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Soft Skills

Present with Purpose

Skills Network

Being able to create a presentation is an important skill in a professional work environment, especially when you are working in an office or business-related setting. Knowing how to create a presentation that leaves a lasting impact is an essential skill to have.

This short course was created to equip you with the skills to do exactly that. In this course you will learn to create and deliver a presentation that keeps your audience well-informed, engaged, and leaves them impressed and with a lasting impression. Delivering a good presentation is not only about reading memorized lines off of a slide, it is also a matter of confidence, body language, managing nerves, and being prepared for any questions that may be thrown your way by your audience.

By the end of this short course, you will know how to create and deliver an effective presentation with poise and confidence which will contribute to your workplace presence and help you achieve professional success.

This course is part of the People and Power Skills Professional Certificate from IBM, that consists of a series of short courses to help you develop essential soft skills for success in the workplace.

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What's inside

Learning objectives

Present and deliver presentations with confidence
Create powerful and engaging presentations that keep your audiences attention

Use storytelling, props, and discussion techniques to enhance your presentation
Learn how to keep your calm and be able to deal with any unexpected problems that may arise during your presentation

Present and deliver presentations with confidence
Create powerful and engaging presentations that keep your audiences attention
Use storytelling, props, and discussion techniques to enhance your presentation
Learn how to keep your calm and be able to deal with any unexpected problems that may arise during your presentation

Syllabus

The course is composed of the following lessons:

- Present with Purpose: An overview

- About the Course

- Present with Purpose: An Introduction

- Topic 1: How do I focus on my objectives?

- Topic 2: How do I identify my audience?

- Topic 3: How do I build my structure?

- Topic 4: How do I design my deck?

- Topic 5: How do I present more effectively?

- Topic 6: How do I manage my nerves?

- Topic 7: How do I deal with the unexpected?

- Course-end Assessment

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Develops skills in creating and delivering effective presentations that engages the audience and leaves a lasting impression

Helps learners build confidence and poise when presenting

Provides practical techniques for managing nerves and handling unexpected situations during presentations

Incorporates storytelling, props, and discussion techniques to enhance audience engagement

Taught by instructors from the Skills Network, who are experienced professionals in the field of presentation skills

Part of the People and Power Skills Professional Certificate from IBM, which offers a comprehensive set of courses for developing soft skills

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Soft Skills: Present with Purpose with these activities:

Review presentation delivery techniques

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Review the fundamentals of effective presentation delivery to refresh your skills and prepare for this course.

Browse courses on Presentation Skills

Show steps

Revisit resources on body language, eye contact, and vocal projection.
Practice delivering a presentation to a friend or family member.

Explore online tutorials on storytelling techniques in presentations

Show steps

Seek guidance from online tutorials to enhance your storytelling abilities and make your presentations more engaging.

Browse courses on Narrative Techniques

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Search for online tutorials on effective storytelling techniques.
Watch and learn from experienced presenters who use storytelling to captivate audiences.

Design a slide deck for a mock presentation

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Create a slide deck that visually supports and enhances the key points of a presentation.

Browse courses on Presentation Design

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Identify the main topic and key points of your presentation.
Research and gather relevant images, graphics, and data.
Use design principles to create visually appealing and informative slides.

Four other activities

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Compile a collection of effective presentation examples

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Gather and analyze examples of well-crafted presentations to identify best practices and improve your own skills.

Browse courses on Effective Presentations

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Attend industry events or webinars to observe presentations.
Search online for presentations that have received positive feedback.
Note the techniques and strategies used by effective presenters.

Participate in a peer review session on your presentation

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Engage with peers to provide and receive constructive feedback on your presentation, enhancing its quality and impact.

Browse courses on Peer Review

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Invite peers or colleagues to review your presentation.
Present your work and actively listen to their feedback.
Incorporate constructive criticism to improve the content and delivery of your presentation.

Develop a presentation on a topic of your interest

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Embark on a project to create a comprehensive presentation that showcases your learning and allows you to apply the skills you acquire in this course.

Show steps

Choose a topic that aligns with your interests or professional goals.
Conduct thorough research to gather credible information and insights.
Structure your presentation logically and engage your audience with compelling content.
Practice delivering your presentation to gain confidence and ensure a smooth delivery.

Write a summary of the key takeaways from this course

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Reflect on the course material and synthesize your learning by creating a written summary of the most important concepts.

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Review your notes and revisit the course materials.
Identify the key takeaways and organize them in a logical structure.
Write a clear and concise summary that encapsulates the essence of the course.

Career center

Learners who complete Soft Skills: Present with Purpose will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Speechwriter

Speechwriters craft speeches for public figures and high level business professionals. This course, Soft Skills: Present with Purpose, may be useful for this role, especially for those looking to improve their writing or for those without experience in speechwriting. It provides not only techniques for writing, but also for structuring and delivering presentations. This course is especially relevant to speechwriters because the techniques it teaches are applicable to almost any type of speech.

See salaries and explore the career path for Speechwriter

Sales Executive

Sales Executives are responsible for generating revenue for a company by selling products and services. This course, Soft Skills: Present with Purpose, may be useful for this role, especially for those looking to improve their presentation skills. It provides techniques for delivering persuasive presentations, which is a valuable skill for sales executives who have to pitch products and services to potential customers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sales Executive

Teacher

Teachers develop, plan, and implement curriculum, lesson plans, and educational programs for student audiences within areas of expertise. This course, Soft Skills: Present with Purpose, may be useful for this role, especially for those looking to improve their teaching or classroom management skills, or for those interested in entering the teaching profession. It provides strategies for presenting information in a clear, concise, and engaging manner, which is a valuable skill for any teacher.

