The dreaded presentation. No matter how experienced or confident you are at giving them, either at work or in school, the thought of standing up in front of an audience to speak can give anyone the jitters. Nevertheless, effective presentation abilities are essential for you to maintain and build a positive reputation at work.
Presentation ability is the sum of your expertise in a variety of different skills; as such, becoming an effective presenter can take a lot of time and hard work.
This article introduces you to the top presentation skills and why they’re important. We also discuss how to improve them so the process of giving presentations becomes easier.
What are presentation skills?
Presentation skills refer to your ability to communicate ideas and information to others, most commonly an audience. Effective presentation skills encompass verbal and nonverbal abilities, as well as many other soft skills, and relate to numerous qualities that ensure your presentations are clear, informative and engaging.
Why are presentation skills important?
In today’s increasingly connected world, getting your message out to a wide audience is important for your own success and to effectively promote your organization. Here are some of the key reasons why good presentation skills are so important:
They help your audience understand
Effective presentation skills get ideas heard and understood. They will help complex or challenging topics land well with an audience and also contribute to people learning something new. Effective presentation skills can also inspire people to take action.
They enhance credibility
When you effectively deliver a presentation, you make yourself look professionally credible, articulate, and very confident. This will ensure audiences hang on to your every word and talk about you positively long after you’ve left the room.
They’re central to your professional development
Effective presenters will be perceived positively by others due to having effective personal branding and communication skills. This can lead to job opportunities or other developmental possibilities. Presentation skills can also be applied to other areas of professional development.
The 10 best presentation skills to build
Effective presentation skills are a collection of different abilities that come together to ensure you deliver memorable, impactful and informative presentations. Here is a list of the top 10 skills that you should focus on to put on a killer presentation:
1. Active listening
Active listening is useful in presentations in a couple of different ways. Firstly, it’s vital for understanding audience feedback. You can use active listening to display body language that shows you understand and appreciate audience questions and comments, and use paraphrasing skills to respond to the questions accurately.
Active listening will also enable you to adapt the presentation in real time, using verbal or visual cues to listen to your audience and adjust the messages as needed. This skill shows attentiveness, builds audience rapport, and demonstrates that you respect the audience’s needs.
2. Adaptability
Presentations rarely go according to plan. Sometimes you will encounter technical difficulties, an audience expecting a different style or type of content, or presentation needs or goals changing. Being able to think on your feet and adapt to these changing circumstances is essential for presentation success.
Adaptable and agile presenters can respond swiftly and smoothly to anything the unpredictable world of presentations throws at them. They can circumvent technical issues, adapt their presentation style and content to a demanding audience, and deal with difficult or disruptive participants.
3. Audience engagement
Presenters need to ensure their audience is kept engaged throughout the presentation. Yes, a bit of opening spice is important, but maintaining engagement is vital to ensure that your message is being taken on board. Audience engagement also helps the audience feel relevant to the presentation; essentially, they become part of the experience.
Audience engagement can come in many forms, such as asking questions, opening up for discussion, holding a poll, or using virtual quiz platforms such as Kahoot. Don’t be afraid to mix things up a bit and try exciting ideas to keep your audience engaged and help them retain information.
4. Planning skills
A little adage among seasoned presenters is that you should prepare for at least three times as long as your presentation is due to take.
In many ways, planning and preparation skills are the most important abilities a presenter can have. They allow you to deliver your message smoothly, confidently, and as planned. You will essentially spend more time focusing on the audience and message, rather than worrying about what to say next.
Planning skills involve understanding your material, anticipating and preparing for audience questions, getting visual aids ready, and thinking about how and when to interact with the audience.
5. Stage presence
Stage presence is the ability to command your presentation space and maintain a confident physical presence in front of the audience. It includes effective body language, such as appropriate hand gestures, good eye contact, and how you move around the stage (as well as standing still appropriately).
Presenters with good stage presence are able to control their presentation more effectively. Audiences will be eager to follow what they’re saying and will, therefore, be more engaged. You will exude confidence and appear in control, meaning that your presentation will flow nicely, while you’ll also be memorable and persuasive.
6. Storytelling
Storytelling brings your presentation to life and transforms banal subjects or cold facts into engaging narratives that captivate audiences and have them yearn for more information. Storytelling also makes subjects easier to follow through creating emotional connections. In essence, it helps the audience relate to your material and can increase retention.
