Displaying items by tag: presentation skills course

Twelve years ago, when we founded The Presenter Studio as BAFTA Award-winning television producers, our mission was clear: train the next generation of TV presenters.

We'd spent years in television production, working with celebrity talent and creating broadcast content. We knew what made someone compelling on screen. We understood the specific skills that separated good presenters from great ones.

Our first clients were exactly who we expected: people with dreams of television careers. Aspiring presenters who wanted to break into broadcasting. Actors who needed stronger on-camera skills. People who'd been told they had "screen presence" and wanted to develop it professionally.

We loved this work. Television was our world, and we were passing on hard-won expertise from our BAFTA-winning production careers.

Then the industry started shifting beneath our feet.

The First Pivot: When TV Started Changing

Around 2015, we began noticing something concerning. The television industry—particularly traditional broadcasting—was contracting. Streaming was rising. YouTube was creating new types of presenters. The pathway into television presentation was becoming less clear.

Meanwhile, our phones started ringing with different types of calls.

"We saw your TV presenter training," a corporate communications director said. "Could you teach our executives those skills?"

Initially, we were hesitant. We were television professionals, not business trainers. Would our expertise even translate?

We decided to experiment. We brought a senior leadership team through a modified version of our TV presenter training—on-camera techniques, message clarity, vocal variety, purposeful movement.

The results surprised us. These executives weren't preparing for television, but the skills transformed how they presented to their boards and teams. One participant later told us: "I've been presenting for twenty years, but no one ever taught me these techniques. This changed everything."

We started to realize something important: the skills that make TV presenters effective aren't specific to television. They're fundamental communication skills that work everywhere.

Understanding the Problem

As we worked with more corporate clients, we identified the core issue they faced.

Business professionals are often brilliant strategists, subject matter experts, and decision-makers. They have important things to say. But they'd never been taught how to deliver those messages compellingly.

They'd learned public speaking in school (maybe), picked up some presentation tips from colleagues, and mostly just figured it out as they went along. The result? Competent but forgettable presentations. Information delivered but not remembered. Good ideas that didn't get buy-in because the delivery didn't match the quality of the thinking.

Meanwhile, TV presenters receive extensive training in exactly these skills. They learn how to structure messages for impact, use their voice as an instrument, command attention, handle pressure, and connect with audiences.

Why shouldn't business professionals have access to that same expertise?

The Second Wave: Video Becomes Unavoidable

Around 2018-2020, video communication exploded in business. What had been occasional conference calls became daily video meetings. What had been rare media interviews became regular social media presence.

Suddenly, every executive was on camera constantly—but almost none of them had on-camera training.

This is when we saw the real value of our television production background. We'd spent years understanding what works on screen versus in person. We knew the specific adjustments people need to make for camera presence. We understood lighting, framing, energy projection through a lens, and where to direct your gaze.

These weren't abstract concepts from our TV days—they were immediately practical skills that every professional needed.

Our corporate training evolved again. Now we weren't just teaching presentation skills. We were teaching broadcast-level on-camera performance for business contexts.

What We Kept from Our TV Roots

As we evolved from training TV presenters to training business professionals, we realized certain elements of our approach were universally valuable:

High Standards In television production, there's no room for "pretty good." Content either works or it doesn't. We brought those same standards to corporate training. We don't accept mediocre presentations just because someone is "not naturally a presenter." We expect excellence because we know it's achievable.

Specificity TV training is concrete. "Make eye contact with the camera lens for three seconds." "Pause for two beats after your key message." "Lower your vocal pitch at the end of statements." We don't deal in vague advice like "be more confident." We teach specific, actionable techniques.

Practice Under Realistic Pressure TV presenters don't just talk about performing under pressure—they practice it repeatedly. We brought this same approach to corporate training. Our clients present on camera, get feedback, and present again. They practice recovery when things go wrong. They build muscle memory for techniques.

Focus on Authenticity The best TV presenters aren't performers in the theatrical sense. They're authentically themselves, just optimized. We never try to turn people into something they're not. We help them become the most effective version of themselves.

What We Added for Corporate Clients

Working with business professionals also taught us new elements that now define our approach:

Business Context Understanding We had to learn the specific scenarios our clients face. Board presentations operate differently than investor pitches. Team meetings require different skills than media interviews. We studied business communication the way we once studied television formats.

