Employees with great presentation skills are coveted assets across industries. They project confidence, inspire trust, and represent their organizations in the best possible light. However, people are not born with these talents. Some employees with academic or extracurricular backgrounds in public speaking, business competition, or performance may seem like “naturals,” but every individual is capable of effective public speaking for business with the right training.
As a manager of a sales team or a department that regularly reports to executives, you do not have a lot of time to help your staff with their presentation skills. You may also benefit from honing your own skills. However, you undermine your whole team when you let poor practices continue. Your team will not meet performance expectations, embarrass itself in front of executives, and produce disappointing results. If you’re stretched thin, reach out to your Learning & Development department and ask for resources for presentation skills training. If you’re still not sure whether communication training will pay off, learn more by stopping by Wavelength.training/our-workshops/presentation-skills/.
Confidence
Confidence and organization are the two most important qualities of any successful business presentation. Employees who show they care about their subject matter get better results, because their enthusiasm persuades the audience to buy in. Audiences are generally sympathetic to anyone speaking in front of them, and talented public speakers know how to rely on that good nature. Speakers who dress professionally, have good posture, and control their nervousness earn their audience’s sympathy. Some of the skills that facilitators at communication training firm Wavelength teach are voice projection, body language, and fielding Q&A sessions.
Organization
Audiences are also far more likely to forgive minor slip ups or confusions if apresentation is well-organized and follows a simple structure:
- Introduction – An introduction begins byengaging the audience and clearly identifying the problems that the body will address. In a sales pitch, it may identify pain points that the product or service solves.
- Body – The middle section is commonly known as “the meat,” and not just because it’s sandwiched between an introduction and closing. This is the time for the speaker to report, inform, and answer.
- Closing – Here a speaker summarizes his or her arguments and leaves with either a powerful statement or a call to action.
When your office signs up for presentation skills training workshops, such as those offered by Wavelength, your team will learn how to captivate their audiences with their message. They will learn that a powerful message is delivered through a concise, coherent structure.
Practice
Forget about “practice makes perfect,” because in business, there is no such thing as perfection. However, presenters who practice beforehand appear more organized, make more eye contact with their audience, and have better control over the cadence of their voices.
Presentation skills courses train through practice, calling on participants to deliver both practiced and impromptu demonstrations. Facilitators help them self-evaluate by identifying their own weaknesses and correcting them, and provide reference materials so that the lessons can be taken back to the office. Improve your team’s communications and watch as you close more sales and earn respect from your organization’s executives.