Over the past year engineers around the globe have been giving countless presentations on technologies that have been saving lives and enabling communities to continue functioning safely.
These engineers had to make high-stakes decisions about communication that could potentially make the difference between life and death, with a limited time frame. This is no easy task. Presentations require control over a dizzying number of different communication elements, more so even than a written document. You need to think about
- the needs of a real-time audience
- the immediacy of the moment
- the persona you convey
- presentation slides
- speech clarity and tone
- body language
- your content (of course)
Managing these oral-presentation elements effectively can help you reinforce your message, persuade your audience of the value of your work, and ensure that critical information is transmitted with accuracy in a compressed time span.
Mastery of presentation elements will also help you keep your audience engaged. An engaged audience is more likely to remember your hard work and remember in the way that you intend.
Delivering a well-coordinated presentation is a challenging task, and many presenters convince themselves that those who do it well do so because of a natural charisma. However, with good strategy and a lot of practice you too can deliver a successful presentation. Have a look at the ECP Communication Handbook to get you started or to refine what you already have.