Soft Skills for Hard Times - ten top tips for presenting in business

Presenting yourself in business is like acting. What was once seen as a ‘soft skill’ is now a necessity in these hard times. As a trained actress who now teaches presentation skills to businesspeople, I see people who are brilliant at what they do but just don’t know how to ‘sell’ those skills.

The job market is full of people with qualifications and technical skills, but do they have the skills to influence that potential customer or wow their employer enough to give them the promotion they deserve ? The answer is all too often ‘no’. 

Many companies have stopped hiring and are putting more pressure on remaining staff to build business. Employees may have technical skills and top qualifications, but that’s just part of the answer; they also need to sustain relationships with their work colleagues , sell themselves, and  build new relationships. People are astonished at how theatre-based ‘tricks’ can be played out in the boardroom. I’m an actor by training and I frequently find people saying, in effect, that their ‘script’ just isn’t up to being made interesting. My answer is to explain that this just isn’t true. A simple voice inflection can make the boring compelling.

Learn some magic stage tricks which anyone can pick up – once they know how. My top ten tips for those who struggle to present themselves are:

1. Learn to breathe. Sounds obvious but most people just don’t do themselves justice. Breathing controls the voice. Find your centre and the energy will flow.
2. Watch your body language. Open body language (for instance avoiding folded arms which act as a barrier) is welcoming to the audience.
3. Tonality is a measure of attitude. It’s not just what you say but the way that you say it. The sound indicates the emotion behind your words.
4. Pick your words for emphasis. The words themselves matter too – so pick them carefully. Avoid jargon your audience may not understand. Consider every word and every phrase. 
5. Eye contact is crucial – but don’t stare at an individual as this can be as off-putting as no eye contact at all.
6. A positive attitude is essential. Believe in what you are saying and believe in yourself to build confidence.
7. Practice. There is no substitute. On average practice for one hour for every five minutes you have to speak.
8. Slow down. Make sure the audience can hear you (this will also help you plan ahead and breathe correctly).
9. Know your audience.
10. Visualise. You may be in the habit of visualising your audience or your visual aids but you also need to visualise yourself. Try to imagine how you will be seen: your facial expressions and body language; whether you will be standing or seated; when and how you will control your slide presentation or other presentation aids. Consider these aspects and you will appear much more polished. If necessary, practice in front of a mirror or video yourself.

Over the years I have seen people come on Presentation and Communications skills courses and although they have qualifications and status, when it comes to presenting themselves, they all lack confidence in some way.

Confidence and credibility aren’t just notions: they come from practical skills that can be learnt. I like to send people back to their jobs feeling that they have all the attributes for success whatever that is for them.

People take soft skills for granted, I believe it is import to understand how these skills can help, motivate staff and more importantly bring in and build business.

by Marcia Tucker, director and lecturer at Faculty-One, the business training specialists

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