The Presentation Skill Guide - The Importance of Having The Right Tools

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Presentation Skills Today presentation skills are required in every field.

Whether you are student or an executive or the Chairman of a big name organization, you will have to make a presentation at one time or other. In order to deliver captivating presentations a lot of input and work is needed. The Presentation Skill Guide the importance of having the right tools The term presentation is capable of giving butterflies-in-the-stomach even to veteran managers. This is because while making a presentation you are exposed to your audiences judgment and this is a frightening thought for most. While experience and command over the subject can make a great deal of improvement to a presentation, a quick reference to the right presentation skills resources can make a great difference. There are many styles and many ways to make a presentation. Many times the manager fails to make the right impact because he/she adopted the wrong approach or the most common style. This is why it is important to be prepared not only in the subject of your presentation, but also the style and method of delivery. Many times the right style of presentation can clinch the deal or reject it. There are a number of presentations skills resources available online for the reference of the busy manager which can add verve to the delivery and style of the presentation. The professional of today will not be happy with the ordinary run-of-the-mill styles, and to be frank neither will the audiences. Hence, the time invested in perfecting the art of presenting and adding the right technique and innovations to it, is actually time well invested. The emerging trends in presentations skills As the demand grows so the will the supply grow. There are many training organization and institutions, which specialize in conducting capsule courses on presentation skills. A great deal of information is available in the form of books and e-books readily available for sale on the Internet and offline. As a constantly improving professional it will be good if you keep updated information on the evolving techniques and styles by reading the current material and/or undergoing periodical courses on this aspect. The big names in the corporate world are realizing the importance of the presentation skills of their managers and now many have incorporated this aspect in their in-house training programs not only for their sales and marketing personnel, but for all other departments including the accounts, HR and other similar back-end departments. It has been observed that when the presentation skills are developed the employee becomes more focused and goal oriented then before. They also learn the art of motivation and passive and active communication skills. Overall the performance and self-esteem get a big time boost. Presentation skills Guide for students The presentation skills can be cultivated quite early in ones career. Colleges and other schools are incorporating this method of dissemination both at teacher and student levels. It has been found with the help of focused studies, that students who have to make presentation in the class become more assertive and focused in their studies, personal lives and later on in their careers.

This is because they learn to control their audiences and sell their ideas across. The effort of judging, measuring and delivering a message across can really build the character of a student into making a complete person and professional.

What is ps ?how do we get them?


Presentation skills are the essentials techniques you use when presenting an idea or set of ideas to another. Wikipedia defines it as: the process of showing and explaining the content of a topic to an audience. It goes on to say that normally these presentations are accompanied by a visual aid such as a powerpoint, charts, hand-outs, etc. Presentation skills are the basic training for any manager or any trainee vying for such a position. They are critically important and cannot be passed over. There are many techniques on how to present something effectively. Many books have been written and lectures have been given on the same. Presentation skills can be gotten by just a little effort and conditioning yourself to step out of your safe, normal bounds and achieve the public speaker role. If you are naturally shy, this may take longer to achieve, but need not be so. George Bernard Shaw, was a famed speaker, writer and lecturer. It is a well known fact that as a child he was among the shier sort and never dreamed of being the world-famous speaker and presenter that he was. He said that it was just the willing of his mind to step out and achieve what no one thought possible, and the regular practice of it, that made him into a person that was able to speak up and out internationally. If you can get a hold of his biography, it may be a great inspiration to you.

Introduction
Management is the art of getting things done. A Presentation is a fast and potentially effective method of getting things done through other people. In managing any project, presentations are used as a formal method for bringing people together to plan, monitor and review its progress. But let us look at this another way: what can a presentation do for you? Firstly; it puts you on display. Your staff need to see evidence of decisive planning and leadership so that they are confident in your position as their manager. They need to be motivated and inspired to undertaking the tasks which you are presenting. Project leaders from other sections need to be persuaded of the merits of your project and to provide any

necessary support. Senior management should be impressed by your skill and ability so that they provide the resources so that you and your team can get the job done. Secondly; it allows you to ask questions and to initiate discussion. It may not be suitable within the presentation formats of your company to hold a discussion during the presentation itself but it does allow you to raise the issues, present the problems and at least to establish who amongst the audience could provide valuable input to your decision making. Finally; presentations can be fun. They are your chance to speak your mind, to strut your stuff and to tell the people what the world is really like. While you hold the stage, the audience is bound by good manners to sit still and watch the performance.

The Techniques of Speech


Every speaker has a set of "tricks of the trade" which he or she holds dear - the following are a short selection of such advice taken from various sources.
Make an impression

The average audience is very busy: they have husbands and wives, schedules and slippages, cars and mortgages; and although they will be trying very hard to concentrate on your speech, their minds will inevitably stray. Your job is to do something, anything, which captures their attention and makes a lasting impression upon them. Once you have planned your speech and honed it down to its few salient points, isolate the most important and devise some method to make it stick.
Repeat, Repeat

The average audience is very busy: they have husbands or wives etc, etc - but repetition makes them hear. The average audience is easily distracted, and their attention will slip during the most important message of your speech - so repeat it. You don't necessarily have to use the resonant tonal sounds of the repeated phrase, but simply make the point again and again and again with different explanations and in different ways. The classic advice of the Sergeant Major is: "First you tell 'em what you are going to tell 'em, then you tell 'em, then you tell 'em what you told 'em!"
Draw a Sign

Research into teaching has yielded the following observation: "We found that students who failed to get the point did so because they were not looking for it". If the audience knows when to listen, they will. So tell them: the important point is ... .
Draw a Picture

The human brain is used to dealing with images, and this ability can be used to make the message more memorable. This means using metaphors or analogies to express your message. Thus a phrase like "we need to increase the market penetration before there will be sufficient profits for a pay related bonus" becomes "we need a bigger slice of the cake before the feast".

Jokes

The set piece joke can work very well, but it can also lead to disaster. You must choose a joke which is apt, and one which will not offend any member of the audience. This advice tends to rule out all racist, sexist or generally rude jokes. If this seems to rule out all the jokes you can think of, then you should avoid jokes in a speech. Amusing asides are also useful in maintaining the attention of the audience, and for relieving the tension of the speech. If this comes naturally to you, then it is a useful tool for pacing your delivery to allow periods of relaxation in between your sign-posted major points.
Plain Speech

Yes!
Short and Sweet

One way to polish the presentation of the main point of your speech is to consider it thus. The day before your presentation, you are called to to the office of the divisional vice-president; there you are introduced to the managing director and a representative of the company's major share holder; "O.K." says the vice president "we hear you have got something to say, we'll give you 30 seconds, GO". Can you do it? If you can crystallise your thoughts and combine your main message with some memorable phrase or imagery, and present them both in 30 seconds then you have either the perfect ending or the basis for a fine presentation.
The Narrative

Everyone loves a story and stories can both instruct and convey a message: Zen Philosophy is recorded in its stories, and Christianity was originally taught in parables. If you can weave your message into a story or a personal annocdote, then you can have them wanting to hear your every word - even if you have to make it up.
Rehearsal

There is no substitute for rehearsal. You can do it in front of a mirror, or to an empty theatre. In both cases, you should accentuate your gestures and vocal projection so that you get used to the sound and sight of yourself. Do not be put off by the mirror - remember: you see a lot less of yourself than your friends do.
Relaxation

If you get nervous just before the show, either concentrate on controlling your breathing or welcome the extra adrenaline. The good news is that the audience will never notice your nerves nearly as much as you think. Similarly, if you dry-up in the middle - smile, look at your notes, and take your time. The silence will seem long to you, but less so to the audience

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