April 7, 2016 Heather James

Why a PR Pro Should Help You with Presentation Skills

Why a PR Pro Should Help You with Presentation Skills

By Laura Vandiver, TVG VP of Research & Strategic Insight

We’ve all been there. Your palms are sweaty, your mouth is dry. It’s that awkward moment before you begin a big presentation. Public speaking or making a presentation—whether to a large group or small—is consistently rated one of the top phobias among Americans, as well as other cultures around the world. But, fear not friends! There is hope—and it comes in the form of your local PR professional.

People who work in public relations deal with public speaking every day. We’re talking to news outlets, we’re pitching new clients, and we’re prepping our clients to speak to the media or any number of other audiences. The number one thing that will help prepare you for a successful presentation is this – practice. But the advice of a professional can help you bring your skills to the next level. When you feel confident, you perform better. Here’s how:

 

  • Nail those key messages. A huge part of a successful presentation is preparing what you’re going to say. But it’s not easy to be concise about the messages you really need to drive home. A PR pro can help you narrow down your messages and give you tips on how to respond when someone in the audience (or a news reporter) tries to pull you off-topic.
  • Get those messages to the right audience. A presentation is more than just getting some ideas across to an audience – it’s about getting across ideas that resonate with the right audience. PR pros can help you research your audience and understand more about what’s important to them. Then, you can tailor your messages to your audience.
  • Presentation skills are more of a “life skill” than a business skill. Many people think they will never need presentation skills training, because they never speak in front of groups of people. But guess what? You’re communicating with people every day—even if it’s at the one-on-one level. And, chances are at some point you may need to persuade someone or get your point across about something that’s important to you. Having some training under your belt can prepare you for those instances, and will likely improve the outcome in your favor.
  • Video can pinpoint areas for improvement. Ah, video. We love using this tool in presentation skills training. Why? Because when you see yourself on video, it will capture body language (are you twiddling your thumbs right there?), verbal “filler” words (uh, er, um) and lack of eye contact. Strong presenters know how to carry themselves, when to take verbal pauses, and how to work the whole room—not just the ten people sitting directly in front of them.
  • Get feedback on your content. You may think your 50 slide PowerPoint deck is amazing. Your audience? Not so much. A PR pro can give you tips on strengthening your content and paring down your presentation to only the most important and powerful slides. The result? You’re more likely to nail those key messages (see #1).

In short, everyone can benefit from some presentation skills training. Don’t let your fear of public speaking hold you back. You can learn to be confident in front of an audience (and we may even share an icebreaker joke or two!)

 

TVG has a team of training experts that teach everything from presentation skills to media training to storytelling. How can we help prep you for your next presentation? Call us at 314-991-4641 for more information on our training philosophy, and a list of our current class offerings. Don’t see what you need? We also create custom classes for our clients!

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