A myth: “I don’t need presentation skills!”

“I just get all sweaty and nervous just thinking about doing a presentation,” explained the brainy researcher I met recently.

With a look of obvious relief, he continued, “I just do the backend stuff. My boss handles the presentations for clients.”

NEWSFLASH: Just because you are NOT standing in front of an audience, next to an LCD project/OHP projector, does not mean you are not doing a presentation.

In reality, each time you speak to someone you are doing a presentation of sorts. Let’s consider the following facts.

Presentations are aimed to inform or persuade someone in performing a specific action, e.g. agreeing to a pay cut in challenging times / helping out a colleague.

Don’t you do this repeatedly everyday? Take a look at the situations below:

1. When you discuss your budget, with your boss, you are trying
hard to get him to take the action of approving it.

2. A frantic phone call to your overworked IT department when your computer acts funny translates into you pleading for help, wanting the person on the other end to help you (an action) immediately.

3. Meeting clients during networking sessions implies that you will be busy educating them about your product/services/company.


So, stop fooling yourself. You are always actively involved in one sort of presentation or another.

If you look around the office, the person who has his/her foot on the next rung of the slippery corporate ladder has good presentation skills. Everyone needs a good dose of these skills. Try brushing up on yours today. Or watch out for more tips on this blog.