Effective Presentation Skills

Robert Dilts

At some point in our lives we are probably all called upon to make a presentation of some sort. It may be at school, a social function or for some professional purpose. In fact, the demands of the ‘information age’ make it increasingly necessary and likely that we will need to make presentations as part of our normal activities. To make an effective presentation requires that we be able to communicate and relate to other people. These are very basic skills, yet they are not typically taught to us as part of our traditional classroom education or professional training. The purpose of this book is to provide some of the key practical communication and relational skills necessary to make effective presentations. While the skills in this book are relevant for all types of presentations, the focus of the book is on people who must make presentations for professional reasons. In particular, it focuses on presentations to be made for teaching and training purposes – i.e., those related to organizational learning. While this obviously includes professional trainers and teachers, it also includes managers, consultants and others who need to share knowledge and information. The book covers three general areas involved in making effective presentations in a learning context including 1) basic principles for forming an effective communication strategy, 2) designing and planning effective presentations and presentation materials and 3) managing issues related to motivation and interactions within a group or audience.