The Art of Presentation Skills - Creating Mental Stimulation

Let's say you have a room full of people you areinformation valid, make an effort and put in the
looking to train, or influence. You have a lot oftime dedicated to research your topic(s). If
information to convey to this group of people,someone asks you a follow-up question or
how should you do it? What is the most costquestions the last thing you want to say, "Uh I'm
effective, time appropriate, and let us not forgetnot sure," all creditability is lost from the time you
easiest way to do this? Better yet the mostmutter the word "Uh." Know your stuff, be able
important question to ask one's self is how can Ito recite the information in your sleep, and make
get this group of people interested, gain theirsure that you are ready for any question or
trust and keep it throughout the process.questions that may be thrown at you. Keep in
In either instance, a speech would do, but it maymind that the information you are presenting can
come across as tedious or even worse, boring. Ifonly be as credible as the person presenting it,
you have information that must be conveyedand you will be sure to check and recheck the
starting with a "boring" speech type proposal isfacts as often as necessary.
certainly the quickest way to lose the attention of2. Know your audience
your audience. Once you lose the attention ofWho is your audience? Who are the people that
your audience, it is gone, working on regainingyou will be presenting to? When making a
their attention is also a lost cause, start strongpresentation it is important to keep your audience
and never lose their attention.in mind. They are the people you are looking to
Here is a novel idea make your statement(s) via"convince", if you are not able to pinpoint your
a presentation. Presentations have the ability totarget audience you are not going to be able to
hold the attention of your audience as well astailor the information accordingly. For instance, a
"highlight" or pinpoint any information that must beyounger audience may do better with an Internet
retained. The intriguing idea behind presentations isbased technology chat, whereas an older audience
that they allow mental stimulation as well as visualmay get lost in the idea of the Internet. Before
stimulation. By combing mental stimulation withpresenting any information, make sure you aware
audio stimulation, you are entertaining two of theof your audience, who they are and the best
five senses; thus allowing the memory retentiveway to convey your message.
area of your audience's brain to step in and helpRemember our ultimate goal here is mental
the brain "absorb" and process the informationstimulation, by stimulating our audience's brain we
provided easier.can keep them interested, entertained, and help
Before you start your presentation, there are athe information "sink" in. By following the guidelines
two key steps to keep in mind:outlined above, we can engage our audience in a
1. Know the subject you are trying to conveypresentation that not only teaches them but also
Who wants to listen to someone that has no ideaallows them the opportunity to advance their
what he or she is talking about? If you wantknowledge.
someone to listen to you, and find your