School projects, business reports, family meetings, these are all forms of presentations in our everyday lives and most people have become quite good at them. One form of presentation however, very few of the population is good at, and that is the telephone presentation. Most people have never had the need to give any sort of presentation over the telephone whether it is for work of leisure. If the time ever arises however that you do have to give a telephone presentation, youll be glad you're prepared or frustrated that you didnt. There are a lot of unique aspects to giving a telephone presentation, and giving a telephone presentation can be quite enjoyable due to the fact many stresses of a traditional presentation are gone. However, there are certain issues that may arise that you should be prepared to tackle.
The first issue is being prepared for the worst. While this often means being prepared if you make a mistake or being prepared if you slip and fall during a presentation, giving a telephone presentation being prepared has a whole new definition. Being prepared during a telephone presentation means being able to cope if the connection is bad, sometimes there will be interference and you will have to do your best to make sure they understand what you are saying and sometimes even be ready to switch phones if it is bad enough. Other times, it means having their phone number on hand in case the call is dropped. While giving a telephone presentation it will make you look bad if the call is ended prematurely and youre unable to call them back, either ending the presentation for that time being or forcing them to call you back. The problems which can arise during a telephone presentation are completely different than those of a normal presentation.
The other thing to remember is to relax and readjust your strategy for giving an effective presentation. While giving a telephone presentation many of the factors to a regular presentation dont apply. For instance youre no longer to directly see your audience so you cant make eye contact and you arent in plain view of them, this often times lowers the anxiety levels but it also brings its own problems to the table. The problem is youre not able to see your audience either, you cant tell if they are engaged, bored or even listening still. Because of this, often times on a telephone presentation its more acceptable to ask questions and initiate some form of conversation. The other difficulty is since you have no real visual to concentrate on such as an audience, your eyes and mind may wander which can cause you to mess up. To solve this, have note-cards or your presentation transcribed onto a piece of paper and glance over it while youre talking. These tips will help you readjust to the new sets of challenges that are presented during a telephone presentation.
While its true that a telephone presentation doesnt come up often and most people will likely never have to give one, its still an important skill to have, or to at least know what to do during one. It will not only help you during a telephone presentation if you ever in fact have to give one, but it will also improve your overall conversational skills on the telephone. Practice makes perfect and while on the phone you cant practice a whole lot else, so why not practice the skills employed during a telephone presentation?
The first issue is being prepared for the worst. While this often means being prepared if you make a mistake or being prepared if you slip and fall during a presentation, giving a telephone presentation being prepared has a whole new definition. Being prepared during a telephone presentation means being able to cope if the connection is bad, sometimes there will be interference and you will have to do your best to make sure they understand what you are saying and sometimes even be ready to switch phones if it is bad enough. Other times, it means having their phone number on hand in case the call is dropped. While giving a telephone presentation it will make you look bad if the call is ended prematurely and youre unable to call them back, either ending the presentation for that time being or forcing them to call you back. The problems which can arise during a telephone presentation are completely different than those of a normal presentation.
The other thing to remember is to relax and readjust your strategy for giving an effective presentation. While giving a telephone presentation many of the factors to a regular presentation dont apply. For instance youre no longer to directly see your audience so you cant make eye contact and you arent in plain view of them, this often times lowers the anxiety levels but it also brings its own problems to the table. The problem is youre not able to see your audience either, you cant tell if they are engaged, bored or even listening still. Because of this, often times on a telephone presentation its more acceptable to ask questions and initiate some form of conversation. The other difficulty is since you have no real visual to concentrate on such as an audience, your eyes and mind may wander which can cause you to mess up. To solve this, have note-cards or your presentation transcribed onto a piece of paper and glance over it while youre talking. These tips will help you readjust to the new sets of challenges that are presented during a telephone presentation.
While its true that a telephone presentation doesnt come up often and most people will likely never have to give one, its still an important skill to have, or to at least know what to do during one. It will not only help you during a telephone presentation if you ever in fact have to give one, but it will also improve your overall conversational skills on the telephone. Practice makes perfect and while on the phone you cant practice a whole lot else, so why not practice the skills employed during a telephone presentation?