Integration with Business Strategy Unlike aspiring TV presenters who needed general skills, executives needed presentation training that supported specific business objectives. We learned to connect communication skills with strategic outcomes.

Scalability Television typically trains individuals. Businesses needed us to train teams, develop internal capability, and create lasting change across organizations. We built programs that could scale while maintaining quality.

Measurement of Impact Business clients rightfully asked: "What's the ROI?" We developed ways to measure improvement and connect presentation skills to business results—something we'd never needed to do in television.

Where We Are Now

Today, The Presenter Studio serves primarily corporate clients, but our identity remains rooted in our television production heritage. We're still BAFTA Award-winning producers who've worked with celebrities and created broadcast content.

That background is our competitive advantage.

When we teach an executive how to handle difficult questions, we're drawing on years of managing celebrity interviews and media incidents. When we coach someone on on-camera presence, we're applying techniques refined through countless hours of television production. When we help someone tell a compelling story, we're using narrative principles from our BAFTA-winning work.

We're not business consultants who added presentation training to their services. We're television professionals who discovered that broadcast-level communication skills are exactly what business leaders need.

The Unexpected Benefit of Our Evolution

Here's something we didn't anticipate: working with corporate clients made us better at what we do.

In television, you can succeed with strong technical skills. But in business, we had to deeply understand why these techniques work. We had to be able to explain the psychology of attention, the neuroscience of storytelling, and the mechanics of credibility.

Teaching executives—many of them skeptical about "presentation training"—forced us to become more precise, more practical, and more results-focused.

Now when we do train aspiring TV presenters (we still work with some), we're actually better at it than we were twelve years ago because we understand the underlying principles more deeply.

What the Next Twelve Years Might Hold

We're now watching new shifts in how people communicate. Virtual reality presentations. AI-generated content. New platforms we can't yet imagine.

But we've learned something important from our journey: the fundamentals of effective human communication remain constant even as mediums change.

Whether you're presenting on television, in a boardroom, on a video call, or in whatever medium emerges next, you still need to:

• Capture and hold attention
• Deliver messages clearly
• Connect authentically
• Project credibility
• Handle pressure gracefully
• Tell compelling stories

These skills transcend any specific platform. They're human skills, not technical skills.

That's why we're confident The Presenter Studio will remain relevant regardless of how communication technology evolves. We teach fundamentals that have been valuable for as long as humans have been communicating, refined through the demanding standards of professional television production.

The Bottom Line

We didn't plan to evolve from TV presenter training to corporate presentation skills. The market pulled us in this direction because business professionals recognized the value of broadcast-level communication training.

Looking back, we're grateful for how things unfolded. We get to use our BAFTA-winning television production expertise to create real business impact. We help executives become more effective leaders, companies communicate more powerfully, and professionals advance their careers.

We're still television people at heart. We still think like producers, train like we're preparing someone for broadcast, and maintain the high standards that won us awards.

But now we apply that expertise where it can make the biggest difference: helping business professionals communicate with the same skill and impact as the best television presenters.

And honestly? That feels like exactly the right evolution.

The Presenter Studio brings 12 years of evolution and BAFTA-winning television expertise to corporate presentation training. Discover how broadcast-level skills can transform your business communications.

Even experienced professionals make mistakes when presenting, and these errors can reduce influence, engagement, and credibility.

One common mistake is overloading slides, which can distract the audience and dilute your message.

Another is reading verbatim from notes or slides, which prevents natural connection.

Speaking in a monotone can lose attention, while poor body language and lack of eye contact can undermine authority.

Insufficient preparation leaves speakers vulnerable, and ignoring audience cues can result in disengagement.

Overuse of jargon can confuse listeners, and rushing through content can make your points hard to follow.

Forgetting to include a clear call-to-action means audiences leave without knowing what to do next.

Finally, neglecting your own voice and personality reduces the memorability of your presentation. Each of these mistakes can be addressed with conscious effort, practice, and feedback.

For personalised guidance and practical skills development, The Presenter Studio provides expert media and presentation training for business professionals.

Improving presentation skills is a journey as much as a destination. Small changes in technique accumulate to make a big difference. Below are practical strategies you can begin applying now.

