Presentation skills training: Debunking the myths

There are a multitude of myths surrounding presentation skills training.

As communications trainers we’ve lost count of the inaccuracies we’ve heard.

Yet they continue to be spread throughout the workforce often adding to the fear of presenting.

Let’s debunk these myths and reveal the truth.

1. It’s only beneficial to those presenting to large crowds

This is false.

Is it useful for those doing TED Talks and standing up at large conferences? Absolutely.

However, presentation skills training is of benefit to everyone.

Every time we speak, we are presenting and, more importantly, representing ourselves.

Whether that’s to my family and friends, colleagues, or management.

Your every word is a presentation in and of itself.

Virtual presentations offer even more challenges than those in-person.

Along with the standard concerns of nerves and engaging the audience, now we have the added hassle of technical woes.

We’ve all witnessed the internet crashing, screens freezing or bizarre camera angles.

It’s to be expected since we were thrust into the virtual world without training.

That often leads to us being unsure how to respond when things go wrong.

Training helps with exactly that.

It teaches you how to cope with difficult moments, where to look when presenting and how to capture the attention of a virtual audience.

We often hear that presentation skills training is only useful if slides are being used.

The reason for that is people assume that with the absence of slides, all a presenter is relying on is notes.

Notes should be easy because they’re written by the presenter, right?

Unfortunately, this is also false.

While we often imagine notes to take away our presentation fears, both notes and slides present their own challenges.

Presentation skills training lets you learn vital tricks for preparing the notes with ease and handling slides like a pro.

If you’re looking to improve your technique, email us.

Invest in yourself with a 1-1 session or a group course.

We’d love to welcome you to our offices in Glasgow, or visit you wherever you are.

Get in touch with our team for more information.

Photos in Presentation skills training blog by Pink Elephant Communications.
Presentation skills training blog written by Maxine Montgomery.
Presentation skills training blog edited by Colin Stone.