Presentation skills are the number one reason people come to Springboards for help. In fact, much of the competitive job landscape, whether you are trying to be eligible for an H1B VISA job from overseas or seeking promotion in your current company, depends heavily on public speaking ability and the confidence of your message. So what are you going to do about it?

While some of you have the fortune of being sponsored by company tuition, some of you may not. In that case, presentation training, or coaching, would be a significant investment. A significant investment, yes, but a worthy one when viewed alongside the long-term career benefits it is certain to bring. Imagine being put on projects more often than others because of your sharp presenting skills, or gaining more credibility with clients based on the way you are presenting yourself and your message. So, what are some free and accessible strategies you can be applying in the meantime?

• Start video taping yourself presenting. Find a trusted colleague (one who has some experience with language and/or internationals, preferably) to help you evaluate yourself.
• Start reading and taking out books on presentations. There are some great resources out there. Try “Effective Presentations for Business,” Bly, and “The Exceptional Presenter,” Koegel. There are some great worksheets and tools for self-learners.
• Try to pick one area of presentation that you’d like to work on at each practice or dry-run, whether “vocal variety,” reducing um’s and uh’s, or having an attention-grabbing opening.
• Attend a local Toastmasters meeting as a guest. They often have one or two occasions where guests are put on the spot to speak on any given topic. Be sure the meeting is open to the public first.
• Practice, practice, practice. It is remarkable what we can do on our own when we put our minds to it.

We hope this was helpful. One last thing: This blog can be customized to your communication needs inasmuch as you allow it to be by actively participating with your comments. So bring it on!

And happy presenting…