BBC Radio 4.

"Roy knows so much about his subject that, whatever DJ work you intend to take up, the experience of reading his book The DJ’s Handbook will only help you improve your act. There is a crying need for a definitive new work on the art of the DJ; this is it"
Johnny Beerling, Former Controller BBC Radio 1.

"I have had a long working relationship with Roy Sheppard. He is professional in the extreme, always fun to work with and highly versatile." Carolyn Smyth, Former Senior Producer, John Dunn Show, BBC Radio 2.

Recruitment

"I write to thank you very much for your excellent handling of our Managers and Staff Conferences. We were absolutely delighted that Pump House recommended us to use you because we feel you raised our game a whole level! Your role and contribution helped to raise the professionalism of the conferences to a large extent. Thank you also for being a pleasure to work with and for all your suggestions in the planning and rehearsals as we went along".
Jill Robertson, Strategic Marketing Director, ADIA ALFRED MARKS

"On behalf of EMA Partners International, I would like to thank you for assisting us at our meeting in Berlin. As you will appreciate, the overall reaction to your presentation and the day's activities was really positive, to the extent that some people were keen to invite you back at some stage in the future.

To keep such an international group of executive search professionals interested and motivated throughout the day takes some doing. We are, by nature and through what we do as a profession, a fairly cynical bunch of people who have heard it all before. To bring new ideas and maintain their interest over such an extended period is a mark of your professionalism in terms of knowing your business, thorough preparation and sensitivity to different situations. Well done."
James Douglas, Director, EMA Partners UK

Retail

"Just a short note to say a big 'Thank You' for the part you played in making our Company Conference so successful. It was a pleasure to work with you and I hope to be working with you again on future projects.
I thought that you may like to know that I have received many comments from delegates who were very impressed by your performance and wanting to know just how you knew so much about DO IT ALL. Don't worry I didn't give your secret away!"
Lisa Abbotts, Employee Communications Manager, Do It All

Security

"Roy did a great job of moderating the RSA Conference 2003, Europe. His energy, enthusiasm and wit were refreshing additions to our program. Roy did a great job of researching our speakers and attendees prior to the event to ensure everything was customized and tailored to out Conference."
Karla Krause-Miller, Conference Director, RSA Conferences, USA

(also booked for 2004 conference in Spain and 2005 in Vienna)

As a Speaker

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, for once again presenting to Members of the Chamber about the complex subject of networking.  We have had some excellent feedback from guests who attended, and as such at a recent event it was interesting to see how people embraced what you had said to them.  I had heard a few creative introductions (i.e. venture capitalist story), which actually made for a great icebreaker.  Once again Roy, you gave such valuable and logical information and impressed us all with your enthusiasm and passion, which hopefully will have rubbed off on others.  On behalf of the Chamber I'd like to thank you for taking the time to come to Northamptonshire and I do hope that we will be able to work together again soon."
Julia Watson, Events Manager (I put bums on seats!!), Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce

"A highly recommendable, captivating speaker who drives home the importance of meet and greet techniques. Succinct, and relevant to any customer focused organisation. As anticipated we have received a flurry of positive comments regarding the event. We had 146 guest attend the dinner, based on the feedback forms; 99% said they would recommend a similar event to their colleagues, 96% of the guests thought your presentation in particular was 'good' or above, with 58% of those ratings marked as excellent, so well done. I shall have no hesitation in recommending your services to friends and colleagues in the future, and thank you once again, for a thoroughly enjoyable speech."  Jacky Stevens, Chief Executive, Business Link Wessex

“Within hours, I have already started to put into practice some of what I learned yesterday. Thank you for an illuminating and amusing expose of the common sense of networking and referrals. A ‘goldmine of pearls’. Please feel free to quote me.”
Jonathan Strong, Director, Corpra Chartered Management Consultancy Surveyor

“I did find the seminar very much worthwhile and am planning to work with the partners in the Haines Watts offices in the Thames Valley to introduce some of the ideas Roy Sheppard talked about into our marketing activity.

