Director of Artificial Intelligence Initiatives
Speaking and Presenting: Pitches and Persuasion
What You'll Learn
- How to inspire people with a sense of "informed hope"
- How to treat storytelling as an "entrepreneurial superpower"
- How to expand your range of dynamic gestures and facial expressions
- How to increase the creativity you bring to your next negotiation
4 Modules
8 Hours
2 hrs per module (approx.)
Rating
About Speaking and Presenting: Pitches and Persuasion
The hope good presenters project when pitching their ideas is not naïve hope. They’re not Pollyanna at the podium. Instead, the solutions they offer are supported by research, data, and expertise. This course will teach you how to merge hard facts with an imaginative vision in a way that at once resonates with and inspires your audience.
Skills You'll Gain
- Advanced Negotiation
- Business Negotiation
- Business Networking
- Negotiation
- Negotiation Strategies
- Public Speaking Preparation
What You'll Earn
- Certificate of Completion
- Certificates of completion acknowledge knowledge acquired upon completion of a non-credit course or program.
Course content developed by U-M faculty and managed by the university. Faculty titles and affiliations are updated periodically.
Welcome Message
Welcome to Speaking and Presenting: Pitches and Persuasion, a course in the Good with Words: Speaking and Presenting Specialization. This course helps you craft persuasive messages by combining optimistic framing with dynamic delivery. You will practice pitching ideas, influencing decisions, and using movement, stories, and language to connect with audiences and communicate with confidence in professional and everyday contexts.
This abbreviated syllabus description was created with the help of AI tools and reviewed by staff. The full syllabus is available to those who enroll in the course.
Course Schedule
Module 1: Optimism: Vocabulary
- Pitch Perfect
- Speaking Stats: 73 Questions
- Speaking Stories: Optimism
Module 2: Optimism: Speaking Studies and Speaking Exercises
- Getting to Yes
- Speaking Experience: What Happens If You Win
- Speaking Exercise: Agent Advocacy
Module 3: Dynamic: Vocabulary
- Digital Body Language
- Speaking Stories: Dynamic
- Good Sentences, Good Speeches: Television
Module 4: Dynamic: Studies and Exercises
- Speaking Exercise: Movement Matters
- Speaking Exercise: Movement Mimicry
Grading Policy
Course materials and assignments remain open and available for self-paced learning. To pass the course and earn the certificate, you must achieve an overall grade of 80% or higher.
Your grade is based entirely on four Module Review Quizzes. Each quiz assesses your understanding of the material covered in its respective module and includes multiple-choice and True/False questions with feedback. You have unlimited attempts on each graded quiz.
Module Review Quizzes — 100% of the Course Grade
Each module review quiz contributes equally to your final grade:
- Module 1 Review Quiz: 25%
- Module 2 Review Quiz: 25%
- Module 3 Review Quiz: 25%
- Module 4 Review Quiz: 25%
Total Course Grade: 100%
Beginner Level
No prior experience necessary
