Course Description
Powerful presentation skills increase a person’s ability to educate and influence audiences. Ideas, products, and concepts must be presented concisely and compellingly. This course teaches a presenter to develop and deliver a clear, concise message that will quickly and effectively gain the attention of the audience.
Presentations require special skills and techniques – the average presenter’s loss is the exceptional presenter’s gain. Participants will begin the course by exploring the benefits of a powerful presentation. They then will utilize a formula to create an effective, two-minute opening for a presentation that they will be delivering. Once the openings are created, they will present their opening to the rest of the group and receive feedback from the group on its effectiveness. Participants then will work through a five-step process to develop and prepare an effective message. Throughout this process, they will work on a presentation that they will be delivering in the near future. Special focus is directed toward asking the right questions ahead of time so that the presenter has a better understanding of the audience and content needs. In addition, participants will learn techniques to add variety, interest, and emphasis for greater audience impact.
Once the presentations are completed, the focus of the course will shift to delivery skills. Participants will learn techniques for managing nervousness and for using visual aids effectively while focusing on their visual, verbal, and vocal skills. They also will learn how to encourage audience participation in a way that will help ensure that the presentation points are of the most interest to the audience. Audience participation can result in difficult questions and/or audience members. Participants will learn methods for managing difficult questions. These methods can be customized based on the experiences of the participants themselves. Participants also will learn and practice methods for effectively managing difficult audience members.
The final step in the course is for each participant to present a 5-minute segment of the presentation. After each presentation, both written and verbal feedback is given to the presenter. These presentations are recorded on a disc and given to the presenter for personal review.
Objectives
After completing this course, you will be able to:
- Identify the benefits of a powerful presentation.
- Use the T.O.P. formula to create an opening that will capture audience attention.
- Apply a five-step process for preparing a powerful presentation.
- Utilize techniques to add variety, interest, and emphasis.
- Manage nervousness.
- Discuss the power of visual, verbal, and vocal skills.
- Use visual aids effectively (handouts, charts, PowerPoint slides).
- Encourage audience participation.
- Manage difficult questions and audience members.
Duration
The duration of this course is 1 ¾ days in length and is based on an enrollment of 8 to 10 participants.
Class Size
This course is designed for up to 10 participants.
2-Day Course Outline
| Objective and Topic | Timing | Elapsed Timing |
| Course Outline – Day One | ||
| Objective: Identify the benefits of a powerful presentation. | ||
| Welcome and Icebreaker | 10 min | 10 min |
| Activity – Powerful/Powerless Presentations | 15 min | 25 min |
| Objective: Use the T.O.P. formula to create an opening that will capture audience attention. | ||
| Review T.O.P. Formula | 5 min | 30 min |
| Prepare Presentation Opening | 10 min | 40 min |
| Present Opening/Audience Feedback (video recorded) | 40 min | 1 hr, 20 min |
| Objectives: Apply a five-step process for preparing a powerful presentation. Utilize techniques to add variety, interest, and emphasis. | ||
| Step One: Assess Your Audience and Facility | 10 min | 1 hr, 30 min |
| Step Two: Identify the Objective(s) of Your Presentation | 10 min | 1 hr, 40 min |
| Step Three : Gather Presentation Content | 20 min | 2 hr |
| Break | 15 min | 2 hr, 15 min |
| Practice: Apply Steps One, Two, and Three to Individual Presentations | 20 min | 2 hr, 35 min |
| Step Four: Organize Your Presentation (develop open and close) | 10 min | 2 hr, 45 min |
| Step Five: Add Variety, Interest, and Emphasis | 10 min | 2 hr, 55 min |
| Practice: Apply Steps Four and Five to Individual Presentations | 20 min | 3 hr, 15 min |
| Discussion: Shortening the Material | 15 min | 3 hr, 30 min |
| Lunch | 60 min | 4 hr, 30 min |
| Objective: Manage nervousness. | ||
| Presentation do’s and don’ts | 20 min | 4 hr, 50 min |
| Practicing | 10 min | 5 hr |
| Objective: Discuss the power of visual, verbal, and vocal skills. | ||
| Using the Three v’s: Visual, Verbal, and Vocal | 15 min | 5 hr, 15 min |
| Objective: Use visual aids effectively. | ||
| Review the Effective Use of Visual Aids | 15 min | 5 hr, 30 min |
| Discuss the Effective Use of PowerPoint Slides (include break) | 45 min | 6 hr, 15 min |
| Develop/Refine Individual PowerPoint Slides | 45 min | 7 hr |
| Prepare for Presentation | 60 min | 8 hr |
| Course Outline – Day Two | ||
| Review Day One | 10 min | 10 min |
| Practice Using Your PowerPoint Slides | 30 min | 40 min |
| Objective: Encourage audience participation. | ||
| Facilitating a Discussion | 10 min | 50 min |
| Asking Questions to Encourage Discussion | 10 min | 1 hr |
| Listening for Audience Response | 10 min | 1 hr, 10 min |
| Objective: Manage difficult questions and audience members. | ||
| Examples of Difficult Questions | 10 min | 1 hr, 20 min |
| Responding to Difficult Questions | 15 min | 1 hr, 35 min |
| Challenging Participants | 15 min | 1 hr, 50 min |
| Break | 10 min | 2 hr |
| Preparation Time for Afternoon Presentations | 30 min | 2 hr, 30 min |
| Lunch (participants may opt to use this time for prep as well) | 30 min | 3 hr |
| Individual Presentations and Feedback (video recorded) | 2.5 hr | 5 hr, 30 min |
| Review of Individual Discs | 15 min | 5 hr, 45 min |
| Summary and Action Planning | 15 min | 6 hr |
