courses presentation skills

TED’s Official Public Speaking Course

Master a variety of communication skills with TED’s official public speaking course, now available on YouTube Courses. This course will teach you how to identify, develop and share your best ideas with the world.

YouTube Courses are currently only available in the United States, but YouTube is working on expanding into other regions in 2023.

The proceeds from this course support TED-Ed's nonprofit mission of creating and distributing free, high-quality animations.

Master the art of public speaking

• Craft them into compelling narratives.
• Present so that people want to listen.

Become a better communicator

• Establish a connection with your listeners.
• Give more persuasive presentations.
• Explain complex ideas.

© 2024 TED Conferences, LLC. All rights reserved. Please note that the TED Talks Usage policy does not apply to this content and is not subject to our creative commons license.

Onsite Training Courses

• Business Etiquette
• Business Writing
• Change Management
• Communication Skills
• Creativity, Critical Thinking, Decision Making, and Problem Solving
• Cross-Cultural Communication
• Customer Service
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Facilitation Skills
• Human Resources
• Leadership and Management
• Negotiation and Conflict Management

Presentation Skills

• Productivity
• Storytelling
• Team Building
• Train-the-Trainer

Virtual Classroom Training Courses

• Cross-Cultural Communication Skills
• Management and Leadership
• Negotiation

Online Training Courses

• Business Etiquette and Professionalism
• Creative and Critical Thinking
• Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
• Nonprofit Management
• Project Management
• Time Management and Productivity

Leadership Development

Corporate college solutions, interactive keynotes, meeting and retreat facilitation, one-on-one coaching.

• Custom Solutions

Ask an Expert

• Training and Development
• Workplace Communication

Media Inquiries

• Business Etiquette, Civility, and Professionalism
• Communication
• Sales and Negotiation

Assessments

• Job Needs Assessment
• Management Styles Assessment
• Stefanie Coleman
• Myla DeLoatch
• Shawn Doyle
• Thomas Farley
• Elizabeth George
• Shanna Kabatznick
• Charlie Long
• Mariana Marko
• Laurie McIntosh
• Darren Murphy
• Avish Parashar
• Pamela Sumner
• Phillip Tanzilo
• Eduardo Villavicencio
• Sandy Wilson
• Kate Zabriskie

Our Clients

• Pricing and FAQs

• Fees and FAQs
• Join Our Mailing List

About Onsite Training What is onsite training?

The Full List See all onsite courses.

Locations Find out where we can deliver training.

Presentation skills training courses and workshops, instructor-led programs . delivered onsite, presentation skills training.

Well-trained speakers know how to communicate with purpose, passion, and poise. These people appear confident and capable in almost any situation.

No matter how skilled, most of us can benefit from presentation skills training . Basic  public speaking courses  can help novice presenters feel more comfortable in front of others, and advanced workshops can give experienced speakers an extra edge.

Our Onsite Presentation Skills Courses

Our onsite presentation skills courses cover such topics as analyzing audiences, organizing information, using body language effectively, incorporating analogies or stories, and designing compelling slides and visual aids.

We work with:

• executives  who want to strengthen their platform skills,
• technical professionals  who present complex information to technical and non-technical audiences,
• people who must present information virtually , and
• other groups who need to  sell their ideas  or  report information  to an audience.

Other Training Formats

For people working remotely and others seeking instructor-led presentation skills training in a virtual format, take a look at our remote presentation skills training courses . For people seeking self-paced solutions, you can find those in our online presentation skills training directory .

Our Workshop Facilitators

Our  professional facilitators, speakers, and trainers  know how to create content and deliver it in an engaging way. Throughout their careers, they’ve discovered shortcuts, tips, and tricks to make the design and delivery process easier.

Our Interactive Approach to Training

Our workshops are just that: workshops. No matter which course you choose, you can expect a hands-on program where participants learn by doing throughout the session. This interactive approach ensures learners acquire theoretical knowledge and practical experience applying these techniques in real-world scenarios.

Course Overviews

To explore our existing course library, read the program descriptions shown on this page. For additional details about each class, click on the course links to see the full workshop overviews. These overviews provide a deeper insight into the course content, enabling potential participants to select the training that best fits their needs. If you have a need that our existing material does not address, we would be happy to talk with you about program tailoring or customized content. Please contact us to discuss your situation. We are excited to learn more about your group and its goals and objectives so we can align solutions with your requirements.

