Business Communication and Presentation Skills Training Course

Duration 5 days 10 modules · 33 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Managers and team leaders, Project and programme managers and others
Fee from USD 1,100 KSh 95,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 7 Nov 2026 Course code SD-CS-121

Before you join: Participants should have at least one year of workplace experience and regularly communicate through email, meetings, reports or presentations.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Business results are often delayed or weakened by unclear requests, poorly structured reports, unproductive meetings and presentations that do not secure a decision. Professionals must communicate differently with senior leaders, technical specialists, customers and delivery teams while maintaining accuracy, appropriate tone and clear accountability. This course addresses the practical work of turning ideas, analysis and decisions into messages that people can understand, act on and revisit.

Participants learn to analyse audiences, define communication purposes and select suitable channels. They structure emails, meeting papers, reports and presentations using the 7 Cs, SCQA, the Pyramid Principle, MECE grouping and bottom-line-up-front writing. The course also develops active listening, questioning, assertiveness, feedback, meeting facilitation, visual slide design and confident delivery. Participants practise handling questions, objections and difficult conversations without becoming defensive or losing the central message.

Teaching combines short instructor briefings with individual writing tasks, group case work, meeting simulations, presentation practice and peer feedback. Cases can reflect public-sector programmes, banking operations, NGO projects, corporate change initiatives or client-facing work. Participants receive structured feedback on message clarity, spoken delivery, audience focus and action orientation. They leave with a personal communication improvement plan, reusable message and presentation templates, and practical checklists for everyday communication.

The course suits professionals who already communicate regularly at work and need greater influence, precision and confidence. It is particularly useful for people who write for decision makers, coordinate cross-functional work, lead meetings, present recommendations or manage sensitive stakeholder relationships.

What you will be able to do

  • Analyse stakeholders, communication purposes and channel choices for workplace messages
  • Write concise emails, meeting papers and executive summaries using bottom-line-up-front structure
  • Apply the 7 Cs and plain-language editing techniques to improve written communication
  • Structure recommendations using SCQA, the Pyramid Principle and MECE grouping
  • Use active listening and questioning techniques to clarify needs and commitments
  • Conduct assertive conversations and feedback discussions using DESC and SBI
  • Facilitate focused meetings that produce decisions, actions and accountable owners
  • Design and deliver audience-focused presentations that handle questions and objections

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Write clearer requests, updates and recommendations with less revision
  • Present ideas to senior stakeholders with stronger structure and confidence
  • Handle challenging questions without losing focus or credibility
  • Run meetings that end with decisions, owners and deadlines
  • Build a practical communication improvement plan for current responsibilities

For your organisation

  • Reduce rework caused by unclear emails, briefs and action requests
  • Improve decision quality through concise, evidence-based recommendation papers
  • Shorten meetings by clarifying purpose, roles and decision methods
  • Increase consistency in customer, partner and internal stakeholder communication
  • Strengthen managers' ability to communicate change, feedback and accountability

Course modules

10 modules over 5 days

Participants can diagnose communication needs and select an appropriate message approach.

  • Communication process mapped through sender, message, channel, receiver and feedback
  • Audience analysis identifies decision makers, influencers, needs, constraints and expectations
  • Purpose statements distinguish inform, request, persuade, align and document
  • Channel selection weighs urgency, sensitivity, complexity, record requirements and audience access
  • Communication preferences assessed without stereotyping personality, culture or professional role
  • Stakeholder maps prioritise messages for sponsors, peers, customers and technical specialists

Participants can write clear, concise and action-oriented workplace messages.

  • 7 Cs test clarity, concision, completeness, correctness, courtesy, consideration and concreteness
  • Plain-language rewriting removes nominalisations, jargon, buried verbs and ambiguous qualifiers
  • Active voice assigns ownership, actions, deadlines and decision rights precisely
  • Message architecture separates context, key point, evidence, action and deadline
  • Reader-first openings state relevance before background detail or process history
  • Editing passes check logic, tone, grammar, formatting and factual accuracy

Participants can produce written communications that prompt timely and accountable action.

  • Professional email subject lines signal action, topic, deadline and required response
  • BLUF openings put the bottom line up front for busy readers
  • Request emails specify owner, deliverable, due date and acceptance criteria
  • Meeting agendas define purpose, decisions, contributors, timings and pre-reading
  • Minutes capture decisions, actions, owners, deadlines and unresolved issues
  • Executive summaries present recommendation, rationale, risk and next steps

Participants can organise evidence into persuasive, decision-ready recommendations.

  • SCQA structures problem statements through situation, complication, question and answer
  • Pyramid Principle groups supporting points beneath a governing recommendation
  • MECE grouping prevents overlap and gaps in evidence and options
  • Data commentary distinguishes observation, implication, decision and requested action
  • Recommendation papers compare options using criteria, trade-offs, risks and costs
  • Signposting phrases connect sections, evidence, conclusions and transitions clearly

Participants can gather accurate information and confirm shared understanding.

  • Active listening uses attending, paraphrasing, summarising, probing and confirmation
  • Open and closed questions elicit facts, priorities, concerns and commitments
  • Funnel questioning moves from broad context toward specific causes and evidence
  • Clarifying questions test assumptions, definitions, ownership and intended outcomes
  • Reflective responses acknowledge emotion without agreeing to untested conclusions
  • Listening barriers identified in multitasking, status differences, bias and time pressure

Participants can address concerns, boundaries and performance issues constructively.

