Presentation Skills

Presentation is both an art and a science. To be a truly masterful presenter takes time and dedication.

The aim of our Presentation Skills training is to learn and experience how to actually present in a way that engages your audience, so that you can lead them in whatever direction you choose.

While your presentation may be backed up by PowerPoint, flipcharts, or overhead projectors, it is not my intention to train you in creating great PowerPoint presentations from a technical perspective. What you will learn is how to format your material so that it can be understood by your audience easily.

Pain to Passion - Introduction to Presentation

This introduction is designed for novice presenters. It gives a basic overview of the art of effective presentation. There will be some theory and lots of practice so that the participants can experience the do’s and don’ts.

Topics will include:

• Defining the outcome for your audience and yourself.
• Basic presentation skills.
• Posture.
• Breathing.
• Voice control.
• Using visual aids effectively – PowerPoint, flipcharts, overhead projectors.
• Basic language patterns – How to ensure your audience understands your message.
• Basic state control (controlling nerves etc.)

Leading Your Audience - Presentation Mastery

This course builds on the Introduction to Presentation. It is aimed at individuals who need to present technical data to clients and senior management.

While the intermediate course covers the basics, there is more time for exercises and practice. This ensures that participants start to embody the skills in their neurology, making them more natural presenters.

Topics will include:

• Defining the outcome for your audience and yourself.
• Intermediate presentation skills – Extended exercises on posture, breathing, voice control. Introduction to voice projection.
• Posture – How to use gestures.
• Personal state management – how to deal with your own fear, nervousness etc.
• Basic representational systems - How we filter our sense of reality using language.
• Basic language skills - Simple persuasive language patterns.
• Managing your state and being resourceful – controlling your own emotions (nervousness etc.), keeping on track in the face of things going wrong.
• Simple FORMAT system - How to keep an audience interested – adult learning theory.
• Basic question handling – How to answer questions.
• Basic meta programs - How people process information.
• How to deal with criticism and a difficult audience.

Commanding Your Audience – Exceptional Presentation

Advanced Presentation Skills is aimed at individuals who want to master the art of presentation and persuasion. If you are a high end salesperson who regularly presents to major corporate clients, a trainer who would like to hone your teaching skills, or a public speaker, this is the course for you.

Topics will include:

• Defining the outcome for your audience and yourself.
• Story boarding – how to design a presentation for maximum impact.
• Chunking your presentation – how to sequence the presentation so that all learning styles are catered for.
• Advanced FORMAT system – how to keep an audience interested.
• Tonal Scale - Reading your audience and responding to where they are coming from.
• Gaining rapport with the group.
• Advanced personal state management.
• Posture – Where to stand, how to stand/sit. Use of a Lectern, Microphone, Stage Sweet Spot etc.
• Advanced representational systems and synesthesia.
• The structure of charisma and how to be charismatic.
• Advanced audience management – How to create any emotional state in your audience.
• Voice rhythm, tone, projection to enliven your presentation.
• Nested loops/metaphor – the art of telling stories to keep your audience’s mind open and fascinated.
• Conscious/unconscious communication – How to communicate to both the conscious and unconscious mind simultaneously. This facilitates lasting change and retention in your audience.
• Embedded commands – Send commands to the unconscious mind to achieve your outcome.
• Handling hecklers/mis-matchers – How to handle difficult/hostile people in your audience.
• Advanced question handling – How to determine what must be happening in the mind of the questioner to have the question asked, so that you can respond appropriately.
• Satir categories – How to play the roles of Blamer, Distracter, Leveller, Computer for maximum impact with your audience.
• Stage and voice anchoring – Non verbal communication with your audience to evoke a particular state or reaction.
• Logistics (and working with logistics teams)
  • seating arrangements
  • environmental orchestration
  • equipment
  • manuals
  • environmental influences
  • flip charts etc.