The thought of public speaking is enough to make many of us break out in a cold sweat. And even the most experienced speakers still say the adrenaline is pumping before they stand up and present.

Microsoft recognise that public speaking is a source of anxiety for lots of us and have recently announced that PowerPoint will now offer a new feature, called Presenter Coach, to give you tips to improve your public speaking.

Using AI, on-screen guidance includes advice on pacing, inclusive language, not using too many filler words (such as ‘um’ or ‘err’), use of swear words and culturally sensitive phrases.

It will even let you know if you’re reading too much from the slide, instead of engaging with your audience.

And at the end of each rehearsal session, it will give you detailed feedback that highlights additional areas of practice for improvement.

We love the idea of this new feature, and we’re really keen to try it out in the office. Why not have a go yourself and let us know what you think!