How to Avoid Losing the Room: Mastering Presentation Skills

Your heart is hammering, your palms are sweaty. You’re reading from your notes, and you’ve accidentally skipped an important PowerPoint slide. The audio won’t play. “Just a minute, sorry, stupid technology. I’ll have to call IT. Now, what was I saying?” You glance across the darkened room and notice someone texting on their phone, two people whispering, and one person in the corner looks like they’re about to nod off.

You’ve lost the room.

Why Presentation Skills Matter

93% of how people assess us isn’t in what we say, but how we say it. The delivery of information is crucial because it shapes how we’re perceived. This simple fact strikes fear into the hearts of many people who dread public speaking, even if it’s just addressing the Monday morning meeting.

Poor communication leads to underperformance, wasted time, and lost business. It’s no wonder businesses hire, promote, and reward individuals who can control a room! Leaders need to know not only how to communicate their vision and directives but also how to face tough audiences, whether that’s their own team, senior executives, clients, or external stakeholders.

For leaders, how you present information is key to getting it across in a professional, engaging, and compelling way. Presentation skills remain the number one leadership ability companies (and your teams) are looking for. Yet, many rely too much on the content and not enough on the delivery.

What Goes Wrong?

Nerves, lack of confidence, difficulty answering questions, and fumbling with technology can turn what should be a persuasive presentation into a disaster. It doesn’t matter how well you’ve prepared your content—if your presentation style is stiff, nervous, confusing, or awkward, you’ll lose the audience.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Public speaking brilliance can be learned. With preparation and practice, you can transform your presentations. This advice isn’t just for those who fear public speaking but also for those who aren’t getting the results they want from their presentations.

How to Nail Your Presentations

To succeed in your presentations, you need to:

• Translate technical information for a non-technical audience. Make sure your message is understandable, even for those outside your field.

• Master visual media. There’s no reason why you can’t be skilled at using PowerPoint, flipcharts, or other visual aids. These are tools you can learn and practise beforehand.

• Prepare cohesive information. Avoid overloading slides with bullet points. Know your content so you don’t need to rely too heavily on your visual aids.

• Use body language and personal presentation effectively. Engaging your audience requires more than just words. Your body language and how you present yourself can keep their attention.

Handle Question Time and Audience Interaction

• Run ‘question-time’ assertively. Be confident and charismatic when addressing questions. This is where many presentations falter, so practice answering questions clearly and concisely.

• Engage the audience. Bring them into the presentation with interaction and dialogue that’s both helpful and respectful. This helps make the presentation more dynamic.

• Be authentic. Great presenters connect with their audience by conveying who they are and what they believe in. Don’t be afraid to inject some personality into your presentation—people appreciate a human connection.

• Wrap up effectively. End by clarifying what you want, gaining commitment, and setting clear goals for moving forward.

The Power of Presentation Skills

Good presentation skills are vital for effective leadership. Whether you’re leading your team, addressing clients, or presenting to senior management, how you deliver your message matters. With practice, you can overcome nerves, master the tools, and engage your audience, ensuring your message is heard loud and clear.

Many thanks,

Alex & The Excel Team

P.S. If you would like to discuss any of your other learning & development challenges, book in your discovery call.

About Excel Communications

Excel Communications is a learning and development consultancy based near London in the U.K. For more than 30 years; we have been collaborating with clients across the globe.  

Partnering with Excel empowers you to evolve your people and business by fuelling a love for learning.   

We work with you to create unforgettably, customised learning experiences to achieve your vision of success and growth, with tangible results.   

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