Note: Some programs list more than one available course length. Several factors will determine the best option for your team: the number of people in attendance, your specific goals and objectives, the amount of coaching time allotted to each participant, and your budget.

You Don’t Have to Imagine Them Naked: How to Create and Deliver High-Impact Presentations

Format: Full-Day Training Course , Multi-Day Training Course

Introductory Presentation Skills

The abcs of public speaking: presentation skills 101.

Format: Half-Day Training Course , Full-Day Training Course

Technical Presentation Skills

From statistics to persuasion: how to prepare and deliver effective technical presentations.

Executive Presentation Skills

Podium panache: advanced presentation skills for executives.

Format: Full-Day Training Course

Presenting to Executives

To the point: skills for presenting to executives.

Public Speaking Skills

Swallowing butterflies and living to tell about it: techniques for better public speaking.

Credible Communication

The authenticity advantage: communicating with credibility.

Sales Presentation Skills

Perfect pitch: designing and delivering effective sales presentations.

Effective Product Demonstrations

But wait, there's more: tips, tricks, and techniques for conducting engaging product demonstrations.

Virtual Presentation Skills

Clicks and tricks: skills for virtual presenters.

Extemporaneous Speaking Skills

Smiling while dancing on hot coals: how to speak with ease under pressure.

Comfortable Speaking

Stage presents: using improvisational comedy to discover your speaking gifts.

Military Briefing

Power points: military briefings made easier.

Data-Driven Storytelling

Narrative numbers: designing data-driven stories.

PowerPoint Design

Screen gems: creating impactful slide presentations.

Media Relations

Meet the press: mastering media relations.

“I would like to say that yesterday was simply amazing. Our team is very happy with the training and the content that was presented. Thomas was exactly who we needed to address our etiquette training needs. Our team was receptive and the activities were fun and engaging. I would definitely recommend Thomas to anyone looking to enhance their team with etiquette training.”

“It was a positive experience to have this training, very useful to understanding myself as a provider and patients. Laurie was engaging as a speaker. I learned to approach patient care differently seeing patients as different and not “difficult.” I took away key points and different strategies to use in my interactions with patients, just a matter of finding the time to make adjustments and implement these changes.”

“I wanted to reach out to you regarding Phillip and what wonderful experience it was for our teams to have him as our facilitator for the team building and cross-cultural communication course last Friday. He’s a very talented and engaging trainer, and he was able to get even our toughest employees to participate. Everyone really liked Phillip and enjoyed the course.”

“The training was amazing! Everyone was enthusiastic and we learned so much. They’re already asking when you’re coming back. You are a true gem!!”

“It was a pleasure to work with Charlie last week. He was fantastic, and I have received great responses from the participants about the training!”

“We also appreciate how well prepared you (Phillip) are, and that the subject matter is addressed in substantive way that has real impact. Your style has that special something that really engages people.”

“Yesterday’s workshop was both thoroughly enjoyable and tremendously beneficial. From all accounts, it was a productive, engaging, and substantive experience from which participants were able to glean significant professional insights and lessons for best practices in their field.”

“Pamela was amazing and extremely personable. She made the groups feel very comfortable during the training.”

“Phillip was a great presenter. He kept the class moving forward and kept us all engaged and participating. We all got a lot out of the training and hope to have him back again for follow up.”

“WOW – where do I begin!? Working with you both has been an outstanding experience throughout the entire process. Your flexibility from first contact was very valuable – we appreciate your willingness to participate in multiple teleconferences to align with KMG.

Your ability to link KMG’s message and philosophies to the lessons is what set you apart from your competitors.

Kate’s energy and willingness to meet as many of the attendees as possible and her ability to quickly build a rapport with folks established credibility and a safe environment. Everyone valued the ‘informalness’ of the key note.

The Tuesday workshop was phenomenal! I saw people taking notes that I never would have imagined would be engaged.

Fantastic result overall – thank you so very much!”

“Pamela did a great job of engaging our participants in the training. They all had very positive feedback about the day and Pamela specifically. She was approachable and easy to relate to and was able to illustrate the points in a way that the team understood.”

“Myla was very professional and brought subject matter expertise to the training. My team really respected her and had nothing but positive things to say about her.”

“Pamela was a gem! We really enjoyed it. The one main piece of feedback I got was they wanted more time.”

