Presenting and public speaking

Plan, build and deliver a clear talk, in a room or on camera, and handle the questions afterwards without freezing.

Most weak presentations are not the fault of a weak speaker. They come from a talk with no clear point, slides that carry the script, and a speaker who never rehearsed out loud, all of which get worse once nerves kick in. This course starts with what the audience should remember, builds a structure and stories around it, puts slides in a supporting role, and then works on voice, body language, nerves and questions through recorded practice. It covers the places you actually speak: team meetings, client pitches, town halls, video calls, and the networking event where someone asks what you do.

What you'll be able to do

• Write the one sentence your audience should remember and test it on a colleague
• Profile an audience's knowledge, concerns and the action you want from them
• Outline a talk using a structure that fits its purpose
• Tell a short, specific story that makes a point concrete
• Build slides with one idea each and a headline that states it
• Deliver a talk with controlled pace, pauses, eye contact and gestures, checked on video
• Answer questions, including hostile ones, briefly and calmly
• Present well on video calls and deliver a 60-second self-introduction

Syllabus

Module 1: Decide the one thing your audience should remember

Find the single message of a talk, work out who is listening and what you want them to do, and test the message before you build anything.

• 1.1 Say one thing your audience will remember
• 1.2 Who is listening and what do they need
• 1.3 Cut what you love but they do not need
• 1.4 Write and test your message and audience profile

Module 2: Pick a structure that carries the message

Choose from a few reliable structures, such as problem and solution, past, present and future, or situation, complication and resolution, and build an opening and a close that land.

• 2.1 Structures that work for most talks
• 2.2 Open strong in the first 30 seconds
• 2.3 Close with the message and the ask
• 2.4 Outline your talk on one page

Module 3: Make points stick with stories and examples

Build short true stories with a clear shape, choose examples your audience recognises, and say numbers in a way people can picture.

• 3.1 The shape of a short story that makes a point
• 3.2 Examples your audience can picture
• 3.3 Say numbers people can understand
• 3.4 Build a bank of stories from your own work

Module 4: Build slides that support you, not replace you

Design slides with one idea each, a headline that states the point, readable text and charts that show one thing, and keep the detail for a separate handout.

• 4.1 One idea per slide, stated in the headline
• 4.2 Charts that show one thing
• 4.3 Text people can read from the back of the room
• 4.4 Your slide deck is not your handout
• 4.5 Build the deck for your talk

Module 5: Use your voice, pace and body to help the message

Control pace and pauses, project your voice, cut filler words, and use eye contact, stance and gestures so delivery helps the message instead of distracting from it.

• 5.1 Pace, pauses and volume
• 5.2 Fewer ums without sounding scripted
• 5.3 Eye contact, stance and gestures
• 5.4 The body language statistic that is usually misquoted
• 5.5 Record, review and record again

Module 6: Manage nerves so they work for you

Understand what nerves do to your body, use breathing, routines and real rehearsal to stay in control, and recover from a blank or a mistake in front of people.

• 6.1 What nerves are doing to your body
• 6.2 Breathing and a routine before you speak
• 6.3 Rehearse out loud, not in your head
• 6.4 When you blank or make a mistake
• 6.5 Practise in front of a small audience

Module 7: Handle questions with calm, short answers

Prepare for likely questions, listen fully, answer briefly with the point first, say I do not know without losing trust, and handle hostile or off-topic questions.

• 7.1 Predict the questions before they are asked
• 7.2 Listen, check, answer, then stop
• 7.3 Say I do not know without losing credibility
• 7.4 Hostile, long and off-topic questions
• 7.5 Run a mock Q&A with friends or colleagues

Module 8: Present well on video calls

Set up camera, light and sound, keep online audiences involved with interaction and shorter segments, share screens cleanly, and run hybrid talks where some people are in the room.

• 8.1 Camera, light and sound that make you easy to watch
• 8.2 Keep a remote audience with you
• 8.3 Share your screen without the usual mess
• 8.4 Hybrid talks with people in the room and online
• 8.5 Give your talk online and review the recording

Module 9: Speak well in 60 seconds: pitches and introductions

Prepare the short pieces you will use again and again: a self-introduction for meetings and events, an elevator pitch for an idea, and a short introduction of someone else.

• 9.1 Introduce yourself without reciting your CV
• 9.2 Pitch an idea in under a minute
• 9.3 Introduce someone else so they start well
• 9.4 Build and test your short-form speaking set

Frequently asked questions

How long does the course take?

About nine hours across nine modules, including the recorded practice. Most people finish in four to six weeks. If you have a talk coming up soon, do modules 1, 2 and 6 first.

I get very anxious speaking in public. Will this help?

The course teaches practical ways to manage ordinary nerves: breathing, preparation, rehearsal and recovery plans. It is not therapy. If anxiety stops you from working or speaking at all, talk to a doctor or a counsellor as well.

Do I need to present regularly to take this?

No. You need one real or realistic talk to work on, such as a team update, a proposal or a project review. Every module applies to that talk, so you finish with it ready to give.

How is this different from Communicate at work: writing, speaking and meetings?

That course covers everyday communication: messages, updates, meetings and feedback. This one covers prepared talks, pitches and introductions. They work well together, in either order.

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