Course description

Dread presentations, team updates or giving a speech? This course shows you, step by step, how to plan a talk, calm your nerves and speak with confidence, whether it's a three-minute update in a meeting, a pitch to senior managers, a presentation interview or a speech at a leaving do or wedding.

It's a full course, not a quick list of tips. There are 10 sections and 53 step-by-step written lessons, and every lesson ends with a practical task: you plan, say it out loud, record yourself on your phone and improve. Every section has a practice pack of planners, templates and checklists. Throughout the course you follow a nervous first-time presenter as he works up to the biggest talk of his career.

What you'll learn

• Managing nerves: what nerves do to your body, breathing and grounding techniques, and building confidence one step at a time.
• Planning: knowing your audience, finding your key message and fitting your time slot.
• Structure: simple structures, strong openings, memorable endings and short stories that work.
• Your voice: volume, pace, pauses, emphasis and cutting down on "um".
• Body language: posture, gestures, eye contact and presence, in a way that suits you.
• Slides: when to use them, how to design clear slides and charts, and how not to read them out.
• Delivery: rehearsing well, the day itself, handling questions and recovering when things go wrong.
• Every situation: meetings, online calls, impromptu speaking, pitches, interviews, training sessions and social speeches.

Two final projects

You'll plan, rehearse and record a five-minute talk, then build a fifteen-minute persuasive presentation with slides. You finish with your own 90-day speaking plan.

Who this course is for

• Anyone who feels nervous speaking in front of others.
• People who present at work: team updates, meetings, pitches and training.
• Job seekers preparing for a presentation or panel interview.
• Anyone with a speech coming up, from a leaving do to a wedding.

How the course works

Read each lesson, then do the Try it task. All you need is your phone to record yourself. The planners open in Excel, Google Sheets or similar. You keep lifetime access, so you can come back before every big talk.

What will I learn?

• Understand and manage presentation nerves with practical breathing and thinking techniques
• Plan a talk around your audience and one clear key message
• Structure talks with strong openings, clear signposting and memorable endings
• Use your voice well: volume, pace, pauses and emphasis, with fewer filler words
• Use posture, gestures and eye contact to come across confidently
• Design clear, accessible slides and charts and present without reading them
• Rehearse effectively, handle questions and recover when things go wrong
• Speak well in meetings, online, in interviews, pitches and at social occasions

Frequently asked questions