Presentation Skills Development

I've been a professional emcee for over 10 years. Here are 3 ways to get rid of Public Speaking SCARIES - because no matter how experienced you are, those come when you're stretching yourself outside your comfort zone. 1️⃣ Have a preparation routine that sets you up for success. The way most people prepare for their presentation is NOT setting them up for success. They write a script for for their presentation. Then practice reciting the script over and over again. The problem with that is this — you end up conditioning your brain to have to read word for word, and get heavily attached to the script. When you forget a sentence or two, and you end up forgetting everything else because it broke your flow. Two of my non-negotiable practices before entering any high-stakes event is this: ⚡ Think in my audience’s shoes — instead of immediately writing my presentation, I take time to think from my audience’s perspective and craft my presentation objective before I start crafting my presentation.  ⚡ Write talking points, not a script. Writing a script word for word will cripple you in the long run. Instead, I list down a bird’s eye view of my presentation in point form. 2️⃣ Seek ways to create familiarity We fear what is unfamiliar. Knowing this, I create familiarity by: 🧘🏻 Practicing Visualisation — I imagine the entire presentation from start to finish in my mind — from the moment I walk onto the stage, to the questions I may get asked, to the way I'm going to end your presentation.  🧘🏻 Knowing the Audience — I get there early and chat with the audience if it's appropriate for the context. That way, it feels like I'm speaking to a bunch of people I know! 3️⃣ Have a Cheerleading Squad! These are people whom you know will always have your back no matter how you do during the presentation. They can be your colleagues, close friends, your partner, your parents… People you know will be there when you need them. Looking at 1️⃣ 2️⃣ 3️⃣ - I realised these 3 has been the foundational principles in other areas of life. Entrepreneurship, relationships, anything that is new and unfamiliar to me. I always test and find a priming routine that sets me up for success, research to make it more familiar, and have a support system who keeps me grounded. How about you - What are some principles you keep in mind when it comes to doing something unfamiliar or slightly scary? #OwnYourVoice

Your audience will forget 70% of what you say. Here’s how to make the other 30% unforgettable. The truth is, most presentations are forgotten not because the content is weak, but because the delivery fails to connect. After coaching 100+ professionals, I’ve seen exactly what separates the forgettable presenters from the impactful ones. 👇 🟢 How to Make Your Message Stick 1️⃣ Prepare Beyond Slides Research your audience’s needs, pain points, and priorities Know your content inside out (don’t rely on text-heavy slides) Time yourself & practice transitions 2️⃣ Hook Them Early Start with a statistic, a story, or a provocative question Skip the generic “Good morning, my name is…” 3️⃣ Simplify the Structure Stick to 3 big ideas only Support with 1–2 examples or data points each End with a clear action item 4️⃣ Deliver with Presence Stand tall, slow your pace by 20% Pause after key points, silence amplifies impact Make eye contact with 3–5 people in the room 5️⃣ Engage Actively Ask a question every 5 minutes Use real workplace examples Encourage quick audience interactions 6️⃣ Finish Strong End on time (respect the room’s energy) Close with a memorable takeaway phrase Leave them with next steps or reflection Here’s what happens when you do this: ✨ People stop looking at their phones. ✨ They write down your points. ✨ They quote you after the meeting. ✨ Your message sticks long after you’ve left the room. Because confidence doesn’t come from flashy slides. It comes from preparation, clarity, and delivery that connects. 👉 What’s your biggest challenge when giving presentations, content, confidence, or engagement? Share below. P.S. Presentation skills aren’t just about speaking, they’re about building visibility, influence, and leadership. For more updated insights, practical strategies, and step-by-step frameworks to stand out at work. 👉 Join my Career Spotlight Group - https://lnkd.in/gB22r3_b #speaking #presentation #office #careertips

