Greg Keen: Narrative & Persuasion
Make your expertise count when it matters.
You know your subject. You understand the detail. You can see the value.
But when you need to win a client’s business, secure board approval or persuade decision-makers to back your recommendation, knowing your subject isn’t enough. You need to make a compelling case for why it matters.
I help experts turn their knowledge, ideas and recommendations into persuasive propositions so they can communicate their value, influence decisions and make a stronger case for action.
Winning business. Winning support. Making your case.
Two situations: one common challenge.
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Winning a client’s business
You have the expertise and a proposition worth buying. But expertise alone won’t persuade a potential client to choose you. You need to show what makes your approach valuable, why it fits their needs and why they should trust you to deliver.
I help you sharpen your proposition, articulate your value and build a compelling case for choosing you.
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Winning support for your ideas
You have a recommendation, proposal or investment case. But even a sound argument can struggle to gain traction if decision-makers don’t see its value, have competing priorities or remain unconvinced.
I help you clarify your argument, anticipate resistance and present your case with greater authority and conviction.
The Problem I See
Many capable people undermine themselves at the moment they most need to persuade.
They over-explain, hedge their claims, bury the important point or struggle to connect their expertise to what matters to the person making the decision.
Under pressure, these habits become harder to overcome. The questions get tougher, the stakes rise, and an argument that seems obvious in your own head becomes difficult to communicate clearly.
The problem isn’t necessarily the quality of your thinking. It’s how effectively you make the case for it.
That’s where I come in.
How I Work
The work is practical and specific. We start with a real situation — a pitch, a board presentation, a proposal or a difficult conversation — and work out what needs to be achieved.
Together, we examine:
What you need people to understand, believe or do.
What makes your proposition valuable to them.
Where your argument is strongest — and where it loses force.
Who you need to persuade and what might make them resistant.
How to make your case clearly, credibly and without unnecessary complexity.
Then we work directly on your argument and the language you use to express it: what to say, what to leave out, and how to handle challenge without becoming defensive.
You leave with an argument you trust and language you can use when it matters.
Ways of Working
Different situations call for different kinds of support. The starting point is always the same: what do you need to achieve, who do you need to persuade, and what is standing in the way?
Persuasion Surgery
When you have a critical case to make.
Preparing for an important pitch, board meeting, negotiation, presentation or difficult conversation? We work directly on your case, your argument and the language you need to make it.
The aim is to help you enter the situation clearer about what matters, more confident in your argument and better prepared for challenge.
Narrative Reset
When the way you explain your work no longer does it justice.
Sometimes the way you’ve always explained your work no longer reflects the value you bring. Your responsibilities may have changed, your audience may be different, or you may need to communicate your expertise in a new context.
We work on the story you’re telling, the proposition at its heart and how to make its value clear to the people who need to understand it.
Thinking Partner
For challenges that need more than a single conversation.
You may be developing a proposition, preparing for a series of important conversations or working through a difficult commercial decision.
I provide an independent perspective to help you test your thinking, sharpen your arguments and prepare for the conversations that matter.
What Others Say
“Greg helped me communicate more concisely and handle pushback with far greater authority, particularly in difficult conversations.”
Jonathan Lancaster
Sales Director, Praxis 45
“Greg sharpened already strong presentations by clarifying the argument and removing what didn’t need to be there.”
Luke McKeever
CEO, Thomas International
“The work materially improved how I communicate with demanding clients and senior stakeholders.”
Allyson Barclay
Vice President, Attraqt
About Greg
My work centres on a simple idea: being an expert in something and persuading others of its value are two different skills. I help bridge that gap.
I have spent decades working with people whose words carry consequence — as a storytelling trainer and coach with major media organisations, an award-winning novelist and a Royal Literary Fund Fellow. The emphasis throughout is on judgement, clarity and credibility rather than performance.
Have an important case to make?
Perhaps you’re preparing to win a client’s business, present a recommendation to your board or persuade others to back an idea.
If the stakes are high and you want to make your case more clearly and convincingly, let’s have a brief conversation about what you’re facing and whether I can help.
There’s no obligation — just an opportunity to establish whether the work is right for you.