“The course was high-quality, first-class, first-rate, superior, fine, excellent and hence forth.  Charles’ way of teaching was pleasant, exceptional, superb, and commendable. My department will speak well about this course for a while. Thank you so much for the quality of training and attention to detail. We are excited to use the tools created by zombies. However, in all seriousness the course was facio delicias and nuntiisque (fun and informative in Latin). I look forward to using your company in the future.”

“Everyone really enjoyed it and came away with tools to help them be a stronger leader! Thank you, Greg!”

“In each of the sessions that ZMC has hired Business Training Works, I have learned something new — even with the same topic. This is the 10th session we have scheduled, and we always ask for Shawn.”

“Business Training Works made this project extremely easy for me. Not only did they customize content for us, but they delivered it well and provided a great train-the-trainer session. It was truly an effortless experience for us!”

“Stefanie is knowledgeable, credible, fun and engaging as a facilitator.”

“Thomas Farley’s facilitation of the storytelling module was very engaging and effective. He started the session telling his own story. He asked participants to share their stories, and he respectfully critiqued them using this technique as a teaching tool.”

“Our customer service manager of 21 years stated that this training was the best and the most relevant class she attended in her career.”

“Pamela is awesome. She has that perfect blend of knowledge, credibility, and personal skills to deliver very effective training across a wide variance of personalities.”

“The course has been tremendously helpful to my staff, and I am very grateful for Regina’s knowledge and generosity. She really shared her talents and experience freely, and provided what was needed to reset our team dynamics.”

“I LOVED Kate. She was an incredible speaker and her ability to educate is a show stopper. Learning about my own communication style was invaluable and I truly believe that I am going to use this information for the rest of my professional career.”

“Laurie McIntosh brings her personal experience into the training which was invaluable.”

“Greg Jones was a DYNAMITE presenter! He was fun, knowledgeable, and engaging and had our large group of 50+ people laughing and participating right up until the 5:00 PM end time. I am always impressed when a facilitator can keep a group engaged and involved WITHOUT using PPT and Greg did just that with his handouts, flip charting, storytelling and mixing up activities at table groups, teams, and with partners. We would love to have him back!”

“I heard a lot of positive feedback and several people approached me about your contact info for following up. I know we had a short amount of time for the training but I know I found it valuable and I think the rest of the group did too.”

“Stefanie was upbeat, engaging, and relatable. She even kept the momentum going through an unexpected room change towards the end of our session. My colleagues cannot stop commenting how amazing the training was, and we are energized to put our new skills to work. Rave reviews all around!”

“I liked that fact that we were kept busy – it never got boring.”

“Pamela and Business Training Works put together a wonderful training program for ACERTUS. Pamela was able to create a curriculum that completely met our needs on such a short timeline. I am looking forward to working with them again!”

“I have been in several training sessions, and I have to say this has been the best one. We were all engaged in the topics. Regina’s materials were relevant to our jobs. She started on time, and the time flew by.”

“Greg was awesome! Very informative and interactive. He got rave reviews from the participants.”

“Pamela was very engaging. The training was well presented and held the group’s attention. The feedback I got from my staff was that it was useful not only in work but in their personal lives as well.”

“As I sit here listening to Laurie, I am thinking that we couldn’t have asked for a better facilitator!!! Wanted to say a quick thank you for your exceptional “customer service” in dealing with us.”

“Great performance by Shawn! Shawn Doyle is a great presenter, and teaches you just by presenting himself.”

“A pleasure doing business with Business Training Works on our seminar.”

“We cannot thank Stefanie enough for the fabulous presentation she delivered to our reception staff and directors of housing. We had plenty of great feedback from fellow colleagues regarding the presentation, and we’ve already had individuals implementing information they learned from the presentation. We sincerely appreciated all of Stefanie’s hard work delivering a quality presentation to a diverse group of individuals.”

“Board presentation went well. ”Excellent” according to our chairman. Thanks for your training.”

“We had an amazing day today! Everyone I spoke to during the day today said they were really enjoying the session (as did I). Charlie did a fantastic job. Thank you both for a great experience!”

“Phillip, you are the best! Loved every minute and the fun interactive aspect of our workshop exceeded my expectation. Looking forward to the LA workshop next month.”

“The workshop was appreciated very much, and you (Stefanie) were indeed a big hit. Thank you for all your support and value you brought this team. I look forward to another opportunity to work with you, you were an absolute delight.”

