Presentation skills talk

I found the talk today interesting and it was good to gain an outside perspective from someone who does not work within the illustration specialism. I really liked how he emphasised the importance of our own individuality, and how this should be at the core of how we present ourselves to others (our USP). 

Why do I want to get better presentation skills?

To be able to effectively articulate and communicate my ideas to others - which increases the value of your work. 

Because ultimately being able to appropriately present yourself and engage with others will lead to greater success and more job opportunities. 

Keys to a good presentation 

BODY LANGUAGE and HOW you say your content

Pitch, Speed & Volume 

Do not use crutch words (erm, um, like etc.), try to pause instead. 

Eye contact - engage with ppl in the room. Divide it into sections. 

Make sure your body language compliments/emphasises what your trying to say, and try and avoid off-putting posture/movements

Structuring your presentation

Bookending - begin and end the presentation with the same anecdote, image, quote etc. relating someway to the overall content of the presentation. 

The power of 3! - try to use both in your speech (the good, the bad and the ugly), and in the overall structure of your presentation (announce this at the beginning). 

Content 

- head and heart

Head - what, how etc.

Ppl want to know more about the heart stuff - why? who are you? who is this going to effect? how does it make a difference? 

Task

1.2/2.5 pres. about yourself

Think - content, structure & behaviour

I found these pointers very useful, and can definitely now see how these small changes can make a massive difference in the impact of a presentation and how you engage with an audience. For me, I think developing my presentation skills will definitely be a process that will take time and practice, because I find the experience quite nerve-raking. But, I can see how this will benefit me in the future, as well as during my time at college, so am willing to put in the work :)