Presentation Skill Training: The Deal Clincher

Sometimes even the best of professionals are unable to leave a significant impact over clients because of poor presentation skills. They may have fear of public speaking or not confident enough of their content or any such fear. However, this is a rather unsettling problem. The good part is that with effective presentation skills training program one can master the presentation skills and subsequently gain clients and businesses. First impressions don’t come around too often, do they?

One may argue that presentation skills are not crucial to many businesses but it would be a faulty argument in the first place. Presentations are useful in corporate businesses, sales, teaching and academics, marketing, finances, lecturing and social activities. In fact, presentations have a carved a niche for themselves in classrooms and office board rooms.

Let us have a look at the prominent elements that a good and all round presentation skill training module should inculcate and focus on:

• A good presentation skill training does not only inculcate good speaking skills but also aims at gibing inputs to organize thoughts and engage in a persuasive and compelling argument to gain the trust and applause of the audience.
• The body language of the speaker while presenting, the confidence in his/her research and content and the fluency of delivery form a crucial part of the overall process.
• Time management makes a very important cut in the overall management of any presentation. It is imperative for the speaker to be engaging enough throughout and do not exceed the time limit. It gets tedious and the audience cannot internalize a lot in one go.
• The visual aids and the limit of employing visual aids should be carefully deliberated upon. There should be a correct conglomeration of graphics and written words in a presentation. The usage of bold and bullet points make it lucid and easier to read rather than having a lot of content in a paragraph from in a single slide.
• Preparation should be done with absolute precision because that gives rise to an innate flair and self confidence that goes a long way in delivering the content in an effective manner. A well researched presenter is any day better suited than clumsy and half informed presenters.
• The audience should also be kept in mind. If it is a business presentation, it becomes a little more formal which should also be reflected in the sartorial choices of the presenter. On the other hand, a college presentation could be a little informal as compared to the former.
• Practice takes you a long way. This is a golden rule that holds true in all walks of life. No one is born with all the knowledge in the world. It is definitely acquired and irrespective of the experience you hold, practice will always come in handy.
• One should also make sure that there are no technical glitches during the presentation. Essential backups should be there in place. This prevents any interruptions in between that breaks the flow of the presentation.
• Effective and impactful presentation skill training also focuses significantly on teaching the presenters the importance of pauses between speaking. One must avoid all attempts to speak fast like a radio recorder. It takes away the essence of the entire presentation.
• Stay focused. Cover as much information that needs to be conveyed. Don’t lose sight of what the elephant in the room is. Avoid digressions and most importantly smile!