Training for professionals
Short courses on communication skills
Media training | Public speaking | Presentation training | PR training | Crisis | Storytelling | Communication strategy | Customer service | Public affairs | Government relations | Internal comms | Writing | Social media
London | Dubai | Classroom | In-house | Online
Featured classroom course
Presentation Training and Public Speaking
Public speaking is fundamental to success in professional and public life. The two-day ISOC public speaking course helps people create simple, clear and compelling presentations and speak engagingly in public. Whatever the situation -- you can feel inspired to speak out with confidence, authority and impact.
- Two days face to face
- Small-group interactive format
- Positive, supportive individual coaching
- Media One Hotel, Dubai
- $1390+VAT
Featured live online course
Media Interview Training
The flagship ISOC media training course builds universal skills for speaking with the media. You will practice realistic simulated interviews with positive and supportive coaching. Topics include preparation, confidence, dynamics, body language and difficult questions.
- One full day of learning, delivered over two half-days
- Simulated interviews, video replay and coaching
- Includes FREE licence to e-learning suite (worth $295)
- Hosted live on Zoom from the ISOC studios
- $695
Featured live online course
Internal Communications
This two-part Internal Communications training course covers employee communications from A to Z. You will learn to design sophisticated internal communication strategies, plans and campaigns. Topics include change management and best practice on how to communicate with employees in times of uncertainty or crisis.
Course details and bookingFeatured eLearning course
Media Training
Our self-paced media training suite is the most comprehensive available anywhere online. Learn from one of the world’s top media trainers, with 20 years’ experience coaching more than 2,000 spokespeople for interviews worldwide.
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29 instructional modules and video case studies
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8 hours of guided interactive learning
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Lifetime access with regular updates
- $295 currently ON SALE $79.75
Featured live online courses
Train with us on Zoom
Can't make it to Dubai for the relaunch of face-to-face learning? Join us live online instead. If you've enjoyed training in the classroom at ISOC London or ISOC Dubai, you'll recognise the experience: fresh insights, lively interaction, inspiring coaches, practical ideas that you can put into practice. Find a date, book online, and join us on Zoom. We're online every day from 10:00 to 14:00 London time.
Browse courses and dates

Advanced Communications
and PR Management
This communication management training course covers how to run PR teams and campaigns. You will learn to plan operations, define roles, design systems, manage agencies and organise a press office. Topics include developing campaign planning, platforms, measurement, policies, processes, resources and materials.

Advanced Communication Strategy
This communication strategy training course is a masterclass for PR professionals. You will learn to research, design and justify a rigorous communication strategy. Topics include evidence based targeting, strategy alignment, and securing buy-in.

Communication and Marketing Strategy for Web 3.0: NFTs and the Metaverse
This training course covers how to harness Web 3.0 for communication and marketing strategies. You will learn how to pivot your organisation’s online presence onto emerging platforms that will soon be mainstream, with inspiration from brands and corporations that are reaping benefits as early adopters. Topics include blockchain, the Metaverse, NFTs, augmented and virtual reality.

Communication Strategy Design and Development
This communication strategy training course is a recipe for PR strategy design. You will learn a practical system for building a clear and well integrated communication strategy. Topics include strategy frameworks, goals, objectives, stakeholders and channels.

Copy-Writing for Marketing, Communications and PR
This copy-writing training course covers specialised formats for communications and PR. You will learn quick techniques to get your message across in writing, whatever the topic. Topics include short-form and long-form writing for media and online as well as spoken word.

Corporate Responsibility (CSR)
This short training course covers how to build powerful CSR strategies and programmes. You will learn practical approaches for responsible and sustainable business practice. Topics include reputational impact assessment and running employee engagement programmes.

Creating a Public Affairs and Government Relations Strategy
This government affairs training course covers using lobbying to influence policy. You will learn to map the political and power structures that shape your regulatory world. Topics include shaping your business environment with advocacy, media and online lobbying.

Creativity in Communications and PR
This communications and PR training course covers how to generate ideas for inspirational campaigns. You will unlock your creative potential to generate distinctive and innovative ideas. Topics include principles, sources, tools and techniques for creative generation.

