Have you ever been in a situation, where you had a great idea for a product, but when you presented to your management it fell flat? And not only was your idea shot down, but you also got out of the presentation with a poor impression with your boss. Worse, someone else elaborated on your idea, and they were the ones who got assigned to lead the project instead of you and you actually end up assisting them on the task.

    If you’ve ever been in such a situation, then chances are that you lack in presentation skills. It’s not so much that someone else is better than you, but more that the other person was able to impress the management and convince them that he or she is the right person for the job, more than you could.

    However there is no need to be disheartened, for presentation skills are not an inborn talent or skill. Some people are naturally more confident at others and therefore make it seem that it comes easy to them. So it would be right to arrive at the conclusion that the key to being a good presenter is to be confident. Unfortunately, there is no magic potion for getting “confidence”! It comes from being well prepared. Thus, the universal truth, everything comes from hard work and practice.

Prepare your presentation in advance

    It is advisable to carefully think of the important points that you want your presentation to convey. Therefore, you need to spend some time on this. If you leave things to the last minute, it’s possible that you’ll forget to include some important points and drone on about things of lesser concern. Moreover, if you know you’ve prepared a good presentation, you will be confident. You will have time to revise it again and again, almost like studying for an exam. This will make you familiar with the content of the material and you will not need to keep looking at your notes while making the presentation.

Practice your presentation

    Many people lose out on making an impression because they are not familiar with the content of the presentation, even though they may have spent days preparing it. It helps if you’ve revised your presentation again and again so that on D-Day you know it like the back of your hand. There is no way you will keep your audience hooked if you keep fumbling. It’s like going to a play where the actors didn’t learn their scripts.

Build your confidence

    Ok so you have a good presentation, and you know it inside out! But now comes the next problem: PUBLIC SPEAKING! Most people are terrified of speaking in front of an audience. A good tip is to practice in front of the mirror. It’s also helpful to practice with a family member or friend or someone who will be the part of the audience on D-Day.

    Importantly, if you’ve practiced saying some things and you forget them while presenting, don’t get nervous! Your audience won’t know what’s missing to start with!

Pace your presentation

    Practice with a stopwatch. You may think it’s absolutely essential for your audience to completely understand every teeny tiny detail. However, too long a presentation can put your audience to sleep. Or you might rush through your presentation in an attempt to cram everything in, they may not even understand what you’re trying to convey.

    Lastly, think positive thoughts. You’ve got a good presentation and you’ve prepared well. There’s nothing now that can stop you from hitting the bulls eye.

written by Bulbul Pandya