importance of oral presentation in your career success

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Powerful and Effective Presentation Skills: More in Demand Now Than Ever

importance of oral presentation in your career success

When we talk with our L&D colleagues from around the globe, we often hear that presentation skills training is one of the top opportunities they’re looking to provide their learners. And this holds true whether their learners are individual contributors, people managers, or senior leaders. This is not surprising.

Effective communications skills are a powerful career activator, and most of us are called upon to communicate in some type of formal presentation mode at some point along the way.

For instance, you might be asked to brief management on market research results, walk your team through a new process, lay out the new budget, or explain a new product to a client or prospect. Or you may want to build support for a new idea, bring a new employee into the fold, or even just present your achievements to your manager during your performance review.

And now, with so many employees working from home or in hybrid mode, and business travel in decline, there’s a growing need to find new ways to make effective presentations when the audience may be fully virtual or a combination of in person and remote attendees.

Whether you’re making a standup presentation to a large live audience, or a sit-down one-on-one, whether you’re delivering your presentation face to face or virtually, solid presentation skills matter.

Even the most seasoned and accomplished presenters may need to fine-tune or update their skills. Expectations have changed over the last decade or so. Yesterday’s PowerPoint which primarily relied on bulleted points, broken up by the occasional clip-art image, won’t cut it with today’s audience.

The digital revolution has revolutionized the way people want to receive information. People expect presentations that are more visually interesting. They expect to see data, metrics that support assertions. And now, with so many previously in-person meetings occurring virtually, there’s an entirely new level of technical preparedness required.

The leadership development tools and the individual learning opportunities you’re providing should include presentation skills training that covers both the evergreen fundamentals and the up-to-date capabilities that can make or break a presentation.

So, just what should be included in solid presentation skills training? Here’s what I think.

The fundamentals will always apply When it comes to making a powerful and effective presentation, the fundamentals will always apply. You need to understand your objective. Is it strictly to convey information, so that your audience’s knowledge is increased? Is it to persuade your audience to take some action? Is it to convince people to support your idea? Once you understand what your objective is, you need to define your central message. There may be a lot of things you want to share with your audience during your presentation, but find – and stick with – the core, the most important point you want them to walk away with. And make sure that your message is clear and compelling.

You also need to tailor your presentation to your audience. Who are they and what might they be expecting? Say you’re giving a product pitch to a client. A technical team may be interested in a lot of nitty-gritty product detail. The business side will no doubt be more interested in what returns they can expect on their investment.

Another consideration is the setting: is this a formal presentation to a large audience with questions reserved for the end, or a presentation in a smaller setting where there’s the possibility for conversation throughout? Is your presentation virtual or in-person? To be delivered individually or as a group? What time of the day will you be speaking? Will there be others speaking before you and might that impact how your message will be received?

Once these fundamentals are established, you’re in building mode. What are the specific points you want to share that will help you best meet your objective and get across your core message? Now figure out how to convey those points in the clearest, most straightforward, and succinct way. This doesn’t mean that your presentation has to be a series of clipped bullet points. No one wants to sit through a presentation in which the presenter reads through what’s on the slide. You can get your points across using stories, fact, diagrams, videos, props, and other types of media.

Visual design matters While you don’t want to clutter up your presentation with too many visual elements that don’t serve your objective and can be distracting, using a variety of visual formats to convey your core message will make your presentation more memorable than slides filled with text. A couple of tips: avoid images that are cliched and overdone. Be careful not to mix up too many different types of images. If you’re using photos, stick with photos. If you’re using drawn images, keep the style consistent. When data are presented, stay consistent with colors and fonts from one type of chart to the next. Keep things clear and simple, using data to support key points without overwhelming your audience with too much information. And don’t assume that your audience is composed of statisticians (unless, of course, it is).

When presenting qualitative data, brief videos provide a way to engage your audience and create emotional connection and impact. Word clouds are another way to get qualitative data across.

Practice makes perfect You’ve pulled together a perfect presentation. But it likely won’t be perfect unless it’s well delivered. So don’t forget to practice your presentation ahead of time. Pro tip: record yourself as you practice out loud. This will force you to think through what you’re going to say for each element of your presentation. And watching your recording will help you identify your mistakes—such as fidgeting, using too many fillers (such as “umm,” or “like”), or speaking too fast.

A key element of your preparation should involve anticipating any technical difficulties. If you’ve embedded videos, make sure they work. If you’re presenting virtually, make sure that the lighting is good, and that your speaker and camera are working. Whether presenting in person or virtually, get there early enough to work out any technical glitches before your presentation is scheduled to begin. Few things are a bigger audience turn-off than sitting there watching the presenter struggle with the delivery mechanisms!

Finally, be kind to yourself. Despite thorough preparation and practice, sometimes, things go wrong, and you need to recover in the moment, adapt, and carry on. It’s unlikely that you’ll have caused any lasting damage and the important thing is to learn from your experience, so your next presentation is stronger.

How are you providing presentation skills training for your learners?

Manika Gandhi is Senior Learning Design Manager at Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning. Email her at [email protected] .

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, you can set yourself apart out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over. Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired together are more memorable); don’t underestimate the power of your voice (raise and lower it for emphasis); give your audience something extra (unexpected moments will grab their attention); rehearse (the best speakers are the best because they practice — a lot).

I was sitting across the table from a Silicon Valley CEO who had pioneered a technology that touches many of our lives — the flash memory that stores data on smartphones, digital cameras, and computers. He was a frequent guest on CNBC and had been delivering business presentations for at least 20 years before we met. And yet, the CEO wanted to sharpen his public speaking skills.

Carmine Gallo is a Harvard University instructor, keynote speaker, and author of 10 books translated into 40 languages. Gallo is the author of The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World’s Greatest Salesman (St. Martin’s Press).

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The Importance of Presentation Skills: That You Must Know About

Uncover The Importance of Presentation Skills in this comprehensive blog. Begin with a brief introduction to the art of effective presentations and its wide-reaching significance. Delve into the vital role of presentation skills in both your personal and professional life, understanding how they can shape your success.

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Table of Contents

1) A brief introduction to Presentation Skills

2) Importance of Presentation Skills in personal life

3) Importance of Presentation Skills in professional life

4) Tips to improve your Presentation Skills

5) Conclusion

A brief introduction to Presentation Skills

Presentation skills can be defined as the ability to deliver information confidently and persuasively to engage and influence the audience. Be it in personal or professional settings; mastering Presentation Skills empowers individuals to convey their ideas with clarity, build confidence, and leave a lasting impression. From public speaking to business pitches, honing these skills can lead to greater success in diverse spheres of life. You can also refer to various presentation skills interview questions and answer to build you confidence! This blog will also look into the advantages and disadvantages of presentations .It is therefore important to understand the elements of presentations .

Importance of Presentation Skills in personal life

Effective Presentation skills are not limited to professional settings alone; they play a significant role in personal life as well. Let us now dive deeper into the Importance of Presentation Skills in one’s personal life:

Expressing ideas clearly

In day-to-day conversations with family, friends, or acquaintances, having good Presentation skills enables you to articulate your thoughts and ideas clearly. Whether you're discussing plans for the weekend or sharing your opinions on a particular topic, being an effective communicator encourages better understanding and engagement.

Enhancing social confidence

Many individuals struggle with social anxiety or nervousness in social gatherings. Mastering Presentation skills helps boost self-confidence, making it easier to navigate social situations with ease. The ability to present yourself confidently and engage others in conversation enhances your social life and opens doors to new relationships.

Creating memories on special occasions

There are moments in life that call for public speaking, such as proposing a toast at a wedding, delivering a speech at a family gathering, or giving a Presentation during special events. Having polished Presentation skills enables you to leave a positive and lasting impression on the audience, making these occasions even more memorable.

Handling challenging conversations

Life often presents challenging situations that require delicate communication, such as expressing condolences or resolving conflicts. Strong Presentation skills help you convey your feelings and thoughts sensitively, encouraging effective and empathetic communication during difficult times.

Building stronger relationships

Being a skilled presenter means being a good listener as well. Active listening is a fundamental aspect of effective Presentations, and when applied in personal relationships, it strengthens bonds and builds trust. Empathising with others and showing genuine interest in their stories and opinions enhances the quality of your relationships.

Advocating for personal goals

Whether you're pursuing personal projects or seeking support for a cause you're passionate about, the ability to present your ideas persuasively helps garner support and enthusiasm from others. This can be beneficial in achieving personal goals and making a positive impact on your community.

Inspiring and motivating others

In one’s personal life, Presentation skills are not just about delivering formal speeches; they also involve inspiring and motivating others through your actions and words. Whether you're sharing your experiences, mentoring someone, or encouraging loved ones during tough times, your Presentation skills can be a source of inspiration for others.

Exuding leadership traits

Effective Presentation skills go hand in hand with leadership qualities. Being able to communicate clearly and influence others' perspectives positions you as a leader within your family, social circles, or community. Leadership in personal life involves guiding and supporting others towards positive outcomes.

Unlock your full potential as a presenter with our Presentation Skills Training Course. Join now!

Importance of Presentation Skills in professional life

Effective Presentation skills are a vital asset for career growth and success in professional life. Let us now explore the importance of Presentation skills for students and workers:

Impressing employers and clients

During job interviews or business meetings, a well-delivered Presentation showcases your knowledge, confidence, and ability to communicate ideas effectively. It impresses employers, clients, and potential investors, leaving a positive and memorable impression that can tilt the scales in your favour.

