Delivering a presentation can cause worries for even the most positive business people. Anxiety is a natural state that arises whenever we are under stress and giving a presentation will normally cause some amount of stress.

If you learn to make stress work positively for you, it can be the fuel for a more enthusiastic and dynamic presentation.

Confident presenting is an essential business skill. Whether you're delivering a client presentation, or speaking internally, presentation skills are crucial. Preparation is everything, the more prepared you are the more confident you will feel, which leads to a better presentation.

The key to a successful presentation begins with a structured approach to preparation. The objective of your presentation needs to be clear in your mind.

You now need to give careful thought to the subject matter and how you will put it across. Unstructured rambling presenters tend to be difficult to concentrate upon and unless your key points are made very clear for the audience, your message will be forgotten - very quickly!

Brainstorm the main ideas for your presentation. Try to end up with between two and five main ideas. If you have more than five, try reducing them by making some of them sub points.

You will also need to decide what (if any) visual aids you will incorporate into your presentation. Using visuals aids will help to focus the audience's attention, reinforce your verbal message, stimulate interest and illustrate factors that are hard to explain. When constructing visual aids, employ the KISS principal - keep it short and simple. Don't overload charts with too much information.

Avoid inflicting "Death by PowerPoint"
Remember - You are your best visual aid

When your presentation is complete, practice running through it a number of times so that you can see how much information you can include in your allocated time slot.

Practice answering anticipated questions you might receive. Prepare for the worst and everything else will seem easier.

Arrive early to get set up and ready to go. Control your nerves by deep and slow breathing beforehand. Then make sure you stand tall, smile, and convey your message clearly, making regular eye contact with every member of your audience.

Enthusiasm is contagious - and so is lack of it!

You must communicate your passion to the audience if you want them to be interested about the ideas you present!

If you want to be memorable (for all the right reasons) then quite simply, you must deliver your presentation in a memorabe way!

Watch speakers who do it well and those who do it poorly. Analyse their content, their style and their delivery. Identify what it is about those who do it well, that makes their presentations effective and unforgettable. Likewise, what is it about those who present badly?

Management guru Dale Carnegie says .....
"There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave."

Presentation Skills is just one of many subjects covered by our hugely popular Rapid Results® 90 minute training sessions. With over 36 topics to choose from, these lively and interactive sessions are packed with tips and ideas to really get your people switched on!

We currently have three different 90 minute sessions on presentation skills to choose from: Developing a Presentation, Presentation Delivery Skills and Advanced Presentation skills

Next month 'Leading in Tough Times'.

Click here for more information on bite sized learning that sticks!