The life of your business is centered around meetings and your ability to deliver your presentations effectively remains a critical part of your success. In the boardroom, on stage or via the internet, presenting is a reality that you must face.
Many people find it difficult to run productive meetings but successful businessmen on the other hand, know that good presentation does not start on Monday and end on Friday. Rather they work hard to have memorable presentation by planning, preparation and attention to detail.They understand that an excellent presentation skill will dramatically enhance your career.
You need to sharpen your skill in order to effectively engage your audience. What do you need to do?
PREPARE AHEAD OF TIME. Plan your speech. Find out who your audience are and where the meeting is going to take place. When you plan, research, develop and organize a top-notch material in advance, it enhances your chances of having a successful presentation. Decide where and how you want to start. Practice and be familiar with your introduction as well as your conclusion. Adequate preparation can help build your confidence.
FIND A RECHARGE. You may discover that following certain positive habits can energize you for the task ahead. Like a vehicle, you need to refuel your tank for efficiency. This keeps you on track, resets your brain and allows you to focus better. Your nerves may be wrecking already so you need to calm down. Have a regular intake of water. A simple exercise like walking, dancing or any other activity that motivates you and equally boost your mood is highly recommended.
SPEND TIME IN SOLITUDE. Create quiet moment to crystallize your thought, think, sort out your speeches and cues. Meditate, stand up, rehearse, speak aloud, deliver your points and imagine the real situation. Take advantage of breathing exercises to eliminate anxiety.
KEEP TO TIME. Be punctual. You create a bad impression when you keep other people waiting.You are most likely to be nervous when you arrive late. Moreso, it creates room for you to rush through your presentation. When you are late to meetings, you lack time to prepare mentally and psychologically. In the morning rush, you may skip your breakfast and resort to non-nutritious drinks which will not give you long term energy and vitality.
APPEARANCE MATTERS. Dress appropriately, be neat and presentable. You are addressed the way you dress. Avoid any accessory that is likely to distract your audience.
SCORE YOUR GOAL. Speak with clarity, confidence and conviction. Your ability to articulately pass your message goes a long way in influencing your audience. Keep your message simple and hit the nail on the head. Do not bore your audience with unnecessary charts and figures, especially if you are using PowerPoint slides. You are the star, not the slide. Be more engaging and let your presentation be short and impactful.
You may not be a speech guru or an orator, but you can have an impressive and brilliant presentation. You can save the over 50 percent of meeting time alleged to be wasted on a daily basis. The estimated 90 percent of the people who daydream during meetings would pay attention and not drift away. The over 70 percent of the people who bring along with them other works would not do so and those 35 percent who usually fall asleep would be alert and awake all through your speech.In fact, there would be more meetings and meaningful results because the over 46 percent of those who dread meetings would be looking forward to it.
CHIAMAKA BOBBY-UMEANO
