A presentation is not complete when the slides are finished. That is a common misconception among many presenters, who believe that the hard part is over once the slides have been created. In reality, the slides are only the beginning. There is still the matter of writing the presentation itself, or at least an outline of it, so that it sounds natural when spoken out loud; practising the presentation so that it can be delivered confidently; and preparing for the dreaded question and answer portion that most presenters find far more challenging than the presentation itself.
Online training designed around this comprehensive view of presentation skills, rather than just tips on slide design or public speaking in general, tends to be far more effective than piecemeal advice.
Starting With the Script, Not the Slides
Many presenters make the mistake of designing their slides first and then writing their presentation based on them, resulting in a presentation that is essentially just the slides read aloud. Effective presentation skills training will begin with the script, or at least an outline of it, written in such a way that it will sound natural when spoken out loud, rather than simply writing the slides and then reading them out loud.
Writing the presentation, or at least an outline of it, is a skill in and of itself, one that most presenters either do not know how to do or are at least not familiar with. Writing for speech is different from writing for reading in several ways, not least of which is that it requires shorter sentences and a more natural flow from one idea to the next. Effective presentation skills training will devote significant time to this topic, since it is an essential part of any presentation that is not simply a slideshow with no accompanying narration.
Rehearsal That Actually Builds Confidence
Rehearsal is an essential part of any presentation. Still, it is one that many presenters either fail to do or do incorrectly, resulting in a presentation that is either poorly delivered or, more commonly, poorly received. Simply reading through the presentation or slides the night before rarely provides the confidence boost needed to deliver a presentation with any degree of confidence, since it does not account for the nerves that come with actually delivering it in front of an audience.
Effective online presentation skills training will include recorded practice runs, either with or without feedback, that allow the presenter to practise delivering the presentation in a way that boosts their confidence for the real thing. This kind of confidence-building rehearsal is significantly more effective than simply telling the presenter to be confident or practising in front of a mirror, since it actually builds confidence rather than merely telling them to be confident or giving them little to no opportunity to build that confidence through practice.
The Part Everyone Underestimates: Live Q&A
Ask most experienced presenters what they find most challenging about presenting, and they will almost certainly say the dreaded question-and-answer portion that comes after the presentation proper. Most presenters, even those with years of experience, find it far more challenging to field questions from the audience than it is to deliver the presentation itself. It is also one of the few parts of the presentation that most presentation-skills training fails to address, despite frequently being the deciding factor in whether a presentation is successful. A presenter who delivers an otherwise flawless presentation but fumbles through the question-and-answer portion will leave a very different impression on the audience than a presenter who delivers a less-than-perfect presentation but handles the question-and-answer portion with far greater confidence and competence.
Effective presentation skills training will treat the question-and-answer portion of a presentation as a skill in itself, rather than simply telling the presenter to be confident and handle questions as they come. This includes practising techniques for buying time to formulate an answer, such as saying “That’s an excellent question”, followed by a brief pause to collect one’s thoughts.
Bringing It All Together
The presenters who deliver the most confident presentations are rarely the ones who feel no nervousness at all; they are simply the ones who have had the most confidence-building practice. Effective presentation skills training will incorporate confidence-building techniques at every stage of the presentation, rather than simply telling the presenter to be confident and leave it at that. There are a few specific confidence-building techniques that tend to be far more effective than others when it comes to public speaking, such as
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starting with the script rather than the slides
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practising with recorded runs rather than simply reading through the presentation or slides in preparation
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practising pacing and other aspects of delivery rather than simply focusing on content
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practising the dreaded question-and-answer portion rather than leaving it to chance.
Conclusion
Presentation skills are not something that most people are born with, and they are not something that most people can acquire simply by practising on their own. They are something that must be learned, and they are something that most people can learn, so long as they have the right kind of guidance. Online presentation skills training by OPG Coaching can help most people acquire the skills they need to deliver a presentation with confidence, whether it is a simple slideshow or a fully fleshed-out presentation with a detailed script.