Advancing in your career

In the corporate world, promotions and career advancements often involve presenting your achievements, ideas, and future plans to decision-makers. Strong Presentation skills demonstrate your leadership potential and readiness for higher responsibilities, opening doors to new opportunities.

Effective team collaboration

As a professional, you often need to present projects, strategies, or updates to your team or colleagues. A compelling Presentation facilitates better understanding and association among team members, leading to more productive and successful projects.

Persuasive selling techniques

For sales and marketing professionals, Presentation skills are instrumental in persuading potential customers to choose your products or services. An engaging sales pitch can sway buying decisions, leading to increased revenue and business growth.

Creating impactful proposals

In the corporate world, proposals are crucial for securing new partnerships or business deals. A well-structured and compelling Presentation can make your proposal stand out and increase the chances of successful negotiations.

Gaining and retaining clients

Whether you are a freelancer, consultant, or business owner, Presentation skills play a key role in winning and retaining clients. A captivating Presentation not only convinces clients of your capabilities but also builds trust and promotes long-term relationships.

Enhancing public speaking engagements

Professional life often involves speaking at conferences, seminars, or industry events. Being a confident and engaging speaker allows you to deliver your message effectively, position yourself as an expert, and expand your professional network.

Influencing stakeholders and decision-makers

As you climb the corporate ladder, you may find yourself presenting to senior management or board members. Effective Presentations are essential for gaining support for your ideas, projects, or initiatives from key stakeholders.

Handling meetings and discussions

In meetings, being able to present your thoughts clearly and concisely contributes to productive discussions and efficient decision-making. It ensures that your ideas are understood and considered by colleagues and superiors.

Professional development

Investing time in honing Presentation skills is a form of professional development. As you become a more effective presenter, you become a more valuable asset to your organisation and industry.

Building a personal brand

A strong personal brand is vital for professional success. Impressive Presentations contribute to building a positive reputation and positioning yourself as a thought leader or industry expert.

Career transitions and interviews

When seeking new opportunities or transitioning to a different industry, Presentation Skills are essential for communicating your transferable skills and showcasing your adaptability to potential employers.

Take your Presentations to the next level with our Effective Presentation Skills & Techniques Course. Sign up today!

Tips to improve your Presentation Skills

Now that you know about the importance of presentation skills in personal and professional life, we will now provide you with tips to Improve Your Presentation Skills .

1) Know your audience: Understand the demographics and interests of your audience to tailor your Presentation accordingly.

2) Practice regularly: Rehearse your speech multiple times to refine content and delivery.

3) Seek feedback: Gather feedback from peers or mentors to identify areas for improvement.

4) Manage nervousness: Use relaxation techniques to overcome nervousness before presenting.

5) Engage with eye contact: Maintain eye contact with the audience to establish a connection.

6) Use clear visuals: Utilise impactful visuals to complement your spoken words.

7) Emphasise key points: Highlight important information to enhance audience retention.

8) Employ body language: Use confident and purposeful gestures to convey your message.

9) Handle Q&A confidently: Prepare for potential questions and answer them with clarity.

10) Add personal stories: Include relevant anecdotes to make your Presentation more relatable.

All in all, Presentation skills are a valuable asset, impacting both personal and professional realms of life. By mastering these skills, you can become a more effective communicator, a confident professional, and a persuasive influencer. Continuous improvement and adaptation to technological advancements will ensure you stay ahead in this competitive world.

Want to master the art of impactful Presentations? Explore our Presentation Skills Courses and elevate your communication prowess!

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12 Ways to Improve Your Presentation Skills [for Work & Life]

According to research by the National Institute of Mental Health, around 75% of people list public speaking as their number one fear , even higher than their fear of death!

At the same time, though, presentation skills are among the most in-demand skills for just about any job out there .

Want to get over your fear of public speaking, improve your presentation skills, and give your career a huge boost?

You’re in the right place! This article is here to tell you everything you need to know about presentation skills from A to Z:

9 Types of Presentations and Delivery Methods
12 Steps to Giving Better Presentations
5 Ways to Improve Your Presentation Skills

How to Add Your Presentation Skills to Your Resume

And more! Let’s dive in.

What Are Presentation Skills?

Presentation skills are soft skills that allow you to present information clearly in front of an audience.

As such, these skills come in handy in all kinds of situations, including:

Work. For example, giving a presentation in front of your team, pitching a new idea, etc.
School or university. E.g., giving an oral presentation about a subject or presenting a master's thesis.
Personal life. E.g. giving a speech at your best friend’s wedding or a toast at a restaurant.

No matter the situation, people with strong presentation skills typically possess the following skills:

Body language
Public speaking
Communication skills
Emotional intelligence

Why Are Presentation Skills Important?

But, what exactly makes presentation skills so important in basically every life area?

Here are their most noteworthy benefits:

Increased employability. Presentation skills come in handy for many positions across all industries. 70% of respondents in a Prezi study said that presentation skills are critical for career success. As such, presentation skills are transferable skills that can instantly make you more employable.
Higher academic performance. In the US, most university classes involve a presentation assignment or two. As such, being good at presenting is essential if you want to succeed academically.
Effective networking. Having great presentation skills translates into great communication skills, which, in turn, helps you get better at professional networking .
Improved confidence. Being able to speak in front of an audience can be a serious confidence booster, easily translating to other areas in life.

9 Types of Presentation and Delivery Methods

There are several types of presentations out there.

Some presentations are meant to inspire the audience (such as motivational talks), while others are simply meant to instruct or inform (HR giving a presentation about company policies to new employees).

Here are the five most common types of presentations, explained:

Persuasive presentations are meant to persuade the audience to make a decision, support a cause, side with a particular argument, and so on. A salesman pitching a product to a potential customer is an example of a persuasive presentation.
Informative presentations aim to inform the audience about a topic, procedure, product, benefit, etc. An example of an informative presentation is a weatherman reading the weather report on TV.
Inspirational presentations are meant to inspire the audience and potentially boost their confidence or morale. In a business setting, inspirational presentations are meant to motivate employees to perform better or get through tough times. In day-to-day life, on the other hand, an inspirational presentation could be trying to motivate a friend to do better at school.
Educational presentations , just like the name implies, aim to educate the audience. Professors giving a lecture or tour guides speaking to museum visitors are examples of educational presentations.
Instructional presentations are about instructing or guiding the audience on a set of guidelines, a new policy, a certain law, etc. An example of an instructional presentation is a flight attendant instructing passengers on what to do in case of an emergency.

On the same note, there are also 4 common ways presentations are delivered:

Extemporaneous presentations. These presentations are planned, but you deliver them without preparation.
Manuscript presentations are presentations you deliver based on a script or notes.
Impromptu presentations aren’t planned but rather delivered on the spot.
Memorized presentations are those you learn by heart from start to finish.

11 Tips on How to Give Better Presentations

Looking to improve your presentation skills?

There’s good news and bad news.

The good news is that, with enough practice, you can get really good at delivering presentations.

The bad news, though, is that just like any other soft skill, in order to get good at delivering presentations, you’ll have to practice a lot.

To help get you started, below, we’re going to cover 12 of our best tips on how to improve your presentation skills, starting with:

#1. Prepare your presentation in advance

Impromptu presentations don’t happen that often in real life. Most times, you’ll have enough time to prepare for your presentation.

Needless to say, you should use that time to your advantage. Don’t just make mental notes of what you’ll say during your presentation and call it a day, but actually plan it out from start to finish.

When preparing your presentation in advance, make sure to consider the following points:

What type of presentation are you making?
What is your speech delivery method?
How are you going to grab the audience’s attention from the get-go?
What are the main points you need to cover?
What is the best way to make the conclusion memorable?
How much time do you have at your disposal?
What visual aids and multimedia can you use?
What does the audience expect to see/hear?

#2. Practice as much as possible

Just like with any other soft skill, the best way to hone your presentation skills is to practice as much as possible.

Some ways you can practice your presentation skills are:

In front of a mirror or in front of your friends and family.
Watch TED talks to get inspired and learn what good presentation skills look like.
Read books on communication, presentation, and public speaking.
Take extensive notes of what you need to improve.
Record and time yourself when doing presentations.
Hire a public speaking coach on Fiverr or another platform.
Take a public speaking course at your local community college.

The more you practice, the better your presentation skills are going to get.

Also, when practicing, make sure to pay attention to your tonality, body language, and whether you’re using a lot of crutch words .

#3. Exercise

Yes, really.

Exercise can help improve your presentation skills!

Some ways it does so are:

It boosts the levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline, all of which are known to improve your mood and regulate your anxiety.
It improves your ability to focus and pay attention, benefits which can last for up to two hours after your workout .
It strengthens and protects your memory, making it easy to recall words.

Now, when it comes to how much you should exercise, that can differ from one person to the next.

We say - find a golden mean that works best for you. If you’re not big on exercising, you can always start small with something casual like biking to work or playing a sport once or twice a week.

#4. Arrive early

By arriving early for your presentation, you can deal with any possible setbacks (e.g. mic not working, USB failure, wardrobe malfunction, etc).

This will give you plenty of time to start your presentation on your terms, instead of running around trying to fix things at the last minute.

Not to mention, in certain situations arriving early can also help you to prepare mentally and emotionally for the upcoming presentation.

Obviously, a casual presentation in front of coworkers won’t require much emotional preparation. But if you have to, say, pitch a marketing idea to your clients or address a room full of strangers, getting to exchange some words with them before the presentation could break the ice and make it easier to engage with them later on.

#5. Know your audience

You should always keep your audience in mind when making (and delivering) a presentation.

At the end of the day, if your message is not tailored to its audience, chances are, it’s going to fall flat.