90% of professionals struggle with communication problems like structuring their thoughts Not because they’re not smart. Because they sound exactly like everyone else. A few days ago I was listening to best podcast, scrolling my LinkedIn and did a few clarity calls where I could see some gaps in ➡️ “Effective communicator” ➡️ “Good at presentations” ➡️ “Strong interpersonal skills” Here’s the psychology behind why this kills your growth: The human brain craves specificity, not generality. When you say “I’m good at communication,” the brain translates it as: “This person is forgettable.” The 3 Blind Spots Killing Your Communication Brand: BLIND SPOT 𝟭: The Fluency Illusion → You think speaking English = great communication → Reality: Fluency ≠ Influence → Psychology: People listen to clarity, not vocabulary BLIND STOP 𝟮: The Confidence Mask → You try to “sound confident” → Reality: Confidence without structure = rambling → Psychology: Brains trust logic + flow more than loudness BLIND SPOT 𝟯: The Presentation Myth → You think slides = persuasion → Reality: Slides don’t sell, stories do → Psychology: Emotion drives memory, not bullet points What successful communicators do differently: Instead of “I’m a good speaker” They say: “I can deliver my idea in 3 minutes and get a yes.” Instead of “I’m confident” They say: “I can answer tough questions without fillers like um/uh.” Instead of “I know presentations” They say: “I can speak to a room of 50 and keep attention for 15 minutes.” Mindset shift: Specific communication problems trigger specific emotions. Specific emotions create urgent action. Urgent action = promotions, sales, opportunities. The communication problems I solve: 1️⃣ Flat voice → I help you add energy & tone variation 2️⃣ Rambling → I help you structure thoughts in clear flow 3️⃣ Filler words (“um/uh”) → I train you to sound confident & crisp 4️⃣ Fear of speaking → I coach you to manage stage & meeting anxiety 5️⃣ Boring presentations → I help you tell stories that stick My framework for communication growth: “I help [specific professional] fix [specific communication block] so they can [specific outcome] in [specific timeframe]” Example: “I help introvert managers eliminate filler words so they can lead meetings with confidence in 30 days.” The brutal truth: Your competition isn’t your colleague. It’s the voice in your boss’s head saying ‘You’re not leadership material.’ Beat that voice with specific communication wins.

The best presenters place little faith on communication skills. They rely on anticipation and rehearsals. The ability to anticipate audience reactions, and having a plan for each scenario, is the hallmark of a great presenter.   In management consulting, younger professionals spend most of their time fine-tuning analysis and crafting narratives. Older professionals spend disproportionate time anticipating reactions of participating stakeholders and having a plan for each scenario.   Over time, I have learnt five steps:   1. Align the agenda:   Nothing destroys a presentation faster than misaligned expectations. I remember a 90-minute Board presentation, which seemed to be going well, when at the end an influential stakeholder expressed disappointment that his expectations were not met. Weeks of preparation went down the drain.   Never start a meeting without aligning the agenda and setting expectations with key stakeholders.   2. Anticipate the worst scenario(s) and have a plan:   What happens if the client(s) challenges the data? Be ready to describe the provenance of the data and what checks and triangulations have been made.   What happens if the client(s) opposes the insights? Be ready to call out assumptions and what steps can be taken to further validate the analysis.   If you are prepared for the worst scenario, every other scenario is an upside.   3. Think through how each message may impact the current and future position of each stakeholder:   In most situations, analysis, insights, and recommendations are not opposed because they are wrong but because they impact a particular stakeholder negatively. It is critical to anticipate how a presentation may impact a stakeholder’s position and plans and factor it in the communication.   If the messages are against a stakeholder’s position or plans, prepare to address the backlash.   4. Align, align, align:   Counter-intuitively, the most successful presentations are boring. This is because the participants have been aligned in the background and debates have been settled before the actual meeting starts. In fact, if the actual meeting seems like a boring rubber-stamping event, you have done your job well.   Younger professionals spend most of their time on analysis and storyboarding and hope to be the star of the show. Experienced professionals spend inordinate time syndicating with stakeholders and building alignment, and hope the show is a non-event.   5. Prepare for last minute changes to the meeting structure:   What are the core messages that must be communicated if the time available for the meeting is significantly shortened?   How will the presentation structure change if there is a last-minute change in participants?   What happens if you can’t connect to the screen in the client’s Board room or your colleague cannot join because of a bad internet connection?   Do not prepare assuming one scenario. Prepare for a set of likely scenarios.   Opinions are personal.    

How to Set Up Yearly Privacy Trainings by Department: Privacy isn’t one-size-fits-all—make your training relevant and impactful by tailoring to each team's needs! Here’s how: ✅Personalize the content – Different roles, different privacy concerns. ✅ Ask teams what they need – Address real challenges they face. ✅ Make it stick – Practical, role-specific training ensures compliance. 📌 Key focus areas by department: 🔹 Marketing – Cookies, data collection, third-party brokers, event data sharing, consent. 🔹 HR – Data access, sensitive data handling, internal communication, calendar visibility. 🔹 R&D & Product – Controller vs. processor roles, personal data usage, access controls, retention. 🔹 CSM – Company privacy culture, policy knowledge sharing, data handling best practices. And a last tip: Reinforce privacy as an ongoing conversation, not just an annual check-the-box exercise! #DataProtection #Compliance #Privacy

