Course Content
The core of this presentation-skills workshop revolves around:
- Explaining techniques by the instructor, lots of examples and demonstrations.
- Practicing presentations by participants, followed by feedback from the instructor and other participants.
- Discussing issues amongst participants, facilitated and kept on track by the instructor.
Introductory, Intermediate and Advanced levels available according to client need.
Workshop Materials
Every participant receives a bound 150-page copy of The Skilled Presenter™. The text acts as a workbook during the workshop, and as an easy-to-use reference afterwards.
- Comprehensive coverage: providing a thorough review of the latest presentation techniques
- Plenty of worksheets: templates for your audience analysis and preparing presentations
- Feedback forms: for participants to evaluate presentations during the workshop, and extras for use afterwards
- Relaxation and voice training exercises: aimed at improving your projection, breathing, range and articulation
- The Skilled Presenter™ Confidence Test: originally conceived for the workshop and not published anywhere else
- Over 100 multicultural, original cartoons: making key concepts memorable
Recording Your Progress
We will provide you with your own DVD of the presentations you deliver. This provides a record of your presentations, and shows your progress.
Typical Day 1 (Modules 1 – 16)
Our presentation skills workshop typically includes the following modules, along with a large amount of practice and written/verbal feedback.
Module 1: Getting Your Mind In Gear
- Organization, performing skills, appearance, voice
Module 2: Participants Deliver Warm-up Presentation
Module 3: Turning Nervousness Into Energy
- Includes taking The Skilled Presenter™ Confidence Test, and analyzing the results
Module 4: Ways to Practice
- “Speed-talking” to help your memory
- Focusing on timing during practice runs
- Evaluating yourself on DVD
Module 5: Learning About Your Listeners (“7-Question Game™”)
- Addressing your listeners’ perspective
- Methods to find out how your audience sees your topic (pro and con)
Module 6: “3 + 1” Presentation Format
- Organizing for structure, analysis and movement
- Sticking to the “Rule of Threes” when crafting your content
- Separating basic from advanced information
Module 7: Intros and Endings
- How to start and end succinctly
- “Announcing” and “recapping”
- Ending with a story, joke or striking phrase
Module 8: Participants Prepare 10-minute Presentation
Module 9: Keeping Eye Contact
- Eye contact as a powerful persuader
Module 10: Gestures
- Accenting your points with gestures
- Avoiding distracting movements
Module 11: Stance and Movement
- Standing tall, and moving with a purpose
- Showing confidence
Module 12: How to Dress
- How clothing and personal image send non-verbal messages
- Tips for media appearances
Module 13: Speaking to Listeners from Different Cultures
- Appreciating your listeners’ cultural traits
- Adjusting your presentation to listeners not fluent in your language
- Explaining idioms
Module 14: Participants Deliver 10-minute Presentation
- Videotaped practice
- Includes receiving and interpreting feedback
Module 15: Involving Your Audience
- Polling the group
- Conducting “serial take-ups”
- Deferring to the audience
- Using quizzes and games to increase impact and retention
Module 16: Fielding Questions
- Techniques to “bridge” from questions to answers
- Identifying and preparing for commonly asked question
- Handling tough questions
- Dealing with interruptions or hecklers
- Ways to say “I don’t know”
- Drills on answering questions quickly and clearly when under fire
Typical Day 2 (Modules 17 – 29)
Our presentation skills workshop typically includes the following modules, along with a large amount of practice and written/verbal feedback.
Module 17: Practice – Focusing on Performing Style
Module 18: Improving Voice Projection and Variety
- Judging your own voice
- Drills for strengthening breathing, improving projection, increasing range, avoiding filler words, controlling speed, varying inflection
Module 20: Fleshing Out Presentations with Examples and Stories
- Adding concrete details to reinforce your ideas
- Using expressions that compel you to give examples
- Making stories conversational and off the cuff
Module 21: Making Facts and Figures Memorable
- Thinking visually
- Linking facts and figures to things familiar to listeners
Module 22: Using Quotations That Make a Point
- Taking quotes from current events and everyday life
- Keeping quotes succinct
Module 23: Using Laughter
- Ensuring that humour pertains to the subject at hand
- Including yourself in funny stories
Module 24: Using Language Your Audience Understands
- Exercises on using simple words
- Removing useless phrases from your speech
- Explaining technical terms with concrete examples
Module 25: Participants Prepare 10-minute Presentation
Module 26: Displaying Your “Talking Points” on Overhead Transparencies and Computer Slideshows
- Using simple, open style
- Adding verbs
- Tips on design and selecting colours
Module 27: Designing Tables, Graphs, and Charts
- Compiling facts and figures in tables
- Comparing numbers visually with bar charts
- Drawing pie charts to show percentages
- Depicting trends with line graphs
- Adding spot art and “pictograms” to aid comprehension
Module 28: Participants Create Transparencies for Presentation
- Materials provided to participants for preparing transparencies
Module 29: Participants Deliver 10-minute Presentation
- Videotaped practice
- Feedback from other participants and the instructor
- Tips for media appearances