Presentation Skills Course Contents
We tailor all our courses to reflect the needs of the delegates on the day.
We will include many of the exercises listed below and any additional material that the trainers feel is relevant.
Day One
Introduction
During the opening session, we combine a look at the fundamentals of presenting, with an assessment of each person's experience and what they would now like to achieve from the course.
The Challenge
We start with a good look at the dynamic in which you have to present.
This section gives an in-depth understanding of the arenas in which presenting takes place: the physical space, body language, audience interaction, etc.
It is based on the mnemonic
IMPACT
as an easy to remember guide to the main points of presenting.
"The use of the Individual’s best skills to convey a clear Message, well Prepared, with good Audience interaction, presented with Conviction and supported by the right Technical backup."
First Presentation
Your first presentation is a short unscripted talk to camera.
We'll examine the experience in some detail to see just what happens physically, psychologically and emotionally when we have to present.
Next, we'll review the recordings looking specifically for positive factors.
We'll look for things that are already working that can be relied upon and developed.
We'll also look at what you might consider flaws to see if we can turn them to your advantage.
When you identify what works about someone's style and develop that, the things that don't work very well diminish.
This presentation and all the rest of your work during the day will be recorded.
However, there will be no other play-back other than this.
Issues Covered
- Feedback and Individual style
- The difference between how we think we are doing and how we really are doing
- Body language
- The psychology of presenting
- The myths and rules about what you are and are not allowed to do.
Prepared Presentations
This will be the non-business presentation you've been asked to prepare.
Here we will cover:
- How audiences and presenters interact
- How to make use of that interaction
- The real reasons for presenting
- Ways of getting ideas across that are entertaining and stimulating
- The relationship between nervous energy and expressive capacity
- A reinforcement of the reasons for presenting
Stretching Exercises
A series of short exercises designed to stretch people's awareness and capacity:
- Presence - An exercise in audience contact
- Everyday objects - An exercise in overlaying an ordinary text with an extraordinary message
- Passion - An exercise in the use of passion to communicate
- Talking up and talking down
- Turning points - An exercise in using personal material to produce empathy and strong feeling in an audience
Business Presentations
Each delegate to present the business presentation they were asked to include in their preparation.
We will be working here to reinforce what is already working for each presenter and adding the ideas and concepts looked at earlier in the day.
Overnight Assignments
You'll be asked to review and revise your presentation overnight.
Day Two
Overnight Thoughts
We start with any thoughts and insights.
You'll pick three things you particularly like about your presenting style.
You'll then make a short presentation featuring and demonstrating those qualities.
Location
A brief discussion about the various arenas in which participants present.
This is to get a picture of some of the challenges that arise in certain settings and with different audiences.
Meetings
Here we look at the dynamics of 'working a table'.
This will include the different types of questions you can ask, how to work the 'geography' of a table, how to open things up or close them down.
Media and Structure
An exercise that looks at the various media available during a presentation.
A look at the uses of modular vs. linear structure.
30 Second Presentation
This is a simple, easy to use model, that allows people to put across a powerful presentation in 30 seconds.
Creativity
Putting ideas across in ways that create maximum impact.
Here we look at the use of analogy and memorable images to enhance factual information.
Deliberate Misunderstanding
To demonstrate how effective analogies can be, we have a light-hearted exercise where people have to deal with being wrong-footed by the rest of the delegates who deliberately misunderstand what they say.
Re-Presenting
Finally, you have time to re-write and re-present your business presentations, looking to include anything from the course you found particularly useful.
Summing Up
We will spend a short time reviewing the course, reminding the participants of what was covered.
You'll be asked to identify:
- What you know you will take from the two days
- What you know you will use
- What support or development you need over the coming months
- What you need to do to ensure you practise
We would highly recommend that people do some kind of presentation as soon as possible to reinforce the work of the course.
You'll be given a web link to your recordings during the course.
We will give out Impact Factory documents to support the course.
You'll get copies relevant hand-outs to remind you of the coursework.
Ongoing Support
Two weeks after the course one of your trainers will call to see how you are getting on.
You will have email and telephone access to both of your trainers.
You'll also have access to a course web page containing
- Handouts used during the course
- New supportive material
- Impact Factory PDF documents
- Recommended reading
- Links to our favourite videos
Two-Day Presentation Course
