Have you ever finished creating a presentation and wished you could get some feedback before the big day? I’ve got great news for you, Microsoft has a built-in feature that does exactly that – PowerPoint Rehearse with Coach
As a computer coach, I’m always excited to share tools that make our lives easier, and Presenter Coach is one of those hidden gems that a lot of people don’t know exists. Let me walk you through what it does and how you can use it to level up your presentation skills.
What Is Presenter Coach?
Presenter Coach is an AI-powered tool built directly into PowerPoint’s desktop version. It’s designed to help you rehearse your presentations and receive constructive feedback on your delivery. The best part? It’s completely private—the AI analyses your rehearsal in real-time, and the recording is deleted immediately afterwards. Nothing is saved or stored anywhere.
Finding the Feature
You’ll find Presenter Coach under the Slideshow tab. Look for the option labelled “Rehearse with Coach.” When you click it, PowerPoint will start your presentation and begin recording your delivery to provide feedback.
How It Works
Once you start rehearsing, the AI monitors several aspects of your presentation:
- Pacing: Are you speaking too quickly or too slowly?
- Filler words: How often are you using “um,” “uh,” or “like”?
- Word variety: Are you using a diverse vocabulary?
- Overall delivery: General tips for improvement
You’ll notice there’s an option for real-time feedback that appears on screen as you present. Whilst this sounds helpful, I actually recommend switching it off. Here’s why: when I’ve used it with real-time feedback enabled, I found myself focusing on the notifications rather than my actual content. You should be concentrating on your slide deck and what you’re saying, not watching feedback pop up on screen.
Understanding Your Rehearsal Report
After you finish rehearsing, PowerPoint generates a rehearsal report. This summary includes:
- How many slides you covered
- Total rehearsal time
- Pacing analysis (whether you were too fast or too slow)
- Word choice variety
- Specific suggestions for improvement
The report gives you actionable insights that you can use to refine your delivery before the actual presentation. It’s particularly valuable if you’re not used to public speaking or presenting regularly.
One Annoying Thing
While I like the coach, there is one thing that really frustrates me.
When you’re running the rehearsal presentation with the coach, your speaker notes aren’t displayed!
You’ve spent all that time writing out, either your entire text or key talking points, which will be available while you’re giving the presentation, but while you’re rehearsing you can’t see them.
At the time to writing there’s nothing from Microsoft to show that this will be changed, so I’ve come up with my own alternatives:
Alternative Suggestions
Print out the notes
You can follow the ‘classic’ route with printed notes. Either handouts with your speaker notes or just the notes. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking at them (during this practice) as you aren’t being recorded, just your voice.
Use a Second screen
Of course this depends on if you have something that you can use as a second screen.
Whether it’s a connected monitor, your phone or a tablet – something that you can display the notes digitally on.
Sure, it can be a bit of a balancing act, between moving onto the next slide and moving your notes.
This is the one that I prefer. I export my speaker notes to a Word document (have a look at links below about Handouts) then have it displayed on a tablet next to me.
Making the Most of Presenter Coach
I recommend using PowerPoint Rehearse with Coach multiple times as you prepare. Run through your presentation once to get baseline feedback, make adjustments based on the suggestions, then rehearse again to see your improvement. This iterative approach helps build confidence and ensures you’re delivering your message as effectively as possible.
Whether you’re preparing for a business meeting, a conference talk, or any other presentation, this tool can help you identify areas for improvement that you might not notice on your own. It’s like having a presentation coach available whenever you need one — completely free and built right into PowerPoint.
Give it a try before your next presentation. You might be surprised at what you learn about your presenting style!
Written with the help of Claude AI from an original transcription.
YouTube Videos
PowerPoint Transitions Made Easy: Complete Beginner’s Guide
How to Create PowerPoint Handouts in Word – Quick & Easy Tutorial
Improve Your Presentation Skills with PowerPoint’s Built-in Presenter Coach
Stop Struggling with PowerPoint Charts – Use SmartArt Instead!
PowerPoint Themes Explained: Customise Your Presentations Easily
Other PowerPoint Posts
PowerPoint Transition Secrets Every Presenter Should Know
PowerPoint Handouts Made Simple
PowerPoint’s Presenter Coach: Your Secret Weapon for Better Presentations (current post)
PowerPoint SmartArt: Your Quick Solution for Professional Charts
PowerPoint Themes: Your Secret Weapon for Professional Presentations
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