What do you do at work Christopher?
I manage the transition of data systems at Westpac Bank. This involves coordinating with different teams to ensure we meet our deadlines and manage any dependencies effectively. A big part of my job is communication and negotiation. I need to keep everyone updated on our progress and explain complex processes in a way that’s easy to understand, even for those who aren’t technical experts. I also need to solve problems as they come up and make sure we’re on track to complete the project by the due date. It is a mix of project management, technical understanding, and strong interpersonal skills to navigate day-to-day interactions and ensure we achieve our goals.
What kind of presenting do you do at work?
I mostly present online and in-person meetings.
Before working with Michelle, how did you feel about presenting?
I had some difficulty in structuring presentations and was unsure how to effectively engage the audience.
What made you decide to learn with Michelle?
Michelle has been our Westpac presentation skills trainer for decades so I decided she was the right person to help me. Michelle’s got a proven record, seasoned industry expertise and a very practical approach to coach the attendees. I knew I would love it!
How do you feel now, after working with Michelle?
Michelle has made me feel empowered and confident to effectively engage and inspire my audience both at work and in my personal hobbies.
What positive outcomes have you achieved?
– I have much improved presentation confidence.
– I now create enhanced audience interaction.
– I have refined delivery techniques soI don’t distract and am more likely to keep people’s attention and interest.
What are 3 specific ways that your presentation skills changed or improved?
1. Claiming the space and managing stances effectively. Your stance says a lot about the way you are feeling about your message.
2. Enhanced audience engagement with memorable outcomes. People are way more likely to tell me I’m a good presenter now!
3. I have better delivery skills and manage my nerves more effectively which makes presenting a lot more enjoyable for me and my audiences/colleagues.
What were your top 3 takeaways from Michelle’s masterclass?
1. Ensure the audience is focused on you (the presenter) and not the presentation slides.
2. Use interactive techniques to engage your audience for the whole meeting.
3. Avoid filler words and use pauses so the message is clear and easy to approve.
Would you like to participate in our presentation skills training courses?
We have a 26-year proven track record in developing people’s business presentation, public speaking and pitching skills. We will help YOU stand out for all the right reasons!
Master the art of public speaking and persuasive presenting in business with our life-changing public speaking training in Sydney LIVE and ONLINE via Zoom or MS Teams.
One presentation skills training course once is all you need. Become a more confident, engaging and persuasive business presenter & stay true to your natural style! We promise no hand holding and we will not video your presentation for feedback purposes because it’s not necessary for awesome improvement!
©2025 MICHELLE BOWDEN is an authority on persuasive presenting in business. She’s run her Persuasive Presentation Skills Masterclass over 1000 times for more than 13,000 people over the past 26 years and her name is a synonym for ‘presentation skills’ in Australia.
Michelle Bowden is a multi-million-dollar pitch coach to her client list that reads like a who’s who of international business: banking and finance, IT, pharmaceutical, retail, telecommunications plus many more.
Michelle is the creator of the Persuasion Smart Profile®, a world-first psychological assessment tool that reports on your persuasive strengths and weaknesses at work, the best-selling internationally published author of How to Present: the ultimate guide to presenting live and online (Wiley) and her new best-selling book is called How to Persuade: the skills you need to get what you want (Wiley).