  • DESC scripts state describe, express, specify and consequences during difficult conversations
  • Assertive language separates observations, needs, boundaries and workable requests
  • Nonverbal signals align posture, eye contact, pace, facial expression and words
  • De-escalation techniques lower defensiveness through pauses, acknowledgement and neutral wording
  • Feedback follows SBI: situation, behaviour, impact, then agreed next action
  • Receiving feedback uses clarification, reflection, response choice and follow-through

Participants can plan and facilitate meetings that produce clear decisions and actions.

  • Meeting charters establish purpose, roles, decision method and participation rules
  • Facilitation opens discussion with objectives, agenda, ground rules and desired decisions
  • Round-robin participation draws input from quieter members before dominant voices
  • Parking-lot protocols protect agenda time while retaining off-topic issues
  • Decision methods compare consensus, consent, consultation and accountable single-owner decisions
  • Action registers record commitments, owners, due dates, dependencies and status

Participants can create presentations that lead audiences toward a clear decision or action.

  • Presentation objectives define audience change, decision, action or understanding required
  • PREP structures concise spoken arguments through point, reason, example and point
  • Story arcs connect problem, stakes, evidence, recommendation and requested decision
  • Slide titles state the conclusion rather than label the subject
  • One-message slides use visual hierarchy, whitespace, contrast and restrained text
  • Data slides highlight comparisons, trends, exceptions and implications accurately

Participants can deliver professional presentations and respond effectively under scrutiny.

  • Opening techniques establish relevance, credibility, agenda and audience participation
  • Vocal control adjusts pace, pause, volume, emphasis and articulation deliberately
  • Purposeful movement and gestures reinforce structure without distracting from content
  • Speaker notes support transitions, evidence recall and concise explanations
  • Question handling uses listen, clarify, answer, check and bridge techniques
  • Objection responses acknowledge concerns, test assumptions and return to evidence

Participants can adapt communication methods for online settings and sustain improvement at work.

  • Virtual meeting design assigns platform, agenda, roles, interaction and contingency
  • Camera framing, lighting and audio support attention and professional presence
  • Chat, polls and annotation create structured participation during online sessions
  • Hybrid meetings protect remote contributors through explicit turn-taking and shared materials
  • Communication audit identifies recurring messages, audiences, channels and failure points
  • Personal application plan sets two communication goals, measures and review dates

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Audience and stakeholder analysis template
  2. BLUF email and briefing template
  3. SCQA recommendation paper model
  4. Meeting agenda and action register
  5. Presentation planning and slide-design checklist
  6. Personal communication application plan

Who should attend

  • Managers and team leaders — communicate decisions, priorities and expectations with greater clarity
  • Project and programme managers — secure commitments and maintain alignment across stakeholders
  • Business analysts and specialists — turn technical findings into decision-ready recommendations
  • Client-facing professionals — present proposals, updates and responses with credibility
  • Policy, NGO and public-sector officers — write clear briefings and coordinate diverse stakeholders
  • Emerging leaders — strengthen their professional presence in meetings and presentations

Skills and tools covered

Audience analysisBusiness writingStakeholder communicationMeeting facilitationPresentation designConfident delivery

Tools and standards

7 Cs of Communication, Pyramid Principle, SCQA Framework, SBI Feedback Model

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings to introduce methods, followed by realistic writing tasks, case analysis, group discussions, meeting simulations and presentation practice. Participants work with business scenarios involving recommendations, stakeholder updates, operational problems and difficult conversations. Facilitated peer feedback focuses on structure, clarity, tone, nonverbal delivery and action orientation. Individual reflection and application planning connect the methods to participants' current communication responsibilities. Classroom delivery is available in 50+ cities, with a live online option using shared documents, breakout discussions and virtual presentation practice.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have at least one year of workplace experience and regularly communicate through email, meetings, reports or presentations. They should be comfortable discussing familiar work issues in English and bringing examples of typical communication challenges. No formal communication qualification, public-speaking background or specialist software knowledge is required. This is not a basic grammar course, although participants will improve clarity, sentence construction and editing discipline. Participants do not need prepared slides or a formal presentation before attending.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

You should have regular workplace communication responsibilities, such as writing emails, attending meetings or presenting updates. No formal communication training or public-speaking experience is required.

Bring a laptop if possible and examples of communication situations you find difficult, such as stakeholder updates, meeting challenges or presentation topics. You do not need to submit materials in advance.

It suits managers, project professionals, analysts, specialists and client-facing staff who need to communicate with colleagues, customers or decision makers. It is designed for professionals with some workplace experience rather than first-time entrants.

Public-speaking courses focus mainly on spoken delivery before an audience. This course also covers writing, stakeholder analysis, meetings, feedback, difficult conversations, recommendation papers and presentation design.

Participants apply the methods to everyday communication such as emails, meeting agendas, action logs, reports and decision presentations. The personal application plan identifies specific communication priorities and review points after the course.

Training runs from 08:30 to 16:30 each day, providing about 6.5 contact hours daily. The five days cover ten modules through instructor input, case work, communication practice, simulations, feedback and application planning.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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