“Thank you again for working with us last week. As always, the team loved the session, and I’ve been hearing great feedback. The change in the leadership team’s behavior, even since just last week, is noticeable. The executive team and I have literally had people coming up to us all week talking about how excited they are for the future, how they believe in where we are headed, and thanking us for what’s being done. As a business leader, this time period is truly a career highlight for me. I can’t thank you enough.”

“Thank you Kate, Chris, and Kathy! It was a pleasure working with you, and thank you for providing some valuable insights for our SES!”

“We did enjoy the class and yes, I am excited to work with you to bring in more. Charles is a great teacher, I would like to have him teach them.”

“Thank you for yet another great presentation. Myla was wonderful and our team really appreciated the opportunity to work with her.”

“Phillip was engaging and professional. I had many people who were in the session tell me that they enjoyed it.”

“The team was quite impressed with your materials and more importantly delivery style. I feel like we all took something positive away from the course which is all I can ever ask for.”

“I wasn’t sure what to expect and found it to be awesome. I am in business development and while I consider myself to be somewhat refined/savvy, I walked away with so many things to up my game while with clients and the number one lesson and tie back point is that it is 100% about making the client feel comfortable and special. What we do, how we act, how we present ourselves all feeds into that and our ultimate success as sales professionals.”

“I just wanted to send out an email to express our appreciation for the service that Greg provided. He was a very motivated and inspirational speaker. We really, and I seriously mean this, enjoyed him. We are going to adapt some of our training procedures to fit his suggestions.”

“Both sessions went great. They were informative and very interactive and Myla was able to engage the participants throughout the entire presentation. She is a wonderful instructor!”

“Pamela Sumner is professional, warm, and highly educated. Her style translates to small groups as well as large formal settings. She is definitely an asset to BTW.”

“I’m usually quiet in group discussions, but I enjoyed this course so much, I participated quite a bit.”

“Kate was a refreshing start to 2020! Very energetic and captivating the entire session. Moments of reflection, laughter, and engagement made this a great FLAG kickoff to the year!”

“Shawn was an excellent facilitator. After our class he took the time to look over the questions we use during our interview and provided positive feedback. I highly recommend Shawn and this course, ‘How to Interview and Hire Well’.”

“Kate rhymes with great, and that’s what she was.  This was a great class and Kate was the best. We recommend her every time. I took this class years ago with her and she makes the information stick.”

“Eduardo was an excellent facilitator. I took so much with me to apply to my job responsibilities that will enhance my thinking as I resolve difficult callers and issues. Eduardo was very interactive with the group and had excellent ideas to promote thinking and participation. He is the greatest facilitator I have ever worked with!”

“Laurie, as always, was AMAZING!”

The Business Training Works Difference

When you team with us, you’ll get:

• A partner who will ask questions about your goals and objectives.
• An opportunity to have a tailoring call and to speak with the program facilitator prior to a workshop.
• Interactive facilitation conducted by someone who has a deep understanding of adult learning and the topic at hand.
• A post-training web-based skills check-in meeting if desired.
• People behind the scenes who will work to make our relationship a success.

You won’t get:

• A workshop leader who sells products during class time.
• A talking head with a PowerPoint presentation and not much else.
• Lecture-based training that’s too academic, not practical, and doesn’t connect to life in the workplace.
• The sense that you are a number, a transaction, or a cog in a machine.

Onsite Training Course Reminders

Our instructor-led training courses are available to private groups.  These workshops are not offered in a public seminar format.  Please  contact us  to speak with a facilitator about your needs and bringing training to your organization.

We also travel to Africa, Australia and New Zealand, Asia, Canada, Central America, Continental Europe, the Middle East, and the United Kingdom.

Please contact us about your location.

• For information about pricing, please see our fee schedule .
• For instructor-led webinars, take a look at our  virtual classroom programs .
• For information about self-paced courses available to anyone, visit our online courses catalog .
• For free resources, check out our resources pages .

ONSITE PRESENTATION SKILLS TRAINING CATALOG COURSES . CLASSES . WORKSHOPS . SEMINARS . PROGRAMS

Presentation Skills

• 9 Courses | 3h 38m 10s
• 12 Books | 17h 10m
• 12 Audiobooks | 34h 48m 56s

GETTING STARTED

Presenting Virtually

• Playable 1.  Presenting Virtually 51s
• Playable 2.  Reaching across Barriers with Virtual Presentations 3m 9s

COURSES INCLUDED

EARN A DIGITAL BADGE WHEN YOU COMPLETE THESE COURSES

Skillsoft is providing you the opportunity to earn a digital badge upon successful completion on some of our courses, which can be shared on any social network or business platform.

