| 8 Ways to Improve Your Presentation Skills | | | | your skills. |
| 1. Join Toastmasters. Toastmasters is a | | | | 5. Get feedback. Every time you speak ask |
| organization where you will get a chance to work | | | | someone to give you feedback. Ask a trusted |
| on your impromptu speaking skills, leadership skills, | | | | friend or colleague to tell you what they saw, |
| evaluation skills as well as opportunities to practice | | | | heard and observed. Ask one of them to provide |
| specific skills in prepare presentations (at your | | | | you feedback after they are in your audience. |
| own pace). Clubs typically meet weekly and you | | | | 6. Video yourself. You saw the value and power |
| can find clubs that meet in the morning, evening, | | | | of seeing yourself on tape. Use this tool yourself. |
| lunchtime to meet your schedule. I highly | | | | Practice a presentation at home and let the |
| recommend this! Find a club and attend to learn | | | | camera run - then, watch it and think about what |
| much more. | | | | you might do differently to make your message |
| 2. Consider the Dale Carnegie Course. The Dale | | | | even more powerful. |
| Carnegie Course is about much more than | | | | 7. One thing at a time. Choose to work on just |
| speaking, but you will speak in each of the 14 | | | | one thing at a time. For example, if you want to |
| weekly sessions. This workshop is more | | | | work on having a stronger WIIFM, make that |
| expensive than Toastmasters but is an excellent | | | | your major goal for the talk. Pick one thing to |
| program to help with presentation skills, | | | | especially, consciously work on each time you |
| confidence and more. | | | | present. Doing this will help you improve quickly |
| 3. Find opportunities at work. You might have | | | | and consciously. Be sure to tell those you are |
| limited opportunities to speak at work, due to the | | | | asking for feedback from to look for these key |
| nature of your job, but that doesn't need to keep | | | | focus areas too! |
| you from letting people know you desire that | | | | 8. Go Karaoke! A colleague of mine, Jeffrey |
| chance. Take even opportunities to talk in small | | | | Gitomer suggests this as a great way to work on |
| meetings as a chance to practice the skills we | | | | your presentation skills. He says that if you can |
| learned together too! | | | | use your skills to get a bunch of uninterested, |
| 4. Find opportunities outside of work. Step up in | | | | rowdy (drunk!) people to pay attention to you, |
| your church or civic group to present some | | | | you have learned valuable skills that translate to |
| information or be involved in committees or | | | | presenting "non-singing" material. I think he is right. |
| teams that might provide you a chance to hone | | | | |