Presentation is typically formal communication where a speaker presents information, ideas, or new products in a group setting (to an audience, irrespective of the size). Presentations can take place in various contexts—seminars, webinars, or face-to-face meetings. It is a form of communication that can rake maximum effect and can be a powerful tool if used right. Likewise, it can bring downfall faster than the speed of light if things go haywire.
Presentations are not generic. A good presenter will not use the same presentation for all types of audience—be it using a particular presentation for IT professionals, medical practitioners, or civil servants. The presentation will have to be tweaked for the audience in question. The style of delivery too differs from one situation to another. The crux of a presentation becoming effective is to make it subjective. If not, even if it is delivered with full confidence and with enamoring style, it is still bound to fail. The objective is that the audience becomes (hopefully) knowledgeable about the topic, and this is possible only through effective presentation. In this chapter, I will present tips that can help you become a better presenter.
Why are presentations important you might ask? My work should speak for itself and it doesn't need the sugar coating that presentations normally do, you argue. I would have agreed with you if you were the only employee working in the company with the customers, senior management, and the outside world focused on your deliverables, and nothing else. This probably happens in the dream world that we encounter in the middle of the night from time to time but not in the IT world. The competition is cut throat. Employees fight against the other employees over visibility, opportunities, and recognition. This kind of a world requires you to highlight your achievements in the least time possible—a reminder of the patience-stricken world we live in.
A good presentation does more than just highlight the achievements or the focus of your intended content. It builds rapport and relationship with the customers or whoever is sitting at the receiving end. I have previously discussed the importance of rapport and relationships in communication in Chapter 2, From Governance to Communication. Apart from the communication angle, relationships take you places—they bring in new projects, new customers, organizational movements, promotions, and so on.
To sum up, showcasing your achievements and yourself is the key factor to succeed. It requires as much (or maybe more) effort as you have put into developing your product or deliverable. Let showcasing and presentation of your delivery be taken into the sphere of activities that you perform so that you prepare, plan, and execute it effectively.