If your audience is a group of 50-somethings, high-level executives, chances are they won’t get your Rick and Morty references or appreciate any attempts to keep the presentation light, casual, and humorous.

Instead, stick to talking about facts and figures without any joking around, use straightforward language, and avoid over-the-top body language while delivering the presentation.

If on the other hand, you’re delivering a presentation to your class of 20-somethings, then you’re a lot more likely to make an impact if you joke around, make references, and make the presentation more casual.

In short, if you want your presentation to carry as much impact as possible, make sure to think about who you’re presenting to.

#6. Use Relaxation Techniques

Even the most seasoned public speakers experience some level of anxiety before giving a presentation.

To make sure nerves and anxiety don’t throw you off your A-game, you can take advantage of relaxation techniques.

One of the simplest (and most effective) ways to relax before a presentation is to breathe.

When we say breathing, though, we don’t mean the automatic in-and-out we do to stay alive. We mean taking deep, relaxing breaths from your stomach while being mindful of what you’re doing.

Here’s how breathing mindfully before your presentation can help you give a better presentation:

Calms your nerves
Reduces stress
Helps with anxiety

To practice mindful breathing, focus on breathing from your stomach and push your stomach out each time you inhale. When you’re inhaling and exhaling, count to at least three for each breath.

Keep doing this and you’ll soon start feeling more relaxed.

#7. Acknowledge That You’re Nervous

People appreciate honesty.

If you go on stage feeling extremely nervous, use this neat little trick:

Instead of trying to play it cool, simply acknowledge that you’re feeling nervous by straight-up saying it.

Chances are, a very large chunk of your audience feels exactly the same way about public speaking, and you’ll build up some rapport just like that!

This same exact tip even applies to job interviews. You can simply tell the recruiters that you’re feeling nervous and need a minute - that’s totally acceptable!

Unless you’re applying for a job in sales, the job interviewer is not going to be evaluating you on how good you are at passing interviews.

#8. Tell stories

Storytelling is a powerful presentation tool. According to the Guardian, 63% of presentation attendees remember stories , while only 5% remember statistics.

That’s because a good story can take the audience on a journey, intrigue them, inspire them, and motivate them. In turn, they’re much more likely to remember your presentation.

There are several ways you can go about incorporating stories into your presentation.

One is to tie your own stories, along with what you experienced, learned, or observed, to make your argument more impactful and relatable. Alternatively, you can also create a story for the sake of the presentation that can be just as impactful in driving your point across.

Keep in mind, though, that not every presentation requires storytelling. If your presentation is packed with data and stats showing how you managed to improve profits by 20% in the last quarter, for example, then you don’t really need to include a story in there to make it impactful.

#9. Be humorous

This one’s quite self-explanatory; as much as you can, be humorous during your presentation. It helps ease tension, get the attention of everyone in the room, and connect with them more effectively.

Now, some people are born with humor. If you’re one of them, cracking a joke here and there should come very naturally to you.

Otherwise, you can practice your presentation in front of your friends and family and prepare your jokes in advance. If your mock audience laughs at your jokes, chances are, so will your real audience!

#10. Use visual aids and media

Using visuals and other media forms (e.g. music, videos, infographics, etc.), can make your presentation significantly more engaging, memorable, and striking.

Say, for example, that your presentation consists entirely of numbers and data. You can use data visualization (e.g. charts, graphs, and maps), to make the data stick with your audience better.

Or, if you’re a lecturer at a university, you’ll want to use as many pictures, videos, and even music to help your students remember the information you’re transmitting.

Some of the most popular ways to make your presentations as visual as possible involve using:

Whiteboards
Presentation applications

#11. Engage the audience

To give a truly memorable presentation, engage your audience as much as possible.

Instead of speaking to your audience, try to speak with your audience.

What we mean by this is that you should be very proactive in getting your audience involved in your presentation. Ask questions, get them to share stories, and so on.

Some examples of how you can effectively engage an audience are:

Asking a random audience member to share their experience on a topic.
Doing a count of hands (e.g. “Has anyone done X? Can I see a count of hands?” or “Which one of you guys likes Y? Raise your hands.” )
Do an on-the-spot poll (e.g. “How many of you guys do X?” or “how many of you guys think Y?” )
Making time for a Q&A at the end of your presentation.

6 Ways to Improve Your Presentation Skills

Just like any other skill, presentation skills can be learned and improved. So, if you’re looking to improve your presentation skills, follow the tips below:

Take every public speaking opportunity you get. The best way to learn presentation skills is by doing it. So, take every opportunity you get. E.g. volunteer to present a project, say a toast at your friend's wedding, etc.
Check these TED talks. Is there anything TED talks haven’t covered? Check out these talks that can teach you how to give awesome presentations: “ Giving Presentations Worth Listening To ”, “ the secret structure of great talks ,” and “ the science of stage fright (and how to overcome it) ”.
Take public speaking classes. Udemy, Coursera, and LinkedIn all have great public speaking courses. Or, even better, take a class at your local college. This way, you’ll get a lot more practice than by taking an online class.
Attend other presentations. This one’s pretty self-explanatory. The more presentations you attend, the more you can learn from others’ successes or failures.
Grow your confidence. Speak in front of friends and family, film yourself, and accept constructive criticism. Soon enough, you’ll be confident enough to give excellent presentations!
Ask for feedback. How can you improve your presentation skills if you don’t know where you’re lacking? After your presentation, ask one or two members of your audience for personal, one-on-one feedback on how you did.

If you want to show a potential employer that you’ve got presentation skills, you’ll need to highlight them on your resume.

And in this section, we’ll teach you just how to do that!

Before you do that, though, make sure to grab one of our free resume templates!

#1. List Your Presentation Skills Under Your Soft Skills

The first and most obvious place to list your presentation skills is under your skills section .

This part is pretty straightforward. Your skills section should be divided into “soft skills” and “hard skills” and look something like this:

Simply add “Presentation Skills” under the “Soft Skills” section, and you’re good to go.

#2. Mention Your Presentation Skills in Your Resume Summary

If presentation skills are super important for the role you’re applying for, you can also include them in your resume summary :

In a nutshell, the resume summary is a short paragraph on top of your resume that typically mentions:

Your title and years of experience
Your most noteworthy achievements
Your top skills and qualifications

Done right, this section should highlight all your strong points right from the get-go and get the hiring manager to go through the rest of your resume in more detail.

Here’s an example of a resume summary that effectively mentions the candidate’s presentation skills:

Sales professional with 7 years of experience in sales presentations and lead generation. Excellent public speaking skills. Track record of converting prospects into loyal customers.

#3. Prove Presentation Skills Through Your Work Experience

Lastly (and most importantly), you should use your work experience section to prove that you’ve got the presentation skills you mentioned in your skills section.

Here’s exactly how you can do that:

Keep your work experience section relevant. List recent and relevant positions. Omit outdated and irrelevant ones. For example, if you’re applying for a customer service position, you can mention the time you worked, say, as a receptionist. Your teen job mowing lawns, on the other hand? Not as important.
Focus on achievements instead of responsibilities. Instead of telling the hiring manager what they already know (your responsibilities), focus on showing them how you made an impact with your achievements. A way to do that is to write down a couple of achievements for every presentation skill that you include under your soft skills.
Make your achievements quantifiable . Adding numbers to your achievements makes them significantly more impressive. “Delivered a presentation that closed a 6-figure client” is a lot more powerful than “Delivered client presentations,” right?
Use action verbs and power words. Presentation skills are also about how you present yourself in your resume. Avoid dry and unimaginative language and go for these action verbs and power words instead.

Key Takeaways

And that’s about all you need to know to improve your presentation skills!

Before you go, though, here’s a quick recap of everything we covered in this article:

Presentation skills are soft skills that allow you to present information clearly and convey your message effectively.
Some important presentation skills include public speaking, communication, persuasion, creativity, humor, and emotional intelligence.
Presentation skills can increase your employability, improve your academic performance, make it easier to network, and help you grow professionally.
Some steps you can take to give better presentations are to prepare in advance, practice as much as possible, exercise regularly, be humorous, use visual aids and multimedia, engage the audience, and accept that you’re nervous.
To improve your presentation skills, watch videos that teach you how to give great presentations, attend public speaking classes and other presentations, and grow your confidence.
List your presentation skills under your skills section, mention them in your resume summary, and prove them with your achievements in the work experience section.

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Why presentation skills are so important to your career success

As someone who has trained thousands of people in persuasive presentation skills over much of the past two decades, anyone can be an exceptional presenter. It’s just a matter of knowing what to do and doing it.

--> Michelle Bowden
--> October 19, 2018
3 minute read

Why presentation skills are so important to your career success

Most of us have had the experience where a business meeting just goes wrong. Where the presenter either didn’t grab your attention from the start or where they lost control of the presentation at some stage.

But the real question is, have you ever been the presenter who delivered a ‘less than successful’ business presentation or pitch for your services? Have you ever facilitated a meeting that ended in your client or colleagues walking out at the end, busting to get back to work, with no intention whatsoever of implementing anything you have just talked to them about? Have you ever pitched in business and afterwards felt terrible, because you know deep down that there is no way your potential client feels compelled to engage in a business partnership with you in any way, shape or form? At the time, it feels like the meeting was a huge waste of time for you, for them and for your business.

Interestingly, most people think of presenting as something separate from life; as something we only do when there’s a lectern, some slides and an audience. But just because you don’t have to make big pitches to a board or represent your company at an industry conference doesn’t mean you don’t present to people. We present to people with the intention to influence them every single day. We present to our colleagues, our staff or managers, our suppliers and potential clients. You are presenting yourself every day at work whether you realise it or not, and presentation skills are critical when you are trying to get ahead in business.

