What talkforce does

Talkforce PTY Limited is an Australian professional services firm founded in 1993 in Gladesville, Sydney, by Christopher Whitnall, who continues as Managing Director. The company delivers customized communication, leadership, coaching, facilitation, strategy/planning, and organizational culture training programs to corporate enterprises and government agencies. Headquartered in Woolwich (Sydney) with a regional office in Melbourne opened in October 2017, the firm operates with a team of approximately 11 employees and 8 associates and runs a wholly-owned public-sector subsidiary, Training and Coaching Solutions, which has served government clients since 1991.

The service portfolio is organized around six pillars: communication training (presentation skills, negotiation, influencing, conflict resolution, business writing, media skills), leadership development (emerging through executive leaders), one-on-one coaching (individual, situational, executive), facilitation of workshops and strategic planning offsites, and organizational culture/environment consulting. Programs are built on a curated set of psychometric and assessment tools — primarily DiSC profiles — but the firm positions itself as instrument-agnostic, selecting the best-fit methodology per engagement rather than anchoring to a single framework. Talkforce also operates "The Dock," a purpose-built waterfront training venue in Woolwich accommodating up to 25 people, available independently or bundled with catering (A$48.50–A$68.50 PP+GST) and room hire (A$795+GST/day). Service delivery is face-to-face, virtual, or on client site; there is no software product, API, or platform offering.

Revenue is generated through professional services fees for customized training engagements (quote-based, often multi-year) plus ancillary venue hire and catering. Go-to-market relies on direct enterprise field sales anchored by a complementary 15-minute phone consultation, content marketing via blog and thought leadership, industry events (e.g., AHRI Gippsland workshops, Melbourne Diversity & Inclusion panel), community partnerships (Reach Foundation, Weave, Reconciliation Australia, NGNY), and referrals. The customer base spans government (via Training and Coaching Solutions) and a diverse set of Australian corporates including Cushman & Wakefield, Hoyts Group, Val Morgan Outdoor, Australian Ballet, Melbourne Racing Club, and MCN, with at least one documented case of a sales training engagement delivering 8.6% revenue growth over one year.

Name

talkforce

Legal name

talkforce PTY Limited

Website

https://talkforce.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Training and Development Programs: Professional services revenue from delivering customized communication, leadership, coaching, and facilitation training programs to corporate and government clients. Programs are tailored and priced accordingly.
2. Venue Hire (The Dock): Room hire revenue from The Dock venue in Woolwich, Sydney, which accommodates up to 25 people for training, meetings, and events.
3. Catering Services: Catering packages offered alongside venue hire, including standard and tailored catering options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Talkforce is a professional services firm that delivers tailored learning and development solutions for corporate enterprises and government agencies across Australia. Its core offerings span six service areas: communication training, leadership development, individual and executive coaching, facilitation, strategy and planning off-sites, and organizational culture development. Programs are customized to each client's goals and delivered by an in-house team of 'People Development Specialists' and associates.

Product overview

talkforce is a professional services company offering a portfolio of instructor-led training and development solutions organized around six core service areas: Communication Training Programs (including presentation skills, negotiation, influencing, conflict resolution, business writing, and media skills), Leadership Development Programs (for emerging through executive leaders), Coaching Services (individual, situational, and executive coaching), Facilitation Services (for workshops, team building, and group interactions), Strategy and Planning Facilitation, and Organizational Culture Development. The company also operates a subsidiary brand called Training and Coaching Solutions (specializing in public sector training since 1991) and maintains a proprietary training venue called The Dock in Woolwich, NSW. Services are customized and tailored to each client's specific requirements, with programs delivered face-to-face or virtually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Communication Training Programs A suite of instructor-led training courses covering effective workplace communication, including presentation skills, negotiation, influencing, conflict resolution, business writing, and media skills, delivered to corporate and government teams.
• Leadership Development Programs Tailored leadership training courses designed for emerging, new, and seasoned leaders, covering inclusive leadership, executive leadership development, critical conversations, mentoring programs, and workflow effectiveness.
• Coaching Services Individual one-on-one coaching programs including skills coaching, situational/project coaching, and executive development coaching, tailored to specific organizational and personal development needs.
• Facilitation Services Professional facilitation for workshops, planning sessions, team building activities, and strategic planning off-sites, designed to create productive conversations and learning environments.
• Strategy and Planning Facilitation Independent facilitation services for business planning, strategy sessions, and off-site meetings, providing objective process management to enable focused content development.
• Organizational Culture and Environment Services Services focused on developing positive organizational culture, staff engagement, employee wellbeing, and team environment to enhance purpose, connection, and accountability.
• The Dock Venue A purpose-built training and meeting venue located in Woolwich, NSW, available for hire with capacity for up to 25 people, featuring various room configurations and catering options.
• Training and Coaching Solutions A public sector training specialist subsidiary brand operating since 1991, offering a comprehensive catalogue of training workshops customized for government agencies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8.6% revenue growth over one year and 13% over two years for a sales team client after training