See salaries and explore the career path for Teacher

Customer Success Manager

Customer Success Managers ensure that customers are satisfied with a company's products and services. This course, Soft Skills: Present with Purpose, may be useful for this role, especially for those looking to improve their communication and persuasion skills, especially when interacting with clients and other stakeholders. This course provides techniques for building rapport and trust, which are essential skills for customer success managers who often have to work with customers who are experiencing problems or who are considering switching to a competitor.

See salaries and explore the career path for Customer Success Manager

Marketing Manager

Marketing Managers develop and implement marketing campaigns to promote products and services. This course, Soft Skills: Present with Purpose, may be useful for this role, especially for those looking to improve their marketing or presentation skills. It provides techniques for developing and delivering persuasive presentations, which is a valuable skill for marketing managers who often have to present to clients, investors, and other stakeholders.

See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Manager

Public Relations Specialist

Public Relations Specialists manage the public image of an organization. This course, Soft Skills: Present with Purpose, may be useful for this role, especially for those looking to improve their communication and presentation skills, as well as their ability to manage stakeholders. It provides techniques for developing and delivering effective presentations, which can be used to manage the media, stakeholders, and other audiences.

See salaries and explore the career path for Public Relations Specialist

Project Manager

Project Managers plan, organize, and manage projects to ensure their successful completion. This course, Soft Skills: Present with Purpose, may be useful for this role, especially for those looking to improve their leadership skills or for those wanting to learn how to present to stakeholders more effectively. It provides techniques for stakeholder management and communication, which are valuable skills for project managers who often have to work with a variety of people, including clients, team members, and senior management.

See salaries and explore the career path for Project Manager

Training and Development Manager

Training and Development Managers plan, develop, implement, and evaluate employee training programs. This course, Soft Skills: Present with Purpose, may be useful for this role, especially for those looking to improve their skills in presentation and facilitation. This course provides techniques and strategies for effective presentations. These are essential skills for training and development professionals as they often have to train employees on new technologies, processes, and procedures.

See salaries and explore the career path for Training and Development Manager

Instructional Designer

Instructional Designers develop, implement, and evaluate instructional materials and programs. This course, Soft Skills: Present with Purpose, may be useful for this role, especially for those looking to add presentation skills to their resume, or for those without a background in instructional design. This course provides strategies for presenting information effectively, which can be applied to the design and development of training programs.

See salaries and explore the career path for Instructional Designer

Technical Writer

Technical Writers create user guides, training materials, and other documents that help people understand how to use products and services. This course, Soft Skills: Present with Purpose, may be useful for this role, especially for those looking to improve their writing skills or to add collaborative and presentational skills to their resume. Because technical writers often have to collaborate with non-technical people, especially when writing documentation for products and services, it is essential that they be able to communicate information clearly and effectively.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Writer

Business Analyst

Business Analysts investigate and analyze an organization's needs to determine how to improve its efficiency and effectiveness. This course, Soft Skills: Present with Purpose, may be useful for this role, especially for those looking to improve their communication skills, especially in a business context. This course provides a framework for organizing and presenting information that can be used to provide recommendations to senior management.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Analyst

Human Resources Business Partner

A Human Resources Business Partner is responsible for aligning the company's HR strategy with its overall business strategy. This course, Soft Skills: Present with Purpose, may be useful for this role, especially for those looking to improve their communication and presentation skills. This course provides techniques for communicating effectively with senior management and other stakeholders.

See salaries and explore the career path for Human Resources Business Partner

Media Planner

Media Planners work in marketing and advertising, researching, planning, and executing media campaigns for clients. This course, Soft Skills: Present with Purpose, may be useful for this role, especially for those without experience giving formal presentations to clients. It provides techniques for presenting, capturing, and holding audience attention. This can be applied when pitching campaign ideas or research to potential clients.

See salaries and explore the career path for Media Planner

Curriculum Developer

The Curriculum Developer determines what topics will be taught to students across various grade levels. Although this role is sometimes called an Instructional Designer at higher levels of education, they handle similar responsibilities in the workplace. This course, Soft Skills: Present with Purpose, may be useful for this role, especially for those without training in instructional design, as it provides a framework for organizing information presented to students. This is one of the most important aspects of any curricula. While this course is not specifically about education, the information and skills it conveys are widely applicable across many fields.

See salaries and explore the career path for Curriculum Developer

General Manager

A General Manager (GM) is a high level management position typically responsible for managing the day-to-day operations within a company or organization. They are tasked with creating and enacting strategies to ensure that everyone under them is working towards the same goal. This course, Soft Skills: Present with Purpose, may be useful for this role, especially for those without direct management experience or for those looking to refine their existing skills. It provides techniques for dealing with a variety of workplace situations that GMs frequently encounter, such as managing nerves and pivoting when something unexpected happens.

See salaries and explore the career path for General Manager

Reading list

We've selected 14 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Soft Skills: Present with Purpose.

What Works for Whom?, Second Edition

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Is akin to a textbook that covers the fundamental principles of giving effective presentations, that the course can revisit and reinforce.

Soft Skills

Present with Purpose

What's inside

Learning objectives

Syllabus

Good to know

Save this course

Activities

Career center

Reading list

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