The more successful entrepreneurs I meet, the more I realise that regardless of their intelligence and business acumen, regardless of their excellent products or service and regardless of their commitment to their business, these successful people have one thing in common. They know how to present their ideas in a compelling, influential and memorable way. They know how to structure their thoughts, how to connect with people, and they say what they want to say in a way that resonates with their audience. They inspire and compel their audiences to take action!

Let’s be clear on what is meant by presenting

I believe presenting is any form of communication with another person (including face to face, over the phone, by email or through the internet), from one-on-one, to small and large groups. And I believe we present both formally and informally. In short, most people in business present regularly every single day of their life.

Presenting is about connecting with people through the words you choose to say and the way you choose to say them. When you present you show people who you are and how you can help them. It’s an opportunity to step up and be noticed for what you can offer. Presenting provides a unique opportunity for you to showcase your professional expertise and accelerate your career.

It doesn’t matter how good your message is if no one’s listening

You may have thought that you were just running another team meeting, but your team members that morning were hoping it would be a motivational event that would encourage them to work harder and not apply for that job with your competitor.

You may have thought that this was just another prospective client as you answered the phone to convert the business – but this ‘potential client’ has already spoken to your three closest competitors as they shop around for the best solution to their problem.

You may have thought that you were just a small part of the picture, just the technical expert with the graphs and charts, but the client was watching the way you presented your information with a plan to refer you to their biggest supplier.

You may have thought you were just answering another email inquiry that came through your website contacts page, but the person inquiring actually turned over millions of dollars this year and absolutely needed long-term financial advice. The minute you connected with them they were judging your interpersonal skills.

Presentation skills really matter

In case you’re not yet convinced, in a business context, audience members or clients will typically give you less than five minutes to prove yourself before completely switching off.

My research in Australia (conducted with over 800 employees from small, medium and large businesses) has found that if you are an effective business presenter, you are in the minority. When asked about workplace presenters they had seen in the last 12 months:

- Only 38 per cent of respondents thought presenters understood their needs as a client.

- More than half the respondents said that presenters generally read from their PowerPoint slides.

- Only 40 per cent of respondents found presenters to be engaging.

- Only 28 per cent of respondents said that they were moved to action after seeing presenters.

So what does all this mean?

It means we are typically going to too many boring meetings and workplace presentations where the presenter is not enjoying themselves, and the audience is enjoying themselves even less! It’s critical you remember that anyone can be an exceptional presenter. It’s just a matter of knowing what to do and doing it.

Every important presentation should be planned, and the good news is that the more practised or accomplished you are at crafting your message, the more efficient and productive you will become.

Michelle Bowden, managing director, Michelle Bowden Enterprises

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Career Planning
Skills Development

Important Presentation Skills for Workplace Success

What Are Presentation Skills?

Steps To Create a Presentation

Skills that help make an effective presentation, how to make your skills stand out.

xavierarnau / Getty Images

Whether you’re a high-level executive or an administrative assistant, developing your presentation skills is one key way to climb in an office-based job. Leaders make decisions based on information shared in presentation format, and hardly any business changes its mind without first seeing a persuasive presentation.

It is important for any office employee to know what steps go into creating an effective presentation and what presentation skills are most important to employers. Highlighting these skills will also help you stand out during your job search.

Key Takeaways

Presentation skills are what you need to know to be able to give an engaging, effective presentation.
The steps to creating a successful presentation are preparation, delivery, and follow-up.
Employers want to know you have the necessary skills to research, analyze, and create a presentation, plus the communication skills needed to deliver it and field questions afterward.
You can highlight your skills to employers through your resume, cover letter, and interview.

What Are Presentation Skills?

Presentation skills refer to all the qualities you need to create and deliver a clear and effective presentation. While what you say during a presentation matters, employers also value the ability to create supporting materials, such as slides.

Your prospective employer may want you to deliver briefings and reports to colleagues, conduct training sessions, present information to clients, or perform any number of other tasks that involve speaking before an audience.

Giving engaging and easy-to-understand talks is a major component of the strong oral communication skills that are a job requirement for many positions. Not all presentations take place in a formal meeting. Many presentation skills are relevant to one-on-one consults or sales calls.

Any presentation has three phases: preparation, delivery, and follow-up. All presentation skills fit into one of these three phases.

Preparation

Preparation involves research and building the presentation. Consider the audience you'll be presenting to and what most interests them. This may mean crafting the entire text (or at least writing notes) and creating any slides and other supporting audio/visual materials.

You will also have to make sure that the appropriate venue is available, properly set up beforehand, and ensure the projector (if you'll need one) works and connects with your laptop.

You'll also want to practice your presentation as many times as you need to to feel comfortable delivering it with ease and confidence within the time allotted for the presentation.

Skills related to preparation include conducting research related to your presentation topic, devising charts and graphs depicting your research findings, and learning about your audience to better tailor your presentation to their needs. You'll also need to create digital slides, using statistics, examples, and stories to illustrate your points and effectively to persuade the audience.

Preparing handouts or digital references is an added courtesy that will help the audience pay attention because they won't be preoccupied with note-taking.

Your delivery is the part of the presentation that the audience sees. A good delivery depends on careful preparation and confident presentation and requires its own distinctive skill set .

Skills related to delivery include giving an attention-grabbing opening for a talk, providing a summary of what will be covered to introduce the presentation and provide context, and using body language and eye contact to convey energy and confidence.

Make sure you pause to emphasize key points, modulate your vocal tone for emphasis, and articulate your speech clearly and smoothly.

Don't be afraid of injecting humor or speaking with enthusiasm and animation—these techniques can help you in projecting confidence to your audience.

Summarize key points at the conclusion of the presentation, and be sure to have a plan for how you'll field any audience questions.

Presentation follow-up includes properly breaking down and storing any equipment, contacting any audience members with whom you agreed to communicate further, and soliciting, collecting, and analyzing feedback.

In some presentations, you may collect information from audience members—such as names and contact information or completed surveys—that you also must organize and store.

Skills related to follow-up include creating an evaluation form to solicit feedback from attendees, interpreting feedback from evaluations, and modifying the content and/or delivery for future presentations. Other follow-up skills include organizing a database of attendees for future presentations, interviewing key attendees to gain additional feedback, and emailing presentation slides to attendees.

To create and deliver the most effective presentation takes a variety of skills, which you can always work to improve.

You must be able to look honestly at your performance, assess the feedback you get, and figure out what you need to do to get better. That takes analytical thinking .

More importantly, you need to have a firm grasp of the information you are about to communicate to others. You need to analyze your audience and be prepared to think quickly if asked questions that force you to demonstrate that you are fully aware of the material and its implications.

The kind of analytical skills you need to be an effective presenter include problem sensitivity, problem-solving , reporting and surveying, optimization, and predictive modeling. It also helps to be adept at strategic planning, integration, process management, and diagnostics. With these skills, you'll be better able to objectively analyze, evaluate, and act on your findings.

Organization

You do not want to be the person who spends half of their presentation time trying to find a cable to connect their laptop to the projector. Many things can and do go wrong just before a presentation unless you are organized .

Presentation preparation also means keeping track of notes, information, and start/stop times. You will want to proofread and fine-tune all the materials you plan to use for the presentation to catch any mistakes. Make sure you time yourself when you rehearse so you know how long it will take to deliver the presentation.

A presentation that's finished in half the time allotted is as problematic as one that's too long-winded.

Some key organizational skills to work on include event planning, auditing, benchmarking, prioritization, and recordkeeping. Make sure your scheduling is on point and pay close attention to detail. Quick thinking is an important skill to have for when things inevitably go wrong.

Nonverbal Communication

When speaking to an audience, the way you present yourself can be just as important as how you present your information. You want to appear confident and engaging. You can do this through good posture, the use of hand gestures, and making eye contact with the audience.

Practice your nonverbal communication by filming yourself doing a practice presentation and observing your body language carefully. Your physical bearing and poise should convey a degree of comfort and confidence in front of an audience, while active listening , respect, and emotional intelligence will help you in facilitating group discussions.

Presentation Software

Microsoft PowerPoint is the dominant software used to create visual aids for presentations. Learn to use it well, including the special features outside of basic templates that can really bring a presentation to life. Even if someone else is preparing your slideshow for you, it will help to know how to use the software in case of last-minute changes.

Other software that is good to learn includes Microsoft Office, Apple Keynote, Google Slides, and Adobe Presenter.

Public Speaking

You need to appear comfortable and engaging when speaking before a live audience, even if you're not. This can take years of practice, and sometimes public speaking just isn't for certain people. An uncomfortable presenter is a challenge for everyone. Fortunately, public speaking skills can improve with practice . Some skills to work on include articulation, engagement, and memorization. You should be able to assess the needs of the audience and handle difficult questions. Controlling your performance anxiety will help you communicate more effectively.

Research is the first step in preparing most presentations and could range from a multi-year process to spending 20 minutes online, depending on context and subject matter. At the very least, you must be able to clearly frame research questions, identify appropriate information sources, and organize your results. Other useful skills include brainstorming, collaboration , comparative analysis, data interpretation, and deductive and inductive reasoning. Business intelligence is a skill that will help you evaluate what information you need to support the bottom line, while case analysis and causal relationships will help you parse and evaluate meaning.

