Public Presentation skills

Why public speaking is good

Presentation skill are important leadership and management skills. The ability to articulate and present our thoughts well is a great skill. It can be a game changer for leaders. Hence public speaking skills are important.

Over the past few weeks, my final year accounting and finance students have been working in teams. The aim, to give them the confidence to present their work to their classmates.

Some of the students will see the opportunity  to learn and master a new skill. A few may not be comfortable with standing in front of their classmates to present their work. Even after many years of me doing this, I find that most students end up ‘enjoying’ the experience as much as I have pride in seeing their hard work come to fruition.

More thank just talking

There are many advantages to the skill. As future managers and leaders, we want them to be confident to be able to speak in front of others.

Presentation skill is an important skill that managers and leaders need to learn to communicate, it is not an easy skill, but it is one that anyone can learn and become better at.

There was a story of a group of young entrepreneurs with one of the most innovative ideas. Unfortunately, they were unable to articulate their ideas to investors. So after a few failed attempts, they brought in  a presenter. The presenter helped them but in return for a share of their company because they had no money to pay him. The presentation was successful and the presenter became part of the company.  Presentation skill can be learned.

Presentation skill is also about body language, voice, connectivity with the audience and much more.  President Obama meritorious rise to the US presidency was partly put down to his presentation skills. Same can said of Dr Martin Luther King Junior’s and his  ‘I have a dream speech’ that captivated the world.  

We are offering feedbacks and classes on how to give better presentations. Even the best presenters can have a bad day, but the best way to avoid any misfortune is to practice and practice even more. Once you get used to presenting in front of a large audience, it can be therapeutic to the point of looking forward to it.

Practice makes perfect

As a teacher, my audience varies but even the same class needs different motivation techniques to connect with them, so being able to read your audience is also important. The first few minutes of any presentation can be crucial especially in front of an audience that you are meeting for the first time.

You must be able to develop the right body language, bring the audience into your world, develop a rapport that allows them to take you into their hearts. Never let the audience know you are nervous, but remember a bit of nerves is not such a bad thing before the start of a presentation. But you must keep it under control, you are the master and people have come to listen to you deliver your masterpiece.

Overall, presentation is about having fun as well. Relax and tell a great story, everyone remembers a great story. So, tell your own story in your own words, using your own voice and the world becomes a better place for it.