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In this article, you'll find 6 best free presentation skills courses from top universities and industry leaders, in case you are seeking to learn how to make effective presentations.

As a business professional, one of the chief non-negotiable responsibilities that you have to continually discharge is the art of making presentations. While the burning question of how to make presentations perfectly is one that daunts most, the remedy lies in following a planned approach that will allow you to stand apart from the rest.

Here is a list of pointers to take into account, all of which will help you discern the art of making impressive presentations.

• Organization is key 

A planned, strategic approach is the key ingredient that you need to deliver a remarkable presentation. Planning is crucial as it will instill a certain sense of confidence in you and make sure that you do not lose track of what you are saying at any point during the presentation. Only a presentation that has been well-thought-out and planned with precision every step of the way is bound to be implemented successfully and thereby, impress one and all, in every way.

• Understand your audience

It is important to understand that the purpose of a presentation is to ultimately communicate with your audience. The answer to how to make presentations that are effective, lies primarily in this crucial step, so make sure that your presentation addresses the needs of the audience and proves beneficial for them.

• Be well-informed

As a speaker, the most credible way to deliver pertinent presentations is by ensuring that you know the topic inside out. Only when you, yourself have a profound clarity on the subject will you be able to explain better and answer every form of query that your listeners might have.

• Time management is crucial

It is important to remember that the basic purpose of a presentation is to engage and capture the attention of the audience. Therefore, a presentation that ends up being too lengthy and overshoots the time limit, defeats the very purpose that you set out with. The key, thus, is to time yourself and to make sure that you keep the presentation brief, precise and informative, as a whole.

• A strong introduction is half the job done

The audience will be the judge of your presentation and analyze it in the very first few moments of initiation. The key, therefore, is to hit the right note and capture their attention and interest in the opening section itself. A strong introduction will not only engage the audience immediately but will also enhance your level of confidence, thereby, making sure that you end up delivering a remarkable presentation.

While there is no single, all-encompassing solution to answer the question of how to make presentations perfectly, the near-perfect remedy lies in opting for best free presentation skills course that can help you achieve exactly that.

To help you master the craft of curating presentations, here is a list of acclaimed courses across various platforms which will help you target specific areas and ensure that you improve skills, one step at a time.

1. Public Speaking ITA

One of the non-negotiable skills that you must imbibe and develop in your quest to determine how to make presentations better, is the art of public speaking. Formulated by SDA Bocconi School of Management, this is an option that you definitely must check out on Programs Online to enhance your ability to effectively communicate and thereby, articulate better and reach out to the audience.

2. Soft skills

Curated by the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, this program is meant to specifically target and improve your soft skills such as the ability to interact and engage, all of which will help you to deliver better presentations, in the days to come.

3. Business English: Making Presentations

The journey of discovering how to make presentations must equip you with the ability to effectively reason and persuade. This is possible only when you have a strong command over the language and its strategies, all of which this program from the University of Washington will acquaint you with so that you can partake in and foster efficient business communication.

4. Presentation Skills: Speechwriting, Slides and Delivery Specialization

If you are looking for an all-encompassing course that will aid you in the improvement of multiple focus areas related to the presentation, this is one option on Coursera that you cannot afford to miss out on, in any way.

5. Storytelling and influencing: Communicate with impact

If there is one impactful apparatus that can immediately elevate any presentation, it is the art of using anecdotes to engage and convince your listeners. This course, provided by Macquarie University, equips you with this very ability to present and communicate better with your audience, in the days to come.

6. Visual Presentation

There is nothing more powerful than the use of images to amplify your presentation skills. If you are looking for a free course that will allow you to use visual tools better in the art of presenting, this is one option on edX that must feature in your top list before you make your final call.

The process of determining how to make presentations is a journey that requires personal pace and due persistence. However,  keeping in mind these tips along with the relevant guidance from the courses will help you in achieving credible proficiency in the art of presenting, more so than ever before.