Strong presentation skills are a hallmark of great leaders. The ability to effectively communicate a concept that informs and influences audience opinions and decision making directly contributes to perceptions of leadership capability and potential. In short, storytelling is a superpower that can be a career game-changer! 

This course addresses pre- and post-presentation actions critical to achieving buy-in, narrative setting, audience analysis and message customization. It will also address data visualization techniques and slide design tools, practical presentation skills, and more. 

Led by Ó£ÌÒÊÓƵ Cox Professor of Practice and Director of Business Presentation Education Jason Rife, whose career has included leadership roles at consulting giants and Fortune 500 companies, Storytelling with Data features the same principles and practices taught to Ó£ÌÒÊÓƵ Cox MBA students. 

Participants of all experience levels can expect to achieve noticeable improvement in presentation skills over the course of the day, as well as tips and tools to help continue self-guided growth after the program concludes. 

Attend our next webinar on May 20th:

Course feature Course detail
Dates: September 24, 2025 –
Topic: Strategy
Format: On Campus
Location: James Collins Executive Education Center, 3150 Binkley Ave, Dallas, TX 75205
Price:

Pricing: $1,195

  • 20% discount until July 11: $956*
  • 10% discount until April 30: $1,075.50*
  • Group pricing & discounts available*

*Limit one discount per program. Exclusions subject to change.

  
Questions?

If you’d like to speak with an Executive Education team member about Storytelling with Data, contact Julie Hance at 214-768-7017 or jhance@smu.edu

Course Details

  • Audience Analysis Clearly identifying the purpose and intent of the presentation and the needs and motivations of the audience to enable tailored messaging and medium.
  • Storytelling Leading with the answer (top-down), translating data into narratives, optimizing the level of detail, and making the message stick.
  • Slide Design Creating slides to compliment rather than distract from the narrative, adjusting design to match the audience, and avoiding information overload.
  • Q&A Management Anticipating questions, applying tools to control narrative and flow, and utilizing an appendix to support.
  • Presentation Politics Taking action pre- and post-presentation to secure buy-in, successfully navigating power and influence dynamics.
  • Physical Delivery Explaining conversationally vs. reading or reciting; establishing rapport with audience members; and techniques for mitigating anxiety.

Who Should Attend?

Storytelling with Data is perfect for high-level individual contributors or those in Manager-level+ roles who need to present data in compelling ways to influence decision making. Students at all presentation skill levels - from beginner to advanced - can gain valuable learning from this course.

Headshot of Bharti Gupta

"When your story is powerful, it sparks a network of advocates, people who will champion your ideas even in rooms where you aren’t present. It’s about creating a ripple effect of influence, where the narrative you share becomes the foundation for lasting relationships and meaningful connections."

Bharti G., Sr. Solutions Sales Account Executive, Service Now, Ó£ÌÒÊÓƵ Cox MBA '25




Schedule

Both sessions will provide real-time opportunities for presentations & feedback.

 

Morning Session

8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Audience Analysis, Storytelling and Design

Define the purpose of your presentation and establish the audience to enable you to tailor your message and delivery.  Discuss methods for organizing content to ensure the message sticks. Develop Q&A strategies to anticipate questions and control the narrative.

Lunch Break   Lunch provided

Afternoon Session

1 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Presentation Design & Delivery

Review presentations from the morning session to identify areas for improvement. Work on slide design that compliments the narrative, addresses the audience and avoids information overload. Improve delivery by practicing explaining information conversationally and establishing audience rapport.




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Questions? Not sure which program fits your needs? Reach out to our team.