Acquiring Good Presentation Skills For Your Career

It's ironical how most of us are always complaining of other people's inattentiveness and insensitivity when we talk, still when we get the chance to stand and speak, while others are obliged to sit quiet and listen (hint: audience during a presentation you are set to give), we are petrified by the thought. Good presentation skills are rarely inbuilt and you must work on your presentation skills if you are looking to excel in your professional life. Presentations must not be regarded as uninvited trouble; instead it must be deemed as a chance of a lifetime. Doesn't matter if you are looking to win respect of your staff, peers or managers; a good presentation can do the trick for you. The moment one gets to the podium, he/she has won some respect of the audience, since most of them are scared of speaking before public and anybody who volunteers to do so is sure to win some respect.

Plan, Prepare & Rehearse:

A big part of our fear of public speaking stems from the lack of preparation. It's really hard to stand up and deliver an effective presentation without any kind of preparation; however it's very rare that someone is asked to deliver a presentation, just like that. In most cases, you have got ample time to rehearse and prepare. The more you prepare, the more at ease you will be while giving the actual presentation. The first thing is to set down the main objective; a presentation without a clear objective (or with too many objectives) is a waste of time for both presenter and audience. You must be having a clear idea of your audience and their objectives as well.

Tips for Presentation:

No matter how good the presentation material and slides are, it is the speaker who can make the real difference. As earlier suggested, preparation is the key to a confidence presentation. However, preparing before the mirror and moving to the dice and looking at a room full of people is a different thing altogether. Still, there's nothing to be afraid of, start with giving a confident smile. Take a deep breath before starting and take brief pauses between the sentences. Make eye contact with all of your audience; however do not keep shifting your eyes all the time that will make you look nervous. You can think of taking some short course to polish your presentation skills, its worth your time and money.