Presentation Skills

presentations skills

presentations for business, sales, and training - oral and multimedia

Presentations skills are very useful - for business, sales, training, public speaking and self-development. Presentations format, media and purpose vary a lot - oral, multimedia, powerpoint presentations, short impromptu presentations, long planned presentations - but every successful presentation uses the principles explained here. Aside from presentations techniques, confidence and experience are big factors. You are not alone if the thought of speaking in public scares you. Giving a presentation is worrying for many people. Presenting or speaking to an audience regularly tops the list in surveys of people's top fears - more than heights, flying or dying. Put another way, "Most people would prefer to be lying in the casket than giving the eulogy" (ack. Michelle Ray).
A common physical reaction to having to speak in public is a release of adrenaline and cortisol into our system the equivalent to drinking seven cups of coffee. Our primative brain shuts down normal functions as the 'fight or flight' impulse takes over. (See FEAR under the acronyms section.)
But don't worry - your audience wants you to succeed. They're on your side. They're glad it's you up there and not them. All you need to do is follow the guidelines contained on this page, and everything will be fine. Don't try to get rid of the butterflies - just get them flying in formation.
Good preparation is the key to confidence, which is the key to you being relaxed.
Good preparation and rehearsal will reduce your nerves by 75%, increase the likelihood of avoiding errors to 95%, and let's face it, your audience will know if you've not done it. (presentations statistics from Fred Pryor Organisation)

presentations theory

Preparation and knowledge are the pre-requisites for a successful presentation, but confidence and control are just as important. Remember and apply Eleanor Roosevelt's maxim that...