Natural talent. A sham?
There is a popular belief that some people have a natural talent for public speaking.
In my experience as a trainer and coach in business presentation professionals, it appears that natural talent, if any, has an expiration date for some or, for others, is of limited contribution to their professional development in their communication skills. Indeed, the natural inclination of some, in their first years of life, is of little use later in their professional career; Or this natural propensity does not serve them well in more complex business or technical presentations where the strategic stakes are high.
Even if these professionals have a natural inclination, it is not a substitute for on-the-job training. The high-potential professionals with a well-rounded track record that we met, very often took formal training in communication and business presentations.
très souvent suivi des formations en communication et en présentations d’affaires.
Speak or present?
Are speaking and presenting two different activities? Presenting is a skill that encompasses the ability to speak in public. If public speaking is a challenge for you, making a business or technical presentation doesn't get any easier. You have to be able to walk before you can run.
Surviving your presentation or engaging your audience?
For many people, presenting in front of an audience is an anxiety-provoking chore. Very often, they tell us that they have "survived the presentation" as if it were a reality TV, think ‘Survivor’ challenge! We know of only a few people for whom presenting doesn't increase their heart rate at all. Everyone feels a certain feverishness or "butterflies in the stomach". Completely normal. The role of a coach is not to eliminate butterflies but to teach them to fly in tight formation!
Your coach is also a great help in teaching you how to integrate techniques to keep your audience’s attention and mobilize your listeners to enact your recommendations.
Sales or technical presentation?
When you're a product specialist or a technical and scientific professional, it's all about content, right? Not quite. If your solution or recommendation is the best there is, but you fail to make yourself understood or present and promote it effectively, the reach of your performance may be limited. Remember that, if the discovery of insulin was credited to F. Banting and C. Best, other researchers before these two Canadians contributed to the development of this hormone, and that if it were not for Charles Best's tireless efforts to carry the message, it is possible that this treatment would not have had the success it has had and still has today.
