Eric Bergman, ABC, APR, MC
Eric Bergman is the principal of Bergman & Associates, a consultancy that specializes in communication training & issues management.
During his 26-year career as a communications professional, Eric has worked in virtually every facet of public relations and organizational communication, earning more than a dozen local, national and international awards for his work. Today, his business is focused on teaching his clients to communicate effectively through what he calls the medium of face-to-face communication. He has two primary communication products: presentation skills training (Presenting With Ease) and media spokesperson training (At Ease With the Media).
His presentation skills training program teaches that effectiveness is based on fundamental principles of face-to-face communication. He encourages his clients to use presentation visuals as an aid not a crutch, and he offers additional online resources that his clients can access at their convenience.
On the media training side, he challenges the traditional advice of "staying on message." At Ease With the Media is based on the perspective that the job of spokespeople is to manage media interviews to a win-win. To do that, they must answer questions clearly and concisely, then find places to weave in, not drive home, messages important to their organization's success. Eric's train-the-trainer guide for media training, Media Training With Excellence: A Balanced Approach, was published by IABC in November 2006. Based on sound communication and coaching research, its purpose is to provide public relations practitioners and organizational communicators with the tools to develop a media training program of their own.
Eric's workshops, seminars and one-on-one coaching have improved the communication skills of thousands of professionals, managers, salespeople, politicians and senior executives. He also consults on strategy, positioning, issues management and message content.
As his career has progressed, Eric has expanded his scope through his volunteer activities with the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), becoming extremely familiar with professional activities at the local and national level, and gaining strong insight into the professional "state-of-the-art" internationally.
From June, 2005, to June, 2007, he served as chair of IABC's international accreditation council, which steers the global development of the accredited business communicator (ABC) designation. He is currently past chair of the council.
Master Communicator
In 2002, Eric was nominated for, and received, the IABC Master Communicator Award. Inaugurated in 1980, the Master Communicator (MC) designation is the highest distinction bestowed upon an IABC member in Canada. It is designed to recognize outstanding Canadian communicators whose work has brought credit to IABC, the profession, the organizations they have worked for or with, and whose contributions have raised the standards of organizational communication in Canada.
Sue Johnston, MBA, ABC, IAC-CC
As founder and Head Coach of It's Understood Communication, Sue Johnston helps organisations and individuals communicate for results. She is dedicated to the belief that a real conversation is the most powerful business tool we will ever have.
Sue works with leaders and emerging leaders to develop their skills as authentic, confident communicators. The focus of her training and coaching is face-to-face communication, from media interviews and presentations to conversations with employees, clients and colleagues.
A professional communicator for 30 years, Sue worked as a TV and newspaper reporter and editor in Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and London. That led to opportunities as a corporate writer and communication consultant in Canada's banking industry, where much of her time was spent helping executives step out from behind the slide-shows and newsletters and really talk to people.
Sue followed her husband's career to Bermuda, where she worked as a magazine journalist and corporate writer. While living abroad, she also earned an MBA in Public Relations and Communication Management.
Today, Sue combines her journalist's skills, her corporate communication experience and her business training as a communication trainer and coach. In conjunction with Bergman & Associates, Sue offers At Ease With The Media, media spokesperson training. She is also a certified trainer for NetSpeed Leadership and is developing her own series of Talk To Me training tools for managers.
Sue is an Accredited Business Communicator (ABC), and has also earned professional coach certification from the International Association of Coaching, (IAC).