PRESENTATIONS AND COMMUNICATION – VITAL CAREER SKILLS
Your goal is to be the best version of you, but to achieve this you need to constantly grow and develop your career skills. One of the best skills to have, is being able to effectively communicate to ensure that you increase the impact of your message. A well-structured presentation makes it much easier to influence your audience.
However, it takes time to master the art of communication and it helps to understand the tools that you can use. There are techniques you can use to calm your nerves, techniques to adjust your voice and then there is a visual tool you can use: PowerPoint Presentations.
According to A white paper commissioned by Microsoft Corp. and released by IDC identified, “Communication, integration and presentation skills (CIPs) are required for about 40% of all positions and makeup 11 of the top 20 skills that are required by 39% of the fastest growing, highest paying positions”.
PowerPoint is regarded as the most useful, accessible way to create and present visual aids and you can always ask someone to design a presentation for you. But acquiring this skill for yourself and implementing it will give you the proverbial ace up your sleeve!
There are a few important aspects to keep in mind when doing a presentation:
- First impression – does it speak to the audience?
- Increased impact – using a visual presentation has a bigger impact.
- Audience engagement – by using creative design elements and structured layout you increase audience engagement.
- Preparation – you can design your own templates or use the designs offered to save time. This way you have more time to prepare the verbal content.
According to Visual Sculptors, an average 28.7% of a company’s leadership spends at least five hours or more each week making PowerPoint slides. Overall, more than 11% of the average employee’s time is spent on designing business presentations.
This is why the SACBW is hosting an online workshop on 16 February where you can learn about ways to build the content and craft your presentation!