World Renowned Communications Expert to Help Wine Industry Leaders Master Art of Public Speaking

Napa, CA – Communications expert Lynda Spillane will lead a Public Speaking Mastery Workshop in Napa on Monday, July 30th and Tuesday, July 31st as part of the Leadership Series at WISE Academy, which focuses on building direct-to-consumer and leadership development in sales, marketing and management within the wine industry. Taking place over two full days, this interactive course is designed to help participating CEOs, winemakers and other top level industry executives achieve stronger communication skills. The course will focus on general communication and public speaking, including tips on how to write and deliver an effective speech, read audience emotions, handle media communications and improve confidence in impromptu speaking.

Course instructor Lynda Spillane, President and CEO of The Persuasive Word,  has over 30 years of academic study and teaching in the fields of psychology, theater, rhetoric, oratory, public performance, persuasive communication and leadership. She has worked with over 10,000 executives and politicians worldwide on communications skills, including CEOS, presidents of organizations, and prominent politicians including two British Prime Ministers and King Abdullah II of Jordan. Spillane is also a popular keynote speaker at conventions for the Entrepreneurs Organization, the Young Presidents’ Organization and others.

“I have personally taken this workshop with Lynda twice and can’t wait to take it again,” shares Lesley Berglund Chairman of the WISE Academy. “It is amazing to see how in just two days she transforms business executives who are not confident speakers into ones that are comfortable and at ease.  Even more impressive is to witness her transform good or great speakers into phenomenal ones.  Not matter if you are speaking to your distributors, your customers or your employees – mastering the art of public speaking is one of the most important gifts you can give yourself.”

“We are so advanced in our use of technology, yet we continue to deliver Seventies-style presentations that are simply ineffective,” says Spillane. “Public speaking is not a matter of using PowerPoint or similar technology. It’s a matter of persuading and moving an audience- providing them with a rewarding and often emotional experience.”

The cost of the course is $2,000. Participants can register at www.wineindustrysalesacademy.com through Friday, July 20th, 2012.

About WISE Academy^TM
WISE - which stands for Wine Industry Sales Education - offers a comprehensive curriculum for wine industry professionals. It is the only wine industry education, training and certification program dedicated solely to direct-to-consumer sales and marketing. Developed by more than forty vintners and industry experts, all classes are geared to increasing the expertise of direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales and marketing professionals while also igniting their passion for the role they play in a winery's success. Our courses are divided into three levels, plus an executive series, so we can meet the needs of everyone in the wine industry - from new industry enthusiasts to seasoned direct sales managers to winery CEOs. Founded in 2008, the WISE Academy is led by Chairman Lesley P. Berglund, a wine industry DTC pioneer and serial entrepreneur.

For more information please contact media relations representative Katie Hunter at Charles Communications Associates at Katie@charlescomm.com, 415-701-9463 or Lesley P. Berglund, Co-Founder and Chairman, WISE Academy, 707-246-6827.

# # #