Presentations... And More Presentations.

          I remember a time when I used to freak out till insanity about presentations. I would trade anything to a presentation. A handwritten assignment or a group project was also doable. Anything but presentations. Now that presentations have become a normal feature for me, it freaks me out lesser. Definitely not till insanity. As you keep on doing them, the fear gradually lessens. This is what I'm going through. I presented the objectives of my life and how Masters in Management Studies will help me achieve my objective. It was the best presentation I've ever given. Sometimes, I fidget. Sometimes, I blank out. But sometimes, it's just perfect.

These are the things I keep in mind before giving a presentation.

1. Learning:

          I'm trying this new thing where I don't rote everything. I just go on the stage and speak whatever I've understood. I have the basic outline of what I'm going to say. So, it becomes more natural. If I learn by heart and then skip something or blank out, then I'm doomed. So, I think, it's always better to go unprepared but with some knowledge.

2. Body Language:

          How you carry yourself in front of 70-80 people is crucial. Earlier I just used to fix a spot and stay glued to it the entire time. Now, I use my hands for gestures. I move around the class. I keep eye contact with the audience. At first, it sounded scary but now it's almost normal.

3. Language:

          At times, people tend to speak faster and end up messing with words. In that fast speed, people miss out a few words which makes the sentence meaningless. So it's better to speak slowly with clarity.

4. Audience:

          This is another trick I use to get confidence. It started off as a joke when my dad asked me to do it. But when I implemented it, it worked! So, here it is. Consider your audience as ignorant people who have no knowledge about the subject. If you think that way, it becomes a lot easier. Know your audience and trick them.

5. Keep Calm:

          What's the worst thing that can happen during a presentation? You'll make a fool of yourself. But the bigger picture is that no one's going to remember that. So just calm down. Nervousness is good but only if it's within limits.

What's your outlook while making a presentation?

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