Verbal Communication

Public speaking is one form of verbal communication , but you will need other forms to give a good presentation. Specifically, you must know how to answer questions. You should be able to understand questions asked by your audience (even if they're strange or poorly worded) and provide respectful, honest, and accurate answers without getting off-topic. Use active listening, focus, and empathy to understand your audience. Skills such as assertiveness, affirmation, and enunciation will help you restate and clarify your key points as it relates to their questions or concerns.

You may or may not need a written script, but you do need to pre-plan what you are going to say, in what order you will say it, and at what level of detail. If you can write a cohesive essay, you can plan a presentation.

Typical writing skills apply to your presentation just as they do to other forms of writing, including grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and proofreading. The ability to build outlines, take notes, and mark up documents will also be useful.

14.3: Importance of Oral Presentations

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Arley Cruthers
Kwantlen Polytechnic University

In the workplace, and during your university career, you will likely be asked to give oral presentations. An oral presentation is a key persuasive tool. If you work in marketing, for example, you will often be asked to “pitch” campaigns to clients. Even though these pitches could happen over email, the face-to-face element allows marketers to connect with the client, respond to questions, demonstrate their knowledge and bring their ideas to life through storytelling.

In this section, we’ll focus on public speaking. While this section focuses on public speaking advocacy, you can bring these tools to everything from a meeting where you’re telling your colleagues about the results of a project to a keynote speech at a conference.

Imagine your favourite public speaker. When Meggie (one of the authors of this section) imagines a memorable speaker, she often thinks of her high school English teacher, Mrs. Permeswaran. You may be skeptical of her choice, but Mrs. Permeswaran captured the students’ attention daily. How? By providing information through stories and examples that felt relatable, reasonable, and relevant. Even with a room of students, Meggie often felt that the English teacher was just talking to her . Students worked hard, too, to listen, using note-taking and subtle nods (or confused eyebrows) to communicate that they cared about what was being said.

Now imagine your favourite public speaker. Who comes to mind? A famous comedian like Jen Kirkman? An ac

Laverne Cox speaking at the Missouri Theatre

tivist like Laverne Cox? Perhaps you picture Barack Obama. What makes them memorable for you? Were they funny? Relatable? Dynamic? Confident? Try to think beyond what they said to how they made you feel . What they said certainly matters, but we are often less inclined to remember the what without a powerful how — how they delivered their message; how their performance implicated us or called us in; how they made us feel or how they asked us to think or act differently.

In this chapter, we provide an introduction to public speaking by exploring what it is and why it’s impactful as a communication process. Specifically, we invite you to consider public speaking as a type of advocacy. When you select information to share with others, you are advocating for the necessity of that information to be heard. You are calling on the audience and calling them in to listen to your perspective. Even the English teacher above was advocating that sentence structure and proper writing were important ideas to integrate. She was a trusted speaker, too, given her credibility.

Before we continue our conversation around advocacy, let’s first start with a brief definition of public speaking.

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Effective Oral Presentations

Verbally (and as a general rule), do not write down and memorize or read your full text, because then your presentation will sound like what it is: a recited written text. Instead, memorize the outline of your presentation — that is, a tree structure of main points and subpoints — and speak ex tempore, reinventing the words as you go along. As you do, you will occasionally need to think about what to say next and find the most appropriate words to say it. Instead of using filler words ( um , er , you know , I mean , etc.), simply pause. If you say um , you get about half a second of thinking time and the audience is likely to notice the um and be irritated by it. If you keep silent, you can get up to two or three seconds of thinking time without the audience noticing anything. Even if attendees do notice the silence, they will simply think that you are choosing your words carefully — and there is nothing wrong with that.

Despite pointing often at the screen, Marie nicely faces the audience with her body at all times, keeps her hands down between gestures, and maintains eye contact with the attendees. Transcript Vocally, vary the tone, rate, and volume of your voice as a function of the meaning, complexity, and importance of what you are saying. You need not invent a new intonation pattern: You simply need to amplify your normal pattern.

Visually, control your body. Adopt a stable, confident position; move only when you have a positive reason to do so (for example, move closer to the audience for taking questions), not when your body seems to ask for it. When you make a gesture, make it large and deliberate; between gestures, bring your hands down and do not fidget. Establish eye contact: Engage the audience by looking them straight in the eyes.

At all times, make sure you address the audience. Even if you have slides, tell the audience your story in a stand-alone way; do not just explain your slides. In particular, anticipate your slides. You should know at all times what your next slide is about so you can insert an appropriate transition.

Delivering as a non-native speaker

To keep the audience engaged , Jean-luc emphasizes his points with facial expressions, purposeful gestures, and — especially — a high dynamic range in his vocal delivery. Transcript If you are a non-native speaker of English, you may find it more challenging to speak ex tempore in English than in your native language. Still, even imperfect extemporaneous English is more likely to engage the audience than reciting a more polished, less spontaneous written text. To improve your delivery and overall presentation as a non-native speaker, practice more, pace yourself, and support your spoken discourse with appropriate slides.

While all speakers benefit from practicing their presentations multiple times, consider investing more time in such practice if you are less familiar with the language. Practicing helps you identify missing vocabulary, including key technical terms (which are difficult to circumvent), and express your ideas more fluently. As you practice, you may want to prepare a list of difficult words (to review on the day of your presentation) or write down an occasional complex yet crucial sentence. Still, do not feel bound to what you write down. These notes should be a help, not a constraint.

Practicing in front of an audience (a few colleagues, for example) can help you correct or refine your pronunciation. If you are unsure how to pronounce some words or phrases, you can ask native speakers in advance or check online dictionaries that offer phonetic spelling or audio rendering. Still, you may be unaware of certain words you mispronounce; a practice audience can point these words out to you if you invite it to do so.

During your presentation, pace yourself. As a non-native speaker, you may feel you need to search for your words more often or for a longer time than in your native language, but the mechanism is the same. Do not let this challenge pressure you. Give yourself the time you need to express your ideas clearly. Silence is not your enemy; it is your friend.

Pacing yourself also means speaking more slowly than you otherwise might, especially if you have an accent in English. Accents are common among non-native speakers — and among specific groups of native speakers, too — and they are not a problem as long as they are mild. Often, they are experienced as charming. Still, they take some getting used to. Remember to slow down, especially at the beginning of a presentation, so your audience can get used to your accent, whether native or not.

Handling stage fright and mishaps

Most speakers, even experienced ones, are nervous before or during an oral presentation. Such stage fright is normal and even reassuring: It shows that you care, and you should care if you want to deliver an effective presentation. Accordingly, accept your stage fright rather than feeling guilty about it. Instead of trying to suppress nervousness, strive to focus your nervous energy in your voice, your gestures, and your eye contact. Do not let it dissipate into entropy, such as by using filler words or engaging in nervous mannerisms.

Among the many ways to keep your nerves under control, perhaps the most effective one is to focus constructively on your purpose at all times. Before your presentation, eliminate all the unknowns: Prepare your presentation well, identify (or even meet) your audience, and know the room. During the presentation, do what it takes to get your message across, even if it means doing something differently than you had planned. Have a positive attitude about the presentation at all times: Visualize what you want to achieve, not what you want to avoid.

Even with careful preparation, mishaps can occur. For example, technology may fail, you may forget what you wanted to say, or you may accidentally say the wrong thing. As a rule, do not apologize for what happens — neither in advance nor after the fact. Although well-meant, such apologies provide no benefit to the audience: They are noise. If you can do something about the problem, such as fix the technology or insert what you forgot later in the presentation, concentrate on doing so instead of apologizing. If the problem is out of your control, then there is no need to apologize for it. As a specific example, if you feel your command of English is poor, then do what you can in advance to improve it; in particular, practice your presentation thoroughly. Then, on the day of the presentation, do your best with the command you have, but do not apologize at the beginning of the presentation for what you think is poor English. This apology will not solve anything, and it gives the attendees a negative image of you. Rather, let the attendees judge for themselves whether your command of English is sufficient (perhaps it is, despite what you might think). In other words, focus on delivering results, not excuses.

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Importance of Oral Presentations

Now imagine your favourite public speaker. Who comes to mind? A famous comedian like Jen Kirkman? An ac

Before we continue our conversation around advocacy, let’s first start with a brief definition of public speaking.

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Trends in Medicine

Seven tips for creating powerful oral presentations.

African American Man Presenting at Medical Seminar

The next time you set out to develop a professional presentation, you might want to look to the theatrical world for inspiration. This advice comes from Erika Bailey , a professional dialect coach and the Head of Voice and Speech at American Repertory Theater. She recently shared her expertise with scholars in Harvard Medical School’s Effective Writing for Health Care certificate program.

Bailey explains that using a theatrical lens can provide a valuable framework through which to organize information for your presentation. In fact, she thinks about preparing her own presentations in two steps: first she crafts as a playwright, and then she presents as a performer. Mastering both roles can be essential to achieving success.

Here are some of her favorite tips to create powerful presentations:

Tip #1: Craft a good story to engage your audience.

Whether you are sharing research findings or talking about a new service or need, it’s always a good idea to think about the story you want to tell. “The story is a powerful way to share ideas and bring people and communities together,” Bailey says. You can think about the plotline, the characters involved and their needs, the setting and the back story.

The story could be a mystery (a problem occurs, and you need to solve it), a romance (you have two problematic ideas that come together in a marriage), a revolution (fighting against an established idea) or a crisis (tragedy may occur if you don’t act now).

Once you have your story, you might memorize the full script, or use a teleprompter, or have cards with an outline and speak in more free form. Regardless of how you present your information, just remember that the story should be at the center of your efforts to engage your reader in the experience.

Tip #2: Use simple language that is easy for people to follow.

