A SKILL EVERY BUSINESS PERSON CAN’T AFFORD TO NEGLECT

What is the one thing that most people fear more than anything, and is an essential skill for any business person?

Delivering a Presentation! Am I right? If so read on……..

The problem is that most people avoid having to do presentations all their life – through school, college, university and in their jobs. Bad move! Why, because you never gain the practice and experience to be able to build your skill and confidence.

I was one of the lucky ones. I had always had people looking at me and from the age of 5 years old I was encouraged to stand in front of audiences and present. Why, because I am an identical twin! But it is never too late for anyone to learn and hone a new skill.

Yes, I know that’s a real bummer, especially when you hate the thought of standing in front of others and speaking. However, in any type of business you need to confidently and competently pitch for business, present at seminars and conferences, present yourself in videos for web and social media content, to name just a few.

“Yikes, do I really have to?” I hear you think. The answer is a resounding YES! Just stop for a minute and consider your lost business opportunities if you avoid, or worst still mess up really important presentations. How detrimental is that to your business growth?

Commit to developing your skill and confidence. In my experience of training people in presentations skills, for over 20 years, a major problem lies in what’s going on in your head……

“What if I freeze and dry up?”

“What am I going to say?”

“They will all be looking at me!”

The thoughts go on and on.

Get rid of negative thoughts and replace them with several positive ones like “I am really going to enjoy this presentation.”

Write down all your negative thoughts. Cross them out and write the overriding positive thought that countermands the negative. Now read them out load to yourself, on a regular basis, on the run up to and immediately before your presentation. Try it out it out and see how well it works.

Preparation, both mentally and practically is one of the keys you can never afford to skimp on. Not only do you need to know your ‘stuff’, you also need…..

3 – 5 key point’s dependent on the length of your presentation

A good strong beginning

A logical flow

A good sound ending that leaves them remembering your key points or a call action.

Remember that it’s OK not to know the answer to a question as long as you get back to them with an answer later. Just be honest and confident about it.

 

Prepare for your role. I once saw the worst presentation ever by someone who was so nervous his sheet of notes rattled directly in front of the microphone. Not only that, he apologised several times during his speech, and looked petrified. What he had not realised and had never been taught is that……

You are playing the role of a confident and skilled YOU! If someone had taught him to practice and perfect that role he would have had no problems at all. Why, because the presenter was Anthony Hopkins!

Be your natural self. Don’t try to be humorous or tell a joke if this is not your natural style. Let your passion and enthusiasm out. That is what ‘sells’ you and what you have to say to your audience.

Practice makes perfect and it also build confidence. By this I do not mean standing in front of a mirror and practicing your presentation until it is perfect – although that does work well for some people. This is one skill you have to develop in public. There’s no getting away from it you just have to get up there and present!

Use every presentation as a learning exercise. Do not beat yourself up at the end by thinking of everything that did not go to plan. Remember…

1.    No one knows exactly what you were going to say, so if you forget something they will never know. How great is that?

2.    You will look a lot more confident and professional than you think. In my experience most people who watch a video of themselves presenting says this.

3.    Allow yourself to find one thing that was wrong with the presentation. Identify the learning in it and move on.

4.    Follow the one learning point with three positive points that you did well. Can’t think of any? Here’s ‘your starter for ten’ – you got up and did it!

 

Seek out opportunities to stretch yourself and develop this vital business skill. So, no more excuses. But remember, jumping straight into presenting at a conference may be a step to far to begin with and could destroy your confidence. Build up to this by taking baby steps at first with small presentations.

Most of all learn to enjoy presenting. Good luck and let me know how you get on and what you learn.