Emotional Intelligence and Presentation Skills

When faced with making business presentations, all of us have probably suffered various awkward moments. Our self confidence may lag, and we may feel tense and nervous in front of an audience. A difficult question may throw us off our stride and result in either being tongue-tied or blurting out something inappropriate.

Working on our own Emotional Intelligence is one area that can help us overcome some of these problems and thereby improve our presentation skills. Basically, Emotional Intelligence is the ability to identify what feelings are welling up inside of us and the capacity to manage them. Improving these skills is an ongoing learning activity that requires constant practice.

In terms of gaining composure and being more comfortable making presentations, several tips to consider include:

• When you find yourself feeling tense or nervous, take a second or two to calm yourself. Take a couple of deep breaths, and do not speak.
• If your audience includes people who seem to trigger this nervousness in you, take some extra time to prepare for the meeting.
  
• Talk to yourself and rehearse what you are going to say beforehand, so you can feel better prepared.
  
• Always learn from what works and what doesn’t.
  
• Plan well, including practicing answering difficult questions.
  
• Remember, there is no shame in saying that you do not know the answer to a given question. You can always promise to find out and get back to people.