BOOKS INCLUDED

BOOK SUMMARY

AUDIOBOOKS INCLUDED

AUDIOBOOK SUMMARY

SKILL BENCHMARKS INCLUDED

Best Presentation Skills Training

The ability to present your ideas confidently and persuasively is the single greatest skill you can learn to succeed in a globally competitive world. Here are the best Presentation Skills Training courses to you to help you achieve this.

What Makes an Effective Presentation?

Futurelearn.

On this course, you will have the opportunity to discuss the features of an effective presentation and investigate how to design and develop your own presentation. You will explore effective presentation techniques to help you evaluate and improve your presentation skills.

Course link:  Learn more

Author: Andrew Preshous

Presenting on Video (with Online Practice)

Virtualspeech.

Learn how to deliver successful video-based presentations on Zoom, Webex and more. Then you have the unique opportunity to practice, improve and build your confidence in our virtual presentation simulator.

Author: Dom Barnard

High Impact Presentation

Dale carnegie.

Effective communication is critical in any role. Whether you are persuading colleagues, selling to a client, or energizing a team, the power of your presentation makes the difference between success and failure. This course teaches how to properly execute your presentation and stand out from the crowd.

Author: Multiple

Seth Godin on Presenting to Persuade

Instead of focusing on the craft of making slides, Seth Godin takes you on a journey to understand what your presentation is actually for. He'll help you see that a presentation is a unique and powerful opportunity, a chance to be heard, a moment where you have the leverage to make something happen.

Author: Seth Godin

Presenting Made Brilliant

Rada business.

This online course is an intensive, practical course that takes the focus away from what you present and instead focuses on how you present. You are taught how to build a confident and credible presence in highly pressured environments, how to open and close presentations convincingly, and more.

Author: Jem Stein

Professional Business Presentations

This course discusses how to effectively create presentations with quality formatting, the proper design elements and organization. The learner will identify the proper presentation format and software for their audience.

Author: Debora Sepich

The Art of Effective Presentations

Pluralsight.

Tell a story, engage the audience, leave them inspired. This course provides a roadmap for delivering effective presentations and motivating an audience through forming your message, designing visuals and demos, preparing for the unexpected, and effective delivery strategies.

Author: John Papa

Presenting with Confidence

Learn how to present confidently to hook your audiences, stakeholders, and colleagues, keep them engaged and leave a lasting impression. Make an impact whether online or in-person.

Author: Gagan Singh

Design Better Presentations

Creativelive.

This class will teach you basic design principles you can apply to your presentation decks. You’ll learn how to work with type, color and image and lay out information with confidence. You’ll also Identify what type of presenter you are and design your presentation to support this.

Author: Lara McCormick

Establishing Credibility as a Speaker

Linkedin learning.

Audiences will assess the credibility of presenters before they even begin speaking. In this course, Laura Bergells shares techniques that help speakers develop personal credibility. She shows you how to earn the attention and interest of your audience right away by using key nonverbal and emotional skills.

Author: Laura Bergells

HARVARD UNIVERSITY

Through stories, videos and case examples, this program offers an actionable, step-by-step method anyone can adopt to create and deliver inspiring in person or virtual presentations that are engaging, persuasive and memorable.

Author: Carmine Gallo

Mastering Presentation Design

Taking the time to customize decks to match an audience's style or to fit the mood of the project will set the best possible stage for your ideas or offer. You’ll learn step-by-step how to research visual styles, source free high-quality images and fonts, create strong layouts, customize slides to sell your ideas or project, and lots more.

Author: Lara Evens

Data Analysis and Presentation Skills: the PwC Approach

Explore how a combination of better understanding, filtering, and application of data can help you solve problems faster - leading to smarter and more effective decision-making. You'll learn how to present data to others in a way that gets them engaged in your story and motivated to act.

Author: Alex Mannella

Communication Skills and Teamwork

Effective writing and presentation skills are essential for career success. Learn how to create and deliver high-impact communications, improve your soft skills, and effectively lead and collaborate on teams.