Creating Video for Corporate Communications and the Web
This video training course covers how to create top-quality corporate video content without hiring professional equipment or crews. You will learn to plan, script, storyboard, interview and edit to maximise online impact. Topics include working with cameras, sound, lighting and software for high-standard video.

Crisis Communication Strategy and Management
This crisis training course covers strategy, planning, systems and resources. You will be ready to respond rapidly and defend reputation in media and online. Topics include risk mapping, teams, protocols, templates, systems, manuals and tools.

Crisis Communication Programme
This crisis communication training programme covers strategy, planning, resources and tactics. You will learn what it takes to respond decisively and defend reputation in a crisis. Topics include reputation and issues management, crisis communication strategy, resources and preparation, messaging and positioning, crisis response in social media and mainstream media including news dynamics.

Crisis Media Training
This crisis media training course covers how to speak with journalists and media following a negative news event. You will practice realistic on-camera interviews with positive and supportive coaching. Topics include crisis media dynamics, performing under pressure and strategies for handling difficult questions.

Effective Writing Programme
This five-day programme is our flagship training course on writing skills for professionals in marketing, communications and PR. You will learn practical and creative tools for drafting and editing powerful copy. Topics include universal writing skills, writing for social media and websites, speech writing, press release writing, and specialised copy-writing.

Engaging with Government Officials
This course covers how to navigate the often unspoken conventions of journalism when you speak to the media. You’ll learn how to establish levels of attribution, when and why to speak on-the-record, and how to avoid common pitfalls.

Essential Media Relations
This practical training course covers media relations skills to get news covered positively. You will learn how to engage with journalists and navigate your media landscape. Topics include how to manage news dynamics, pitch stories and build media relationships.

Giving and Receiving Feedback
This practical feedback training course covers a spectrum of soft skills and interpersonal intelligence around the art of giving and receiving feedback. You will learn how to plan and prepare strategically to give feedback, anticipate emotional and psychological barriers in the feedback process, and how you yourself can grow and improve by becoming receptive and active when others give you feedback. You will learn how to recognise and adapt your feedback style, navigate proven feedback models, and implement practical strategies in your everyday work.

Handling the Media in a Crisis
This crisis communication course covers how to take control of media communication following a negative news event. You will learn to activate crisis systems and develop positioning rapidly, take charge of the news media, and manage the online space. Topics include crisis protocols and rapid message creation.

Implementing a Public Affairs and Lobbying Campaign
This public affairs training course covers government engagement campaigning. You will learn to choose the best frameworks and approaches for your goals and contexts. Topics include all of the nuts and bolts of implementing a public affairs programme.

Intensive Communications and PR Programme
This 10-day communications course is a comprehensive programme for PR professionals. You will learn the latest best practice and state of the art across the full spectrum of communications and PR disciplines. Topics include strategy, campaigns, media, writing and live TV interview training.

Internal Communications
This Internal Communications training course covers employee communications from A to Z. You will learn to design sophisticated internal communication strategies, plans and campaigns. Topics include change management and best practice on how to communicate with employees in times of uncertainty or crisis.

Introduction to Communications and PR
This introductory PR course covers all the core concepts and techniques that underlie the discipline of professional communications. You will master the full range of practical tools and best practice that effective communication professionals use to shape reputation and influence stakeholders. Topics include PR disciplines, communication strategy, campaigns, media relations and social media.

Media Training
The flagship ISOC media training course builds universal skills for speaking with journalists in any kind of media encounter. You will practice realistic on-camera interviews with positive and supportive coaching. Topics include preparation, confidence, dynamics, body language and difficult questions.

Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking
This course covers how to make peace with nervousness about public speaking and instead start to feel positive about presenting in public. You will be welcomed in an overwhelmingly positive, happy, supportive environment, where you will learn to prepare physically and psychologically and perform unburdened by fear. Topics include a broad toolbox of proven strategies and practical techniques that you can take away, practice and use.

Presentation Training and Public Speaking
The flagship ISOC presentation training course builds presence and impact in active public speaking workshops. You will learn to deliver powerful, persuasive and memorable presentations through active learning with individual coaching. You will master voice and body language drills and perfect your technique in practical workshops with an inspirational coach. The course uses video replay and supportive feedback in a relaxed and encouraging atmosphere.

