Tips for Presenting Effective Seminar Training Workshops

Many of us must present seminar workshops for our company. For some it is the first time. But don't despair it can actually be gratifying and fun. Just try the following tips and you can rest a little easier.

Know your topic

I have had to present quite a number of training workshops over the years. The thing I have found to be most important is to know the topic. If you know the topic well and are comfortable with it then you can overcome all other shortcomings. I have been able to conduct workshops successfully despite lack of preparation, lack of equipment and not picking the topic; all because I was totally knowledgeable of the subject matter. I have even been able to stand in for others, given only a moments notice when I know the material. This one thing is the key, if you only do one thing this should be it.

Keep it simple

PowerPoint slides, synchronized music, disco balls and 3D laser-guided, turbo-charged, animated wing ding things are fine but really they are just fluff. If you know your stuff and present it clearly and concisely then you'll do well. The added plus with this approach is that you don't need to lug a lot of extra equipment there and back; you don't have to worry about securing billions of dollars worth of equipment and there are fewer things to go wrong and/or breakdown. I think the creative add-ons are for selling something and you typically don't have to sell. The audience is there to learn and is already sold. You are delivering the product; not selling it.

Keep it general

Usually you will only have an hour or two at most, so stick to general ideas in your presentation. You just won't have time to get bogged down in the details. It may seem like an eternity when you are standing up there for the first time, but an hour is not much time to get in-depth on a topic. I view it as an introduction to the main ideas related to the topic. The nuts and bolts can be included in the handout material or may be presented at a later time in a more appropriate setting.

Practice

This is one of those obvious things but must be mentioned. And I don't mean just practice in front of the mirror. Take every opportunity that comes your way to present a workshop. There is no substitute for the real thing. You may fumble through the first few but eventually you will feel at ease. Doing as many actual workshops as possible also gets you polished in the whole process of preparation, documentation, transportation, setup, presentation and breakdown.

In closing, meet the task head on, have fun with it and don't give up. Who knows you may become the company go-to for workshop presentations and earn a few brownie points while you are at it. It is also a good way to network with others in your company and in your client base.