Author: Jim Pautz

Designing a Presentation

In this course, designer Tony Harmer takes you through the essentials of presentation design to give you the tools you'll find most useful in thinking about, designing, and building successful presentations. Tony covers a variety of key topics, including mood boards, layout, color considerations, type, graphics and images, charts, transitions, and animations.

Author: Tony Harmer

High-Impact Presentations (with Online Practice)

High-stakes presentations require more than just basic presentation skills. They require professional-level delivery techniques and the confidence to deliver at the highest level in any business setting. This course teaches you how to execute important presentations, which you can then practice in interactive exercises.

Author: Julian Mayhew

Become a confident public speaker and deliver engaging presentations. Learn tools to overcome self-doubt so you can build your confidence, strategies to create your content, performance techniques to help you stay grounded and calm, and more.

Author: Cherokee Lebon

• Performance Management Course 16 December 2024
• Presentation Skills Two Day Course 17 December 2024
• Line Management Two Day Course 9 January 2025
• Communication Skills One Day Course 9 January 2025
• Business Networking Course 13 January 2025
• Presentation Skills Two Day Course 13 January 2025
• The Future of Work is Human 16 January 2025
• Call: +44(0)20 7226 1877
• Email: [email protected]
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7 Tips to Improve Your Presentation Skills

Master the art of presenting with Impact Factory. Discover 7 strategies to improve presentation skills fast, from audience focus to confident delivery.

7 Proven Strategies to Rapidly Improve Your Presentation Skills Here are 7 Tips to Improve Your Presentation Skills that you’ll find incredibly useful.

To improve presentation skills quickly, you need to master three core elements: knowing your audience, structuring your content, and delivering with confidence. Most professionals struggle with presentation anxiety, unclear messaging, and losing audience attention. The fastest way to become a better public speaker and see results is to focus on what actually works: creating audience-centred content, using proven structure techniques, and practising with purpose.

If you are looking for In-House Public Speaking Training for a group or teams, please see our

Key Takeaways

• Record your presentations to spot and fix your most important improvement areas in minutes.
• Stand still when delivering key points and make eye contact for 3-5 seconds to project confidence.
• Use the 4-7-8 breathing technique before presenting to calm nerves quickly.
• Ask direct questions every 10 minutes to keep your audience actively engaged and alert.

7 Proven Strategies to Rapidly Improve Your Presentation Skills 

1. focus on audience-centric content first.

Understanding your audience will improve your presentation effectiveness more than any other single factor. It will also help you motivate and influence your audience . Check their LinkedIn profiles and industry websites to identify their key challenges and pain points. This targeted research helps you create content that directly addresses their needs.

Start your presentation with a hook that matters to them – a relevant statistic, a shared industry challenge, or a thought-provoking question. For instance, when presenting about digital transformation, open with “Your competitors are spending 40% less time on manual processes. Here’s how you can, too.” This immediately shows your audience why they should listen.

Use examples from their industry and explain complex ideas in terms they already understand. If you’re presenting to marketing teams, reference marketing metrics. If you’re speaking to engineers, use technical examples. This immediate relevance keeps your audience engaged throughout your compelling presentation.

Book individuals in-person or remotely on our:

2. Use the Rule of Threes for Clear, Impactful Content

The Rule of Threes helps you structure your presentation in a way that makes it more memorable and impactful. Choose your three most important points and build your entire presentation around them. For a sales or business pitch , this might be:

• the problem
• the solution
• the specific results clients can expect

Structure these points in a clear sequence: start with what your audience needs to know first, build on that knowledge, and then show them how to apply it at the end of the presentation . For example, when presenting a new software tool:

• Why the current process isn’t working
• How the new tool solves these problems
• Specific steps to implement and see results

This structured approach helps your audience follow along easily and remember your key messages. It also gives you a reliable framework that works for any presentation topic or length.

3. Practice Smart, Not Hard: Use Video Feedback

When preparing for a presentation , recording your presentation practice sessions gives you more improvement in 10 minutes than hours of rehearsal alone. Use your phone to record yourself, then watch for three specific elements: your pace, body language, and use of filler words like “um” or “basically.” This targeted feedback shows you exactly what to fix.

Run through your presentation twice before the actual delivery. Time yourself in both practice sessions and focus on improving one specific aspect each time. For example, in the first run, focus on your content flow. In the second, concentrate on your presentation style. This focused practice builds confidence without wasting time.