The words you select, and how you use them, will make a big difference in how well people hear—and remember—what you tell them. This is especially true in oral presentations. “When we write sentences for people to read, we can add more complexities. But when writing for presentations, we need to simplify, since the listener has only one time to hear what you are saying,” Bailey explains. This makes it important to craft ideas and sentences that are short and succinct (preferably with more periods and fewer commas for ease of listening).

For example, Bailey works with Harvard faculty who are filming on-demand courses and often must help them adapt their well-crafted essays to work for an oral presentation.

She helps them to make sentences shorter and more active, add pauses, slow down the pace, and insert gestures to make the material more engaging. She says that these same tweaks can also translate to many types of presentations and settings.

Tip #3: Use cues to guide your readers through your speech.

In writing, people can go back and read something twice. But in a presentation, they only listen once. Therefore, you need to guide them with strategic cues, so they don’t have to work so hard to follow you. This can be adding simple language, such as, “This is what I am going to talk about today,” so they will know what to expect and what you want them to take away from your presentation.

You can also use repetition to make sure they will hear—and remember—your main points. For instance, she suggests saying: “I am going to talk about public speaking. You can look at yourself as a playwright and a performer.” Then repeat these ideas three times throughout your presentation to make sure people grasp the idea and will be able to recall it later.

Finally, you can give a signal of where you are in your speech to grab people’s attention as you wind down your presentation. “For example, I suggest saying, ‘In conclusion,’ to let your audience know when you are finishing up.” This signals them to listen carefully because you will be summarizing the takeaways again and you don’t want them to miss it.

Tip #4: Use non-verbal clues strategically.

“Make sure you use your body for inflections and gestures and think about how to move your body in space,” Bailey says. “Think about standing tall, lengthening your spine and stretching your tailbone and you will be perceived by your audience as more energized.”

She also recommends using non-verbal clues to punctuate (literally) your words.

“You can use pauses in your speech, and use gestures to act out periods, commas and semi-colons when you talk,” she points out.

“Gesture fully. I encourage as much use of movement as possible,” she says. With many presentations taking place over Zoom these days, she says that thinking of using your space more fully (extending your movements beyond the small box you show up in on the screen) can help you be perceived as more confident and more engaging, too.

Tip #5: Develop stage presence to be more memorable.

Some presenters stick with you longer after the presentation ends.

“In my role at American Repertory Theater, I would go across the country and see 50 people a day audition. Then I would look at their headshots later and I could not even remember seeing some of them. But others, I can still remember now exactly what they did in that room. They were able to come alive in the moment,” she says, crediting their stage presence to making their performances so memorable.

While stage presence comes more easily to some people than others, Bailey says there are three things you can do to increase your presence:

Be really connected to your subject matter—be interested, curious and want to share what you know.
Connect to your audience in the moment.
See the audience and let them see you.

This commitment to connect with the audience and awareness of self can be especially essential to making that lasting impression, she stresses, and can truly set you apart from everyone else in the room.

Tip #6: Prepare for success.

“When we write or edit, we edit until 5 minutes before a paper is due. But as a performer, you first need to write and edit your script days before the presentation so you can rehearse it,” she says.

Before any presentation, Bailey says she reads her script out loud at home and plays around with vocal variety, including the volume, the pacing and the pitch. This helps her feel more comfortable and allows her to determine the right mix for her presentation in advance.

If you want to increase your comfort level, she recommends joining an organization like Toast Masters to get more practice.

Tip #7: Cut yourself some slack.

“If you find public speaking nerve-racking, it’s okay. It does not have to be perfect. Just find a way to be as expressive as possible (within your comfort zone) to engage your audience,” Bailey says.

Also, remember that you don’t have to suddenly become a performer. It is okay to start off small by adopting some of these tips and continuing to build on them over time as your confidence grows.

Written by Lisa D. Ellis

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Applying Oral Communication Skills in Your Career and Everyday Life

Deanna Dannels, associate dean of academic affairs in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and a professor in the Department of Communications, discusses the importance of oral communication skills for NC State students and graduates.

Deanna Dannels, associate dean of academic affairs for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and a professor in the Department of Communication

By Samantha Rich, director of DASA Assessment

This article is part of a series on NC State’s Pack Proficiencies : the five competency areas in which all NC State undergraduates should develop before they graduate: written communication, oral communication, quantitative literacy, critical thinking, and creative thinking.

Oral communication is ubiquitous in our everyday lives: we communicate with classmates and colleagues on Zoom calls, we demonstrate our content knowledge and expertise in oral presentations, and we communicate our career goals to potential employers in job interviews. Outside of the classroom and workplace, we’re chatting with our Lyft driver, calling in our take-out orders, and enjoying casual conversations with friends and family. NC State recognizes that oral communication is a skill that should be practiced and developed throughout your undergraduate career, and that’s why oral communication is one of our Pack Proficiencies .

NC State faculty and staff provide students opportunities to develop oral communication skills in courses, within student organizations, through undergraduate research, and through myriad events and activities across campus. In the interview below, Deanna Dannels, associate dean of academic affairs in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and professor in the Department of Communication, describes how students engage with oral communication in their everyday lives and why it is important that students develop proficiency in this area. Interview excerpts are edited for brevity and clarity.

Question: What does it mean to be proficient in oral communication?

Deanna Dannels: Oral communication really involves a number of things: it involves clearly expressing your ideas, building and evidencing a sound argument using the evidence necessary to justify a position, and adapting your argument to a variety of different audiences.

Question: Why is it important for students to develop their oral communication skills?

Deanna Dannels: Students communicate every day — from the moment they wake up to the moment they go to sleep. Students communicate with their roommates; they communicate with their faculty; they communicate with their friends. But just because you do it every day doesn’t mean that you do it well. One of the benefits of developing oral communication skills is that students can develop competency in something that is very pervasive in their lives — to reflect on it, to practice it, to get feedback on it so that they can become better at accomplishing their goals.

You need to know how to communicate to be a person who can engage in multiple contexts. Our world is rapidly becoming more interdisciplinary, more multi-modal and more multi-contextual. In order to navigate those contexts, students need to be able to show a proficiency in oral communication. Very few of our students will graduate and sit in an office on their own without interacting with other people; it’s just not the way the workplace is and it’s not the way our community is. A well-rounded person really needs to be able to have those communication competencies in order to be a good citizen, be a good professional, and be a good person in general.

Question: How can students develop their oral communication skills at NC State?

Deanna Dannels: The obvious answer is to take a communication class. Avail yourself of your opportunity to use your fee electives to take a communication class. That said, within your discipline there is an opportunity to either formally or informally practice oral communication skills. You may have a presentation assignment or group work – these are opportunities to hone and refine your skills to not only learn the content but to practice oral communication.

Even if you’re not in courses that provide formal oral presentation assignments, go participate in a rally, go participate in a community event, go watch speakers we bring to campus, and start thinking about what makes them effective as a communicator. What do you like? What could you see yourself doing? Engage in that critical analysis of oral communication skills

Question: How will students engage in oral communication after graduation?

Deanna Dannels: After graduation, in whatever pathway a student chooses, they’re going to have to put a resume out, they’re going to have to inquire about opportunities, and all of those things require oral communication. It may not be face-to-face, it may be technologically mediated or driven, but still you’re using oral communication competencies to find your pathway. Then being successful depends on your ability to communicate well. It also depends on your ability to determine where things need to change and how you can use your voice to make those changes.

I think not only is communication after graduation part of the recipe for success; it’s part of the recipe for innovation, for change and for action in organizations and in our communities. Students with oral communication competencies can be activists in this way and can create workplaces that are more ethical and communities that are more inclusive. Oral communication provides you opportunity and the skills necessary to do that.

To learn more about the Pack Proficiencies and how they are assessed, visit go.ncsu.edu/PackProficiencies .

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Are Presentation Skills Important for Career Success?

You don’t have to be a salesperson to need presentation skills. Making a presentation isn’t always about a captive audience and a formal slideshow in a meeting room. How many times have you had to give a quick update on a project’s status? Did you have to refer to a particular report or statistic? If you’ve put these things together—and the boss walked away satisfied—then you’ve given a successful presentation.

But the biggest and most nerve-wracking presentations are reserved for the heavy hitters: upper management and clients. To successfully convince them of your ideas, you’ll need to channel your whole arsenal of skills to deliver an ironclad proposal that addresses all their needs and answers their questions. This requires more than just company or product knowledge. It also requires a mastery of the art of presentation. You must present yourself as an authority figure on the topic at hand.

What does it take to become an effective presenter? How do you achieve a masterful level of presentation? More importantly, what valuable presentation skills do you need to acquire?

What is Presenting and What is It For?

Right now, there are people out there asking others to accept a new idea, buy a new product, or join a new group. In order to do so, they need to clearly state what they’re offering. At the same, they need to tell the audience what’s in it for them. Presenting is all about delivering information to another party in the most effective way possible.

All presentations center around an idea. The point of a presentation is to convince the audience of that idea’s merits. Once they agree, you then ask the audience to support the idea.

Here’s the catch: how you present an idea is often just as important as the idea itself. Listeners react to the medium just as much as (if not sometimes more than) the message. No matter how compelling the product or service on order, if the audience finds the presentation or presenter boring, they’re going to tune out.

Strong presentation skills help center the focus on the message, rather than the messenger. When the presenter masters the art of captivating his audience, they become more receptive to ideas.

The Key Elements of Presentation Skills

Thankfully, presentation skills are something one can develop over time! They’re not inborn traits or hereditary talents. The best way to master the art of presentation is through practice, practice, practice. It’s not always easy, but given enough time, anybody can become a confident and compelling speaker.

