Communication- it is an essential business skill that is required in almost every type of industry. For those in the training community, superior communication skills are not only essential, but they are a pre-requisite to successfully explaining a subject.
The ability to convey knowledge to others is a powerful skill and must be developed in order to be an effective communicator. Without this training, we often use bad habits we’ve picked up along the way.
Slipping into these “bad habits” or deadly training sins can sabotage your training effort and minimize the effectiveness of your overall training objective. While there are many “deadly presentation sins” to avoid, some of the most common include the following:
o Burying students in detail- inhibits learning. Giving students more information than they are ready to absorb creates confusion and fear, and is scientifically proven to deter learning. Build a foundation of understanding and make sure they are comfortable with the information before you add details.
o Disorganization- developing a training plan, organizing your materials and your training facility can be as important as your knowledge of the training topic.
o Excessive use of words like “umm” or “and”- When we are nervous, we often unconsciously tack on these words at the end of a statement. They serve as a constant “interruption” between relevant training information and have an adverse impact on the students’ ability to fully understand the information.
o Fidgeting or foot shifting – is a nervous reaction to public speaking and is extremely distracting to students
o Lack of control over the pace of a presentation- In an effort to convey information, presenters often forget the importance of pacing. Many presenters speak too quickly for students to grasp the concepts; others speak too slowly to retain the attention of students.
o Diminishing students’ self esteem- Just as presenting in front of a group takes courage so does asking a question. Presenters must make efforts to maintain the self esteem of students who ask or answer questions or risk alienating not only the student asking the question but all who witnessed the interaction.
So now that we know what some of the deadly sins are, how can we avoid them? As trainers we must be aware of how we are presenting at all times. Learning the training techniques and skills developed by PrepMasters expert trainers can help you build your presentation skills and avoid these common pitfalls. Once you learn these skills practice, practice and practice.
Communicating in front of a group can be an un-nerving task for anyone- even training professionals! Committing to a training program can give you the tools to avoid these deadly presentation sins and enrich your training experiences. Challenge yourself- just like you should be challenging your students!