Presentation Skills

Being able to deliver confident presentations is an essential life skill that has not disappeared over Lockdown. Many participants attend because they realise that will not be able to advance in their careers if they continue to avoid facing an audience, but have not yet overcome their fears.

Alternatively, some participants are already competent but understand that developing mastery will enable them to demonstrate real leadership within their organisations and with external stakeholders. With webinars and remote presentations becoming the new normal, you may feel you need help transferring your skills to a new medium.

This interactive presentation skills training course helps you develop skills for crafting persuasive presentations and delivering speeches with lasting impact. The programme combines insights and techniques for an effective preparation process with opportunities to put these into practice.

Taught twice a week over 7 weeks as 14 bite-size evening classes over Microsoft Teams, the presentation skills course offers flexibility combined with expert tuition to take public speaking to the next level.

We have had many successful students enrol and take the learnings and skills from the course and put them into practice.  Enrolling on the Presentation Skills course can really make a difference to public speaking confidence and skills.

Who is it for?

Do you avoid opportunities for progression due to a fear of public speaking? Perhaps you are already a competent presenter but want to perfect your skills to demonstrate real leadership? Our part-time Presentation Skills course can be useful across all career stages, with professional and personal benefits.

Timetable

The Presentations Skills course takes place twice a week, from 18:00 - 19:30 on Tuesday and Thursday evenings for seven weeks.

Please note Summer term there is no class on Tuesday 3rd May and Thursday 2nd June  2022.

City Short Courses follow the academic year, delivering courses over three terms. These include:

• Autumn - October
• Spring - January
• Summer - April

Benefits

• Blends innovative thinking with opportunities to practice new skills
• Expert tuition from a specialist in public speaking and influencing techniques
• Taught in small groups
• Awarded a City, University of London certificate

Over the duration of the Presentation Skills short course, you will learn new approaches and techniques, including:

• Clarifying your objectives - what do you want your audience to feel, think and do?
• Developing an effective preparation process;
• Structuring a clear, concise and persuasive message;
• Exploring creative approaches which make an impact;
• Storytelling, and how to use it to make your argument more persuasive;
• Deploying rhetorical devices and imagery to make your message stick;
• Handling nerves and eliminating physical tension, using techniques from psychology and the dramatic arts;
• Build rapport and credibility through how you broadcast your voice and physical presence;
• Preparing slides that tell a persuasive visual story;
• Understanding the strategic value of making presentations;
• Practice delivering prepared messages onscreen, with feedback and recommendations.

Over eight evening classes on the Presentation Skills short course, you will learn to develop an effective preparation process, including:

Week 1

Introductions & Objectives

Session 1.1  (1½ hours)

• Establishing your own challenges and objectives
• Course overview

Session 1.2  (1½ hours)

• Introducing yourself to an audience – first brief self-presentation to group
• Exploring fundamental principles

Week 2

Preparing your message

Session 2.1  (1½ hours)

• Developing a preparation process
• Structuring content into a persuasive sequence
• Framing and signposting
• Suggested templates to adapt to suit your purpose

Session 2.2  (1½ hours)

• The use of storytelling
• Storytelling practice and feedback

Week 3

Engaging a remote audience

Session 3.1  (1½ hours)

• What are the differences between remote and real-life presentations?
• Basics of composing your onscreen presence – backgrounds and lighting
• Visual storytelling through your slides

Session 3.2 (1½ hours)

First opportunity to present your own mini-webinar, for feedback from the group and tutor.

Week 4

Establishing your onscreen presence

Session 4.1 (1½ hours)

• Breathing for easing nerves and tension
• Developing better posture through a physical warm-up

Session 4.2  (1½ hours)

• Voice workout
• Practice making an impact with your voice and presence

Week 5

Using rhetoric

Session 5.1 (1½ hours)

• Using imagery to memorable, persuasive effect
• Making your message stick through rhythm, balance and repetition

Session 5.2 (1½ hours)

• Exploring rhetoric case studies
• Tips for creating your own soundbites

Week 6

Your individual presentations

Session 6.1 & Session 6.2 (1½ hours each session)

• Practice delivering your final presentation
• Feedback and coaching on your own individual presentations

Week 7

Your individual presentations

Session 7.1 (1 1/2 hours)

• Practice delivering your final presentation
• Feedback and coaching on your own individual presentations

Session 7.2 (1 ½ hours)

• Consolidation
• Next steps

The presentation skills course will be taught through a blend of lectures, discussion and practical activities – individually, in pairs and as a group.

As the course progresses, you will be challenged more. You will be asked to deliver a five to seven minute presentation that has been prepared in advance. You will be given extensive evaluation and recommendations, with an opportunity to apply some of the suggestions straightaway for further feedback.

There is no formal assessment and you are not given any formal qualifications on completion of the course. However, if you attend 70 percent of the classes you will be awarded an official City, University of London certificate.

We do not ask for any qualifications to enrol in this course.

English requirements

You will need a good level of spoken and written English to enrol on this course.

• Chris Anderson (2016) TED Talks, Headline
• Bobette Buster (2013) Do/Story, The Do Book Company
• Stephen Denning (2007) The Secret Language Of Leadership, Jossey-Bass
• Susan Cain (2012) Quiet: The Power of Introverts In A World That Won’t Stop Talking, Penguin
• Patsy Rodenberg (1992) The Right To Speak, Routledge,
• Ed. Brian MacArthur (1999) The Penguin Book of Twentieth Century Speeches, Penguin Books.
• Professor Max Atkinson (2004) Lend Me Your Ears Vermillion, London,
• Sam Leith (2011) You Talkin’ To Me? Profile Books
• Malcolm Gladwell (2000) The Tipping Point, Abacus
• Tony & Barry Buzan (BBC,1993, 2000) The Mind Map Book
• Carmine Gallo (2010) The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience (McGraw-Hill Books)