IMPORTANCE OF PRESENTATION SKILLS
Introduction
Developing practical communication skills in a business environment is vital for business professionals in delivering effective presentations. Therefore, presentations are regarded as the routine that constitutes the life of a business consultant. Business presentations are to deliver information and introduce a new concept to business colleagues or other professionals who are involved in different business practices in an entity. Further, the audience is bound to vary in magnitude, where the persuasive and informative presentations usually are communicated physically. The ability of fluent and effective communication needs to be developed to facilitate a successful business career for professionals. The employers during recruitment were observed to prefer communication among other “soft skills” as the primary consideration that enabled candidates to pass the recruitment processes coupled with other qualification.
Speaking Skills
According to Guffey and Loewy (2014), business experts sharpen their skills while studying to develop a competitive edge that enables them to secure employment opportunities, unlike other candidates. Further, business employers portrayed a preference for the job applicants who showed excellent communication “soft skills” that the employers believed that they would help presenters when conducting business presentations (Guffey & Loewy, 2014). The ability of business professionals to speaking excellently will be beneficial to a business during promotions before product consumers, engage an audience during a consultative meeting or elaborate expansion plans to a financial institution. As Guffey and Loewy (2014) observed, excellent communication skills are essential during presentations where they are used in a meeting, one-on-one and, virtual conferences.
Purpose of the Presentation
Business presentations serve a critical role in any business where the presenter needs to observe certain practices for an efficient presentation. According to Guffey and Loewy (2014), a keen preparation in a business presentation is vital for effective communication. The presenter thus should define the aim of conducting the presentation at the close of presenting business concepts to an audience. Therefore, the presentation is adjusted to suit the type of audience that the presenter is addressing (Guffey & Loewy, 2014). While conducting a presentation, business professionals should ensure that the significant points are understood by the audience to enhance their credibility in discussing business concepts. Thus, a business presentation offers the professionals an end in mind about what they wish to communicate to the audience.
Forms of Presentation
There are various forms used in business presentation and are determined by the type of the audience and the objective of the presentation. According to Guffey and Loewy (2014), a business briefing is used to summarize the problems, issues or proposals. Further, a report is similar to oral proposals that are intended to inform and persuade the audience during a business presentation (Guffey & Loewy, 2014). Similarly, podcasts are audios that were previously recorded and transmitted through the internet. Additionally, virtual presentation is a video conferencing that is conducted through the internet by the staff of a business organization. Finally, Webiner is a presentation conducted on the internet and might be a video or audio that promotes products, trains workers or engages consumers.
Understanding the Audience
During business presentations, professionals encounter different audiences that might be described as friendly, hostile, uninterested, or neutral. As Guffey and Loewy (2014) propose, business professionals need to identify the kind of audience that they likely would address. Proper identification of an audience enables the presenter to prepare early and ensures that the presentation is successful. Additionally, identifying the audience informs the designing of a presentation that will appeal to the specific audience (Guffey & Loewy, 2014). The professionals thus, choose suitable presentation technique that ensures that the audience understands the significant points.
Organization of Presentation
Business professionals understand that the nature of presentation determines the points be included. Thus, brief presentations constitute fewer points and lesser explanations to ensure that the significant points of the presentation remain in the memory of the audience (Guffey & Loewy, 2014). Further, the presenter attracts and maintains the attention of the audience through observing chronology and the importance of the points (Guffey & Loewy, 2014). The presenter knows where to place the points during the presentation where the most critical point is placed towards the end of the presentation to guarantee maximum impact. An adequately organized presentation ensures that the intended impact on the audience is achieved and the businesses concepts are understood to enable business managers to make the right decisions.
Initiating Audience Rapport
An efficient presentation determines that the professional avoids applying generalizations and facts to introduce new concepts to the audience. According to Guffey and Loewy (2014), the audience encounters challenges while following a business presentation where the professionals fail to indicate a pause in the presentations or the introduction of a new point. Therefore, competent business professionals need to employ verbal signposts to help the audience in acknowledging the organization and the significant points in a presentation. Further, proper utilization of the non-verbal cues like the body language helps in the delivery of the intended concepts of a presentation.
Comprehending Modern Visual Aids
Competitive business professionals use the available visual aids to foster the understanding of significant points in a presentation. Therefore, the aids used are audios or videos that that play a significant role in the comprehension and memory of main points (Guffey & Loewy, 2014). The presenters should be proficient in utilizing the technology and the equipment available for the presentation to avoid the embarrassment that comes with the failure of the technology used in their presentation (Guffey & Loewy, 2014). Further, the visual aids used in business presentations enable the presenters to incorporate useful visual aids like graphs and charts that emphasize the significant points by providing additional information.
Establishing Business Presentation
Experienced business professionals understand the importance of a presentation and organize their points clearly with brief phrases to encourage memorization of critical points (Guffey & Loewy, 2014). An excellent presentation ensures that the presenter focuses on the critical points and not the design of the presentation (Guffey & Loewy, 2014). However, using fancy templates for presentation distracts the audience from the critical points and prevents effective legibility of the points listed on a slide. Thus, business professionals are encouraged to use available prepared slides that are pre-designed by experts and ensure that the audience relates to the presentation without too much struggle. The presenters take their time to revise the presentations where they ensure that the phrases are brief and precise (Guffey & Loewy, 2014). The presenter analyzes the slides to ensure that the slides are accurate and legible by people sitting far from the display.
Selecting the Style of Presentation
Effective business presentation requires that the professionals avoid memorizing the content since they will appear unrealistic and lacking confidence. According to Guffey and Loewy (2014), the presenters need to rehearse effectively to facilitate the development of confidence and ensure excellent presentation. To further demonstrate the mastery of the content to be presented, the presenters introduce their first sentence from memorization. Additionally, the presenters encounter and effectively respond to the questions asked confidently to confirm that they understand the topic. The style of presenting the topic is determined by factors like the age of the audience, gender, level of education, among others. It leaves the presenter to determine whether they will offer handouts at the end of the presentation or not.
Conclusion
In conclusion, effective business communication depends on the competence of the presenter to express the concepts adequately and with clarity so that the audience understands the points. Therefore, for effective business presentation, the presenter needs to understand the type of the audience they are likely to experience and adjust the presentation to suit the preferences of the audience. The different types of the audience play a critical role in influencing the choice of the terms, mode of presentation and the content of the presentation. Using different body language postures during presentation helps in the learning and understanding the points.
Reference
Guffey, M. E., & Loewy, D. (2014). Business Presentations. In Essentials of Business Communication (1st ed., pp. 389-483).