Free Training & Career Tips... Subscribe to Get Weekly Career Tips
By Subscribing You are Agreeing to Terms and Conditions
If you are looking for workplace training courses that fix presentations, the answer is structured practice, not more slides. BOTI’s 2-day presentation skills course teaches staff to structure a clear argument, design clean visuals, deliver with confidence, present data and handle Q&A. It is one of BOTI’s communication and business writing courses, part of BOTI’s wider range of corporate training programmes and short courses, and it runs in-house at your premises, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or live online.
Courses on this topic at BOTI today
- Professional Presentations Course (2 days)
- Presenting with Impact: Confident Online and Boardroom Presentations (3-hour online masterclass)
- Public Speaking Training (2 days)
At your offices anywhere in South Africa, live online or at a BOTI venue.
See all Communication and Business Writing coursesGet a quote for your teamLearning on your own? Self-paced e-learning from R595 (excl. VAT) · Ask your employer to pay
For an L&D buyer, the problem is rarely that staff “can’t present”. More often:
- a strong analyst freezes in front of the exco;
- a capable sales lead buries the offer on slide 14;
- a project manager reads dense data tables aloud until the room loses interest.
Each of these is a trainable skill. Left alone, each one costs your business deals, decisions and credibility.
This article belongs to our public speaking and presentation skills training guide. If you are planning a wider communication programme, start with that guide. If you are ready to brief a presentation course for a team, read on.
What a presentation skills course should fix
When buyers ask us to upskill staff, the same five gaps come up. A good business presentation training programme deals with all of them, not just nerves.
| Gap you see | What’s actually happening | What the course builds |
|---|---|---|
| “They ramble” | No structure or audience analysis up front | A repeatable structure: objective, audience, message, evidence, ask |
| “The slides are a wall of text” | Slides used as speaker notes | Visual design discipline: one idea per slide, signal over noise |
| “They freeze / rush” | Untrained nerves, no rehearsal method | Anxiety-management techniques and delivery practice |
| “The data doesn’t land” | Raw tables shown, no story | Presenting data so the insight, not the spreadsheet, is the takeaway |
| “Q&A goes sideways” | No method for fielding tough questions | A framework for listening, bridging and answering under pressure |
Inside BOTI’s presentation skills course
This is a 2-day course. It runs in-house at your premises, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or live online. It covers 12 working modules:
- Let’s Begin: icebreaker and objectives for the two days
- Crafting Your Program: needs analysis, outlining and content development
- Delivery Methods Demystified: choosing the right format for the message
- Mastering Verbal Communication: listening, questioning and commanding presence
- Harnessing Non-Verbal Communication: body language and gestures
- Conquering Nervousness: mental and physical techniques for managing anxiety
- Elevating with Flip Charts
- Powering Up with PowerPoint
- Whiteboard Wizardry
- Captivating with Videos and Audio
- Infusing Energy: humour, discussion and handling queries
- Wrapping Up: action plans and feedback
By the end, participants can manage the fear of presenting and deliver persuasive presentations. They can also use flip charts, PowerPoint, whiteboards, video and audio with intent rather than out of habit.
Who it’s for
The course suits executives, managers, salespeople, HR staff, project managers, trainers, consultants and communications professionals. It also suits any employee whose advancement depends on presenting well. For L&D buyers, the typical group is a department or sales team that presents to clients, or upward to boards and exco.
Accreditation
This presentation skills course is a practical, facilitator-led programme. It does not lead to a qualification, and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance. If you need an accredited route, look at BOTI’s QCTO occupational certificates. When you brief us, tell us about your skills development and reporting needs, and we will point you to the right option.
The five skills, in practice
1. Structuring a presentation
Most weak presentations fail before a slide is built. We teach staff to start with a needs analysis:
- who is in the room;
- what decision they need to make;
- what one message will move them.
The content is then outlined backwards from the ask. That way the structure carries the argument, and the speaker does not need the slides to remember it.
2. Slide and visual design
Slides should make the message easier to take in, not harder. Participants learn to keep to one idea per slide, cut filler text and choose the right visual aid for the moment:
- PowerPoint for a tight narrative;
- a whiteboard or flip chart for a working session;
- video or audio where it genuinely adds something.
They also prepare a backup plan for when the technology fails in the room.
3. Delivery and confidence
This is where most of the change happens. In the verbal, non-verbal and nervousness modules, staff practise voice, pace, eye contact and body language. They also apply mental and physical techniques to manage anxiety.
If voice control and presence are your team’s main blocker, pair this course with our guide to Voice & Confidence Training for Professionals, which goes deeper into vocal delivery.
4. Presenting data
Boards don’t want the spreadsheet; they want the insight. Participants learn to:
- lead with the takeaway;
- choose the right chart for the point;
- talk to the data rather than read it out.
The result is a quarterly review or client results deck that drives a decision instead of losing the room.
5. Handling Q&A
The “Infusing Energy” module covers handling queries and audience interaction. Staff learn to listen for the real question, bridge to their message, and answer tough or hostile questions without losing composure or credibility.
Not sure where your team’s gap is?
The gap may be structure, delivery, data or confidence. Ask BOTI to help you assess your team’s communication skills gap, so that the training focuses where it is needed most. Request a quote and tell us about the presentations your team gives. We will come back to you with a tailored proposal.
Planning a group booking
The cost depends on group size, location and whether training runs at your premises, at BOTI’s venue or online. For a full team, in-house training is usually the most practical route. The facilitator can then build the practice sessions around your real client, board or project presentations. For an exact quote, request a quote.
How this fits your wider plan
- Up to the overview: Public Speaking & Presentation Skills Training (SA) is the full overview if you are planning a broader communication programme.
- Sideways:
- Voice & Confidence Training for Professionals covers vocal delivery and presence.
- Public Speaking Training is a 2-day course for staff who speak to larger audiences.
- Our public speaking courses guide for Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban helps if your team is spread across cities. BOTI’s venue is in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, and training can also run at your premises or online.
- Down to booking: ready to move? Request a quote.
“I was motivated, inspired and gained self-confidence. The benefits of the course will always be cherished.” — Queen Anne Zondo, course delegate
Frequently asked questions
How long is the presentation skills course?
It is a 2-day course. It runs in-house at your premises, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or live online, and the examples can be tailored to your team’s real presentations.
Is the presentation skills course accredited?
No. It is a practical, facilitator-led skills course that does not lead to a qualification, and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance. If you need an accredited route, ask BOTI about its QCTO occupational certificates and skills programmes.
Can you deliver presentation skills training in-house for our team?
Yes. BOTI can train your team at your offices, at its venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or live online. In-house delivery suits a full team and lets the facilitator build the practice sessions around your actual client or board presentations.
Who should attend presentation skills training?
Executives, managers, salespeople, HR and project staff, trainers and consultants should attend. So should anyone who presents to clients, boards or teams, or whose role depends on communicating clearly.
Is there a shorter online presentation skills option?
Yes. Presenting with Impact: Confident Online and Boardroom Presentations is a 3-hour online masterclass for staff who need a focused refresher, particularly for presenting in online meetings.
For the shorter option, see Presenting with Impact: Confident Online and Boardroom Presentations.
Ready to upskill your presenters?
Brief us on your team and the presentations they give, and we will plan a programme that fixes the right gap, built on BOTI’s Professional Presentations Course. Training runs in-house at your premises, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or live online. Call BOTI on 011 882 8853 or email [email protected], or request a quote. This course is not accredited. It is delivered as a professional skills programme, and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.