4. Leverage Powerful Body Language

Your body language impacts your presentation skills and public speaking skills more than your words. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, keep your shoulders back, and your chin level – this ‘power pose’ automatically makes you feel and appear more confident , building a strong stage presence. Practice this stance for two minutes before your presentation to boost your confidence naturally.

Make eye contact with different sections of your audience for 3-5 seconds each. This simple technique creates connection and shows confidence. When delivering key points, plant your feet firmly and avoid swaying or pacing. This stillness adds authority to your message and helps your audience focus on your words.

5. Combat Nerves with Tactical Breathing

The 4-7-8 breathing technique calms presentation nerves and stage fright in under a minute. Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, and exhale for 8 seconds. This pattern reduces anxiety by regulating your nervous system. Use it right before you present to stay calm and focused.

Channel nervous energy into positive actions. Before starting, take one deep breath and focus on your opening line. Start with your strongest point – this builds momentum and helps you settle into a natural rhythm. Remember: your audience wants you to succeed. They’re looking for your expertise, not perfect delivery.

6. Use Minimalist, Effective Visuals

Simple presentation slides with one idea per slide improve audience participation instantly. Replace text-heavy bullets with single, powerful images or key statistics. When presenting data, show one graph per slide with a clear headline stating the main takeaway. This approach keeps your audience focused on your message rather than reading slides.

Use pre-designed templates to create professional slides quickly. Tools like Canva offer presentation templates designed for maximum impact. Keep to dark text on light backgrounds or light text on dark backgrounds for best visibility. Add your company’s colours to create brand consistency without spending hours on design.

Top easy-to-use PowerPoint Tips to start you off on the right foot.

7. Plan for Audience Interaction

Engaging your audience every 10 minutes keeps attention levels high throughout your presentation. Ask direct questions, run quick polls, or request a show of hands. This interaction helps your audience stay focused and gives you immediate feedback on their understanding.

Leave 10% of your presentation time for questions. Prepare answers to likely questions in advance – this builds your confidence and ensures thorough responses during the Q&A session . If you’re presenting virtually, use chat features or polling tools to maintain audience engagement. These interactive moments turn passive listeners into active participants.

How Impact Factory Can Help

Our effective presentation skills training at Impact Factory focuses on rapid improvement through practical techniques and real-world practice. Whether you’re preparing for an important pitch or looking to advance your career, our courses give you the tools to present with confidence and impact.

Join our hands-on workshops to master these strategies with expert guidance. We offer specialised courses for different needs:

• Presentation Skills Course for mastering core techniques
• Public Speaking Course to build confidence
• Executive Presentation Coaching for leadership communication

Contact us at [email protected] or call +44 2072261877 to transform your presentation skills and deliver your message with lasting impact.

How can I improve presentation skills quickly?

Focus on understanding your audience, using clear structure, and practising with video feedback. These three elements give you the fastest improvement in your presentation delivery.

What are the essential presentation skills?

The most important skills are: clear message structure, engaging delivery, confident body language, effective visual aids, and audience interaction.

How do I overcome presentation nervousness?

Use tactical breathing techniques, prepare thoroughly, and start with your strongest point. Remember that some nervousness helps you perform better.

What makes a presentation effective?

A successful presentation combines relevant content, clear structure, engaging delivery, and active audience involvement. Focus on what your audience needs to know rather than everything you could tell them.

Related Articles

Are you ready to take your presentation skills to the next level but don’t know where to begin? Here are more resources to help you guide your journey:

• Choosing a Presentation Skills Training Provider – So, you’ve decided that you need help with your presentation skills. Here’s how to choose the right presentation skills training provider for you.
• Benefits Of Presentation Training Courses – Find out why it’s worth it to sign up for a presentation training course.
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Powerful and Effective Presentation Skills: More in Demand Now Than Ever

When we talk with our L&D colleagues from around the globe, we often hear that presentation skills training is one of the top opportunities they’re looking to provide their learners. And this holds true whether their learners are individual contributors, people managers, or senior leaders. This is not surprising.

Effective communications skills are a powerful career activator, and most of us are called upon to communicate in some type of formal presentation mode at some point along the way.

For instance, you might be asked to brief management on market research results, walk your team through a new process, lay out the new budget, or explain a new product to a client or prospect. Or you may want to build support for a new idea, bring a new employee into the fold, or even just present your achievements to your manager during your performance review.