Begin with your audience in mind. Before drafting your presentation, think about who will be listening, what they already know, what they care about, and what their assumptions might be. Tailoring your message to the audience increases relevance and connection.

Work on your opening. First impressions set the tone. Opening with a story, a provocative question, a surprising fact, or something that elicits emotion draws people in and invests them in what follows.

Structure your content clearly. Group related points together. Use transitions so listeners can follow where you are going. Signal when you move from one section to another. Use summaries and signposting to keep structure visible.

Use stories, analogies and examples to make your points concrete. Abstract concepts are easier to understand when anchored in real-life experiences. Stories help people to feel, imagine and remember.

Practice voice, tone, pacing and pauses. Speak clearly and with variation. Pauses can emphasise a point, let the audience absorb what you have said, or mark transitions. Speaking too fast or with monotone voice risks losing engagement.

Use nonverbal communication consciously. Eye contact creates connection; gesture to emphasise; posture influences how you are perceived. Movement can help refresh audience interest but should be purposeful.

Design visual aids that support rather than distract. Use clean slide layouts, minimal text, powerful images. Only include visuals that help explain or emphasise your message. Avoid cramming too much content on any one slide.

Rehearse under realistic conditions. Stand up, time yourself, use any technology or slides you will use, simulate Q&A. Recording yourself can help you observe habits you might be unaware of.

Manage nerves and anxiety. Deep-breathing techniques, visualisation, practising before a friendly audience, arriving early to check equipment and space can help calm pre-presentation jitters.

Seek feedback and refine. After presenting, reflect on what went well and what did not. Ask trusted colleagues or mentors for feedback. Use that to adjust content, style, pacing. Over time, iteration improves quality substantially.

If you are serious about developing all these areas in a systematic way, the presentation skills training offered by Presenter Studio might be just what you need. Their programme at https://www.presenterstudio.com/business-presenter-training/presentation-skills-training

In a world overloaded with information, how you present an idea often determines whether people retain, act on, or share it. Mastering presentation skills is not just nice to have; it is essential for success in business, leadership and even everyday communication.

Presentation skills enable you to communicate complex ideas clearly, persuade decision-makers, build trust with your audience and project confidence. Poorly delivered presentations lose the audience’s attention, weaken your message and undermine your credibility. On the other hand, strong presentation skills can boost your visibility, elevate your brand and open doors to professional growth.

There are several key areas where presentation skills make a tangible difference. First, clarity and structure help ensure that information is received with minimal confusion. Starting with a compelling introduction, organizing content logically, using stories and examples to illustrate points, and concluding with a strong summary are essential. Audiences tend to remember beginnings and endings more vividly than the middle of a talk. Knowing this helps you frame your presentation to maximise impact.

Second, delivery matters. Your voice, pace, tone, eye contact and body language all contribute to whether people engage with your message or tune out. Nervous habits like speaking too fast, avoiding eye contact or hiding behind slides erode confidence. Practise, rehearsal and feedback are the tools that help you polish these elements.

Third, visual aids and design help support what you say. Slides, visual metaphors, charts and animations must enhance rather than distract. Good design means simplicity, consistency, readability, and relevance. Avoid overly dense slides; aim for visuals that emphasise key ideas.

Finally, confidence and preparedness underpin every successful presentation. Being thoroughly familiar with your material, anticipating questions, rehearsing under real conditions and managing anxiety make you more composed under pressure. Confidence often comes from doing the groundwork well.

If you want to develop these skills in a structured and professional way, you might consider presentation skills training. For example, the course at Presenter Studio may give you the tools, feedback and practise environment to strengthen all parts of your presenting. The training at https://www.presenterstudio.com/business-presenter-training/presentation-skills-training

Today's presenter tip from The Presenter Studio is....drum roll if you please....Being quiet!

When we coach brands in presentation skills the dynamics of the room when we walk in are usually pretty interesting. There are the confident ones (usually 1 or 2). The quiet ones that push themselves towards the back (usually 1 or 2). And then the intrigued - usually the rest of the room.

Who am I most excited about? The quiet ones...

They always tend to be the most authentic. The most interested and therefore interesting.

Communication isn't about being loud. It's not about being confident. It's about being you.

