This is a blog summarising the key content and takeaways from Kao and Michelle Bowden’s Presentation Sills Workshop. Enjoy!
We did it!
Hello Kao legend! 👋 Well that was terrific wasn’t it? Boom shackalacka!
The session was packed with your relevant examples and heaps of formulas and tools that you can use immediately in your roles!
I loved meeting you and working with you!
How to start? Use an icebreaker
There are 3 steps to a good icebreaker in education:
1. Hook (story, stats, fun fact)
2. Introduction
3. Link to your content (‘today let’s talk about…..’)
Tips:
– Don’t say ‘hi’ as your greeting!
– Don’t say ‘thank you’!
– Repeat key numbers (‘6 square metres (pause) 6 square metres of plastic bags’).
Build rapport with pacing and leading
To build rapport always pace before you lead.
You pace with universals or truisms: they are statements true to your stakeholder.
You lead with your leading statement which is your key message, often contentious and must be reasonable.
You generally need about 3 pacing statements before you lead.
If the person still says ‘no’ it’s feedback you didn’t pace enough or properly.
Motivate with WIIFM?
Here are the three words to motivate all people:
1. Reduce
2. Maintain
3. Improve
In that order!
POO
Here are the 5 steps for managing objections:
1. State the objection
2. Say “and,” “so,” or pause not “but” or “however”!
3. Use “actually” or “in fact”
4. Solve the objection
Address it clearly with logic, reassurance, or evidence.
5. Close with “because”
Gestures!
What an excellent presentation skills expereince that was!
I love you all so much!l
It was a complete honour to work with you!
And I’m so thrilled to hear of your amazing presentations the next day – congratulations!
Go forth and keep being your amazing self!
Joy to you! Mx
©2026 MICHELLE BOWDEN is an authority on persuasive presenting in business. She’s run her Persuasive Presentation Skills Masterclass over 1060 times for more than 13,500 people over the past 27 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).