Introduction
In this course, participants will understand the differences between communication styles and develop a Win-Win mindset to make them effective in any circumstance. Using the four pillars of communication, participants will learn to determine what outcome they would like from any situation by influencing and persuading; they will build rapport with others, monitor their success, and be flexible to change. They will also understand the common reasons for failures in communication and know what to do to resolve them.
As part of being an effective communicator and influencer, it is essential to be able to present with confidence and professionalism. Through this course, participants will be given live coaching around their presentation style. They will be shown best practice on how to use their voice, body movements, and choice of wording. Through repetition, they will grow in confidence as one by one, the skills are layered. They will also be shown how to create a well-structured presentation and how to interact professionally with their visual aids, including PowerPoint.
Course Objectives of Communication & Presentation Skills for Professionals
- Utilize the four pillars of effective communication
- Control difficult conversations without feeling guilty
- Apply the win-win mindset and become assertive
- Design and deliver an impactful, professional presentation
- Overcome anxiety when presenting
- Become a confident, professional communicator
- Effective communication skills to follow up projects with project managers and department managers
Course Outlines of Communication & Presentation Skills for Professionals
Day 1
The four pillars of effective communication
- Knowing your outcome
- Building rapport quickly and easily
- Sensory acuity and what it means
- Flexibility & Change
- The 3 channels of communication
Identifying preferred communication styles
- Identifying your own habits and preferred way of communicating
- Identifying the preferred style of others
- Understanding the tension between the varying styles
- Knowing how to limit tension by flexing your style
Day 2
Handling difficult conversations
- Using the ACHE model to diffuse tension
- Giving honest feedback
- Being prepared for typical responses to feedback
Identifying the win-win mindset and understanding its importance for assertiveness
- Passive, assertive, and aggressive behaviors
- Being assertive
- Exploring the Life Positions model
Day 3
Designing a professional presentation
- The 5 key elements
- Problem: what problem?
- PowerPoint Its uses and flaws
- Other methods of presenting
- Simplicity in design
- Logical arrangement of slides
- Use of illustrations
- Unifying the idea of one slide
- Design continuity between slats
- Avoid verbosity
- Use of charts
- Color coordination well
- Methods of linking excel and word files and unpacking them into power point presentation templates
Day 4
Delivering a presentation that has an impact
- The 3 channels of communication and presenting
- Posture
- Legs and feet
- Arms and hands
- Gestures
- Delivering without notes or props
- Use of the voice
- Facial expressions
- The words used
- Tone of voice and interaction with the audience
Day 5
Overcoming anxiety when presenting
- Planning and preparation
- Rehearsal
- Top tips for calming nerves
- Visualizing success
Powerful communication skills
- Understanding perceptions and how we create them
- Knowing how to make small adjustments for big changes
- Realizing the power of confident communication
- Staying calm in a crisis