Looking back on the 2-day Privacy by Design training 👩🏫 I delivered together with Avi Douglen at #OWASP Global AppSec in June. I like to share some of my personal takeaways💡. No, I am not going to talk about privacy-related takeaways this time or give you a summary of the training content, I want to share my personal experience with building and delivering training. 💭 By Design: Everything Starts with Planning and Preparation 💭 Building a training is a lot of work. Both Avi and I had given (part of) this content many times before. Bringing it all together, aligning it, extending it with new content, tweaking it. Being able to deliver content you are proud of. Knowing it will work. It takes a lot of time and iterations. ⏲️ Timing is key ⏲️ Creating a detailed METL helped us not only to focus the purpose and takeaways of each subsection, but also to time it to the minute. Both to properly prepare upfront and decide which sections need to be extended or trimmed content-wise, and during delivering to timebox each section. 🛠️ Training content: what vs. how 🛠️ There is a difference between sharing awareness -explain why these concepts are useful and what they actually mean- and teaching how to bring those into practice. For instance, I have talked countless times about privacy threats and what they are. Yet, going to the essence and explaining how to actually pinpoint them is still a different story. For this training, we've worked out a set of threat indicators and attention points that give actionable guidance. 🎬 Discussion, collaboration, hands-on exercises 🎬 Explaining content in a lecture style can be educational, but the real value (both for participants and trainers) comes from interaction. We made sure to spend a lot of time on group discussions and exercises to trigger active participation. It's only by talking about it, thinking about it, doing it, that you actually start learning. 🤝 Co-Trainers Improve Collaboration and Interaction 🤝 Being able to give a workshop with two trainers was great. We each brought in our own expertise and presentation style, which complimented each other perfectly. Being able to add on what the other was just explaining, getting a different perspective on the same topic. It changed the vibe of the overall training. And it was not just nice for us, it was also considered a plus by the participants. 🤩 The Aha-moment 🤩 My absolute favorite moment of the training was when we saw the puzzle pieces click for our participants. At a certain point during the training, we saw an actual shift in mindset from "let's use this nifty new feature." to "OMG, this feature is making me cringe because it has so many privacy issues." 🚀 So. What's next? 🚀 Is the training done now? Of course not. There is always room for improvement. We are already processing our lessons learned and integrating those in our content to make our training even better.  Get in touch if you're interested in joining a future edition.

🎤 People think great presenters win with confidence. But the truth is — 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. And connection begins in the first 30 seconds. That’s when your audience silently decides: “Should I listen to you… or just wait for this to end?” Last month, a mid-level manager presented her quarterly update — great data, clean visuals. But within 30 seconds, half the room was on their phones. She didn’t know it, but she had already lost them. And that’s when I told her something I’ve learned after training 20k+ professionals and leaders: 👉 “You don’t lose your audience halfway through your presentation.You lose them 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝. 𝟔 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝟑𝟎 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬 (and how to avoid them) 1️. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲. You open PowerPoint before hearts. They don’t care about the slides — they care about you. 💬 𝐓𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬: “Last week, a client asked me a question that changed how I see this project…” 2️. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 “𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠,” 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠. That formal tone makes you sound distant, not confident. 💬 𝐓𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬: “Let me take you through the report.” 𝐓𝐨: “Here’s what surprised us when we looked at the data.” 3️. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 ‘𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.’ If your audience doesn’t know why they should care, they won’t. 💬 𝐓𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬: “In 5 minutes, you’ll see how this decision can save us three weeks and ₹18L.” 4️. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 “𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦” 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤. Most presenters rush to start talking. But silence is a powerful signal. 💬 𝐓𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬: Walk up, take a breath, make eye contact, pause. 5️. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬. “I’ll try to keep this short.” “I’m not a great speaker.” “I hope this makes sense.” That’s not humility — that’s insecurity in disguise. 💬 𝐓𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬: “This will take 7 minutes, and by the end, you’ll know our next move.” 6️. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 “𝐘𝐨𝐮” 𝐧𝐨𝐭 “𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.” Your audience tunes out when it’s all about your slides and your effort. They care about what’s in it for them. 💬 𝐓𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬: “By the end of this, you’ll know exactly how to explain this update to any client in one sentence.” 🎯 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝟑𝟎 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. It’s not what you say — it’s how you make people feel. Do your first 30 seconds connect or just inform? Because presence isn’t about data — it’s about impact. Let’s refine yours. Want to own your first 30 seconds? Let’s talk. 📅Giving a presentation? Let’s build trust and clear communication. Book a 1:1 Strategy Call — link in comments. #PresentationSkills #LeadershipImpact

