Perfect Presentation Skills - Nature or Nurture? (entrepreneur listings)
No commentsBy Dominic Donaldson
Presentation skills can be applied in so many areas of everyday life: the way we look, the way we conduct ourselves, the way we present our ideas to others. In business these skills are particularly important. Creating the right impression, getting your message across clearly and with conviction and making an impact can all mean the difference between winning and losing business, or progressing your career and getting stuck where you are.
So, strong presentation skills are vital to success, but can everybody pull off a great presentation? Of course some people appear more naturally skilled than others at public speaking - perhaps due to greater confidence and lots of practice in communicating - but even the most shy and unconfident people can learn to present well. Equally, those who already present effectively can always improve with further training and coaching, perhaps to hone specific areas.
So what is involved in becoming an effective presenter? Standing in front of people, managing to string together the basics of a pitch or presentation is one thing but will staff, colleagues or clients remember what you were saying at the end of your presentation? Have you left your audience full of enthusiasm for your idea or needing a strong coffee to wake up? Do they have confidence in you?
A successful, impactful presentation is built on a whole suite of factors. Opening with a bang, using the right body language, maintaining eye contact, varying your tone, signposting and using relevant and engaging language, anecdotes and examples all make a difference. And of course there are plenty of things you can do to control those pesky nerves.
Presenting, however confident a person you are, can be a very daunting task. A well rehearsed presentation can be put in jeopardy due to the onset of nerves. Whether public speaking or presenting in front of friends, colleagues or complete strangers, an element of nerves is natural. The fear of embarrassment, making yourself look stupid or not making sense are all normal human emotions which, with the correct training can actually be harnessed in order to improve your presentation.
Modelling can be a great way to improve presentation skills. Carefully observing and analysing what good presenters do and then emulating those techniques can be a powerful way to improve your own skills.
In conclusion, yes some people do have a stronger natural talent for presenting and engaging an audience. But the good news is that everyone can improve and give a great presentation if they know what it is that makes a difference and how to apply the techniques. And if they’re given opportunities to practise and receive helpful and personalised feedback. The potential for progress is enormous and the rewards to be reaped both for your business and personal life are worth the effort.
Dominic Donaldson is an expert in the communication skills sector.
Find out more about presentation skills and how to boost your confidence in your career at Speakfirst.
How You Can Find the Right Business
By Keith Baxter
Are you a home-based business opportunity seeker looking for something that is flexible, convenient and fits your personality? One of the challenges that people often face who want to start a home-based business is finding the right opportunity that fits their lifestyle. As an opportunity seeker, they may often try several different businesses that offer big promises with low returns. Or, their disappointment may come when they find out how many incredibly long hours they have to work to create a satisfactory lifestyle for themselves and their families. Again, as an opportunity seeker, it is very important to seek those businesses that enhance your lifestyle and offer you the flexibility that you need.
A viable home-based business opportunity will offer you sufficient training and a program that can be easily replicated, with comparable effort. Getting rich quick is no longer what the true opportunity seeker looks for, but rather they look for a solid business model with a workable plan and high returns. Which one are you?
The home business opportunity that I offer is one that piques the business opportunity seeker because it is easy to get started and I help you navigate your way throughout the business when you initially set up. You won’t be left to make a go of the business on your own, but rather you will have a solid and comprehensible training program that will help you to shape your business goals. Herein is the challenge that many new opportunity seekers and entrepreneurs face because they are inadequately trained and usually quit the business before they see a return. What are some things that you should expect from a solid home based business opportunity?
You should look for a product or service that is in demand by consumers or can be relatively easy to sell to consumers.
A comprehensive training program, whether it’s face-to-face or virtual. Be sure that the training covers all aspects of the business and has a robust FAQ section for your reference.
A well-defined and easy to duplicate marketing plan for those who are new to the business or who may be a new home based business opportunity seeker. If the marketing approaches are questionable or hard to define, there won’t be much success from those who are new to the business.
Look for previous testimonials by those who have done the business before you. Find out what they liked, disliked, what they did well, what could have been tweaked and so on. The best advice comes from a customer who has done it before.
As a home based business opportunity seeker, take care to find the right business for you and duplicate the system to bring you wealth and success. The results will far outweigh the time investment and you will find the right system that fits your business personality.
Learn more at home business opportunities at http://www.create-wealth-on-line.unifiedwealthsolutions.com/.
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Monday, November 17th, 2008 at 9:55 am and is filed under business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
