Compelling Communication Skills

Course overview

Becoming an effective communicator can help you achieve your goals in life, both professionally and personally. In this course, you will learn how to captivate an audience from the very first words you write or say, techniques for making a mark with memorable messages, and how to find and use the power of your own unique style.  

You will also explore the importance of being crystal clear on your story, the effectiveness of simplicity, incisive writing and speaking techniques, using logic and emotion to influence and persuade, how to adopt positive body language to help you command an audience, and the remarkable but all too often underappreciated art of storytelling. 

What will I learn?

By the end of the course you will be able to: 

• apply the principles of effective communication to any situation, from writing to presenting and storytelling
• develop your own unique voice to communicate with any audience
• apply communication techniques for influence and emotional impact.   

Who is this course for?

This course is aimed at anyone who would like to improve their communication skills, but specifically: 

• ambitious early career professionals who want to equip themselves with the communication skills to advance and achieve their goals
• mid-level managers who would like to inspire and enthuse team members and progress within their role 
• senior leaders who need to better explain their ideas and vision to teams in order to achieve buy-in and ensure optimum performance.

Course delivery

Award Winner: Compelling Communication Skills has been recognised at the Learning Technologies Awards 2024, winning gold in the Excellence in the Design of Learning Content category: "This sophisticated, accessible-by-design blend supports professionals to develop skills and confidence over all areas of communications. The judges loved the thoughtful and thorough approach to learning design. The Cambridge University Press and Assessment team had considered everything and executed it exceptionally well, iterating where needed, resulting in a truly excellent learning experience. The judges were also impressed by the impact achieved which, as well as an excellent NPS score, has led to outstanding professional successes for their learners".

Our certificated courses reflect the Cambridge experience and values, with low student to tutor ratios and academically rigorous standards. Our learning model is designed to help you advance your skills and specialise in emerging areas that address global challenges. We will help you build your network through an engaging and impactful learning journey that encourages collaboration. Courses are delivered in weekly modules, allowing you to plan your time effectively. The assessment criteria will be presented to you at the start of the course, so you can approach your studies with confidence and motivation, knowing what is expected of you and how to meet those expectations. 

Throughout your online learning experience, you will have access to your course tutor, who will help facilitate your learning and provide you with support and guidance during your studies. You can interact with your tutor through a range of media, such as live sessions, discussion forums, email or canvas messaging. 

Each course includes a balance of:

• interactive learning and real-world application so you can directly apply what you’re learning to your own context
• diverse teaching methods to enhance learning outcomes which will be delivered via learning activities such as University of Cambridge academic led videos, quizzes and group work  
• optional live sessions (1 hour) with University of Cambridge academics and tutors to deepen your understanding of the week's material. These sessions may include an informal Q&A, a short lecture or a breakout activity that builds on the content introduced that week. All sessions are recorded and made available to stream so you can catch up whenever suits you
• guided critical thinking via our reflective workbook so you can collect, structure and summarise information and your thoughts as you progress through the course. 

What will I get on completion?

Evidence your learning with a Certificate of Achievement from the University of Cambridge on successful completion.