Planning and Managing PR Campaigns
This PR management training course covers how to translate communication strategy into practical results. You will learn to roll out campaigns smoothly, manage partners and troubleshoot suppliers. Topics include 10 universal campaign ingredients and a toolbox of techniques.

Press Release Writing
This press release writing course covers how to draft and edit effectively when announcing news to the media. You will learn to write powerful press releases that drive mainstream media coverage and also shape reputation in digital media. Topics include all of the essentials of good press release writing, from news angles to structure, language and distribution.

Protocol and Etiquette Management
This protocol and etiquette course covers how to navigate high-profile encounters with style. You will learn the written and unwritten rules of official protocol and business etiquette. Topics include all key conventions, rules, customs, norms and cross-cultural variations.

Reputation and Issues Management
This issues management training course covers defending corporate reputation. You will learn new strategies and practical approaches for stakeholder communication. Topics include contemporary best practice on authenticity and ethical business practice.

Social Media Crisis Management
This social media crisis training course covers how to defend reputation online. You will develop judgment about when and where to engage and how to set the agenda online. Topics include online crisis strategy, monitoring, platforms and protocols for engagement.

Social Media Management
This social media management course covers engaging stakeholders on all of the key online social platforms. You will learn practical tools for strategic engagement on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Topics include everyday communication, creative campaigns and emerging technologies.

Social Media Strategy
This social media strategy course covers innovation in strategic online engagement. You will learn to evaluate your social media world and design a strategy to engage there. Topics include case studies, creating an online strategy, practical systems and processes.

Speech Writing
This speech writing training course covers the art of creating memorable speeches. You will learn to create powerful and natural language fit for the speaker and occasion. Topics include planning, structure, flow, rhetoric, transitions and other key components.

Storytelling for Professional Impact
This storytelling course covers how to unlock the power of stories to add impact to communication work. You will learn to define strong and useful ideas for stories, develop effective narratives, and polish your storytelling soft skills for presence and engagement. Topics include universal classic and modern story templates and essential ingredients — characters, places, senses and suspense.

Strategic Communications and PR Programme
The ISOC Strategic Communications and Public Relations Programme is our flagship masterclass for senior communication professionals. You will share knowledge and best practice in a small-group format among high-level peers. Topics include strategy, management, internal, media and crisis communication.

Strategic Media Engagement
This media relations training course covers high-level editorial engagement for senior communication professionals. You will learn to run strategic media campaigns and manage productive press office teams. Topics include crisis media relations and videotaped media training with replay coaching.

Working with Emotional Agility
This Emotional Agility training course covers the emotional tools for effective teamwork and team management. You will learn how to handle your emotions effectively, increase your resilience, and improve your performance. Topics include emotional agility development, dealing with stressful situations, and cultivating trust and transparency.

Writing for Business
This business writing training course empowers professionals to write with greater impact. You will learn techniques to enhance clarity, accuracy, style and tone. Topics include rhythm and pace, sentence and paragraph construction, persuasion, quality, editing and proofreading.

Writing for Social Media and the Web
This social media writing course covers drafting and editing written content for all Web platforms. You will learn to write in a way that makes ideas resonate and stick in the digital world. Topics include drafting content for websites, blogs, social media and many other platforms.

Strategic Social Media Programme
The ISOC Strategic Social Media Programme is a practical course for communication and PR professionals about how to boost business and reputation online. You will learn to create buzz and engage on all primary social media platforms. Topics include how to build a strategy, optimise for search and manage a crisis online.
Media Training
Build interview skills in realistic video simulations with positive, supportive coaching. Connect with us face to face or live online from the ISOC studios.
Find out more

Rebecca
Always great to take a moment to review yourself on camera. I’m learning this with the understanding of what I need to work on the messages. I need to tighten going forward.

Irfan
A very hands-on and practical approach to media training. I found the video recording sessions review and feedback extremely powerful.

Nujood
Great course! Insightful and hands-on.
Public Speaking and Presentation Skills
ISOC presentation training and coaching programmes help people create simple, clear and compelling presentations and speak engagingly in public.
Find out more
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