sheetalacademy

Public speaking and the ability to present effectively in front of a group of people is a craft. You can call it a skill because skills seem more finite while a craft can always be refined. Can anyone simply Act, Sing, or Play an Instrument? Like those other forms of expression, if you want to have confidence instead of being nervous, then you need to practice. So many people are terrified of public speaking. If you take advantage of the opportunities to present, then you will certainly get better. People will notice if you present well and it’s also a great weapon to have in your professional arsenal.

Use the following steps below as a rough starting point:

• Keep Your Cool:

Whether you’re speaking to 10 people or 300 people, there will almost always be a disruption or a distraction. Stay calm and never apologize for having to stop, even for a moment. Because If you’re cool, everyone else will be cool. You might find that the work-horse projector that your company has had since you started working there decides to call it a career when you get to slide 3. All this means is that now your audience really needs to pay close attention to what you have to say, which is a great thing!

• Preparing:

While almost anyone can get up and read off of a projected slide, that does not mean it is a good presentation. Your audience is giving you their attention whether they have to be there or want to be there. Show them the respect of a prepared presentation. Rehearse your presentation 5-7 times and use a timer to see how long it takes you. Rehearse standing up with your laptop so you can coordinate advancing the slides in line with your talking points.

• Create Concise, Visual Slides:

Let the slides be a guide with the keyPoints, Figures, and Visuals. Also, use the animation feature to slowly build the slide. This allows you to manage how much information your audience sees at any time and keeps them focused on you instead of a new, full slide of data. The bulk of the information and the story-telling needs to come from you.

• Breathe and Relax:

People want you to succeed, especially if you’re presenting to colleagues. The audience is there for you. You’re already prepared. Deliver what you have practiced. Most people know it takes guts to stand up in front of a room and present. Also, keep the hand/arm gestures to a minimum. It’s a waste of energy and doesn’t add much value.

• Look at everyone and make eye contact:

When looking around the room, locate those people who give you a slight nod when you are speaking. Find them and return back to them during the presentation if you feel yourself needing some quick reassurance. You need to trust that if you are delivering a confident, thoughtful presentation then you will have their attention.

• Repeat Important Points:

If there are a few points that you absolutely HAVE to make, say them twice… with a pause in the middle. Pausing will also break the audience out of their potential daydream and bring them back to you. Then you can deliver the punchline with greater effectiveness. Repeat important points. This is especially true for longer presentations.

• End Strong:

Deliver the last 2 or 3 sentences, which should bring the whole presentation together, slowly and clearly. You can even turn the slides off so people look right at you and give you their full attention. Once done, pause for a second, smile, and say thank you.

Take advantage of the opportunities to present to a group from SHEETAL ACADEMY. We trained you to Stumbled or Fumbled over a section, Learn from it and improve for next time. Call Us at 9904342117.