Presentation Skills Workshop

Training Essentials - The Presenter: You

• Presentation skills workshops examine why formal presentations can be intimidating
• Successful presenter qualities
• Some tricks of the trade
• The 2, 20, 2, 20 Rule
• Being aware of “distractors”
• Carrying out ‘essential checks’
• What are you going to say, why and to whom?
• Presenting the ‘right’ image
• Acknowledging and overcoming nerves
• Relaxation techniques before the presentation 
• Using mannerisms and gestures effectively
• Ice Breaker: Individually or in pairs, select an item in the room and then stand in front of the group to tell us, in only a minute, why we need it or why we would want to buy it.

Training Essentials: What Are You Going to Say?

• The concept of "recency" and the related three main points:
  • Strong opening
  • Strong content
  • Strong close
• Writing the basic outline
• The “business card” technique is covered in this presentation workshop
• Editing presentations to keep them simple, punchy and “on message”
• Establishing a clear purpose and ensuring the presentation reflects this
• Getting the audience’s attention
• Identifying the key points without unnecessary detail
• Creating strong openings and closings
• The pros and cons of different visual aids
• Designing big, engaging presentations while remaining audience-focused
• Exercise: Individually or in pairs. A high-profile and well-known subject will be allocated to each member of the group (topic change available). Each member will prepare a 5-minute flip chart presentation on the topic. The group will be asked to give positive feedback to each presenter.

The Audience: Who Will You Be Saying it to?

This effective presentation workshop considers:

• Who is the audience?
• Audience expectations
• How to be engaging and, if applicable, entertaining (where appropriate)
• Understanding your audience to develop appealing presentations
• How to build rapport right from the outset
• Winning and maintaining the audience on your side
• Working with questions
• Handling difficult people
• Understanding group dynamics in business
• Presenting to very senior or important audiences/members
• Exercise: Presentations as above

Next Steps: Delivery Methods

• The three-stage technique
• The fundamentals of effective delivery
• The essentials:
  • Eye contact
  • Movement
  • Audience engagement and involvement
• Using rhetorical questions without overuse 
• Varying tone, pitch and delivery style
• Managing nerves, having a prompt that looks professional and mistake recovery
• Reading the audience to gauge engagement and impact is an important factor of this presentation skills workshop
• Listening and hearing: understanding the difference
• Asking questions to encourage audience participation
• Communicating with confidence, fluency and conviction
• Example: Individually or in pairs, prepare a presentation based on your own product or service. Presentations are completed either one or two at a time, with positive group feedback following each.

Next Step – Presentation Communication Skills

• How to keep the audience engaged
• 'Knowing your stuff' and memorising key parts
• Mental preparation
• Physical relaxation techniques
• Projecting confidence when presenting
• Non-Verbal Communication Skills – 'reading the audience'
• Body language during presentations – yours and theirs
• Understanding the signals you send
• Why it's not WHAT you say, it's HOW you say it
• Presenting your case with impact
• Exercise: Presentations as above   

Perfecting Your Skills

• Learn to use humour appropriately and with impact in this effective skills workshop
• Encouraging discussion through audience questions
• Dealing with questions from the audience
• Creating fantastic flip charts
• Creating compelling PowerPoint presentations
• How to 'WOW' your audience
• Enhancing presentations with effective video and audio
• Final exercise: Presentations as above

Course Conclusion – Summary & Wrap Up

A highly knowledgeable and seasoned director delivers this effective presentation skills workshop. With over 40 years of experience in the banking and financial sector, this professional has spent the majority of his career in senior management and director roles. Specialising in Corporate Finance, Retail, Banking, and Compliance, our time-served specialist fully understands what’s required for successful delivery in these areas.

As a former lecturer at the Institute of Banking, he achieved distinctions at exam level. As an expert in retail, corporate and global banking, including risk management and regulatory compliance, our presentation workshop lead has lectured extensively to leading global financial institutions and smaller bespoke specialists.

He has delivered extensive programs in the USA, across Europe, MENA, Africa and Hong Kong. As an accredited Master Trainer at the world’s largest global trade finance bank, delegates gain the very best from sessions.

Presentation skills workshops at Redcliffe Training are built on the premise that all participants can already present. Our approach focuses on bringing these competencies to the surface while equipping you with techniques and tools to deliver a clear, confident, and compelling message. Training builds confidence, introducing new techniques.

Open to individuals looking to expand their knowledge, sessions are particularly suited to finance professionals and those working in similar industries. Objectives include:

• Building confidence by overcoming nerves and self-doubt
• Presentation skill development through highly interactive sessions
• Understanding the qualities of an effective presenter
• Applying proven presentation techniques
• Using a range of formats for presentation delivery
• Recognising the importance of preparation, practice, and experience
• Understanding and engaging your audience is fundamental to Redcliffe’s presentation skills workshop
• Creating clear, compelling presentations
• Identifying opportunities for personal development
• Handling audience questions confidently and professionally

Attending an effective presentation workshop is a crucial investment for any professional. Individuals benefit from developing a stronger communication impact.

Everyone can become a confident presenter. Training helps participants build on existing strengths while developing practical techniques to present with greater impact. Training is particularly beneficial for:

• Team members regularly delivering formal presentations
• Individuals dealing with colleagues and internal business areas, whereby change occurs via presentations
• Sales role representatives will hugely benefit from this presentation skills workshop
• Compliance and risk staff looking to achieve more effective business responses
• Senior, middle and line managers required to ‘make things happen’
• Personnel staff
• Individuals looking to refresh and enhance their presentation skills

Presentation skills workshops provide a safe space to enhance your capabilities enjoyably and effectively. Course progression ensures you boost your confidence levels and develop self-assurance.

Misleadingly referred to as a ‘killer skill’, the art of presentation is not a realm inhabited only by so-called ‘masters’. Everyone possesses the skills to present effectively and do this successfully, no matter how overwhelming situations appear. The secret is simple: hard work, preparation, and practice. Great presenters make it look effortless because they invest time planning, practising, refining, and repeating.

Starting with some basics and fun opening exercises to build confidence, we reveal helpful tricks of the trade, finishing with a final presentation. By the end of this effective presentation skills workshop, participants will have delivered at least three presentations, with constructive feedback and personalised areas for improvement.