Storytelling can be accomplished through sharing real-life experiences or fictional scenarios. It can add structure and can be used to tie together a presentation's three main elements: the introduction, body and conclusion.
7. Time management
Effective time management will ensure that you’re able to deliver your presentation to schedule and pace it appropriately to ensure that all elements are delivered in the appropriate timeframe, and that you’re not rushed.
The best presenters keep track of time and balance the pace, ensuring plenty of time is allocated for critical information and that they don’t speak too fast, resulting in waffling or sharing unnecessary information. They also factor in time for questions or audience interaction. Effective time management shows respect for your audience’s time as well.
8. Using visual aids
Everyone loves a visual aid! These are props, display screens, videos or handouts that can really make your presentation come to life and help audiences follow your topic and keep them engaged; after all, a picture tells a thousand words.
Visual aids must complement the presenter’s message and not detract or distract from the main points; to this end, they must be used sparingly.
Ensure you plan for their use and allow time for visual aids when you’re preparing your presentation. Visual aids can be used at the beginning, middle and end of a presentation, as well as being used effectively throughout.
9. Verbal communication
Verbal communication is the art of using words and intonation to engage with the audience and make them hang on your every word. But it’s more than speaking clearly and using the right words (although this is a good place to start), as you must ensure your language matches the audience’s needs.
Verbal communication also focuses on using the right tone in the right circumstances. This includes pacing — and using variance of pace — to create emotion, and using technical words or jargon only when they will be understood by all. Harnessing these skills will ensure your presentation will be understood and audience interest is maintained.
10. Voice projection
Voice projection is the ability to speak loudly and clearly so that everyone in your audience can hear and understand you. Honing this skill involves plenty of practice and, if you’re presenting to large groups, professional vocal training.
Effective voice projection avoids the need to shout at the audience and conveys authority and confidence as well as clarity. It’s a great tool to add impact to key points and keep your audience engaged.
How to develop your presentation skills
Presentation skills are critical to your success as a professional. It is, therefore, essential to elevate these skills as well as understand what they are. Here are five great tips for developing your presentation skills:
1. Know your audience
Researching your audience will ensure that you can tailor your presentation to their needs, learning new techniques in the process. You’ll also be able to focus on your own ability, not worrying about what the audience might be expecting.
2. Make eye contact
Making eye contact with your audience enables you to “read the room” and learn how your presentation style is landing. Do they look bored? Do they seem engaged? These cues will help you develop your skills further.
3. Practice
Practicing enables you to hone your skills in real time. Videotape yourself and play it back, rehearse in front of friends and family, and use real material to get the most benefit from your practice.
4. Seek feedback
Ask for constructive feedback from the audience or from mentors. Ensure you act on this feedback and don’t take it to heart; after all, the purpose of all feedback is to help you improve.
5. Watch other speakers
Attend other presentations to learn how other speakers engage with the audience and structure their material. Consider watching other well-regarded presentations too, such as TED Talks.
FAQs about presentation skills
If you’re looking to find out more about presentation skills and how to develop them, here are some frequently asked questions to cast some more light on the subject:
Q: How do I manage nerves before a presentation?
Effective preparation beforehand is key to managing nerves, as your mind will be more present and calmer. Also consider breathing exercises, focus on your message (not the audience’s reaction), and drinking a little water.
Q: How do I structure a presentation?
There are many ways to structure a presentation, but a central concept is to have an introduction (tell them what you’re going to tell them), a body (tell them) and a conclusion (tell them what you’ve just told them).
Q: Where else can I use presentation skills?
Aside from public speaking, presentation skills are useful for having difficult one-on-one conversations, sales, negotiations, interviews, video presentations, and clearly communicating through an urgent crisis.
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Key takeaways
Presentation skills are important for driving your personal brand and influencing others. They also go hand in hand with building your confidence.
Here are some of the most important things to know about presentation skills:
- The key to presentation skills is effective preparation, as this gives you the space and time to focus on developing your skills.
- Presentation skills are critical for your own development as well as promoting your organization.
- They can be used in a variety of settings, not just presentations.
- Developing your own presentation style comes through honing your verbal and visual presentation ability, as well your overall approach to presenting.
Develop your presentation skills as soon as you can by working them into your personal development plan. Don't hold off on practicing because of nerves. Throw yourself into the task, and you will be a master presenter in no time at all.
What other skills do you believe are important for presentations? Let us know in the comments section below.
This article was originally published in 2018.