What is Communication and How Does It Affect Your Presentation Delivery?

Your answer to the "what is communication" question determines how successful your technical presentation will be.  The reason for this is because, at its core, your presentation delivery is essentially the communication of your thought, message, idea, solution, or action plan.  So, let's start with a little self evaluation.

What is communication? Is it:

• the message, idea, or solution you convey?
• the words you choose?
• the tone you speak in?
• the volume of your voice?
• your facial expressions?
• your body language?
• the clothes you wear?
• the visuals you use?

So what is communication?  If you answered all of the above, congratulations!  That means you already have the foundational understanding to take your presentations to the next level and ignite your "success rocket."  If you didn't answer all of the above, don't despair; we'll teach you the basics of these concepts so you'll gain that foundational knowledge and have the ability to light the fuse.

With all these contributing factors, though, you can easily see why the "what is communication" question does not have a single, simplistic answer.  This is why successfully communicating your technical concept is often a difficult task, and those who do it well are in high demand and often command high incomes.  At IDT Group, we are dedicated to providing you with the skills and tools to join this elite group!

While millions of pages of research is dedicated to "what is communication," we've captured key tips and techniques for effective technical communication on this site.  To help you expand the breadth and depth of your communication knowledge in an easy- to-follow manner, we've divided these tips and techniques into communication challenges, solutions to those challenges, and intercultural considerations.

For now, though, let's focus on the communication tips and techniques that are strictly related to improving your presentation delivery.  Naturally, these tips and techniques are based on understanding communication basics, particularly as they relate to communicating a primarily technically-based idea or solution. 

If you feel you need to brush up on those communication skills, please feel free to jump over to the appropriate section for a refresher; we'll still be here when you get back!  Otherwise, let's introduce you to several communication-related components involved in a successful presentation delivery including:

• The overall presentation communication process;
• The basics of public speaking;
• Presentation-specific speaking skills;
• The basics of group communication and how that affects your presentation to a group; and
• Making a Microsoft Powerpoint ® presentation and how this may change the way you communicate your message, idea, or solution.

Naturally, delivering a winning presentation is also dependent upon the quality of the content; feel free to take a detour to our presentation preparation section for tips related to creating a winning presentation.  If you feel as though your communication skills are excellent, and you just need some tips on how to implement those skills with Microsoft Powerpoint ®, head on over to our "All Things Powerpoint ®" section.

If need more immediate or specific answers to the "what is communication?" question than we can reasonably address in this site, we are available to work with you through our one-on-one presentation delivery coaching program.  We also schedule small group sessions throughout the year.  Please don't hesitate to contact us here to let us know how we can help you!

Otherwise, please help yourself of the following information with one caveat; we respectfully request that you let us know if it was useful or how it helped you.

How to Make a Presentation
Learn the step-by-step IDT method for making a successful technical presentation!

Public Speaking Skills
Public speaking is one of the best ways to improve your overall communication skills, which will lead to increased success for your technical presentations.  Let us show you the keys to increasing your public speaking success!

Presentation-Specific Communication
What specific communication techniques are useful in technical presentations and how do you integrate them into your toolbox?

Communicating to Groups
How group communication is different that one-on-one communication and why that is important to making your technical presentation successful.

Communicating with Powerpoint ®
Oftentimes, your technical presentation may include a Microsoft Powerpoint ® presentation. There are specific techniques that can make you look like a seasoned presenter while increasing the comprehension of your message, idea, or solution.

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Presentation Delivery

"There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave.  The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave."

  – Dale Carnegie