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Date Submitted: 07/20/2015 07:05 PM
10
Simple Strategies to Improve Your
Presentation Skills…Today
By: Chakisse Newton
President, Cardinal Consulting, LLC
Your personal and professional success often depends on your ability to communicate effectively, but preparing and polishing a presentation
can be stressful. Even experienced presenters are sometimes unsure about how to take their presentation skills to the next level. Here are
10 simple strategies you can use to dramatically reduce the amount of time it takes to prepare a new presentation, improve presentations
you’re already giving and keep your audience spellbound.
1. Plan Your Purpose.
4. Put PowerPoint In Its Place.
Before you create a new presentation (or when you review
an existing presentation), ask yourself, “What’s my purpose for
giving this presentation?” Is your goal to persuade, to inspire, to
inform or to entertain? The content, stories and examples you
use will be dramatically different depending on your purpose.
Generally, it’s difficult to have more than one central purpose,
so choose carefully.
Have you ever experienced “death by PowerPoint”? While no
person has actually died from this experience, too much
technology is the death of your message and any chance to
meet your presentation objectives. Ask yourself if you really
need a visual aid. If you do, remember that there are other
options available to you: flip charts, handouts, and overhead
projectors (yes, they still exist) among many others. Whatever
you choose, remember to connect with the audience before
engaging technology, and that PowerPoint and visual aids serve
you and not vice versa.
2. Select Strong Supporting Arguments.
Make sure the body of your speech consists of the strongest
examples and stories that prove your central argument. Also,
make sure that you aren’t taking any leaps of logic as you try
to prove your point. Write down the main ideas of your
presentation and list all the possible examples and stories you...