When it comes to delivering presentations, having the right skills and tools can make all the difference. Whether it is presenting to large audiences or even persuading coworkers or clients, the ability to effectively communicate and present ideas is a valuable asset in the working world and beyond.
So whether you’re a professional looking to impress at work, or an entrepreneur looking to improve how you pitch your ideas, the right presentation course can help you achieve your goals. In this article, we’ll take a look at 8 of the best free and paid presentation training courses available online. These courses are designed to help you create more effective and engaging presentations as well as improve your presentation skills.
#1 [Free] Alison: Presentation Skills
ALISON (Advance Learning Interactive Systems Online) is an online learning platform that offers a wide variety of free, self-paced, certified courses.
The Presentation Skills Course on Alison equips learners with a basic understanding of how to create a presentation program. It covers topics such as planning and organising a presentation, verbal and non-verbal communication skills, creating and using visual aids, how to overcome nervousness and deliver a presentation with confidence as well as Microsoft PowerPoint tips and tricks.
The free presentation course consists of 12 learning modules that take about 3 hours to complete. You’ll need to create an Alison account to access the presentation course, which is self-paced and mostly consists of slides. Upon completion of the course, you will have to pass a final assessment before you have the option to obtain your presentation certification, which costs a small fee.
Price: Free or $7.99/mth for premium subscription
Duration: 3 hours
Certification: Option to purchase digital certificate upon course completion at $21
Explore Presentation Skills on Alison.
#2 [Free] Coursera: Successful Presentation
Coursera is an online learning platform that offers courses, certifications, and degrees from universities and organizations around the world. Users can access a wide range of subjects, including business, computer science, data science, and more.
Successful Presentation on Coursera is a free presentation course offered b the University of Colorado Boulder. Taught by Prof. William Kuskin, course-goers will learn about successful public speaking and presentations through a series of pragmatic videos, exercises and quizzes. The presentation certification course covers four themes — mastering fear, developing a creative formula, using verbal and body language and anticipating the room.
The presentation course consists of four modules that take about 20 hours to complete. Learners will receive a shareable course certificate upon completion which they can use to display on their LinkedIn profile or resume.
Price: Free
Duration: 20 hours
Certification: Yes
Explore Presentation Skills on Coursera.
#3 [Free] edX: Professional Business Presentations
edX is an online course provider that offers online university-level courses in a wide range of disciplines to a global audience.
Professional Business Presentations on edX teaches students how to create effective and professional presentations for a business setting. The free presentation certification course covers topics like creating a clear message, designing visually appealing slides, structuring a presentation, communicating data effectively, and delivering a presentation confidently. It is taught by Debora Sepich from Doane University.
The course is well-structured and has a total runtime of 40 hours. Learners on the free version of edX (called the Audit Track) have full access to all course materials, but graded assignments and a presentation certification upon completion is only available for verified paid users.
Price: Free or $199
Duration: 40 hours
Certification: Only if you are on edX’s Verified Track ($199)
Explore Professional Business Presentations on edX.
#4 [Paid] LinkedIn Learning: Speaking Confidently and Effectively
LinkedIn Learning is an online learning platform that offers a wide range of courses and tutorials in various subjects, including business, technology, and creative skills.
Rated 4.6 stars out of over 17,000 learners — Speaking Confidently and Effectively on LinkedIn Learning is one of the top presentation training courses on the platform. Professional speaker Diane DiResta shares tips and tricks for levelling your presentation skills and boosting your executive presence. Topics covered in the presentation course include how to craft your presentations, how to calm your nerves, how to project power with body language, how to speak in sync with your audience, how to plan for your biggest fears as well as how to handle difficult questions.
The presentation course is taught via short videos with a total runtime of 30 minutes. There is an end-of-course quiz and learners will receive a presentation certification at the end.
Price: $19.99/mth
Duration: 30 minutes
Certification: Yes
Explore Speaking Confidently and Effectively on LinkedIn.
#5 [Paid] LinkedIn Learning: Managing Your Anxiety While Presenting
LinkedIn Learning is an online learning platform that offers a wide range of courses and tutorials in various subjects, including business, technology, and creative skills.
