Workshop · Communication, Influence & Impact

The Persuasion Lab

A two-day workshop on persuasive messages and assertive conversations — for professionals who need to influence decisions, resolve conflict, and be heard under pressure.

In Madrid or online
Why this workshop

The Persuasion Lab: Communication, Influence & Impact

In most business contexts, the majority of messages don't land. Many professionals assume their job is to transmit information — and forget that unless the information is delivered clearly, concisely, and convincingly, the probability of it succeeding is very low.

The Persuasion Lab is a two-day workshop on the elements of persuasive communication. Participants explore how to design messages that balance assertiveness and empathy, improve their non-verbal delivery with live feedback, and build the habits that let them stay persuasive in conflict — not just when the room is calm.

Who it's for

Who it's for

Executives and senior leaders

Who need to influence boards, peers, and cross-functional teams daily — often without formal authority.

Client-facing and commercial professionals

Making recommendations, shaping deals, and handling pushback in real conversations — not set-piece pitches.

Team leads and managers

Running performance conversations, change initiatives, and the difficult chats most people avoid until they escalate.

Technical specialists

Who need non-technical stakeholders to act on their recommendations — and are finding that logic alone isn't enough.

What you'll walk away with

What you'll walk away with

What we cover

Programme overview

Day 1

Persuasive messages

  • Benefits vs. features — making your audience think about value rather than cost
  • Opening your message — structuring the first 30 seconds to maximise the probability of a yes
  • Validating the other side — persuading empathetically without giving ground
  • Finding the balance between assertiveness and empathy
Day 2

Assertive conversations

  • Needs and priorities — unblocking conflict by going beyond each person's obvious demands
  • Tone of voice — calibrating the right level of empathy and assertiveness
  • Lasting habits — communicating well even when others disagree with you
  • Practice scenarios with video recording and group analysis
Format

Format

Two-day format · 8–12 participants · Delivered in Madrid, at your offices in Europe, or online · Every participant records video of themselves delivering a persuasive message and receives personal feedback · Anchored in your real upcoming conversations, not generic case studies

From a recent participant

“Matt's coaching approach is highly focused, personalized, and most importantly, incredibly effective. After just one coaching session I was able to immediately implement what I'd learned, and saw tangible results in my sales call conversion rate.”

Laura Faint
Head of Growth, AJ&Smart

What participants say

More from the room

The micro-negotiation work changed how I run every internal review. We close decisions in half the meetings.

Head of CommercialSaaS scale-up, Barcelona

I've done negotiation courses before. This is the one that actually stuck, because we practised on real upcoming deals.

PartnerLaw firm, Madrid

Frequently asked questions

What's the balance between message design and delivery?

Roughly 50/50 across the two days. Day 1 is about how to design persuasive messages — structure, framing, empathy vs. assertiveness. Day 2 is about assertive conversations — tone, body language, and how to hold persuasion in conflict. Both days involve live practice on camera with group feedback.

How is this different from a negotiation workshop?

Negotiation training typically focuses on the deal itself — anchors, concessions, BATNA. The Persuasion Lab is about the everyday moments that come before and after: internal reviews, stakeholder conversations, pushing a recommendation through. The techniques show up in formal negotiations too, but the centre of gravity is the daily influence work.

Can this be tailored to our specific industry or audience?

Always. The examples, cases, and scenarios used in the room are calibrated to your team's world — whether that's banking, pharma, legal, tech, or public sector. Matt has delivered this for 400+ organisations including Banco Santander, Accenture, Roche, and the European Commission.

Is this only for senior leaders?

No. The Persuasion Lab works for anyone who needs to influence — analysts defending a recommendation, managers leading change, partners closing mandates. Most groups are mixed by level, which mirrors real life.

How many participants is ideal?

8–12 is the sweet spot. Fewer than 6 and the peer-feedback loop weakens; more than 12 and there isn't enough time for every participant to record and receive personal feedback on both days. For larger groups we run parallel cohorts.

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Want this workshop for your team?

Every workshop is tailored to your team and your context. Tell me a little about what you're preparing for and we'll take it from there.

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