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• AHRI (Australian Human Resources Institute) GippslandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTalkforce partnered with AHRI Gippsland to deliver a Strengths-Based Organisations (SBO) and Strengths-Based Leadership (SBL) workshop. Over 50 business leaders and HR professionals attended the session in the Gippsland region.
• Reconciliation AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTalkforce developed its Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan in partnership with Reconciliation Australia, which endorsed the company's commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander reconciliation.
• The Reach FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTalkforce's community partner, hosting events such as a keynote with Mark Schulman for community benefit. The Reach Foundation is a charity focused on youth development.
• WeaveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeave is a not-for-profit organisation that works with young people, families and communities. Talkforce shares resources, experience and expertise with Weave while gaining exposure to societal issues.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm offering leadership development, executive coaching, and talent solutions to enterprise clients. Comparable in the leadership development and coaching categories, though Korn Ferry's scale, executive search heritage, and proprietary assessment IP put it in a very different tier.
• The Ken Blanchard Companies: Global leadership training and organizational development firm built around the Situational Leadership model and related programs. Directly comparable service mix (leadership programs, coaching, organizational development) sold through licensed facilitators to enterprise buyers worldwide.
• DDI (Development Dimensions International): Global leadership development firm specializing in leadership selection, development, and coaching for enterprises. Overlaps with Talkforce in leadership development, executive coaching, and culture/environment work, but operates at significantly larger scale with proprietary assessment IP.
• Dale Carnegie Training: Long-established global training franchise focused on communication, leadership, presentation, and interpersonal-skills workshops. Highly comparable in service category (communication training, leadership development, instructor-led workshops) and target buyer (corporate L&D and individual professionals).
• FranklinCovey: Global leadership and management training firm (The 7 Habits, leadership subscription products) selling into enterprise L&D budgets. Comparable because both sell multi-module leadership/management curricula to enterprise and government buyers, though FranklinCovey operates at much larger scale with a broader international footprint.

Emerging players

• Barrett Values Centre: UK-headquartered (with Australian reach) culture and values-based organizational development firm offering assessments, culture transformation programs, and leadership development. Comparable to Talkforce's strengths-based and culture/environment service lines, with a more assessment-IP-driven model.

Others

• ICF (International Coaching Federation): Global professional membership body for executive and business coaches, providing credentialing, standards, and community. Adjacent/ecosystem peer: Talkforce's coaching practice relies on credentialed coaches and operates in the same buyer market (coaching engagements purchased by enterprise L&D).

Direct peers

• Australian Institute of Management (AIM): Australia's leading not-for-profit provider of management and leadership training courses, with a national footprint serving professionals and corporate clients. Comparable in that both deliver management and leadership development programs to Australian corporates and government, though AIM is much larger and offers accredited credentials.
• The Humphrey Group: Australian-headquartered leadership and communication training firm serving enterprise and government clients with instructor-led programs. Directly comparable to Talkforce in target customer (Australian corporates), service mix (communication, leadership, executive presence), and delivery model (workshops, coaching, facilitation).
• Ginger Leadership Communications: Australian leadership and communication training firm offering workshops and coaching in presentation, influence, and leadership for corporate and government clients. Closely comparable in geography (Australia), customer profile, and the specific blend of communication + leadership + coaching services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/talkforce

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about talkforce