What’s the Best Course? Evidence from Alumni on the Value of Business Presentations Preparation

Developing effective presentation skills is a core competence for business communicators. Self-report data from a survey of 1610 two- to twelve-year business alumni show that 37.1% present monthly and 27.9% present weekly in their current positions. Alumni who completed a general public speaking course, or both managerial communication and a public speaking course, report higher current levels of confidence across twelve aspects of business presentations than alumni who took only a managerial communication course or who relied on embedded presentation assignments in disciplinary courses. Gains were reported for content skills since graduation, with less confidence handling nervousness and delivery.