What business outcomes can you expect?

This advanced workshop helps leadership teams to plan, write, and design presentations that engage and inspire others to act. Our unique audience-centered writing process cuts through complexity to bring clarity to business decisions. Your team will gain new strategies and skills to

• create credible, professional messages that persuade
• gain buy-in quickly by answering “so what” early and often with bottom-line messages
• structure arguments logically and persuasively using the Presenter’s Map tool and pyramid logic
• speed up planning and editing by using an easy process for delegating and coaching presentation team writers effectively—reducing overall time up to 50%
• measure and agree upon the quality of every presentation with our Strategic Presentations Analysis and Rating Key™ (SPARK) tool.

This program does not cover delivery skills, such as confidence or speaking techniques.

The focus: creating memorable presentations that drive action

Learners use The Five Steps to Writing Audience-Centered Presentations to plan, draft, and edit an on-the-job presentation. After the program, learners will be able to

influence with credibility and professionalism

• analyze the audience to motivate and “sell” the key message using the Presentations Focus Sheet™
• target the needs of multiple and/or culturally diverse audiences

write attention-getting PowerPoint® presentations

• use storyboarding to build a well-crafted presentation
• enhance visual design—use images and graphics in new ways for impact
• create effective handouts

streamline messages to reduce complexity

• limit content to what audiences need for decisions
• learn editing skills for slides
• eliminate jargon and wordiness
• improve parallelism and passive voice for influence
• apply visibility/readability standards to slides and handouts

write for results

• position the key message and persuaders strategically
• use the “you” attitude
• end with a call to action
• use a rating tool to evaluate the quality of presentations.

Who should attend?

Anyone who writes or creates presentations for internal or external audiences.

Blended learning and tools support ongoing development

1. The Instant-Answer Guide to Business Writing by Deborah Dumaine, founder of Better Communications®
2. Better Communications’ workbook
3. Presentations Focus Sheet™, Presenter’s Map, and storyboarding techniques
4. The Strategic Presentations Analysis and Rating Key™ (SPARK)

One-on-one interviews ensure the content of this senior-level program meets your needs. Personal coaching afterwards guarantees new skills.

Earn CPE credits for this course.