Before we get to presentation skills coaching, we all can agree that capturing the attention of an audience is not the easiest thing in the world. Sure, it’s easy to grab attention when you goof up or struggle to string a complete paragraph together. But that’s not the kind of attention we want, obviously.
Even in the absence of jitters or stage fright for the more experienced, captivating an audience from start to finish can be a tricky proposition.
The whole point of delivering a presentation is to share an important message, whatever that may be. At the end of it, you want your audience to walk away (or “leave meeting”) with valuable insights.
Honing your presentation skills makes it easier to control your nerves and anxiety. It also empowers you to make good presentations that spark curiosity (in a good way) and leave the audience mulling over the important points you shared with them.
Presentation skills coaching can make you a more confident speaker, opening you to the world of opportunities that come with it. In fact, anyone in a position that regularly involves giving presentations should consider presentation skills coaching.
Beyond empowering you to make persuasive presentations, it’s a skill that can unlock many doors for you at a professional level.
The need for presentation skills coaching
Most people experience anxiety caused by public speaking situations such as presentations, with stats indicating that 77% of the population is uncomfortable speaking in front of people, even if it’s a small crowd.
Some fear they will forget what they need to say, others fear making a fool of themselves. Some are afraid of putting themselves “out there”, while others simply get anxious in front of people. There are those who struggle with selling or pitching an idea, and there are others who feel unable to handle the pressure that comes with addressing people.
Whatever the case, glossophobia (or fear of public speaking) does more harm than good, with 45% of individuals admitting they feel this fear hampers their career growth.
The good news is that with the necessary coaching, it is possible to incorporate strategies that help you to overcome the fear that comes with speaking in front of people. However, besides helping individuals overcome nervousness or stage fright, some people might choose to undertake presentation skills coaching to work on other aspects of presentation they feel they could improve on.
5 aspects of presentation you can master with presentation skills coaching
Improving your presentation skills is not just about overcoming the fear of speaking. A presentation skills coach can help you hone your abilities and transform you into an inspiring and compelling presenter.
Here are 5 key skills you can master through presentation skills coaching to take your presentations to the next level:
Preparation
Structuring and writing content
Delivery
Audience engagement
Platform skills
1. Preparation
Every successful presentation begins with good preparation. While it might sound as simple as just organising the material you need for your presentation, presentation skills coaching goes a bit deeper.
It will teach you how to prepare effectively for an audience, including:
the techniques you can lean on to overcome presentation jitters
tips to help you understand the audience
how to make a good first impression
how to structure your slides
The better prepared you are, the more likely you are to nail it.
2. Structuring and writing content
Content – or the information you want to convey – is the heart of every presentation. From the word go, you need to be clear on what message you want to communicate, then build everything around that.
While data, proof and logic are always good to weave into the content, coaching will teach you how to blend facts and numbers with a touching message that gets through to your audience more effectively. The whole idea is to create buy-in or precipitate action.
You will also learn how to write for the spoken voice.
3. Delivery
Great content riding on solid preparation will always increase your presentation success rate. But without proper delivery, it’s all likely to end in a whimper. That’s the opposite of what you want.
When you walk out of the room (or leave a call), deep down you always know whether you did well or not. A large part of that has to do not with the “what” but the “how”. How you delivered the message.
This is one of the key aspects that presentation skills coaching focuses on, well aware that it’s what meshes everything together: the content, the speaker and the audience. You will pick up valuable skills such as voice control (and tone), use of pace if speaking on stage, and how to convey confidence through body language.
You will also learn storytelling techniques to help you capture your audience’s attention and drive your points home.
4. Audience engagement
Something else that skill presentation skills coaching will teach you is how to engage with your audience effectively. This is closely related to delivery techniques, but it’s a skill in its own right.
Audience engagement is more about building a connection with the audience and guiding them towards a desired outcome. It is the skill that allows you to build rapport with your audience and rope them in.
A presentation skills coach will walk you through the art of referring to slides like a pro, and how to use non-verbal skills such as eye contact to your advantage.
5. Platform skills
A presentation skills coach will also teach how to perfect your platform skills – one of those small nuances that has an impact on the overall success of a presentation.
These skills include the effective use of slides, how to use images to accentuate your points and the dos and don’ts of PowerPoint. It trains you on how to be comfortable and look and sound your best on different platforms, virtual or physical.
Platform skills help you weed out presentation faux pas that can get in the way of effective delivery, including mannerisms that could be distracting.
Benefits of communication skills coaching
Presentation skills coaching can be beneficial in many ways. As mentioned, one of the reasons some people choose to work with a communication coach or presentation skills coach is to learn how to overcome nervousness or stage fright.
A very valid reason, but not everyone is in it for that sole reason. Some people have learned to work around that fear either by virtue of their experiences, the nature and demands of their role or job, or perhaps because public speaking is something that comes naturally to them.
That said, there are many who desire to go to the next level by working on other weaknesses that might be holding them back.
Regardless of the reasons that might necessitate you to work with a presentation skills coach, it’s one of those soft skills that have a direct impact on your overall success in life – at work, in your personal life, and even in school, leadership or entrepreneurship.
From a career standpoint, mastering presentation skills can be useful when:
Showcasing your skills during interviews or career transitions
Communicating ideas during meetings and discussions
Persuading leads and potential customers as a sales or marketing professional
Looking to win and retain clients as a consultant, freelancer or business owner
Impressing investors as an entrepreneur
Building a personal brand
Influencing corporate higher-ups to support your ideas, initiatives or projects
Making a step up in your career since career advancement and promotions often involve presenting ideas and achievements, as well as demonstrating your leadership capabilities and readiness for more responsibilities
Developing presentation skills is something that needs to be encouraged more. Employed people, business leaders, entrepreneurs, freelancers and even students will always be well-served by enhancing this skill, and a presentation skills coach can prove invaluable in that regard.
Conclusion
In the increasingly competitive world of today, strengthening your presentation skills can make you stand out.
It’s a skill that will not only give you an edge, but also get you closer to your goals faster. That’s because it helps you make a great impression, and that can mean getting noticed.
While it’s possible to become a better speaker or presenter through self-training, presentation skills coaching is an opportunity to work with a professional coach who can help you get the best out of yourself through expert guidance and support.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who needs presentation skills?
In a world that requires putting yourself out there in order to progress or make something of yourself, most people will be well-served by polishing their presentation skills. That includes students and professionals across the board – think freelancers and entrepreneurs, employees, business executives and managers, entrepreneurs and even business owners.