Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions from senior leaders, founders, partners and team leaders considering executive presentation coaching with JSG Voice, grouped by topic. If your question isn’t answered here, the discovery call is the right place – book one anytime.
About the work
Executive voice coaching is one-to-one work with a senior leader on the physical, vocal and breath-based components of high-stakes communication. The focus is on how a leader’s voice carries weight, conveys authority and sustains presence under pressure. The methodology draws on conservatoire voice pedagogy – the same discipline used to train professional actors at institutions like NIDA and Bell Shakespeare – applied to the demands of corporate boardrooms, AGMs, leadership team addresses and investor pitches.
Presentation coaching typically focuses on what you say: slide structure, narrative, openings, closings, frameworks. Voice coaching focuses on how you say it: breath, resonance, pace, weight, stillness. JSG Voice integrates both, but voice is the differentiator. Most coaches in the Sydney corporate market work on the message. We work on the instrument that delivers it. The combination is rare and intentional: senior leaders need both, but the voice component is where measurable change happens fastest.
Jack Starkey-Gill holds an MFA in Voice from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and a Bachelor of Dramatic Art from the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA). He is currently Voice Director at Bell Shakespeare, Australia’s national theatre company. Jack has also tutored and lectured at NIDA, Actors Centre Australia and Sydney Actors School, and is an Associate Member of Professional Speakers Australia. This combination of conservatoire-level voice training, professional performance practice and corporate coaching experience is rare in the Sydney market.
The methodology draws on the established lineage of professional voice pedagogy: Patsy Rodenburg, Kristin Linklater, Cicely Berry, Barbara Houseman, Arthur Lessac and Catherine Fitzmaurice. These are the foundations of how professional actors are prepared at the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, NIDA and Bell Shakespeare. The same physical techniques (breath support, resonance, pace, vocal weight, physical anchoring) translate directly to the demands of board rooms, investor pitches and AGM stages.
Working together
Most clients are senior executives, founders, partners and senior leaders investing in voice, presence and high-stakes delivery. Some come ahead of a specific event – a board update, an AGM, a capital raise, a major keynote. Others come during phases of senior career growth where their communication needs to step up to match a more senior role. JSG Voice also works with leadership teams, partner pitch groups, marketing and creative teams, and senior practitioners at law and professional services firms.
Both. In-person sessions are typically held in Sydney CBD, either at a private studio space or at the client’s offices. Remote sessions via video conference are equally common – voice work translates well to remote delivery, and we work with executives across Australia and internationally. For team workshops, we travel to the client’s office or arrange an appropriate venue. The format is decided based on what works best for the engagement.
Individual coaching sessions are typically 60 to 90 minutes. Discovery calls are 30 minutes. Team workshops run as half-day (3–4 hours), full-day, or multi-session formats. Multi-session executive packages typically run across three to six sessions over four to eight weeks, with frequency adjusted to suit the client’s calendar and the upcoming context.
Discovery calls can usually be scheduled within the same week. For executives with imminent high-stakes presentations (a board meeting next week, a pitch in 48 hours, etc), JSG Voice handles short-notice work, including weekend availability when needed. For longer-arc development work, the start date is flexible and shaped around the client’s preparation timeline.
Specific scenarios
Yes. Board presentation coaching is one of the most common engagements. Most board prep runs across 3–5 confidential sessions in the weeks before the presentation, plus a final dress-rehearsal session in the 48 hours before. Single-session emergency engagements are also possible for executives with very compressed timelines. The work is tailored to the specific board, the specific material, and the specific stakes, not a generic framework.
Yes. JSG Voice has worked with law firms including King & Wood Mallesons, and works regularly with partner pitch teams, senior associates and practice groups. Lawyers are an exceptionally well-fitted client for voice-led training: dense content, partner-level public-facing roles, ongoing CPD requirements, and a tradition of intellectual rigour without the equivalent investment in performance training. Engagements include partner pitches, client presentations, courtroom preparation and team workshops.
Yes. Two distinct buyer types come for keynote coaching: senior executives stepping onto the keynote stage for the first time, and professional speakers refining their craft. Both groups benefit from the same voice-led methodology: speech development, voice work, delivery and presence. Most professional speakers earn their bookings on content and authority, but want their voice and delivery to match the calibre of what they’re saying. JSG Voice provides that craft layer.
Practical matters
All engagements are package-based rather than per-hour. Individual coaching packages start from $1,200 for a three-session executive presence package. Half-day team workshops start from $5,490, with full-day intensives from $8,500. Board presentation intensives, multi-session programs and bespoke engagements are quoted on scope. A confidential 30-minute discovery call is the standard first step and is the right place to discuss specific pricing for your situation.
Yes. Confidentiality is non-negotiable for board-level, partner-level and executive engagements. NDAs are signed before any pre-engagement work where required, and confidentiality is maintained on case material, identity and content even when not formally requested. The work happens in the room and stays there.
Every engagement starts with a confidential 30-minute discovery call. We talk through the moment you’re preparing for, what’s at stake, and whether JSG Voice is the right fit. There’s no obligation and no pressure to commit. Most enquiries receive a personal reply from Jack within 24 hours, weekdays. For urgent or short-timeline preparation, calling directly is usually the fastest path.
Question not answered here?
The discovery call is the right place – book one anytime.