Warren Buffett once told a group of business students that improving their presentation skills could increase their value by 50%.
Given the advice came from one of the most successful investors in history, it’s worth paying attention.
Buffett could have pointed to financial literacy, strategic thinking, negotiation skills or leadership capability. Instead, he singled out presentation skills as one of the highest-return investments a professional can make.
What’s particularly interesting is he’s spoken openly about being terrified of public speaking and even avoiding situations where he might be required to speak to group. Recognising that this fear was holding him back, he enrolled in a public speaking course and later described it as one of the most valuable investments he ever made in himself.
And I suspect his advice has become even more relevant in the age of artificial intelligence.
Not because AI is making communication less important. Quite the opposite.
Because AI is making some parts of communication significantly easier while leaving the most important parts entirely in human hands.
After 27 years of teaching presentation skills to everyone from graduates to CEOs, scientists, engineers, researchers, sales teams and senior executives, I’ve come to believe there are three phases to every persuasive business presentation:
Analysis. Design. Delivery.
The first phase is Analysis.
This is where most people should spend more time, although many unfortunately treat it as optional and leap straight into PowerPoint, which is a little like building a house because you found a nice cushion. In the analysis phase, you clarify who your audience is, what they already believe, what they care about, what they resist, what they need to understand and what action you want them to take. AI can be incredibly useful here. It can help you brainstorm stakeholder concerns, identify possible objections, generate questions your audience might ask and challenge your assumptions. The important point here is that AI is your thinking partner, not your replacement brain, because if you don’t know your audience, AI certainly doesn’t.
The second phase is Design.
This is where you structure your thinking, organise your ideas and create the message itself. For years, I have taught a methodology called the Persuasion Blueprint, a strategic framework that helps presenters move an audience from where they are now to where they need to be in order to support an idea, approve a proposal, fund a project or take action. When you combine the Persuasion Blueprint with effective AI prompts, the results can be extraordinary. AI can help generate examples, improve wording, create transitions, identify gaps in logic and draft sections of your presentation but there is an important catch – the formulas only work if the data you plug into them is strong. If your audience analysis is weak, your output will be weak. If your assumptions are wrong, AI may simply help you communicate those wrong assumptions beautifully. Very polished. Very confident. Still wrong. So you must interrogate the AI output at every step. Challenge it. Refine it. Test it. Improve it.
The third phase is Delivery.
This is where AI can still help, but only up to a point. AI can suggest ideas for props, handouts, slides, audience activities, gestures and stories. It can help you think more creatively about how to bring your message to life. AI cannot execute the presentation for you in the room. It cannot read the subtle signals that tell you your audience is confused, sceptical or quietly drifting toward their inbox. It cannot build trust through your voice, energy, presence and authenticity. It cannot create connection with the crowd. That part is still gloriously, terrifyingly, wonderfully human. And this is why Buffett’s advice still matters.
Use AI enthusiastically. Use it to sharpen your thinking, generate ideas and build stronger presentations. Just don’t confuse preparation with persuasion. AI can help you analyse your audience, design a compelling message, even suggest ways to deliver it. When the presentation begins, the audience still wants something no technology can provide. They want you. And that’s why communication remains one of the highest-return investments any professional can make.
About Michelle Bowden
Michelle Bowden is an internationally recognised authority on persuasive communication, presentation skills and influence. She is the bestselling author of How to Present and How to Persuade: The Skills You Need to Get What You Want, and the recipient of the prestigious Stevie® Woman of the Year Award in Education.
For nearly 3 decades, Michelle has helped leaders, sales teams and organisations communicate with greater confidence, clarity and impact through her practical, high-energy and “anything but beige” approach.
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