From Fear to Fascination: Mastering Public Speaking and Presentation Skills As professionals, we've all been there, standing in front of a crowded room, heart racing, and palms sweating. Public speaking anxiety is a common phenomenon, but it doesn't have to hold you back. In my experience, the key to overcoming public speaking anxiety lies in two areas: preparation and perspective. By focusing on your message, practicing your delivery, and reframing your mindset, you can transform from a nervous wreck to a confident communicator. Here are a few strategies that have worked for me: 💡Know your stuff💡: Be an expert on your topic, and make sure you're well-rehearsed. 👩🏿🤝👨🏼🧑🎓Focus on your audience🧑🏿🔧🧑🏾💻: Instead of worrying about yourself, focus on the value you're providing to your audience. 🗣️Use storytelling techniques🗣️: People remember stories, not statistics. Use narratives to make your message more relatable and memorable. Most prominent public speakers are great story tellers, I.e Vusi Thembekwayo , Dumisani Lingamangali Ncube, Martin Luther King Jr., Yangeni Chendela , Mizinga Melu , Nelly Mutti, Oprah Winfrey, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke. 🎯Practice, practice, practice🎯: Rehearse in front of a mirror, record yourself, or practice with a friend. By incorporating these strategies into your public speaking routine, you'll become more confident, engaging, and effective. So, the next time you're faced with a public speaking opportunity, remember that it's not about you, it's about the message you're sharing, and the value you're providing to your audience. Share your favorite tips and tricks for mastering public speaking in the comments below. #publicspeaking #presentations #communication #confidence #leadership #selfimprovement

When I delivered my first 30 minute presentation, I cried and was in utter disbelief. My legs shook in the initial 5 minutes and voice cracked multiple times. I made excuses to hide in the washroom before my turn came. I was made to stand on a chair and present. But thank God I went through that experience, since it made me the person I am today Before presenting, a person has multiple emotions: fear, anxiety, excitement, happiness. What if you forget ? What if you stutter? What if you can’t deliver properly in a language (Urdu, English) ? But the best guidance for everyone who struggles in giving presentations, is to GO for it and make mistakes Your feedback is your best learning and you will eventually become the best presenter in the room. Just know that: 1. Know your audience: Tailor your content to resonate with your audience's interests and knowledge level. 2. Practice, practice, practice: Rehearse your presentation to build confidence and ensure smooth delivery. 3. Engaging opening: Capture attention with a compelling introduction that sets the tone for your presentation. 4. Clear structure: Organize your content logically, using a clear beginning, middle, and end. 5. Visual aids: Use visuals sparingly but effectively to enhance key points and maintain audience interest. 6. Master your material: Be well-versed in your topic to handle questions and maintain credibility. 7. Speak confidently: Project your voice, maintain eye contact, and vary your tone to keep the audience engaged. 8. Time management: Stay within your allotted time to respect your audience and maintain focus. 9. Interactivity: Encourage audience participation through questions or discussions to foster engagement. 10. Strong conclusion: Summarize key points and leave a lasting impression with a memorable closing statement. Those who want to go through a workshop with me on how to ace presentations , please comment or reach out. Let’s connect and uplift each other

Executive Utterances — On Presenting The fastest way to lose a room is to start talking before you’ve said anything worth hearing. Whether you’re presenting to an audience of 1,000 or speaking to your own work group, the first words you choose determine whether your audience leans in or checks out. Over the years, I learned that fully scripted speeches kept me from connecting, reacting, and speaking with authenticity. What follows is the methodology I developed — a balance of structure, informality, and clarity that helped me become a more effective presenter. If there’s interest, I’m happy to expand on any of these in detail. For now, here are the principles that shaped my approach: * Grab from the Beginning Start with a powerful sentence or a question that sets an emotional stage the audience can’t turn away from. A recent example came from a presentation to law enforcement officers on child abduction: “At one of the most difficult moments in any parent’s life, they call you. You become their hope.” * Speak from the Inside Charles Dickens once wrote, “Make me see.” Facts and data are necessary, but they don’t move people on their own. Speak from inside the information — bring it to life, make it human, make it matter. Use slides or handouts for the heavier details but speak to the story behind those details. Americans love a story; give them one worth remembering. * Just Start When building your presentation, don’t obsess over the perfect beginning. Just start typing.Your first draft may look nothing like your final version — that’s a sign you’re refining your message, not a problem. * Read It Out Loud Read your notes out loud. Better yet, read them to someone you trust or have them read your notes back to you. You’ll hear clarity issues and pacing problems you won’t catch on a screen. * Block It Hand-draw two columns of blocks on a piece of paper: Column One: Break your presentation into sections, and label each with a few key words that will become your notes Column Two: Decide which supporting bullets, facts, or simple visuals that will become your slides or handouts and just note what will be in the slides. This creates flow and structure without forcing you into a script. Then start filling the blocks * Do Not Make the Slides Your Notes Slides support your presentation — they are not your presentation. Speak from your notes (large print, double-spaced), and let the slides reinforce what you’re saying. Never read from them; you can’t tell a meaningful story while narrating bullet points. A visual image such as a photograph, can be a great addition if it reinforces your opening theme or emotional hook. * Close Strong and Quick Tie your closing sentence directly back to your opening. Keep it short, powerful, and intentional — because once people sense you’re closing, their attention starts to drift. Start with something worth hearing, and you’ll keep the room until the very end.