And that's why we love what we do so much!

#presentercoach #presentationskills

Even experienced presenters make mistakes that quietly erode their credibility. Being aware of what to avoid can be as powerful as knowing what to do. One frequent error is relying too much on slides. When slides are overly dense with text or data, the audience spends more effort reading than listening. Another error is speaking too fast. Nervousness tends to speed up speech, which causes clarity to suffer. A third mistake is failing to address the audience. If the content, language, or examples are not tailored to who is listening, messages feel irrelevant. Many also stumble in handling questions. Being caught off-guard by audience questions without thoughtful transitions or buffers can leave a weak finish. Body language also matters. Closed posture, hands in pockets, looking down or away diminish connection. Lastly time mismanagement undermines perceived professionalism. Running over schedule or rushing through key points leaves the audience frustrated. To overcome these pitfalls practice with feedback, simplify visuals, rehearse pacing, study your audience, and anticipate questions.

For hands-on development of avoiding these mistakes and boosting your presentation effectiveness explore https://www.presenterstudio.com/business-presenter-training/presentation-skills-training

Today's tip from us here at The Presenter Studio - for any presentation you might be doing, or any social media content.

Get off to a good start.

Too many opportunities are wasted by not getting off to a good start.  You never get a second chance to make a first impression.  

Today’s culture are scrolling.  And fast.  The next thing is far more exciting.  The grass is always greener.  Instagram is like a roulette wheel – the next spin will always reveal something far more interesting.  

In TV we obsess over the opening of any show.  Especially if it’s new, out of fear that the audience will channel hop.  Have you ever noticed on Strictly Come Dancing the first two routines are usually the strongest?  This isn’t by chance.  

Each time you start something new you need to grab their attention.  First impressions form in as little as a tenth of a second. This applies to all forms of communication.  Instagram lives.  Linkedin Lives.  Zooms.  Meetings.  Networking.  YouTube hooks.  Presentations.  Meeting someone new.  

Think about the start of any pop concert.  The swirling lights, the dramatic music, the dry ice, the countdown.  So much thought goes into that opening.  And you can do the same.  

Presentation skills are not just about delivery – they’re about what you say. At The Presenter Studio, we are experts in writing scripts and creating content that works. We know how to shape words so that they connect with your audience, reflect your personality, and achieve your goals.

Whether it’s helping you structure a pitch, crafting a keynote speech, or refining a team presentation, we bring our years of broadcasting and media expertise into your business. Our aim is always to help you speak with clarity, authenticity, and impact.

With us, you don’t just get a coach – you get a creative partner who understands how to make words work for you.

Discover more about our approach to presentation skills here: https://www.presenterstudio.com/business-presenter-training/presentation-skills-training

At The Presenter Studio, we believe great presentation skills are essential no matter the size of your business. We’ve coached everyone from a small independent bridal wear shop wanting to connect with customers on a personal level, through to global powerhouses like Fenty Beauty who are shaping international conversations.

The needs may differ, but the outcome is always the same: a confident, engaging communicator who can deliver messages that truly resonate. Whether it’s pitching a product, motivating a team, or telling a brand story, our training is designed to meet people where they are and take them where they need to go.

Every business has a voice, and we help you make sure yours is heard in the right way.

Find out more about our presentation skills training here: https://www.presenterstudio.com/business-presenter-training/presentation-skills-training

One of the most common mistakes in presenting is speaking at your audience instead of chatting with them. Speaking at people creates a barrier — it can make you seem distant, overly formal, or disconnected. Chatting to your audience, on the other hand, creates a sense of intimacy and trust.

When you chat, you naturally adjust your tone, pace, and language to the people in front of you. You read the room. You respond to their energy. This conversational approach is far more engaging than a one-way delivery, no matter how polished your script might be.

In our presentation skills training courses, we focus on techniques that help you break down that invisible wall between you and your audience. This might mean using more open body language, incorporating pauses for reaction, or even telling a relevant personal story that makes your point more relatable.

Chatting doesn’t mean being casual to the point of losing authority. It means making your audience feel involved. When people feel part of the conversation, they are far more likely to listen, remember, and act on what you say.

https://www.presenterstudio.com/business-presenter-training/presentation-skills-training