There are many elements involved in mastering your presentation skills. These elements serve as a foundation for your presentation material and manner. Getting these basic elements down makes it easier to confidently speak in public about almost anything.

Language Proficiency

A fundamental grasp of the international language of business will always be a valuable asset. This applies not just with presentations, but with everyday communication as well. In a world made smaller by advances in communication technology, there’s an advantage in learning a universal language. English is the official language in more than 70 countries. In business, English-speaking countries account for 40% of the world’s total Gross National Product . If you work in international business, then, some proficiency in English is almost a must at this point.

Trading products and services is no longer limited to defined borders. The most aggressive companies often look for new markets outside their home country. When doing so, English is a good starting point to initiate communication.

Total mastery of English, especially for non-native speakers, can be a formidable task. It is a complicated language! But basic proficiency in both written and oral English is a good start. Like other presentation skills, learning a new language can be uncomfortable and requires a lot of practice. But the results are worth it.

Public Speaking

Whether you like it or not, presenting involves public speaking. For many people, that’s a deal-breaker. According to Verywell Mind, around 77% of the population would rather not be the center of attention when discussing a topic. The fear of public speaking even has its own word: glossophobia.

However, public speaking is also a skill that one can develop over time. Strong speaking skills entail more than just learning what to say and how to do so with confidence. Good public speakers also know when to stop and listen to the audience. This is more than listening and answering questions. You must also read your audience to see if they’re bored, disinterested, or disengaged and gather insights from their reactions. This type of conversational marketing can help companies understand markets better, improve products and enhance sales and marketing strategies.

Writing Skills

Written communication goes hand in hand with public speaking. While many seasoned public speakers can talk extemporaneously, they usually start out their careers dependent on written scripts.

Beyond writing speeches, though, excellent written communication is another asset valued by management in the workplace. Often, there’s not enough time to go over every issue or concern in a meeting. In many cases, managers would rather their staff just submit written reports. Of course, a well-written report conveys its message clearer and faster than a poorly-written one. Guess which will get a more favorable response from management?

Note that excellent writing skills do not necessarily mean a long, detailed report. In many cases, a few simple, straight-to-the-point paragraphs deliver the point more clearly than convoluted, multi-page documents. C-suite executives often only have minutes to spare to address an issue. A short but complete rundown of an issue saves their time; they’ll ask questions if they want more detailed information.

A Creative and Innovative Mind

A creative and innovative mindset can spell the difference between your company’s ideas and the competition’s. Otherwise, you risk having the audience assume that you have nothing better to offer.

In addition, creativity helps employees come up with workarounds to issues. When rival companies present their products as cheaper than yours, a creatively-developed presentation can point out that premium products often come with premium price tags. You can now remind customers that the added value they get with your products is worth far more than the additional cost.

Non-Verbal Communication Proficiency

Reading non-verbal cues is another important part of developing strong presentation skills. The ability to read the room is critical in determining whether your presentation is actually connecting with the audience. Otherwise, you risk wasting everybody’s time, including yours.

Knowing how to interpret body language, facial expressions and posture can give a more accurate assessment of your audience’s sentiment. When bored, people tend to look away from your presentation. A more relaxed posture might also mean that they’re not paying attention to what you’re saying. This is already a signal to either pick up the pace or shift to a more interesting topic. Don’t wait for the ultimate nonverbal cue to happen: people sleeping, or even some audience members walking out.

When presenting, it also helps to pay attention to your own nonverbal body language. Do you project a confident aura by standing straight and making eye contact with the audience? Do you speak in a loud but even voice that’s neither too slow nor too fast? Are you sweeping the room every now and again to gather feedback from the crowd, and responding accordingly?

Organization Skills

Every story has a beginning, a middle and an end. Your presentation should also have one of each—preferably in that order. An organized presentation leads to an organized delivery. It helps you prevent straying from the topic too much—and we know that the longer a presentation, the greater the chances of a crowd losing interest. An organized presentation is also easier for the audience to follow. And if you know your organized presentation by heart, it becomes less stressful to deliver!

Even during the presentation’s development phase, it pays to keep everything organized. Writing an outline to assemble your presentation is a great start. This ensures that ideas are presented in a logical, orderly fashion, and you’ll have an easier time sticking to the script. At the same time, having a structure also makes it easier to break out when needed—say, to make a timely ad-lib when the audience starts feeling restless.

Software Proficiency

The most effective presentations don’t rely on a speaker’s public speaking talents alone. Visual aids give the audience something to focus on while you’re expounding upon a topic. They help explain ideas and concepts, which in turn helps you get your message across better. For example, showing graphs and tables when discussing statistics helps the audience relate to the numbers being discussed. Presenting infographics instead of tables gives the crowd an even more relatable way to appreciate the concept.

Developing presentation materials requires a working knowledge of presentation software . How the presenter uses design elements can also make or break the presentation. Making a word-for-word slideshow of your speech is not only repetitive, but also insulting to your audience. If you’re going to do that, you might as well give the audience a printed pamphlet instead of going on stage.

Of course, software proficiency can extend beyond just the presentation at hand. Collaborating on ideas becomes much easier with a cloud-based software at your fingertips. Coworkers can share ideas online, comment on drafts and develop separate sections of the same document. In the age of instant communication technology, office software increases productivity and improves collaboration efforts.

The Importance of Presentation Skills to Workplace Success

Presentation skills aren’t necessarily exclusive to pitching to a client or seeking approval for a proposal to a boss. Employees often present reports or updates to their teams. In these cases, they will also need to utilize their presentation skills to clearly get their message across. These valuable talents can be applied to other tasks in the office. Once word gets around that a certain employee can deliver on a great presentation, you can be sure that management will come knocking about career advancement opportunities.

Studies Have Proven The Importance of Presentation Skills

Job competence is a basic requirement during the hiring process. Companies enlist workers based on their ability to perform the tasks listed in the job description. During the course of employment, it’s then up to the worker to present their contributions to the company. Project status updates, completion reports and evaluations are often a manager’s resource in determining an employee’s performance at work. It stands to reason then that workers with enhanced presentation skills can present themselves in a better light than their meeker counterparts. In doing so, they enhance their standing and bring attention to their personal brand.

Presentation Skills Lower Your Stress Levels

Effective presenters experience less stress when getting their point across. This works in a number of ways. First, confident speakers who know their material inside and out are less likely to panic in front of an audience. A random question won’t shake their confidence, as they have all their data ready to give a meaningful response.

More importantly, effective presentation skills eliminate the chances of miscommunication. Dealing with inaccurate or misleading information is often the biggest cause of stress in the office. A well-prepared speaker who regularly reviews material before presenting greatly reduces the chances for error.

Presentation Skills Improve Other Essential Career Skills

Effective communication isn’t only useful for presentation time. Mastering this skill often unlocks other skills that are similarly valued at work—for example, time management. Mastering the art of preparing for a presentation means formulating an accurate idea of how long the presentation takes and making sure the actual presentation runs as scheduled or ends earlier. Coworkers and clients both appreciate presenters who value their time.

Another skill that comes from delivering effective presentations is enhanced listening. While good presenters are great talkers, truly great presenters also make wonderful listeners. They actively seek feedback from the audience and can incorporate inputs on the fly. This skill translates very well into the office setting. Many conflicts can usually be resolved when both sides take time to listen and consider the other’s viewpoint. When listening skills are enhanced, empathy isn’t too far behind.

Finally, presentation skills develop a person’s self-confidence immensely. It takes great effort to master a fear of public speaking. Presentation skills help overcome that fear and ultimately help overcome other work-related fears such as speaking to superiors or to clients without going overboard. Higher ranking executives and clients respond better to salespeople who speak with confidence, which indicates they know what they’re talking about.

Presentation Skills Boost Leadership Qualities

Effective presentation skills are one of the hallmarks of a strong leader. Even if officers have superior work knowledge and competency, they can fail at their job if they cannot communicate directives clearly. Leaders who have trouble articulating their vision will often have to deal with confused staff members afterward. The ensuing confusion and additional explanations can eat up a lot of valuable time and resources. This is why leaders often need to set an example by being effective presenters.

Effective presentation skills also come in handy when leaders need to step in if their employee stumbles during a presentation or fails to show up. Saving the day is just one of the many responsibilities that come with being in charge. In addition, higher management often requires middle management, not the rank-and-file staff, to present their department’s proposals.

Presentation Skills Improve Client Acquisition and Retention

When it comes to sales, companies often direct their most important or most difficult clients to their star performers. These top sales executives possess excellent presentation skills, including the ability to anticipate what each specific client needs. This means that they can accommodate client demands to, say, condense a presentation into five minutes, instead of the originally allotted time. The best salespeople know the presentation inside and out—so boiling it down to a condensed version shouldn’t be a problem.

In addition, the company’s best salespeople are also well-versed in reading the client and the room for nonverbal cues. A simple change in the client’s facial expression or a quick glance at the watch can spur them into shifting the presentation’s tone or pace. In short: not only do they know the presentation by heart, but they also know what it takes to get the client’s undivided attention and approval. This is the direct result of mastering presentation skills.

Boost Your Presentation Skills With The Right Software

Even the most effective presentation skills won’t amount to much without robust and complementary presentation software. Without an equally effective display by your side, you'll soon find your audience drifting and looking for something to focus their eyes on. They may also have a harder time grasping some of your presentation concepts, especially when dealing with figures or statistics.

Features The Ideal Presentation Software Should Have

The ideal presentation software should support your ideas, not the other way around. It should contain interactive features that allow for creativity and flexibility when developing presentations. This means providing room for slides to display additional details and seamlessly play embedded videos when clients ask for more info, without diverting from structure too much. In short, the presentation software gives life to the ideas being presented. It’s not just a static collection of images and text to provide a redundant backdrop.

