For having a successful career, presentation skills are very critical. Even if you have the necessary knowledge, you cannot have a successful career if you do not possess those presentation skills. In case, you are asked to pick out a professional from a bunch of people, what would you normally do? Well, it’s really simple. What you do is throw a question at this bunch of people. The person who comes up with the most intelligent and well structured answer is probably the one you should select. So, generally what do the interviewers or recruiters look for in a candidate who goes for an interview? Have you ever thought about the solution to this? No doubt those degrees, those important qualifications and those invaluable experiences are important; but the most important of them all, are your presentation skills. The way you handle, frame and exhibit yourself is very important.Some people are undoubtedly blessed with presentation and influencing skills, but for those who are not, there are CDs, DVDs, journals and publications obtainable, for improving those skills. Reading this article can help too. So read on, to find more. Before you start, remember the phrase - “Practice makes a man perfect”.
Having pictorial illustrations simplify your presentations, for the audience. Pictures also augment your presentation.Do not lengthen the presentation too much. This kills the presentation. Twenty two minutes is considered as a standard time period for your presentation. Studies reveal that, people can remember three things about a presentation or any other lecture. Hence you need to think what these three things will be, before you start your presentation. Put up only these three things, on a slide. As stated above, “Practice makes a man perfect”. So, practice your presentation over and over, again. Studies reveal that this is the only thing that can improve your presentation skills. Include stories in your presentation. Use examples; and use your imagination to pep your presentation. Using your talent and your imagination is one of the most important presentation skills. Never put your speaker notes on the screen. Have a video camera set for yourself. Record yourself. This will help you to discover your own flaws and mistakes. By doing this, you can even pay attention to your body language. And this will at last help you to improve your presentation skills.
Knowing about the upcoming slides, avoid unnecessary pauses and skips, while running the presentation. Having an emergency plan is also very important. Nothing is predictable. Have a printed copy of your presentation, and presentation copy in a CD or a pen drive, for emergency purposes.
