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Effective Presentation Skills
Effective Presentation Skills
Public speaking is not a talent – it is a skill that can be learned and improved upon.
1. Set a Goal
Many presenters focus on practicing their delivery over and over, but forget to set a goal
for the presentation. Without a goal in mind, you are setting yourself up for failure.
Your presentation must have a unique purpose – what you want to achieve or get from
the audience. For example, in a selling situation, your goal might be to close the sale. If
it is too early in the process, your goal then might be to schedule the next meeting.
2. Write an Outline
With a goal in mind, now you can structure your presentation. Having an outline will help
you organize your ideas into a logical and compelling message.
Instead of the usual “my name is X and I am going to talk about X,” great presenters
often start with a famous quote, a rethorical question, or even a story that helps gets the
point across.
Most people tend to make decisions emotionally rather than logically, so if you can get
your audience to care, then you have pretty much convinced them of whatever it is you
have to say.
When appropriate, asking questions and opinions in the middle of the presentation is
also a good way to engage your audience.