This article was automatically translated from the original Turkish version.
The best investment you can make in your life is to establish beautiful communication with people and maintain positive relationships with them. Indeed, according to research, experience, and observation, one of the most important factors that contribute to a person’s success is precisely this. I generally do not like the concept of success, nor do I admire those who idolize it. Success can be merely a tool for us, not an end in itself. Yet this tool must be used to facilitate good and meaningful things. First and foremost, it is essential that we keep our intentions pure. What I mean to say, friends, is this: Everything must ultimately serve a noble purpose, be done for that purpose alone, and nothing else. Otherwise, nothing has meaning. Because there is always a permanent separation, division, and void between us and such transient things. We must cling to what is enduring, eternal, infinite, everlasting, and never-ending for us.
In this article, I will explain other important factors necessary for an impactful presentation. I would like to begin with an example drawn from a recent experience. I am taking a course called “Strategic Management” from a German professor who works as a senior executive and consultant for various companies. The aim of this course is to teach the tools that make a person an effective manager. In class, we also learn through practice what is required for a good presentation. Regarding my own presentation, my professor remarked, “Recep, you were like a panther on stage—you were excellent.” He even told the other students presenting, “Be like Recep on stage.” I must have surprised and impressed many of my peers as well, since I received personal congratulations. I share this to highlight the specific points I paid attention to, hoping to be of benefit. In my earlier writings, I emphasized the importance of experience, practice, and lived reality.
Do not focus on just one person on stage. Make eye contact with as many people as possible to establish communication. Of course, direct eye contact is feasible when presenting to a small audience. If you are addressing a large audience, you can simulate this by looking toward the horizon and occasionally changing your position on stage. In doing so, you will shed your shyness and hesitation while maintaining a lively connection with your audience.
Always rehearse before your presentation. Repeat it. Memorize the key points you consider most important. This will give you greater confidence during the actual presentation. Do not hold any material in your hands during the presentation except for a pointer. Add your own commentary in between. And briefly explain why each commentary is important.
When on stage, use your posture and gestures actively. Point to things with your hands. Vary your tone of voice with rises and falls. By doing so, you can sustain your audience’s attention. Today, people’s attention is easily distracted, and listening to others has become quite boring for many. If you apply everything I have said while keeping these realities in mind, I am confident you will deliver an effective presentation.
Take care.