And now, with so many employees working from home or in hybrid mode, and business travel in decline, there’s a growing need to find new ways to make effective presentations when the audience may be fully virtual or a combination of in person and remote attendees.

Whether you’re making a standup presentation to a large live audience, or a sit-down one-on-one, whether you’re delivering your presentation face to face or virtually, solid presentation skills matter.

Even the most seasoned and accomplished presenters may need to fine-tune or update their skills. Expectations have changed over the last decade or so. Yesterday’s PowerPoint which primarily relied on bulleted points, broken up by the occasional clip-art image, won’t cut it with today’s audience.

The digital revolution has revolutionized the way people want to receive information. People expect presentations that are more visually interesting. They expect to see data, metrics that support assertions. And now, with so many previously in-person meetings occurring virtually, there’s an entirely new level of technical preparedness required.

The leadership development tools and the individual learning opportunities you’re providing should include presentation skills training that covers both the evergreen fundamentals and the up-to-date capabilities that can make or break a presentation.

So, just what should be included in solid presentation skills training? Here’s what I think.

The fundamentals will always apply When it comes to making a powerful and effective presentation, the fundamentals will always apply. You need to understand your objective. Is it strictly to convey information, so that your audience’s knowledge is increased? Is it to persuade your audience to take some action? Is it to convince people to support your idea? Once you understand what your objective is, you need to define your central message. There may be a lot of things you want to share with your audience during your presentation, but find – and stick with – the core, the most important point you want them to walk away with. And make sure that your message is clear and compelling.

You also need to tailor your presentation to your audience. Who are they and what might they be expecting? Say you’re giving a product pitch to a client. A technical team may be interested in a lot of nitty-gritty product detail. The business side will no doubt be more interested in what returns they can expect on their investment.

Another consideration is the setting: is this a formal presentation to a large audience with questions reserved for the end, or a presentation in a smaller setting where there’s the possibility for conversation throughout? Is your presentation virtual or in-person? To be delivered individually or as a group? What time of the day will you be speaking? Will there be others speaking before you and might that impact how your message will be received?

Once these fundamentals are established, you’re in building mode. What are the specific points you want to share that will help you best meet your objective and get across your core message? Now figure out how to convey those points in the clearest, most straightforward, and succinct way. This doesn’t mean that your presentation has to be a series of clipped bullet points. No one wants to sit through a presentation in which the presenter reads through what’s on the slide. You can get your points across using stories, fact, diagrams, videos, props, and other types of media.

Visual design matters While you don’t want to clutter up your presentation with too many visual elements that don’t serve your objective and can be distracting, using a variety of visual formats to convey your core message will make your presentation more memorable than slides filled with text. A couple of tips: avoid images that are cliched and overdone. Be careful not to mix up too many different types of images. If you’re using photos, stick with photos. If you’re using drawn images, keep the style consistent. When data are presented, stay consistent with colors and fonts from one type of chart to the next. Keep things clear and simple, using data to support key points without overwhelming your audience with too much information. And don’t assume that your audience is composed of statisticians (unless, of course, it is).

When presenting qualitative data, brief videos provide a way to engage your audience and create emotional connection and impact. Word clouds are another way to get qualitative data across.

Practice makes perfect You’ve pulled together a perfect presentation. But it likely won’t be perfect unless it’s well delivered. So don’t forget to practice your presentation ahead of time. Pro tip: record yourself as you practice out loud. This will force you to think through what you’re going to say for each element of your presentation. And watching your recording will help you identify your mistakes—such as fidgeting, using too many fillers (such as “umm,” or “like”), or speaking too fast.

A key element of your preparation should involve anticipating any technical difficulties. If you’ve embedded videos, make sure they work. If you’re presenting virtually, make sure that the lighting is good, and that your speaker and camera are working. Whether presenting in person or virtually, get there early enough to work out any technical glitches before your presentation is scheduled to begin. Few things are a bigger audience turn-off than sitting there watching the presenter struggle with the delivery mechanisms!

Finally, be kind to yourself. Despite thorough preparation and practice, sometimes, things go wrong, and you need to recover in the moment, adapt, and carry on. It’s unlikely that you’ll have caused any lasting damage and the important thing is to learn from your experience, so your next presentation is stronger.

How are you providing presentation skills training for your learners?

Manika Gandhi is Senior Learning Design Manager at Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning. Email her at [email protected] .

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