I felt the seminar was very lively, and that it was genuinely very interactive with the audience. There was a varied range of visual and other material used in the presentation, which helped maintain and refresh interest through the day. Above all, Roy made it all sound like fun and his enthusiasm was infectious.

Thanks again for an excellent seminar and for the follow-up afterwards – something not practised by other training programme organisers?”
Helen Johns, Business Development Manager, Haines Watts Chartered Accountants

"Thank you Roy, for presenting such a valuable business event in Northamptonshire which I am sure is going to have a very positive effect on how my company does business in future.  Your friendly, fun and engaging approach made the 'Meet, Greet & Prosper' event stand out as the best value training I have ever received.  Roy's tried and tested methods when applied during the practical sessions yesterday now give me confidence to enter a room of strangers and leave having made some new friends or acquaintances.   Thank you for the invaluable experiences and knowledge you shared with us which I know will enable my business to flourish and be distinguished from the crowd.  Roy, please come back to Northamptonshire and talk to us again soon." Andrew Roberts, Director, Discus Group Limited

"Your very well structured, and yet living and entertaining, messages went through clearly and all participants felt they had a valuable benefit of your presentation. I am sure we will even be able to build our future education in this field on your ideas and thus help each other remember what you have told and shown us. Apart from your professional contributing you has been a pleasure too. Thanks for your cooperation - I hope we will have the opportunity to work together again sometime".
Kirsten Larsen,TPI - Tom Pedersen International A/S, Copenhagen

Voluntary Sector

"I just thought I would drop a line to say to say a big thank you for your presentation to the Business Mentors. The feedback I had on the evening and this morning has been very positive and they all found your talk very entertaining. I appreciate you taking the time out to support the Prince's Trust and hope you gained as much enjoyment from the afternoon as the mentors did." Gareth Smith, Business Support Manager, The Prince's Trust

"I was delighted at the outcome of our Business Mentor's meeting on Wednesday 8th October, and I congratulate you on your presentation. You are one of the few business gurus in this field who have a light enough touch to make the subject fun. Bearing in mind that our audience is made up of volunteers who give considerable amounts of time to the Trust, it is particularly important that we give them a bit of enjoyment along the way. Thank you so much for your time and for enthusing the audience - it was a memorable event! Malcolm Payne, Chair of Birmingham & Solihull Area Board, The Prince's Trust

"I am most grateful for your involvement in the launch of Juvenis and your expertise in helping us put together an excellent show. It was no mean task for you to generate enthusiasm and interest, as well as putting the interviewees at ease.
Nevertheless, your skill and professionalism ensured that the event went even better than we had hoped for. It was obvious from the number and breadth of the questions from the audience that the students found it a most stimulating and enjoyable evening, and the relaxed environment that you created resulted in a high quality debate between students and participants.
It was a pleasure to work with you. Once again, many thanks, and I hope we may have the opportunity to work together again in the future". Isobel Norwell, Head of Corporate Communications, Electrolux

"Roy’s contribution to making our major event a success was invaluable. He grasped what was needed and applied his experience and professionalism to create an excellent show in very difficult circumstances." Michael Bland, Independent PR consultant to Electrolux

This show, for the UK launch of 'Juvenis' a global initiative for young people was sponsored by Electrolux and held at Westminster Central Hall, London. Hundreds of young people from UK schools re-enacted a UN Assembly. The launch involved interviewing young people from South Africa and Germany (through an interpreter) and the Swedish film director Steffan Hildebrand. The high spot of the evening was a detailed interview with the Under Secretary General of the United Nations, Gillian Sorensen and chairing a lively discussion with the audience.

"I would like to thank you very much for the training sessions that you provided yesterday for BTO personnel.

Personally, I found the course worthwhile and very instructive and several of my colleagues have echoed these views.

Overall, I think that you have laid the necessary foundation to enable our fee earners to go 'out there' with more confidence and help develop our business and their careers". W S G Young, Brechin Tindal Oatts Solicitors