Presentation Skills Training Course

First of all, it's completely normal to feel nervous. It means you care! The key is to get your butterflies to fly in formation - in other words use the adrenaline to help you focus on the job in hand. Give your brain jobs to do like paying close attention to the needs of your audience. Think of yourself as the host and they are your guests . The more you can get your attention off yourself and on to others, the more your brain will have a mission. This can really help you calm down and do what you do well.

Start with what matters to your audience. Ask yourself, "What's the point?", and build your key messages into a story from there. Find an interesting opening hook, we often say, "Start with the murder(!)", then create a clear journey thinking about what you want your audience to think, feel and do., Then make your conclusion with a call to action - this will be connected to "what's the point?".

This is all about congruity. There is no right way to move. There is just your authentic way when you are truly engaged in communicating with your audience. If your tone and body language support your message, then you are on the right lines. If however, you are too focused on "looking and sounding correct" you run the risk of becoming wooden and stiff. If you're a super physical person you might want to build in some focused movement into your presentation, but if you are happier being relatively still then use that stillness to encourage people to listen and pay close attention. Often people are scared to use their hands but if you take away gesture you can often find it hard to express yourself! The trick is to move easily but try to avoid repetitive moves - just remember to change them up. Try a few physical and vocal exercises before you speak to relax and focus on what you want to get across. It can be useful to video yourself when you practise, but stay positive and don't be too critical - remember your quirks are often what make you compelling! Then if you want to make some small changes you can. That way you’ll learn how to use your natural style rather than perform someone else’s.

Yes. Finding a story to bring your information to life can be the difference between people being awake and engaged or fast asleep! Stories, metaphors, anecdotes, props and images help our brains understand and retain data. because we connect emotionally as well as intellectually.

Remember every question or interruption is a gift. It means they are awake and listening! Take your time to welcome the interaction and answer the question to the whole audience (it's too easy to get caught into a dialogue with one audience member). Look for what is right about the question or comment and try to stay positive in your response. Our course includes some great practical exercises on managing tricky moments with confidence and grace.

Think about them first. What is the culture of your audience and what are their frames of reference? What are they likely to care about? What do they need to know, feel or do? This will help you choose the kind of language you use and the kind of story you tell as well as how you come across. A good exercise is to think about how you would give your presentation to a group of 9 year olds. It's surprising how we can adapt the material when we use our imaginations.

Remember - you are the presentation, the slides are simply a tool you are using. They should only be there if they add value, not simply as a script to read off. In our course, we show how to design and use slides that enhance storytelling rather than steal attention. A tip: Speak to the audience, not to the slides!

Preparation is essential, but memorising every word can kill spontaneity. There's always the option to use cue cards or images or bullet points on slides. Props and story maps can be great if you're feeling adventurous. All these can help keep you on track while allowing you to stay YOU.

Engagement comes from energy, authenticity and a genuine commitment to your message and your audience. Of course, you can think about creating and practising variety in your pace, tone, gestures, stories, and questions to keep people in your delivery and content interesting. However, it's not necessary to try big changes all at once. But introducing new ways of doing things from time to time will make it more engaging for you and therefore more engaging for your audience.

A great way to improve is through practice and reflection. Try to present as often as you can and notice what works. A TIP: Try asking people what they liked about your presentation rather than just feedback, as it's easy for people to simply tell you what didn't work and blow your confidence!) Our aim is for you to leave the course with increased confidence and an array of tools and techniques you can apply straight away.