Presenting and public speaking

Plan, build and give a clear talk, in a room or on camera, and answer the questions that follow without freezing.

When a presentation goes badly, the cause is usually in the preparation: the talk has no clear point, the slides carry the script, and the speaker never rehearsed out loud, and nerves make all three worse. In this course you start with what the audience should remember, then build a structure and stories around it, and use slides to support what you say. After that you work on voice, body language, nerves and questions through recorded practice. The examples come from 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 what an audience knows, what worries them and what you want them to do
• Outline a talk using a structure that suits 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, and check them on video
• Answer questions, including hostile ones, briefly and calmly
• Present clearly on video calls and give a 60-second self-introduction

Syllabus

Module 1: Decide the one thing your audience should remember

Find the one message your talk has to land, work out who will be listening and what you want them to do, then test that message before you build any slides.

• 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

Pick one of a few structures that work, such as problem and solution, past, present and future, or situation, complication and resolution. Then write an opening that gets attention and a close people remember.

• 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, pick examples your audience knows, and say numbers so people can picture them.

• 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

Give each slide one idea and a headline that states the point. Keep the text readable, make each chart show one thing, and put the detail in 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

You will learn to control pace and pauses, project your voice, cut filler words, and use eye contact, stance and gestures so your delivery supports what you say.

• 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

Learn what nerves do to your body and how to stay steady with breathing, a routine and proper rehearsal. You will also practise getting going again after 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 your camera, light and sound, keep online audiences involved with interaction and shorter segments, share your screen 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

You will write the short pieces you 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 does not replace therapy. If anxiety stops you from working or speaking at all, please also talk to a doctor or a counsellor.

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. Each module applies to that talk, so by the end it is 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. You can take them in either order, and each one helps with the other.

Explore more

• All Academy courses