The ability to give a great presentation does not come without hard work. Though some people may have innate skills and traits that make presenting easier, honing those skills takes effort. The experts at Shapiro Negotiations understand the potential impact of a fantastic presentation and have a proven strategy for teaching professionals how to perfect their presenting abilities.
1. Do Research and Find Examples of Great Presenters
One of the things you should do when trying to improve your presenting skills is to do research about other great presenters. Watch speeches online and take notes about how they present. If you have the ability, go see a great presenter in action, paying attention to how the audience reacts to certain things and what makes their presentation successful or unsuccessful.
One of the best online resources for watching presentations is TED Talks. You can also look for presidential or political speeches, as politicians often deliver impactful speeches. Watch as many as you need to understand what it takes to give an interesting, engaging presentation. By having an idea of what worked in their presentations and speeches, you will have new things to try in your own presentations.
2. Find a Way to Be Enthusiastic
All great presenters show enthusiasm. An uninterested, bored presenter will quickly lose the attention and interest of their audience. Unfortunately, it is common for people to have to do business presentations about things that don’t interest them. Few people in the business world can always present about something they find fascinating. You need to find a way to be enthusiastic about a topic you are not passionate about, as your enthusiasm level could be the factor that determines how effective your presentation is.
One way to incite enthusiasm is to think about the audience. Expand your focus to include the impact your presentation is having on the people listening. Consider how your presentation will improve their business or lives. It will be easier to be excited about your topic if you feel like you are making an impact on those listening.
3. Ask for Feedback
One of the best ways to improve any skill is by asking for feedback. You may finish a presentation with an idea about how it went, but another person can offer a different viewpoint that may provide valuable information about how you can improve your technique. When analyzing yourself, you are more likely to have a skewed opinion, either overly positive or overly negative. You also have no way of knowing how your presentation impacted the audience. Someone in the audience can tell you how effective you were and what impression you gave to your listeners.
There are many ways you can get feedback from audiences. In certain situations, you will receive feedback from leaders without needing to ask for it. For situations where feedback is not automatic, choose someone who will have an objective opinion and can deliver blunt information, and ask them what they thought after the presentation. Listen intently to any feedback you receive so you can adjust your style and become as effective as possible.
Shapiro Negotiations has numerous professionals who have experience giving and critiquing presentations. We can spot people’s strengths and weaknesses with presenting and know how to best remedy the latter. Our presenting skills workshops have helped many people in business hone their presentation skills and become effective presenters.
