How To Improve Your Presentation Skills

Imagine a big, air conditioned room full of people. In front of them, there is a stage; a podium set up to the left with a projector in the middle. The people in the room are apparently waiting for someone to get up on stage and give a presentation. The scene shifts to the back of the stage; there you are, sweating. Anxiously waiting for when your name will be called and you'll have to deliver that 15 minute speech in front of all those people. All 150 of them; students like you. Finally you hear your name; you walk to the stage nervously. You stare into the crowd and nothing comes out.

This is the nightmare scenario for anyone faced with making an oral presentation. Everyone fears coming up on stage and looking up in front of a room full of people. They're afraid of the embarrassment of failing on such a big stage. They are afraid of what people might say after the presentation.

And so how does one become better at oral presentations? It is important that you remember three things: voice, body language and appearance.

• You voice must be loud and clear. It should be loud enough to be heard around the room and clear enough that the audience can understand every word that you say. It's not enough to just shout out what you're going to say; shouting can sound just like static noise if it's not clear enough. Never make your voice small and weak; it's a tell tale sign that the presenter is not ready or is not confident in his delivery.
• Body language is also a good indicator of whether or not the speaker is ready with his speech or is confident enough to deliver it. A person who slouches or does not stand up straight while delivering his speech generally isn't confident or he does not believe that he can properly give out his speech. A man standing straight up on the other hand, says that "I am ready to blow your mind."
• The way you look also plays a big role in being ready for your presentation. You have to look and feel confident. The moment the people see that you look confident and ready to present; the more they will listen to what you have to say.
• Prepare your speech ahead of time. You absolutely cannot cram what you have to say hours or a day before your presentation. You will end up panicking and forgetting whatever you've put together in such a short period of time. Prepare ahead and write down what you have to say. Put emphasis on lines you think will strike a chord in people. Most important of all, practice your speech. Try talking to yourself in front of a mirror; it will help you overcome your fear of presenting in a crowded room. Take time to make sure that your speech has a main point; pointless speeches make for pointless presentations. Finally, never ever read from a script. Nothing turns off people more in a speaker they think is good as when they read from a script. Show them that you have prepared for this and deliver with all your heart.