Sarah has recently completed her Diploma in Textile Engineering. She has obtained an excellent CGPA. She was looking for a job. She got a job in a renowned garment industry in the position of a merchandizer. In the first week of her joining the company, she had to present a sample to a foreign client. She always was afraid of the presentation. In the presentation, she could not do well. In the next month, she lost the job. It repeated several times. At last she understood that she must develop her presentation skill. Then she tried heart and soul and she made it and then she became a successful merchandizer.
Now, it is not that because of a merchandizer, she had to be a good presenter. Rather, whatever you do in your life, you need to be a good presenter if you want to go long. There do not have any other option rather than becoming a good presenter. Presentation seems a phobia to the most of the students and its presence is remarkable among the diploma engineers. But most of the students do not know that they are always presenting themselves. How? Let’s know how, but before that we must know that actually what presentation means. So, formally presentation means a speech in which a new product, idea, innovation is explained to an audience. If we make a generalized meaning of presentation, it will be –negotiation/conversation/explanation etc. We always need to negotiate with so many people in various places in different situation.
So, actually we are presenting ourselves all the time. Now, when we face a formal situation, we cannot do it. Why? There are several reasons. Demotivation of the seniors is a reason. When we come to know about presentation, our seniors inform us that it is a very hard task. They couldn’t make it and so will happen to me. Thus a student become afraid of presentation, becomes demotivated, he/she starts to avoid it and cannot develop his/her presentation skill. Another reason is the psychological barrier. When we are not familiar to a situation, our psychology never allows us to participate in that situation. At the same time, while we stand in front of an audience (whoever they are – teacher/friends/unknown people) our conscious mind thinks itself, “What the
people are thinking of me? May be inside they will mock at me…” It happens in most cases with psychologically weak students. So, we know the reasons that creates barriers in the development our presentation skill. Now let’s see the ways we can develop our presentation skill.
If you want to develop your presentation skill, at first you have to grow up a strong will to do that. Then you have to start to remove the fear of being in crowed. If you can do that, the fear of presenting in front of an audience. Then try to talk keeping an eye contact to your audience. You can practice it with your friends or your family members. If you do not get any help from them, try it with a mirror. People around you will whisper so many things about you, they will try to pull your leg. Avoid the criticism and turn it into a positive force which will boost you up in the long run. After all, practice more and more. Thus, you can be a good presenter.
Don’t be controlled by the negligence of the people around you. Rather focus on what you need to do. If you cannot present yourself, you cannot grab the attention of the world. At the same time, you cannot explain who and what you are. So, break the barriers and present you as you are to the world.
Peace…
Writer: Nahid Hasan
Instructor, Daffodil Polytechnic Institute