Your presentation software should also have superior sharing options, so that you can collaborate on your presentations with your teammates. Together, you can build the presentation and check each and every section to ensure that they flow as planned. Once everything is in order, you should have no problems sending finished versions to your client for approval.

Apart from the ability to easily create engaging presentations, the ideal presentation software should also help identify which parts of your presentation managed to make an impact with your audience, and which parts lost their interest. This means your software should build in analytics capabilities that measure how much time clients spend on each page of your presentation.

Ingage Is The Perfect Software To Enhance Your Presentation Skills

Let Ingage complement your presentation skills by enhancing and supporting your ideas. Ingage provides an intuitive interface to help you create presentations that enhance your ideas and deliver your across completely and clearly. The cloud-based approach allows you to instantly share drafts with co-workers, so you can collaborate on finalizing presentations anytime and anywhere. Once you send copies to your clients, Ingage’s rich analytics feature provides insights on which pages clients find compelling and which ones failed to make an impression. This allows you to continually refine your presentations in order to satisfy even the most particular prospects.

Learn more about how Ingage can change the way your presentations bolster your sales team’s skills. Sign up for a free demo and change your presentation game today!

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COMMENTS

What Are Effective Presentation Skills (and How to Improve Them)
Presentation skills are the abilities and qualities necessary for creating and delivering a compelling presentation that effectively communicates information and ideas. They encompass what you say, how you structure it, and the materials you include to support what you say, such as slides, videos, or images. You'll make presentations at various ...
Powerful and Effective Presentation Skills
Effective communications skills are a powerful career activator, and most of us are called upon to communicate in some type of formal presentation mode at some point along the way. For instance, you might be asked to brief management on market research results, walk your team through a new process, lay out the new budget, or explain a new ...
How to prepare and deliver an effective oral presentation
Delivery. It is important to dress appropriately, stand up straight, and project your voice towards the back of the room. Practise using a microphone, or any other presentation aids, in advance. If you don't have your own presenting style, think of the style of inspirational scientific speakers you have seen and imitate it.
Presentation Skills for Career Success: Examples and Tips
As an expert in both writing and subject matter, I understand the importance of effective presentation skills. From delivering a sales pitch to making a dynamic presentation at a conference, presentation skills are an essential aspect of career success. Definition of Presentation Skills Presentation skills refer to the ability to effectively and persuasively communicate information to an ...
What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation
What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation. Summary. Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or ...
The Importance of Presentation Skills: A Complete Guide
This blog will tell you all you need to know about the Importance of Presentation Skills, and how they can positively influence your life. 01344203999 - Available 24/7. Courses . Resources; About . ... Effective Presentation skills are a vital asset for career growth and success in professional life. Let us now explore the importance of ...
Why Presentation Skills Are Important For Career Success
Honing your presentation skills will help you chair meetings, motivate team members and communicate more effectively with colleagues. You might be asked to speak at short notice, for example to step in for a colleague. Speaking at conferences or giving interviews to press or media to share expert opinions are opportunities that could help raise ...
12 Ways to Improve Your Presentation Skills [for Work & Life]
Arrive early #5. Know your audience #6. Use Relaxation Techniques #7. Acknowledge That You're Nervous #8. Tell stories #9. Be humorous #10. Use visual aids and media #11. Engage the audience 6 Ways to Improve Your Presentation Skills How to Add Your Presentation Skills to Your Resume #1.
12 Important Elements of a Successful Presentation
Here are 12 elements of a successful presentation that you may consider when creating your own: 1. Thorough preparation. One important element of a successful presentation is thorough preparation and ensuring that you tailor your presentation toward your audience and its needs.
Why presentation skills are so important to your career success
Presenting is about connecting with people through the words you choose to say and the way you choose to say them. When you present you show people who you are and how you can help them. It's an opportunity to step up and be noticed for what you can offer. Presenting provides a unique opportunity for you to showcase your professional ...
Why Professionals Should Embrace Public Speaking (And How You ...
People who take on public speaking opportunities can also gain added credibility. Furthermore, when you speak, you are demonstrating leadership characteristics. You are going above and beyond ...
Important Presentation Skills for Workplace Success
Show your presentation skills in job interviews. During the interview process, you may be asked to give a sample presentation. In this case, you will want to embody these skills during the presentation. For example, you will want to demonstrate your oral communication skills by speaking clearly and concisely throughout the presentation.
14.3: Importance of Oral Presentations
14.3: Importance of Oral Presentations. In the workplace, and during your university career, you will likely be asked to give oral presentations. An oral presentation is a key persuasive tool. If you work in marketing, for example, you will often be asked to "pitch" campaigns to clients. Even though these pitches could happen over email ...
Effective Oral Presentations
Transcript. Delivering effective oral presentations involves three components: what you say ( verbal ), how you say it with your voice ( vocal ), and everything the audience can see about you ...
Importance of Oral Presentations
Importance of Oral Presentations. In the workplace, and during your university career, you will likely be asked to give oral presentations. An oral presentation is a key persuasive tool. If you work in marketing, for example, you will often be asked to "pitch" campaigns to clients. Even though these pitches could happen over email, the face ...
New Survey: 70% Say Presentation Skills Are Critical For Career Success
"Why Schools Kill Creativity," by Sir Ken Robinson (Skillful use of humor and storytelling). "My Stroke of Insight" by Dr. Jill Bolte-Taylor (Dr. Jill rehearsed this presentation 200 times ...
The Importance of Presentation Skills in the Workplace
Delivering presentations is no longer reserved for CEOs and high-level managers. These days, no matter your department or position, you are required and expected to communicate effectively to deliver information for internal and external audiences. According to a Prezi survey, 70% of employed Americans believe presentation skills are critical ...
Seven Tips for Creating Powerful Oral Presentations
Tip #2: Use simple language that is easy for people to follow. The words you select, and how you use them, will make a big difference in how well people hear—and remember—what you tell them. This is especially true in oral presentations. "When we write sentences for people to read, we can add more complexities.
Applying Oral Communication Skills in Your Career and Everyday Life
By Samantha Rich, director of DASA Assessment . This article is part of a series on NC State's Pack Proficiencies: the five competency areas in which all NC State undergraduates should develop before they graduate: written communication, oral communication, quantitative literacy, critical thinking, and creative thinking.. Oral communication is ubiquitous in our everyday lives: we communicate ...
Talking the talk: tips for effective oral presentations in biomedical
Oral presentations also are (top left to bottom) 1) an opportunity to summarize different elements of your research and determine the next steps; of your overall record of research performance; 2) an important component. 3) a basic responsibility of the profession; and 4) one indication of your likely effectiveness in other settings, including ...
Are Presentation Skills Important for Career Success?
Non-Verbal Communication Proficiency. Reading non-verbal cues is another important part of developing strong presentation skills. The ability to read the room is critical in determining whether your presentation is actually connecting with the audience. Otherwise, you risk wasting everybody's time, including yours.
The Importance of Presentation Skills (and how to ace your presentation
Knowing how to make a good presentation will help you in job interviews, to make new friends, to sell a product and make business deals successfully. Your body language, hand gestures and eye contact will improve too. This helps captivate your audience. Your ability to plan and prepare materials, to convince your audience of what you have to ...
The Importance Of Oral Presentations For University Students
Among the many advantages of designing oral presentations for students are (King, 2002): bridging the gap between language study and language use; using the four language skills in a naturally ...

Powerful and Effective Presentation Skills: More in Demand Now Than Ever

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A brief introduction to Presentation Skills

Importance of Presentation Skills in personal life

Expressing ideas clearly

Enhancing social confidence

Creating memories on special occasions

Handling challenging conversations

Building stronger relationships

Advocating for personal goals

Inspiring and motivating others

Exuding leadership traits

Importance of Presentation Skills in professional life

Impressing employers and clients

Advancing in your career

Effective team collaboration

Persuasive selling techniques

Creating impactful proposals

Gaining and retaining clients

Enhancing public speaking engagements

Influencing stakeholders and decision-makers

Handling meetings and discussions

Professional development

Building a personal brand

Career transitions and interviews

Tips to improve your Presentation Skills

Frequently Asked Questions

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12 Ways to Improve Your Presentation Skills [for Work & Life]

How to Add Your Presentation Skills to Your Resume

What Are Presentation Skills?

Why Are Presentation Skills Important?

9 Types of Presentation and Delivery Methods

11 Tips on How to Give Better Presentations

#1. Prepare your presentation in advance

#2. Practice as much as possible

#3. Exercise

#4. Arrive early

#5. Know your audience

#6. Use Relaxation Techniques

#7. Acknowledge That You’re Nervous

#8. Tell stories

#9. Be humorous

#10. Use visual aids and media

#11. Engage the audience

6 Ways to Improve Your Presentation Skills

#1. List Your Presentation Skills Under Your Soft Skills

#2. Mention Your Presentation Skills in Your Resume Summary

#3. Prove Presentation Skills Through Your Work Experience

Key Takeaways

Why presentation skills are so important to your career success

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Important Presentation Skills for Workplace Success

Steps To Create a Presentation

Key Takeaways

What Are Presentation Skills?

Preparation

Organization

Nonverbal Communication

Presentation Software

Public Speaking

Verbal Communication

More Presentation Skills

14.3: Importance of Oral Presentations

Effective Oral Presentations

Delivering as a non-native speaker

Handling stage fright and mishaps

Topic rooms within Scientific Communication