Rated 4.8 stars out of over 1,000 reviews — Managing Your Anxiety While Presenting is LinkedIn Learning is one of the more popular presentation training courses on the platform. This is a highly focused presentation certification course that hones in on how to deal with the anxiety most people will feel when speaking in public. Author Matt Abrahams explores what causes people to feel nervous, shares some common anxiety management pitfalls and teaches anxiety management techniques to help learners become comfortable and confident when speaking in front of others.
This is a simple but effective presentation course ideal for learners looking to add anxiety management as one of their presentation skills. The course consists of short videos and quizzes with a total runtime of 30 minutes. Learners will receive a LinkedIn presentation certification upon completion.
Price: $19.99/mth
Duration: 30 minutes
Certification: Yes
Explore Managing Your Anxiety While Presenting on LinkedIn.
#6 [Paid] Udemy: The Complete Presentation and Public Speaking/Speech Course
Udemy is an online learning platform that offers a wide range of courses created by experts and industry professionals. Udemy courses are designed to help individuals improve their skills, advance their careers, and are intended to be practical and applicable to real-world situations.
The Complete Presentation and Public Speaking/Speech Course on Udemy is an online course that aims to help students improve their presentation and public speaking skills in a business environment. This presentation certification course covers a wide range of topics including how to prepare and structure your presentation, public speaking techniques, non-verbal communication, body language, audience engagement, and strategies for overcoming stage fright.
The presentation course is created by Chris Haroun who is an author, entrepreneur and TEDx Talk speaker. The course is split into 12 parts consisting of video lectures with exercises, examples and templates. The total runtime is 16 hours and learners will receive a presentation certification at the end.
Price: $118.98 (as low as $22.98 on sale)
Duration: 16 hours
Certification: Yes
Explore The Complete Presentation and Public Speaking/Speech Course on Udemy.
#7 [Paid] Skillshare: Master Confident Presentations
Skillshare is an online learning platform that offers a wide range of courses in various subjects, including business, technology, and creative skills.
Master Confident Presentation Skills on Skillshare is taught by Chris Croft who is an international speaker and published author and has been teaching presentation skills to companies for over 20 years. In his presentation course, he covers practical techniques to overcome nerves, PowerPoint tips, how to speak without notes, common mistakes presenters make as well as how to be engaging while communicating clearly.
This is a comprehensive presentation course with 33 lessons with a runtime of 1 hour 50 minutes. The course is primarily taught via video lectures. However, unlike other presentation training courses on this list, Skillshare does not offer a presentation certification upon completion.
Price: $32
Duration: 1 hour 50 minutes
Certification: No
Explore Master Confident Presentations on Skillshare.
#8 [Paid] FirstCom Academy: Effective Presentation Skills
FirstCom Academy is a Singapore learning organisation that helps busy professionals transform and upgrade their careers with courses taught by industry veterans. FirstCom Academy focuses on teaching in-demand skills using a mixture of classroom and hands-on exercises.
Effective Presentation Skills by FirstCom Academy is a presentation certification course aimed at anyone living in Singapore who wants to learn how to use their voice, body language and resources to deliver engaging presentations capable of convincing audiences. Taught by a local industry expert, topics covered include how to structure and prepare for a presentation, how to develop presentation materials, how to use body language and vary speaking tone for maximum engagement, as well as how to manage time effectively during a presentation.
Unlike online presentation training courses, the course is conducted in-person, which means you’ll be able to receive immediate answers to your questions and get valuable real-time feedback from your course instructor. The course duration is 2.5 days and costs $800 but you can make use of available subsidies to bring the course fees down to as low as $240.
Explore Effective Presentation Skills at FirstCom Academy.
Is It Worth Paying for a Presentation Skills Course?
While there are a plethora of free and paid online presentation training courses available, you might be wondering if it is worth paying for one to hone your presentation skills.
In general, paid courses are better because they tend to be high-quality, saving you time by cutting through the noise by providing you with information vetted by an industry expert as well as a structured and organised way to learn.
However, the nature of presentation skills makes online courses on the subject less effective. This is because learners get the biggest benefit by actually presenting and getting feedback from a trainer in real-time. So if you’re paying for a presentation skills course, we highly recommend going for an in-person course over an online course.
Read also:
- How to Be a Better Presenter: Improve Your Public Speaking Skills
- 21 Ways to Improve Your Presentation Skills
