The first cohorts run in early 2027. Influence and persuasion work is available now through The Arena and bespoke engagements.

Mid-to-senior professionals who have to get outcomes through people they don’t have authority over – project leads, specialists, advisers, managers of managers, anyone influencing upward.

Influence & Persuasion Training

Q: How is this different from presentation training?

The Spotlight teaches the encounter. Influence and persuasion training covers everything before, after and around it: building standing, working out who decides, making the ask, holding your ground, keeping promises.

Q: Is this about being pushy?

No. Pressure without trust backfires; the research is unambiguous. The programme is about earning standing and then using it.

Influence & Persuasion

Getting things over the line

First cohorts early 2027 – founding cohorts by invitation
In-house
Mid-to-senior professionals
Built on each person’s real work – measured before and after

Most of what matters at work gets decided by people you don’t manage. The budget sits with someone else. The decision needs three teams who don’t report to you. The person who has to say yes has read your paper and isn’t convinced. Presenting well gets you the room. This is about everything before it, after it and around it – getting buy-in, and getting things across the line.

What this is. A programme for mid-to-senior professionals who have to get things done across an organisation they don’t control – sideways, upward, without formal authority. It’s built around the real thing each participant is trying to get over the line, and it’s measured: where people are before, and where they are afterwards.

How it works. Influence is two things, and most people only work on one. Trust – the credibility, relationships and track record you’ve built; slow, cumulative, what you are. Voice – the strength and skill of the ask: the case, the story, the moment, the challenge you can withstand; what you do. Push without trust and you’re resisted. Trust without voice and nothing moves – which, in New Zealand, is where most capable people quietly sit. The programme is the route to having both.

Who it’s for. Professionals who influence sideways and upward – project leads, specialists, managers of managers, anyone whose job is to get buy-in from people they don’t control. And the manager who’s tired of watching capable people go unheard.

Where it’s at. We’re building this now, on twenty years of teaching people to be heard and a year of research into how influence actually works in New Zealand organisations. The first cohorts run in early 2027. If you have a team this describes and you’d like to be one of them, talk to Russell. Until then, influence and persuasion is part of The Arena and available as bespoke work – ask.

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Also runs as

Part of The Arena, and bespoke

Senior leadership teams
In-house, now
Keynote for a conference or leadership forum

Influence is one strand of The Arena, our mastery programme for senior teams, and we run bespoke influence work for leadership teams now. Russell also speaks on why capable people go unheard in New Zealand organisations – a keynote for a conference or leadership forum.

Request a Proposal

Questions we get asked

How is this different from presentation training?

The Spotlight teaches the encounter – the meeting, the pitch, the paper. This is everything before, after and around it: building the standing to be heard, working out who actually decides, making the ask at the right moment, holding your ground, and keeping the promises that make the next ask easier. If you’re not yet confident in the room itself, start with The Spotlight.

Is this about being pushy?

No. Pushing hard without trust gets you resisted, and remembered for the wrong reasons – the research on pressure tactics is unambiguous. This is about earning the standing, and then using it.

Can we book it now?

The first cohorts run in early 2027 and we’re talking to organisations now about being among them. If you need influence and persuasion work sooner, it’s part of The Arena and we run bespoke engagements – tell us what you’re trying to move.

Who is it for, exactly?

People who have to get buy-in and outcomes through others without the authority to instruct them – project and programme leads, technical specialists, advisers, managers of managers, anyone influencing upward. Mid-to-senior. Sent by a manager who wants them heard.

What our clients say

“Russell has been working with our people for nearly twenty years, through every change of name, structure and leadership this business has been through. Suppliers don't last that long unless they keep delivering. He does. Every programme is built around what our people actually present, and they walk out able to do it better.”

Mary Meki Sales Director – At Home, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners New Zealand

“Russell Pickering has become our most highly valued facilitator, both for team communication programmes and one-on-one coaching focused on impactful presenting. Our team at Lane Neave consistently rate Russell highly and we never struggle to fill his courses. In fact, word of mouth does all of the promotion for us. I would highly recommend Russell to any firm or organisation looking to build skilled and authentic communicators who can connect with audiences and deliver messages that have lasting impact.”

Yvette Hooper Head of People and Capability, Lane Neave

“We've partnered with The Pickering Group across presentation skills, influence and persuasion, and storytelling. What stands out is Russell's ability to adapt his programmes to the needs of very different audiences, from technical specialists to senior leaders. We've seen the learning translate into stronger communication, greater influence, and more effective stakeholder engagement across our teams.”

Justine Slattery Learning & Development Manager, Danone New Zealand

“Working in a dynamic, intrinsically hazardous environment requires subject matter experts to build trust and influence across a range of internal and external stakeholders. Russell's coaching has helped my team of safety business partners build their presentation skills and confidence in delivering messages with clarity, impact and purpose.”

Rob Mair General Manager Health Safety and Wellbeing, Port of Auckland

“We've had a number of employees attend Russell's Fundamentals of Business Presenting programme over the years, and the feedback has consistently been excellent. Participants come away with greater confidence, practical presentation skills, and techniques they can immediately apply in their roles. Russell's engaging and supportive approach makes the training both enjoyable and highly effective, and we would happily recommend him and his programmes to other organisations.”

Anna Pule Director, People & Culture, Matariki Forests

“The ‘Leading with Stories’ programme empowered our senior leaders to continue telling the stories of our transformation – to lift our strategy out of the spreadsheets and PowerPoints and into the hearts of our people.”

Wayne McNee then Chief Executive, LIC

“Russell Pickering is STELLAR at his craft, absolutely the best in New Zealand. He exemplifies presence and connection. My clients rate him as a top notch presenter and executive coach. If you need to ramp up your impact as a leader, Russell is the man to call.”

Harold Hillman, Ph.D. Managing Director, Sigmoid Curve Consulting Group

“Hugely popular courses – with immediate, tangible results. Well over a hundred of our people are now more impactful, confident speakers because of The Pickering Group’s programmes”

Kerry Dewar Leadership & Capability Manager Mercury

“The ability to communicate your ideas with clarity, to inspire your audience to action, to share stories that bring your business strategy to life – these are all essential qualities for leaders in the modern business world. Nobody helps you do that better than Russell and his team at The Pickering Group.”

Joanna Simon Chief Executive, Starship Foundation

“Russell takes you out of your comfort zone and into a growth zone related to the art of presenting and personal persuasion. He is masterful at his craft; a true sensei in every regard. Step Into the Spotlight is an incredible gift of wisdom, insights and practical ways to influence others with maximum impact.”

Harold Hillman Managing Director, Sigmoid Curve Consulting Group

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