Most of us will have to give a talk or make a public presentation at some time in our lives. It may be to a handful of colleagues or an audience of hundreds. It may be to our chama or god forbid at a funeral. The ability to put your point across in an interesting and informative way is essential. In today’s competitive business world those who can communicate with authority and confidence have a great advantage over their peers. It is a great way to advance your career as well as an opportunity to be seen and heard by clients, peers and management.
If the reason for the speech is social and you’re not comfortable speaking in public you can always decline and no-one will think anything of it after all research has shown that most people would rather die than speak in public! However, if it is part of your job you most probably have no choice. At any rate, today, making presentations is a part of most people's working lives, and it is vitally important to do them well, as good communicators are the ones who make it to the top. Thorough preparation is the key to confidence, which in turn is the key to success, and I cannot emphasise that enough. After all, you never know how much new business could depend on it.
Any sort of presentation takes hours to prepare, not minutes. Having found out why you are speaking and to whom, put yourself in their seats. Try to answer the questions those people want answered and you will get your points across. If you are addressing a group where you know there are specific concerns, address those issues straight away. There are some fundamental rules; you must know your subject, you should be sincere and you have got to be enthusiastic.
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